Today is laundry day so I picked my masterlock padlock on my storage unit in the laundry room as usual, raking it open and then getting my laundry soap. Closed the padlock after I put it back. When I come back for the second load, I look at my padlock and notice to my surprise that the spring has not returned the padlock's keyway to its usual location. I try turning it back with the key, but it won't budge. I start to get worried because the laundry machine is starting its cycle without any soap in it! I try raking it open the opposite way to no avail. Then I try spinning the plug the other way, all the way around, and am rewarded by the satisfying click of top pins smacking down on bottom pins as they all align into their pin stacks. Guess I should have spun the plug back before closing the shackle.
It went well for me, but I suppose this is why we don't pick locks that are in use. Many of you own your locks and like to pick them, however, so this is for you: what do you do if you pick the lock and it malfunctions? Following is a list of possible problems and how to solve them.
1. Plug has spun 180 degrees and is stuck upside down.
This is because there are little holes in the bottom of the plug and the top pins have gone through those holes. The issue will be solved if you take the back of your half diamond pick and push these pins up while turning the plug. There is usually no reason to turn a plug this far on locks in the USA unless it is a cassette lock where you can spin the plug 720 degrees, and each rotation makes the deadbolt go farther into the door jamb.
2. Keyway isn't vertical anymore
One time I had a lockout call and I forgot to return the plug to the vertical locked position, and the customer had left and returned and didn't know how to get back into her living quarters. I asked her to stick her key in as far as it would go and rotate the key hole to straight up and down like it usually is, and it worked. This isn't really a problem for you, but if you forget this, your housemates may be angry. I know my girlfriend has found locks in this state before and she was non-plussed.
3. You picked the lock and the plug came out of the cylinder all the way or partially
You were probably raking a Kwikset cylinder and it came out a little bit, right? This is because the retainer clip is either broken or has fallen off, in my experience because the lock was rekeyed by some guy who didn't squeeze the retainer clip back on correctly and it was all loose. The good news is you only have to pick four pins, the bad news is that best case scenario you have to put one top pin and spring back in the cylinder. Worst case, you will pick the lock and accidentally drag the plug out farther and cause more top pins and springs to fall out. Fortunately they will mostly all be in the door, caught behind the lock and around the latch. Don't lose the springs and top pins unless you have more!
4. You were picking your lock and using lots of force and now you can feel that one pin is stuck above the sheer line.
For this you can either hope for the best and rake it a little, you can rap on the lockface with a screwdriver handle (put a rag over it so you don't dent it!) and you can also try spraying some lock lube in there to see if that loosens it up. If the lock is in a deadbolt or not on a door, you can take the lock apart by removing the peice of metal covering the springs on the top of the cylinder and push the top pin down. If on the door in a knob, pray. There is frequently no good way to get to the cylinder without turning the cylinder if in a knob or lever.
5. You turned a cylinder really hard and now it just spins around and doesn't seem connected to anything
You are probably dealing with a Kwikset lock whose tailpiece broke off. The easiest solution to bypassing this is not allowed for discussion in this section of the forums but is readily available for viewing on youtube. If it is a deadbolt you can't void it, so you will have to go open some other door in and unscrew the thumbturn to access the latch to open the door. Pick the next lock more carefully!
6. You were raking a lock vigorously and a little round piece of metal came out, maybe brightly colored. Shame on you! You probably don't own this lock, it probably belongs to some apartment building's management and you are in trouble because some master key will now not work, or maybe your key won't work. You will not be able to guess where that piece of metal goes because you don't even know what pin stack it is in. You fail. If you are a locksmith, you should now how to rake and not to do it this hard.
7. You were picking a Schlage knob or lever, and you feel a sudden easing of resistance. Oops, you probably popped the top off the cylinder. Now the springs have flown out. Picking is easy but different, you'll just have to keep going at this point and put the cylinder back together and crimp the top back on it once you get the door open.
8. When I think of it I will add 8 here. What tips can everybody else think of?
