Information about locks themselves. Questions, tips and lock diagram information should be posted here.
by billdeserthills » 19 Apr 2014 0:15
Why not simply grind part of your tension wrench away, that allows you to hold it up higher , or lower which gives more access to the keyhole? Anyhow thats what I do. I'm not often picking locks for fun, but I still get that same feeling when it does open. Right after that I get money too!
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by teranaut » 19 Apr 2014 9:56
Mainly, I like to do things the hard way. Always have and I can't explain it. Also, I try to do as much as possible with the most basic tools. I find it teaches me to appreciate the act and helps to make me more familiar with the limitations that each tool has. Being that I'm a student, analyst, and project manager; when I pick, it's for fun and for learning. Thanks for the suggestion on grinding the wrench; but, I carry a regular and slim Peterson prybar that work great for this keyway. To each their own, happy picking.
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by Airmaxx23 » 19 Apr 2014 12:57
I'm not usually one to toot my own horn but I was kind of proud of myself today. I received a couple more cylinders for the American 5200 locks and put one in today without checking to see what it had for pins. I was able to get it open in about 7 minutes, afterward I checked the pins and there were 3 sporated drivers and 2 serrated. The weird thing was that I did not get any false sets with the sporated pins at all, just a slight bit of rotation. I thought maybe it was a fluke but I picked it a few more times in about 5 minutes each time.
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by mechanical_nightmare » 22 Apr 2014 2:29
Recently I bought an ABUS Diskus for a truck we own. Today I got another one to see how it picks, and was able to pick it in approx. 3 minutes, out-of-the-box, without looking at the keys.  Still a good lock though, it seems they fixed the melting attack by making the entire thing out of steel as well.
If you do not manipulate the lock, then the lock will manipulate you
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mechanical_nightmare
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by GWiens2001 » 22 Apr 2014 6:40
The ABUS Diskus and Buffo locks can be fun to pick. Nice job, Mech.  Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.
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by mechanical_nightmare » 23 Apr 2014 9:47
Today I picked a tubular lock for the first time:   It is a crappy Chinese-made consumer safe that our business partner uses at one of his offices. I will try making a key for it, which is why he gave the safe to me. It was shocking to see how quickly the Southord tool opens this lock. I am on the lookout for higher quality tubular locks to practise with.
If you do not manipulate the lock, then the lock will manipulate you
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mechanical_nightmare
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by phrygianradar » 24 Apr 2014 0:30
So I went by the locksmith shop I am know at the other day to buy another American 1100 for work. I asked if they needed any help to which I got the reply, "we always need help around here!", but they were super busy so I just left and decided to come back later on. That was last week, so today I went in and it was not busy; perfect time to see what is going on and all that. I got another key made for the Master no17 I just made an impression of the other day and they were all interested and started sharing stories and giving tips etc., it was really great to feel like I was among guys that understood what I am all about. So I mentioned that they had previously told me they had some stuff for me to work on. I got a pile of sfic locks to de-core, to my delight! Some of which were pretty dang tough. The hardest two were an Arrow ChoiCe and a Falcon Instakey which I picked when I got home from work. The keyway on the Arrow ChoiCe is soooo para-centric compared to other sfic locks, kind of like a Keymark, I had to break out the old Pete Slims! and it was a real pile of road fruit (road apples, or whatever). But worst was the Falcon Instakey. Those things are nuts tough! I don't know if any of you other guys with more experience have picked those before, but it seems like every one I have ever picked to control was seriously high-low-high-low-high-low-high with tons of little pins that constantly make it just spin the plug! But I got it out of its housing in about 40 minutes or so. Here are some pictures. Just as a note the keys are only operating keys which, as most of you may already know, give you absolutely no clue as to what the control key bitting is like… unless I am mistaken, which happens all the time!   This is the Arrow ChoiCe. Notice the nice and mean warding.  I didn't mess up the fragile warding too much. I have been more conscious of this the more I practice and pick locks…  And a slightly out of focus pic of the keys… Now for the cool bit: While I was still at the shop they gave me a Almont Re-Key that they said they had failed to be able to pick open. And just before I left the threw me another padlock with a Schlage core, same deal; either they didn't try too hard to pick it or something else. So I went out to my car and had them open in about 10 minutes. Came back into the shop and the owner asked if I was all licensed up so he could call me to do some lock-outs that he was too busy for! Plus they gave me the Almont padlock! It was a really good day! 
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by GWiens2001 » 24 Apr 2014 10:23
Very nice, PR!!! The Instakey seems to have lots of master wafers and may feel like they are serrated because they are made by gluing stacks of master wafers into one (or more) pins. The 'special' key will break off a wafer, and has the bottom of the key blade cut below the wafer(s) that are to be removed are located. The key can then remove the sheared pin, and the next key in the series will (is supposed to) work. As I understand it, these locks have a somewhat high failure rate due to accidentally shearing off a wafer, so no further keys will work the lock. Much like picking an SFIC, and dropping out a wafer. Have one Instakey core, but no keys.  Want to eventually get one for the collection. Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.
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by Yoder » 24 Apr 2014 10:27
I'm stuck on a train without it right now, and I can't remember the brand off the top of my head, but I got my first lock with security pins the other day. Took me 30 minutes the first time, but every time after that got faster.
Today I just have a couple masters and some kwikset cylinders to keep me entertained on the train ride.
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by MrAnybody » 26 Apr 2014 2:23
At last! I've gotten around to doing the 3 remaining of my 7-pin ASSA Ovals. That's all 6 done with 3 different keyways. Average bitting in a couple of them, and some nice challenges in the others. Reaching past the 6 pins to set the 7th was fun on most of them. Spongy, spongy springs on some of them only giving me maybe-set feedback on others ....... all good fun. I really wanted to nail these to try and find a knack with the funky ASSA spools I found in the first one. Just loved the buzz of nailing the 6th. All done. http://i.imgur.com/f7x715h.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LQvPf8I.jpg
DISCLAIMER: Reader may posit an understanding of what was written, while this may not coincide with the intended meaning of what is read. Use of brain is required. One size fits all, and may contain traces of gibberish
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by Domus » 26 Apr 2014 15:17
Nothing special here... a 45mm Chinese lock picked with a very old pick from when i first started. If you look close i broke the pick in the lock (some old snake design) which turned it into duck head looking pick. Home made tension as well So if anyone decides to make a pick like that i here by claim the patient to it http://i60.tinypic.com/33nxk7o.jpg
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by KPick » 28 Apr 2014 0:12
LoL your images are so big that I couldn't get them to fit on my small screen...
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by phrygianradar » 28 Apr 2014 0:48
KPick wrote:LoL your images are so big that I couldn't get them to fit on my small screen...
+1 to that! 600 x 450 works pretty well guys. Not like I'm a technology guru or anything, just sayin'... 
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