Tips on Masterlock #1

by **Kodack** » 5 Oct 2004 19:06

My locks came in today. I'm having trouble getting a good grip on the masterlock #1. I hold it in my left hand, put the torque bar in and then the pick, what do I hold the bar with?

It looks like I can put pressure on the bar with my left hand middle finger while I"m holding the lock but it's very hard to get any feedback like this, or control the torque very well.

I would appreciate any advice.

Also, is it just me, or does a brand new lock smell exactly like a musical instrument? The metalic smells, brass smell of the key, the oil, smells exactly like a trombone or trumpet.

by **WhiteHat** » 5 Oct 2004 19:19

when holding padlocks - I put the padlock in my left hand between my middle, index and thumb. I use my ring finger and pinky (sometimes only my pinky) to manipulate the tension - you shouldn't need much unless there is a spring force to overcome.

apply tension until it doesn't move anymore - then ease off very slightly - then start picking.

alternatively put the padlock in a vice - but that gives less feedback and probably is not realistic - if you encounter a padlock in real life, you're not going to have a vice handy.

I also love the freshly oiled metalic smell of new locks

kinda addictive....

by **deusfororum** » 5 Oct 2004 20:27

i like to hold the lock in my right hand with my thumb on the bottom of the lock, and my middle and ring fingers on the top. Then my index finger is used to apply tension.

by **deusfororum** » 5 Oct 2004 20:31

ignore me. i'm left-handed. I just tried holding the lock in my left hand and this would not work. so listen to WhiteHat

by **WhiteHat** » 5 Oct 2004 20:38

well, actually - some right handers have said before that when they switched to their left hand, they had suprising success in picking - it's something worth trying for the challenge anyway.

by **Kodack** » 5 Oct 2004 20:42

The cylynder has quite a bit of play both in and out and side to side/up and down. It keeps making my torque bar pop in and out and has a 'mushy' feel to it.

I'll crack it eventually but it's somehow much tougher than the kwikset.

BTW is it cheating to look at the key to get an idea of where each pin is happy?

by **Buggs41** » 5 Oct 2004 21:53

I wouldn't say it is cheating....As long as you learn something from it.

by **sevenply** » 5 Oct 2004 22:15

I am also working on a masterlock #1. I haven't picked a lock yet and I don't have picks. I am using the wire from a spiral notebook (it is a bit thicker than a paperclip). With the masterlock #1 you can turn the key in either direction. I have tried putting as much pressure as possible in both directions and I can't seem to get any pins to bind. I have tried varrying amounts of pressure but I figured if I put as much pressure as possible one, some, or all the pins would bind but instead they all move freely. My cylinder also has a lot of play, just kind of floats around in there.

by **WhiteHat** » 5 Oct 2004 22:21

y'know - I went down to the hardware store the other day to see what all the fuss was about these master locks - a Master 3 cost only 5 bucks less than a lockwood 201 replacement deadbolt cylinder...

perhaps it's just that store, perhaps it's because they're imported from america - in any case - I'll never be picking a masterlock.

by **Chucklz** » 5 Oct 2004 23:07

sevenply- you should never have to use the most miniscule pressure on your tension bar. Speakinc of which, what are you using for a tension tool?

Whitehat- The last time I saw a Master #3 in a store here, and payed attention, it was about 7 USD. The reason its tossed around so much on here is that its almost impossible to walk into a store that sells padlocks in the US and not find oen of these, that they are relatively easy to pick, and that if someone in the US has a padlock laying about un-used, its a good chance that its one of these.

by **WhiteHat** » 5 Oct 2004 23:11

yeah - I figured that. so it's low security and cheap in america. someone must have thought that because it was so prolific over there they should import it into australia and sell it here successfully ... add on the import costs, change in exchange rate and you get something that's not worth buying when compared to local products...

by **Kodack** » 7 Oct 2004 15:50

I have yet to pick this lock. I did the two Kwikset's using raking. That doesn't seem to work very well with this lock.

I can't feel very well when a pin is set and I am having trouble telling which pin I am working on. There seems to be a gap between the back of the cylynder and the last pin.

How many pins is this lock? I'm guessing 4 right?

Which pick would you use? I've tried shallow diamond, shallow pick, steep diamond, and a few rakes.

by **Kodack** » 7 Oct 2004 23:42

Nevermiind. I just got it a few minutes ago. It took shallow pick with a gentle back to front pull. I didn't use a rake pick, but the movement was rake like. As usual it popped when I wasn't trying.

I still can't do it one at a time. Are there any cheap 2 or 3 pin padlocks I might find?

by **Kwikset** » 15 Oct 2004 19:34

When I first got my No.1, I was all excited to have a new lock to pick. I got home, opened the package, and practically looked at it wrong, and it popped open. I was quite dissapointed.

It seems to respond much better by single pin picking, rather than raking.

by **bushd** » 15 Oct 2004 19:42

For some reason that seems counter to what I've experienced. I can't really pick the Master #3 I suppose due to the very loose machining but I can rake it open in a few seconds each time. That is funny because I practice on the Schlage Varjeal sent me lined with serrated pins.

Tips on Masterlock #1

Tips on Masterlock #1

I'm having trouble with this lock

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