by WolfSpring » 3 Oct 2009 1:32
I call myself a beginner because I'm still picking padlocks, though I have gotten good with security pins but I have not moved past pins and simple wafer locks, like on desks. I'd like to share some things I read, yet didn't understand that might help someone else who was me two months ago just learning this stuff.
1. Tension, when they say light, it's light some locks just setting your finger on the wrench is enough tension, probe with your tension, if it is a 5 pin lock, four of the 5 pins should move easily and one should not, this is your bind pin, if the other four do not, you have to much tension.
2. Bind pins, once you find it you should not have to put to much pressure on your hook and you should hear a click when it goes into place. If it does not, back off some tension.
3. False set, if you get a false set, go back to the pin you just set, ease a little bit of tension and push it up some more, if your plug moves back to the locked position you are on the right pin and it will set.
4. Order, most locks seem to go 5-1 (back to front) MOST, especially the older ones, as it is described about the key, the last pin is usually the least touched, so ususally the first to bind. If not most locks I have found have a difinitive order I did have one that was 4,3,1,5 and the two pin never got touched.
As a beginner you can read this stuff all day and it does not really sink in, you may not understand it, I went weeks without ever having a false set, and then one lock always false set on me so I had to learn how to deal with it. Practice is key like the guide's here tell you, practice, practice and when you think you got it practice some more. I know there are a dozen guides here but every time I read them I just fealt it was not talking to me like it needed to. You need to be relaxed and focused. I find talking with someone while I'm picking helps a lot. I'm thinking of the lock, but not entranced by it. I've been doing this since July and I've picked everything from four pin Master locks with no security to American 5200 with spools, serated and even broken springs on locks. It all comes down to feeling out the lock using your experience and practicing. I got discouraged really bad for a week, had a rough week at work, couldn't pick a practice lock to save my life, could only pick the locks I could rake, no SPP for almost 5 days. Then I got a good nights sleep, and it all just popped in. Now I have the patience and I dare say I'm almost not a begginer anymore, but I've got nothing here to help step to the next level, looking at buying a new level of lock to work on, but probably need some tools first. Hope this helps any disheartened begginers, or brand new people who simply think, I cannot do this.
What most people call intelligence I call common sense.
