SPP vs Raking

[Mister_ACE]

So after about almost a month i've managed to SPP quite a few MasterLocks and Padlocks by both raking and SPP. The problem is I dont know if its just that easy to pick them or have I really gotten that good. Whenever I have some free time I just pick away and practice. I still cant seem to get this Medeco Cam lock I have. Any techniques anyone can share? I understand they say it takes years to pick a medeco but I just cant quit. im up for the challenge.

[KPick]

You have to learn how to pick a medeco first.

Two things you have to do to get the lock open is get the sidebar and the shear line set.

[smokingman]

Going from a Master Padlock to a Medeco is like going from putting on
a band aid to performing surgery .
Better to do a lot of practicing and study by dissection before attempting the Medeco.
And be prepared with the right tools as well.

[HerrMannelig]

So after about almost a month i've managed to SPP quite a few MasterLocks and Padlocks by both raking and SPP. The problem is I dont know if its just that easy to pick them or have I really gotten that good.

You need to study how locks work. I'm sure others can recommend good books. The mechanical design of locks is important. Once you understand the designs, you'll be able to assess your own abilities against locks and what is easy or not, and really begin to practice and develop skill.

Whenever I have some free time I just pick away and practice. I still cant seem to get this Medeco Cam lock I have. Any techniques anyone can share? I understand they say it takes years to pick a medeco but I just cant quit. im up for the challenge.

Study and learn.

[ARF-GEF]

Gradually increasing pin number. First pin it up with 1 pin then 2 pins then so up. Good luck!

But HM is right, you should have some basic theoretical knowledge about the build of locks if you want to get good. You will hardly pick a medeco before familiarizing yourself with the principle behind it.
There are several threads recommending books to read.

[mechanical_nightmare]

Squelchtone wrote: the list is usually crappy padlocks > Master lock no 3 > Kwikset deadbolt > Master No. 140 > Schlage deadbolt by luck > Master No. 532 > Master ProSeries 6121 > Schlage deadbolt consistently > Wilson Bohannan padlock > BEST SFIC by luck > 6 pin commercial Schlage > BEST SFIC to control > American Lock padlock with serrated pins > Medeco cylinder with the side bar removed > Medeco cylinder with side bar but all but 1 pins removed > dumb luck raking open a Medeco 4 pin cam lock or t-handle cylinder > your lock.

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58344&p=426004&hilit=medeco+xeo#p426004


Squelchtone, the main admin of this site came up with a pretty good list of progression to build skill on the thread I linked. It applies mostly to the US in terms of brand names, but the difficulty levels to progress through remain the same.

I have obtained some Medeco's recently but have not even inserted a pick into them to avoid the frustration. Right now I'm trying to conquer those evil Kale Kilit double bitted dimple locks

[Mister_ACE]

Is there a way to take this apart so I can see the the inside? So i can better understand?

[phrygianradar]

Use the search button to find stuff. Here is a good thread in which Squelchtone has included a picture of the lock type that you are attempting to find out more about. It's not identical, but will give you a better idea of what is going on in there. I just searched "Medeco cam" and came up with all sorts of info that you will find helpful!

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43297

[FarmerFreak]

Going from a Master Padlock to a Medeco is like going from putting on
a band aid to performing surgery .

+1

You should put it down for a while (months, possibly years). Work your way up to it. But if you really insist on picking it, the concept is simple. Apply rotational tension, find the pin that isn't springy and move it to a different depth/angle that it is springy at (you will have to lighten up tension to get it out of false gates, are you familiar with spooled pins except worse). Rinse and repeat until open. If you really want to pick medeco's I recommend starting with a mortice lock that has grub screws on the top so you can start with one pin.

The lock you have can be taken apart, but it isn't easy. There is a retaining clip that needs to be pulled out. You should be able to recognize it, it's crimped in place on the side of the housing. After that, to get to the pins you will have to pry off the brass spring cap. To put it back together you'll either have to have a new spring cap or reform the old one to put it back on.

[MikeTheLocksmith]

I agree with everyone about the medico lock. High security has added layers of protection you must learn how to pick or you will likely never open the lock. As far as you getting good that's interesting for a few reasons. By practicing you are getting better, but if you are using the same practice locks you are not getting much better. I have my practice locks to the point where it is all done by memory. I do not feel as though I an improving by picking these locks. Although I do use them as a confidence booster when working on a new lock that I just cannot crack.

To continue to improve you could rekey some locks if that is an option. You could try a more difficult bitting. The increase in difficulty in the key pattern I have learned some interesting concepts. Such as: overset pins can be correct by releasing tention enough to hear the pin drop. It can actually set the pin that was overset.

I found that going to different keyways is also a good way to help develop skills. Different keyways force different angles of the pick, and a different feel on the pick.

Also when picking make sure to create a mental map of what is happening in the lock. I read this somewhere on this forum and it has increased my ability to approach a new lock with a significantly higher success rate.

[MikeTheLocksmith]

I completely forgot about the SPP vs raking.

When I first started picking I raked everything. Raking has a surprisingly high success rate. At a job site I still open with raking. It opens most locks I run into very quickly. On a job I go for speed, with lockouts anyway. In my own time or when raking does not work I go to SPP. I have found that it is way more reliable. I used to drill about 30% of my lockouts. With practice with SPP I have only drilled one lock in the last 3 months. The lock was a disc lock on a storage unit. I have had 0 success with picking those. I think my picks are too big or my tention is off. Anyway, I think both are great to know, but SPP is more reliable but also more difficult to get good at. Does anyone else have something to add?

Thanks,
Mike