Masterlock No.3: A Rookies Meltdown Memoire

[Permutator]

After purchasing my SouthOrd MPXS-14 + brand new No.3, I was feeling optimistic about my new hobby. Naturally I got lucky a few times opening it at first. But within a few weeks time I was really getting a feel for SPP. Due to my this dedication I set out to conserve my MPXS-14 picks, using only a large tension wrench & large half diamond pick. About a week ago, I'm going at it and I feel a bunch of glittery metal / fairy dust fall out of my lock. Figured I must have ground a pin, so it would technically become easier to pick. Tried the keys, they still worked fine. An hour passes, finally I get the latch to pop. "No worries, it's just me." A week later and several hours pass I can't pick the still functioning No.3 at all... IRC channel had some good suggestions, I tried switching to the small hook. Could swear I'm setting all 4 pins. My tension wrench turns, and for some reason or whatever the latch won't pop. I tried inserting a screw driver for a little more extra turn, nothing. I bought a few new locks but due to my obsessive personality, the No.3 functions and I was picking it easily two weeks ago is driving me bonkers. Bent my small hook last night so here I am. Any ideas? I'm going to order a clear lock to boost my confidence come next paycheck. I could start messing with another lock, but it's so frustrating. I feel like my first lock and I are involved in an abusive relationship. I refuse to give up on the precious time we spent together.

[Squelchtone]

After purchasing my SouthOrd MPXS-14 + brand new No.3, I was feeling optimistic about my new hobby. Naturally I got lucky a few times opening it at first. But within a few weeks time I was really getting a feel for SPP. Due to my this dedication I set out to conserve my MPXS-14 picks, using only a large tension wrench & large half diamond pick. About a week ago, I'm going at it and I feel a bunch of glittery metal / fairy dust fall out of my lock. Figured I must have ground a pin, so it would technically become easier to pick. Tried the keys, they still worked fine. An hour passes, finally I get the latch to pop. "No worries, it's just me." A week later and several hours pass I can't pick the still functioning No.3 at all... IRC channel had some good suggestions, I tried switching to the small hook. Could swear I'm setting all 4 pins. My tension wrench turns, and for some reason or whatever the latch won't pop. I tried inserting a screw driver for a little more extra turn, nothing. I bought a few new locks but due to my obsessive personality, the No.3 functions and I was picking it easily two weeks ago is driving me bonkers. Bent my small hook last night so here I am. Any ideas? I'm going to order a clear lock to boost my confidence come next paycheck. I could start messing with another lock, but it's so frustrating. I feel like my first lock and I are involved in an abusive relationship. I refuse to give up on the precious time we spent together.

if you're scraping pins and having brass powder fall out and you're bending picks, then step away, put the lock down and actually, throw that No3. away before you break more picks, that thing is kicked now.. I see this all the time at hacker conventions when beginners rake the sh*t out of a lock and then I can hardly pick it and I know what I'm doing. Get a Defiant or Kwikset deadbolt for $15 at Home Depot, and take it apart and remove the pins stacks to learn exactly what all the parts look like and see how they fit together. Then pin up 1 or 2 pin chambers and start SPP practice again. If picks are bending, then it sounds like you're trying to force the lock to open, and picking doesn't rely on force, it's a gentle art.

Also, and I suspect this to be the case, just how much pressure are you putting on the tension wrench and could you show us a photo of where you put the wrench and how you are holding the lock and wrench? Most beginners put far too much pressure on wrenches until their fingers turn white. I tell folks who I teach in person that we arent changing a flat tire and trying to remove lug nuts, you just want your finger to press on the wrench to the point where it just starts to flex and your finger isnt white.

Most of this stuff will clear up with practice, so no, there isnt anything wrong with the picks or your lock, you just have to get some picking time under your belt, learn some good habits, adjust tension wrench pressure as needed, and get rid of that master no.3, it's kicked.

My friend Max runs TOOOL Boston (The Open Organisation of Lockpickers, a hobby picking group) which has a chapter in Boston, they meet at the Artisan's Asylum (last I knew) once a month, you may want to swing by on a Sunday when they meet and have some hardcore hobbyists give you hands on practice.

Squelchtone

[billdeserthills]

You do understand that for the most part, each lock you attempt to pick will have a different combination inside it?
Today a client brought me two guns, with Master gun locks on each. One picked open in a minute or two, the other
one wouldn't pick open, so I got my revenge and gave it a taste of the drill--Very Refreshing, plus I charged an extra
$10 bux to drill it off his beautiful Pietra Beretta dbl barreled .410 over-under

[FuzzyChopz]

Getting a clear/visible lock will help you in getting your confidence back. Just don't use it too long as a crutch. I got a nice Southord 5-pin practice lock on Amazon for 30$. My favorite purchase so far is the 'SuperMax 7 pin easy rekey practice lock'. It took me a while to find one, but I finally found one on eBay for 55$ shipped. I believe this lock would help you greatly. It is very easy to re pin with an Allen key. You can go from 1 to 7 pins and it even comes with spools and serrated. This lock is nice because if you get frustrated, you can re pin it to 1,2, or 3 pins to get back in the game. There are a couple other reviews on the practice lock that are helpful on this forum. Check them out, I believe it is made my Mr. Wizard if I'm not mistaken. Hope this helps...

[Permutator]

if you're scraping pins and having brass powder fall out and you're bending picks, then step away, put the lock down and actually, throw that No3. away before you break more picks, that thing is kicked now.. I see this all the time at hacker conventions when beginners rake the sh*t out of a lock and then I can hardly pick it and I know what I'm doing. Get a Defiant or Kwikset deadbolt for $15 at Home Depot, and take it apart and remove the pins stacks to learn exactly what all the parts look like and see how they fit together. Then pin up 1 or 2 pin chambers and start SPP practice again. If picks are bending, then it sounds like you're trying to force the lock to open, and picking doesn't rely on force, it's a gentle art.

Also, and I suspect this to be the case, just how much pressure are you putting on the tension wrench and could you show us a photo of where you put the wrench and how you are holding the lock and wrench? Most beginners put far too much pressure on wrenches until their fingers turn white. I tell folks who I teach in person that we arent changing a flat tire and trying to remove lug nuts, you just want your finger to press on the wrench to the point where it just starts to flex and your finger isnt white.

Most of this stuff will clear up with practice, so no, there isnt anything wrong with the picks or your lock, you just have to get some picking time under your belt, learn some good habits, adjust tension wrench pressure as needed, and get rid of that master no.3, it's kicked.

My friend Max runs TOOOL Boston (The Open Organisation of Lockpickers, a hobby picking group) which has a chapter in Boston, they meet at the Artisan's Asylum (last I knew) once a month, you may want to swing by on a Sunday when they meet and have some hardcore hobbyists give you hands on practice.

Squelchtone

I'll try to take a picture when I get a chance. Actually have a kwikset sitting on my desk and I'm gonna rip it apart when I get home from work and leave my No. 3 alone. I definitely have started to increase pressure on my tension wrench since the latch stopped popping, sounds like something I'm doing out of spite. I've always wanted to drop in to Artisan's Asylym and check out their studio space. I was pretty nervous and intimidated about making my first thread (even more about possibly showing up to TOOOL), but it sounds like I could really benefit from the experience so I probably will sometime.

My favorite purchase so far is the 'SuperMax 7 pin easy rekey practice lock'. - FuzzyChops

Awesome, I'll take a look!


Thank you very much for everyone taking the time out of their life to read and respond to my post.

[Jburgett2nd]

Whoa man, I've raked my no.3 open i seriously wanna say 1 thousand times and never had that happen haha I guess i'm lucky or something. I broke a rake in a kwikset before though but I was overly aggressive.

[Permutator]

but I was overly aggressive.

Think that was exactly the case.

After finally dismissing the No.3 as suggested, I began on a small basic plastic 40mm Masterlock - was able to pick it immediately. The sheer frustration of seeing the No.3 open so many times was making me extremely obsessive and in denial. All though my skill level could be playing devils advocate, I really believe my lock was raked to death. Gonna start messing with my kwikset, and & designing my picks again (specifically my small hook ) since our relationships finally in the past. Feel fantastic about divorcing my No.3, about to buy some self tanner + join a country club & perhaps make a TOOOL appearance.

[FuzzyChopz]

Lol.... I have an orthord practice lock that I am thinking about divorcing too!