So... I Got Some Picks (Noob)

[Creaky Cactus]

My noob story so far...

I've read the guides (LSI, MIT and Detail Overkill). Seen the vids (Schuyler Towne etc.) and have a good understanding.

I've got three practice cylinders and have successfully shimed, disassembled and rekeyed them using a home made plug follower and DVD tags.

I have made (and picked) 1, 2 and 3 pins, and am working on getting the feel for the pins. I can pick the 3-pin setup reliably, so it is time to swap some pins around and make a different 3 before I move on to a four. I've been using a short hook. I think when I move to 4 pins, I'll need to mark the pick so I can tell which pin I'm on.

I found that I seem to do well with a top wrench that I made from a small paperclip. It seems to give me better feel than the store bought tension wrenches. (I think it helps me by (1) being more springy and (2) not allowing me to overtension).

Here are the questions:

I just got a set of Southord PXS-14 picks. The picks are fresh out of the box, is there anything I should do to the picks to make the most of them? Round sharp edges? polish? bend? etc.?

The PXS-14 comes with plastic/rubber sleeves. What do you (all) think about using them? Do you think they will it inhibit my ability to feel the lock?

When placing a wrench in the top of the lock, only a small amount of the wrench engages in the cylinder because it runs into the pins. This leaves half of inch of 'store bought' wrench hanging in the breeze. Do you (all) work with the wrench hanging out? Have top wrenches with a shorter "L"? Something else?

... and most importantly... How am I doing? Got any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Creaky Cactus]

... and....

It seems that my practice lock has a binding order that runs from back to front, I've tried two three-pin configurations so far, 123 and 135 and both bind back to front, I realize that the binding order is dependent on the machining tolerances of plug, housing and pin, but is it common to bind back to front?

[MrAnybody]

Here are the questions:

I just got a set of Southord PXS-14 picks. The picks are fresh out of the box, is there anything I should do to the picks to make the most of them? Round sharp edges? polish? bend? etc.?

The PXS-14 comes with plastic/rubber sleeves. What do you (all) think about using them? Do you think they will it inhibit my ability to feel the lock?

When placing a wrench in the top of the lock, only a small amount of the wrench engages in the cylinder because it runs into the pins. This leaves half of inch of 'store bought' wrench hanging in the breeze. Do you (all) work with the wrench hanging out? Have top wrenches with a shorter "L"? Something else?

... and most importantly... How am I doing? Got any suggestions?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, Creaky.

Great to hear that you've done the reading as you begin. That's always a great way to start, along with using a progressive lock (loading 1,2, then 3 etc stacks to get a feel of binding etc). Now it's all about practice, practice, practice.

Southord do adequate picks. I don't think you need to tweak them in any way. They'll serve you well as they are.

I can't speak for the sleeves Southord do. I've not used or seen them. I'd suggest experimenting with and without. See what feels best for you. I do have some Southord slimlines that I covered with a couple of layers of hockey tape and then heat-shrink tubing over the top. They've been fine when I used them. A lot more comfortable on the fingers with no negative on feedback that I can tell.

The important thing about a tension tool is that it sits well in the keyway to prevent it from slipping out and that it gives you good feedback. Certainly cut a couple of wrenches down to help with that. You can also put some serrations on the edges of the 'L' to help with traction. Have a look at Peterson tensions tools for an idea on how his is done. You can achieve something similar using a controlled squeeze on the edges of the 'L' using wire cutters. If you wanna spend some cash, I'd certainly recommend Peterson Prybars (my go-to and good tension tools).

I've also found in the past that I've made and kept a lot more tension tools than bought picks. I'd cut a bend a new tension tool for a new lock I'd get just to get it nice and snug in the keyway. Go down a junk yard and collect some metal inserts from windshield wipers. They're free and a perfect spring steel you can cut and bend to length.

[MrAnybody]

... and....

It seems that my practice lock has a binding order that runs from back to front, I've tried two three-pin configurations so far, 123 and 135 and both bind back to front, I realize that the binding order is dependent on the machining tolerances of plug, housing and pin, but is it common to bind back to front?

Yes, it's common. Common enough so that my usual beginning point when I insert a pick in a lock is the back of the lock (then feeling as I go forward). There's no fixed rule though.

[Creaky Cactus]

Go down a junk yard and collect some metal inserts from windshield wipers. They're free and a perfect spring steel you can cut and bend to length.

Yup, I learned that trick. I already got a set from my local auto repair shop, cut them down and put them into my kit.