Dimple Picks - Big Favour

[valeguy]

I've searched in vain for a good template of a set of dimple lock picks. I would buy some, but living in South Africa I end up paying as much for postage as I do for the picks so I'd like to try my hand at some DIY. If anyone out there has a set of dimple picks, and a spare moment, I beg of you please take a picture of them on a piece of paper with a ruler in the picture, I can do the rest, (or if you know of any templates that would of course be perfect).

All help much appreciated
valeguy

[femurat]

I use half diamonds with thin and straight shaft



cheers

[cyrano138]

I'm on it. Just give me a half hour or so.

[cyrano138]

Here you go. This is the set from Southord.


Now three picks at a time, first from the side and then from the front so you can see the rotational cuts.









And now the two hand picks (meant to be used without the handle):



And finally the handle and tension wrenches:


I hope this helps. I'd like to comment on which ones are the most or least useful, but I've not yet been able to open a single dimple lock, and the more I work on them the more I think I would've been better off with a small, strong half-diamond. Good luck!

Jack

[cyrano138]

On inspection of the post, I see my browser seems to be cutting off some of the photos. If you resize the objects in your browser (use ctrl+ and ctrl- ) it backs out enough for you to see the photos in full. Here is a link to the photobucket album in case you can't make it work:

http://s1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff4 ... ckpicking/

[valeguy]

Thanks a million cyrano, thanks for including the shots of the pick ends too some of these will be tricky to make but I'm up to the challenge I'll post up the pictures when I'm done but it could take a while..

I use half diamonds with thin and straight shaft

I actually tried to pick a dimple lock with my half diamond, and I had limited success getting a few pins to set, but I'll give it another go now that I know it's actually possible By the way, what kind of lock is that in the picture(brand/make?)

[cyrano138]

No problem! Good luck with your project.

[femurat]

It's a multilock integrator. It's like a 7x7 but one of the pins has an oval section. A nice lock to practice with, after you've got used to the standard 7x7.

Cheers

[valeguy]

Thanks does the integrator have any telescoping pins, like in the MT5 and interactive?

[raimundo]

does anyone here who has experience in using dimple picks think any of those commercial picks are necessary and for what brand lock.

there are many "notional" picks that are made and sold by commercial operators, picks that have no real use.

the various 'flags' on this set of picks is unnecessary.

femurats smaller straight thin shafted half diamonds are all you really need.

I make a similiar but different dimple pick, that is a half diamond with the underside relieved and the front slope cut with a round needle file to create a 'scoop' to get under the pin, that is both sides of the diamond are thinned half way through the pick in the rounded scoop.

this is just for more positive feel and control of the pin and its based on the thinking that dimple pins come almost all the way through the keyway and the keys usually have a thin 'scoop' to pick up the pins, this is translated to a rounded cut on both sides of the pick to insure that the thickness of the pick is not too thick to easily place under the bevel of those pins.

All together you probably need two or three dimple picks with the difference being in the size of the keyway and lock they are intended for.

[cyrano138]

does anyone here who has experience in using dimple picks think any of those commercial picks are necessary and for what brand lock.

there are many "notional" picks that are made and sold by commercial operators, picks that have no real use.

the various 'flags' on this set of picks is unnecessary.

femurats smaller straight thin shafted half diamonds are all you really need.

I make a similiar but different dimple pick, that is a half diamond with the underside relieved and the front slope cut with a round needle file to create a 'scoop' to get under the pin, that is both sides of the diamond are thinned half way through the pick in the rounded scoop.

this is just for more positive feel and control of the pin and its based on the thinking that dimple pins come almost all the way through the keyway and the keys usually have a thin 'scoop' to pick up the pins, this is translated to a rounded cut on both sides of the pick to insure that the thickness of the pick is not too thick to easily place under the bevel of those pins.

All together you probably need two or three dimple picks with the difference being in the size of the keyway and lock they are intended for.

Granted, I've never opened one, but just getting to the pins on the few dimple locks I have hasn't required more than a couple of picks. Basically the thinnest flag in this set is sufficient, and having one that is scooped on the other side so you can rotate from the other direction is convenient as well. I would say 90% of this set is superfluous at best, and certainly two of the three tension wrenches are completely useless in my limited experience.

Unfortunately, for those of us who aren't handy or don't have a workspace and proper tools, it's one of very few options.

Jack

[mhole]

I've opened Garrison 7x7, Integrator, Classic & Interactive Pini-in-pin and partially pinned MT5 using a tall but slim half diamond, inspired largely by Femurat. IMO the trick with these is getting a good tension tool for the large keyway, and ensuring your pick is slim enough not to overset the deepest cuts/tallest pins accidentally.

Here's a vid of an interactive falling to the half diamond:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC6CBkMPMqk

[mhole]

oops - integrator, not interactive!

[femurat]

WOW I'm happy to be mentioned by you, my dear friends.

Ray you described this tool many times, I guess it's something similar to my favorite one, but the groove on top of mine isn't as you describe. Mine is just on the tip top, your goes on along both sides. It reminds me a fork... I hope to have time this weekend to try and make one, then I'll show here a picture and you can tell me if I got your description right.

I agree with you 100% mhole, the most important thing is a tight fitting tension wrench. By the way, good job on that mtl

Hey cirano138, you could make half diamond picks with a small vice, a flat file and some sandpaper. I work on my kitchen top and lay some newspaper sheets to keep the top clean...

If I get a new lock and can't find a good tw I make a new one, the exact size. Then I use one of my few half diamonds. You really need just one, but having three of different size is better.

Cheers

[valeguy]

If you want to make a tension wrench a bit thicker, what I did for mine is I cut another two more lengths of the steel (from a windscreen wiper) the length of the head of the head of the tension wrench and just clamped and epoxyed them on, then neatened up with a file. Soldering would be a little more elegant but I epoxy worked fine for me..