What did you pick today?

[Mitchell S]

Lockwood 290S84 mono-block. Didn't have the right tool handy to gut it, but it was a six pinner and they felt like most if not all spool pins. This thing is really beautifully made, the tolerances are very tight. Also it weighs 1.7 kilograms so a bit of a beast.

[GWiens2001]

Lockwood 290S84 mono-block. Didn't have the right tool handy to gut it, but it was a six pinner and they felt like most if not all spool pins. This thing is really beautifully made, the tolerances are very tight. Also it weighs 1.7 kilograms so a bit of a beast.

Nice! It probably has all spools but one, which is most likely plain (though some companies will use a serrated at that position. This is because a padlock with all spools usually has problems with the key binding a bit when the key is being inserted or removed. A single 'normal' driver pin placed near the rear of the lock eliminates that problem.

Have not seen, let alone picked, a mono-block Lockwood. But have an affection for large, heavy padlocks. If you are ever up for a trade for that beauty, shoot me a PM. Again, congrats on the picking!

Gordon

[Squelchtone]

Hey Mitchell S,

Very cool lock and nice photo. It looks like you have Magritte's The Son of Man painting on your wall just like in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) heist movie. Is there something we should know?

Squelchtone

[Mitchell S]

Hey Mitchell S,

Very cool lock and nice photo. It looks like you have Magritte's The Son of Man painting on your wall just like in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) heist movie. Is there something we should know?

Squelchtone

Haha good spotting, it is indeed The Son of Man (a copy is anyone asks). I guess it ties in with my love of art with my love of locks (and defeating them). Maybe I'll start combining my art collection with my lock collection photos.

Gordon, you sound just like me. I LOVE the big heavy beasts of locks, it's why some of my first acquisitions were the 831's and 833's. Still working on a Hi-Shear being another obvious one! I have a local friend who is a locksmith, he hooked me up with this one so you know what I can probably get another one I'll shoot you a message.

Mitch

[UnlockingBoredom]

picked 3 American series HT15's today (tubular) SPP'd them first just to see if I could do it... Then used the Southord tubular pick so I could map out the pins and have keys made for them. It took most of the day to get them picked with the Southord pick.. Im pretty sure they use security pins in those locks.

I will take a picture and post when I get the battery charged in my camera... forgot to shut it off the last time I took a pic

EDIT:
Does anyone know how much I should be paying to have keys made for the 3 locks? I figure 2 keys per lock
Wish I had the money for a Herty Gerty, but at 380.00 its a bit out of my price range

[billdeserthills]

picked 3 American series HT15's today (tubular) SPP'd them first just to see if I could do it... Then used the Southord tubular pick so I could map out the pins and have keys made for them. It took most of the day to get them picked with the Southord pick.. Im pretty sure they use security pins in those locks.

I will take a picture and post when I get the battery charged in my camera... forgot to shut it off the last time I took a pic

EDIT:
Does anyone know how much I should be paying to have keys made for the 3 locks? I figure 2 keys per lock
Wish I had the money for a Herty Gerty, but at 380.00 its a bit out of my price range

I charge $35 to pick & decode & $35 to cut the first key. If you had a key decoder you could save $35 on each lock

[UnlockingBoredom]

picked 3 American series HT15's today (tubular) SPP'd them first just to see if I could do it... Then used the Southord tubular pick so I could map out the pins and have keys made for them. It took most of the day to get them picked with the Southord pick.. Im pretty sure they use security pins in those locks.

I will take a picture and post when I get the battery charged in my camera... forgot to shut it off the last time I took a pic

EDIT:
Does anyone know how much I should be paying to have keys made for the 3 locks? I figure 2 keys per lock
Wish I had the money for a Herty Gerty, but at 380.00 its a bit out of my price range

I charge $35 to pick & decode & $35 to cut the first key. If you had a key decoder you could save $35 on each lock

I did the pin decoding and have them witen down, I went to the 2 closest locksmiths with the numbers and they both said $8.00 for the key blank and $38.00 to cut them. These are not my locks, I am doing a favor by picking and decoding but I can't afford to pay that price to key them. I guess I will have to start saving for a herty gerty.

But I'm getting off subject about this thread, so back to our regular scheduled program...

[Robotnik]

After picking the above Best to operating a dozen more times, I put it aside; it'll eventually meet my 18V control key. At this point, a lock that degraded isn't worth the time and frustration.

As a palette cleanser, I took a crack at my Master M930 pinned with 5 serrated American key pins and 3 serrated drivers. Definitely the hardest Master I've ever picked...

[UnlockingBoredom]

Found a few locks at the local Habitat for Humanity store and picked them all.

American 5100, Abus 55/40 and a Fortress lock... cost $3.00, $1.00 and $1.00


Here is an Arrow Assa Abloy door lever, Cost $5.00 for the entire lever lock and hardware.

I can put a Schlage key in it, does that mean its not what the paperwork says?

These I picked up from a Army/Navy surplus store for $3.00 a piece (no keys)


Here is the 3 American HT15's I picked the other day for a friend.



Fun day!

[lbern]

I recently bought this pile of Schlage cylinders on Ebay. Picked and gutted them. My plan is to make some good training locks.

[Korver15]

Picked two Best 7 pin cores DD keyway. I had been trying to crack just one of these suckers for a couple weeks on and off and then today, I got them both. First time it was anticlimactic I was just groping and then it popped open. Opened it in a minute or two right after so I took a break and went to my other one and within 10 minute I got that one. Tis a triumphant day in IMO

[Robotnik]

Picked two Best 7 pin cores DD keyway. I had been trying to crack just one of these suckers for a couple weeks on and off and then today, I got them both. First time it was anticlimactic I was just groping and then it popped open. Opened it in a minute or two right after so I took a break and went to my other one and within 10 minute I got that one. Tis a triumphant day in IMO

Congrats. The tight tolerances in Best ICs make them a difficult pick; triumphant day indeed.

[Mitchell S]

When confidence builders turn into confidence breakers!! My wife brought me home a lock from the shops today just to be nice (she doesn't know but I didn't have the heart to tell her that master locks generally speaking are junk), and I thought it would be a very easy SPP. Well the thing took me the better part of 20 minutes!!! I was questioning everything in know about picking. Haha. It turned out that pin 4 was a very low cut, and pin 5 was very high, I guess I must have been over setting. Anyway take no lock for granted I guess!!

[Robotnik]

Very old Corbin push-key padlock. Lock internals were extremely dirty, and it took so much shackle tension that my arm was shaking by the time this opened. Looking to make a key, but the ball bearings may limit my impressioning options.

[GWiens2001]

Very old Corbin push-key padlock. Lock internals were extremely dirty, and it took so much shackle tension that my arm was shaking by the time this opened. Looking to make a key, but the ball bearings may limit my impressioning options.

You can try disassembling the lock to get a better shot at making a key for the lock. It would also allow you to clean the internals better. Perhaps add some lube internally. After 80+ years, it could probably use it.

Gordon