I need locks and stuff... And numerous answers to questions.

[pyroxyz]

Hey everyone!
Pyro here.
So, I just fairly recently got into picking as a hobby, started about two weeks or so ago. And, I have a bit of a conundrum! I'm fairly penniless, so I got a cheap pick set and some locks that have been gathering dust around my room and other various hidey-holes, and now have a grand total of three locks to play with. (four if you count the piece of crap TSA lock that I can literally spp in UNDER a second... Needless to say, that's kinda fun in a macabre way, almost as if I were violating the dang thing.) Anywho, those are a Master 130, a master m15, and the acrylic lock that came with the cheap pick set. The 130 is a really fun little lock, spools at 3 and 4, a fairly fun bitting, but fairly lax tolerances that makes all that really easy. I do NOT like the acrylic lock. The tolerances are so high that I feel absolutely ZERO from all but pin 1 of six, and it pretty much comes down to more of luck than anything whether I can get it open, even when looking at the pins. And now for the m15. Why, oh why did I not check the key before I bought the dang thing? It's extremely difficult. I've never gotten more than three pins set at one time. One and two are very deep cuts, followed by three through five, which are very shallow. Obviously I'm never gonna rake this, and it's a royal pain in the butt to SPP. The binding order seems to be 5,4, either 3 or 2, 1. The reason I can't decide 2 and 3 is because sometimes it feels like 3 is binding first, sometimes 2, depending on the lock's mood, I think, which tends to change faster than the weather up in the mountains of Colorado. Beyond that, pin 5 is incredibly difficult to set, even with my deepest hook, even after I thinned it from .032 in to a cute .0205 in to be able to slide the pick through the warding to try to not overset any of the other pins as I push it down incredibly far. Even after putting my pick through such a rigorous diet, it's still difficult to navigate through the warding, but I fear that any more diet and the poor pick will develop anorexia and break in the wind. Thankfully I don't have to deal with my tension wrench binding against the wall or I think I'd tear all my hair out. I'd love to just chuck the lock violently into my naughty pile, but seeing as how I only have three locks to really play with, I'd get bored really quickly. Oh, wait! I'm already beginning to get bored, either making the same mistakes over and over, or picking the same lock over and over... Before I saw someone say that you shouldn't pick locks in use, I would attack my mother's schlage doorknob lock to the craft room. Never got it, combination of warding and spools, but at least the spools were fun cuz it seemed like the more I played with it the further I'd get. Anywho, enough long winded explanations. Let's get to why I am writing this! If someone can give me some good hints or tricks as to how I can defeat and then proceed to forcefully violate my m15, that would be greatly appreciated (just kidding with the violating. It wouldn't be forceful. It would be slow and torturous.) Also, I need new locks, for like dirt cheap, or free preferably. If any of you have any suggestions on that, that would also be great. I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great. Anywho, I've wasted all your time enough for now.
Pyroxyz out.

[jbrint]

You aren't going to get a whole lot for free. That's just life. You could try to make friends with a locksmith but you will quickly find that they are trying to make a buck like everyone else and therefore everything has a value in this case as scrap weight.

Ebay is a good place to find stuff for cheap and craigslist as well. Neither of which are free but you have the barter option if you do the craigslist route. Try finding a locksmith that does rekeys and changes and see if that person is willing to sell them to you cheap but you will not get much for free unless you have generous friends.

TINSTAAFL

[jimu57]

Practice, practice, practice.

[kwoswalt99-]

Habitat for Humanity Restore sometimes has locks, but usually more door hardware. You can usually find some at scrapyards too.

[billdeserthills]

Actually my junk bucket is overflowing with locks, some brand new cylinders that were left after I took the thumb-turns out to sell them
and other stuff. Thing is I'm not gonna let it cost me anything, I can throw this stuff in the brass bin or the trash, for free. You wanna pay
for the shipping, I'd be glad to mail them. US priority mail small box is what $6?

[pyroxyz]

Actually my junk bucket is overflowing with locks, some brand new cylinders that were left after I took the thumb-turns out to sell them
and other stuff. Thing is I'm not gonna let it cost me anything, I can throw this stuff in the brass bin or the trash, for free. You wanna pay
for the shipping, I'd be glad to mail them. US priority mail small box is what $6?

You, sir, are awesome. That would be great. Thank you VERY much!

[Mighty]

I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great.

You won't be able to open any of those locks without serious power tools to cut them/machine them open. If you are looking for a lock you can easily take apart and tinker with, the Abus 83/45 is rekeyable with a Schlage core (Search Abus 83AL/45 for the cheaper aluminum version). When its unlocked you can access a screw in the shackle hole that will cause the cylinder to drop out. If you want to take apart the 'guts' you will need something to act as a 'follower', which will keep the springs inside from causing everything to fly all over when you take it apart.

Here is a video from Bosnianbill, which shows him picking and gutting one of these locks (a challenge version someone made for him), to give you a sense of what tools/procedures would be needed to take it apart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8srtG5VNQjc

Please note that if you buy a 'zero bitted' version, the key will only have the shallowest cuts and will be super easy to open. You would need to buy pins, or have a locksmith rekey it for you to a Schlage key if you wanted a real key to use.

There are lots of other locks that can be taken apart in a similar way- most higher-end locks. Cheaper locks are riveted or pinned permanently.

[GWiens2001]

You can get a rekey kit for Schlage or Kwikset for under $10 from Home Depot or Lowe's. It comes with two keys and key pins to key three locks alike. Much cheaper than a full rekey pin kit.

Gordon

[pyroxyz]

I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great.

***You won't be able to open any of those locks without serious power tools to cut them/machine them open. If you are looking for a lock you can easily take apart and tinker with, the Abus 83/45 is rekeyable with a Schlage core (Search Abus 83AL/45 for the cheaper aluminum version). When its unlocked you can access a screw in the shackle hole that will cause the cylinder to drop out. If you want to take apart the 'guts' you will need something to act as a 'follower', which will keep the springs inside from causing everything to fly all over when you take it apart.***

Here is a video from Bosnianbill, which shows him picking and gutting one of these locks (a challenge version someone made for him), to give you a sense of what tools/procedures would be needed to take it apart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8srtG5VNQjc

Please note that if you buy a 'zero bitted' version, the key will only have the shallowest cuts and will be super easy to open. You would need to buy pins, or have a locksmith rekey it for you to a Schlage key if you wanted a real key to use.

There are lots of other locks that can be taken apart in a similar way- most higher-end locks. Cheaper locks are riveted or pinned permanently.

Sorry for leaving the whole quote up, I can't select text in the text boxes on my phone. I'm responding to what's between the asterisks.

That's actually fine, I just need locks to practice on period. I won't turn such an offer down just because of something like that. And I do understand the concept of dismantling a lock. I have watched many of Bosnianbill's videos, so it's not exactly foreign to me. Anywho, I'll pm you so we can get the specifics sorted.

[MBI]

Hey everyone!
Pyro here.
So, I just fairly recently got into picking as a hobby, started about two weeks or so ago. And, I have a bit of a conundrum! I'm fairly penniless, so I got a cheap pick set and some locks that have been gathering dust around my room and other various hidey-holes, and now have a grand total of three locks to play with. (four if you count the piece of crap TSA lock that I can literally spp in UNDER a second... Needless to say, that's kinda fun in a macabre way, almost as if I were violating the dang thing.) Anywho, those are a Master 130, a master m15, and the acrylic lock that came with the cheap pick set. The 130 is a really fun little lock, spools at 3 and 4, a fairly fun bitting, but fairly lax tolerances that makes all that really easy. I do NOT like the acrylic lock. The tolerances are so high that I feel absolutely ZERO from all but pin 1 of six, and it pretty much comes down to more of luck than anything whether I can get it open, even when looking at the pins. And now for the m15. Why, oh why did I not check the key before I bought the dang thing? It's extremely difficult. I've never gotten more than three pins set at one time. One and two are very deep cuts, followed by three through five, which are very shallow. Obviously I'm never gonna rake this, and it's a royal pain in the butt to SPP. The binding order seems to be 5,4, either 3 or 2, 1. The reason I can't decide 2 and 3 is because sometimes it feels like 3 is binding first, sometimes 2, depending on the lock's mood, I think, which tends to change faster than the weather up in the mountains of Colorado. Beyond that, pin 5 is incredibly difficult to set, even with my deepest hook, even after I thinned it from .032 in to a cute .0205 in to be able to slide the pick through the warding to try to not overset any of the other pins as I push it down incredibly far. Even after putting my pick through such a rigorous diet, it's still difficult to navigate through the warding, but I fear that any more diet and the poor pick will develop anorexia and break in the wind. Thankfully I don't have to deal with my tension wrench binding against the wall or I think I'd tear all my hair out. I'd love to just chuck the lock violently into my naughty pile, but seeing as how I only have three locks to really play with, I'd get bored really quickly. Oh, wait! I'm already beginning to get bored, either making the same mistakes over and over, or picking the same lock over and over... Before I saw someone say that you shouldn't pick locks in use, I would attack my mother's schlage doorknob lock to the craft room. Never got it, combination of warding and spools, but at least the spools were fun cuz it seemed like the more I played with it the further I'd get. Anywho, enough long winded explanations. Let's get to why I am writing this! If someone can give me some good hints or tricks as to how I can defeat and then proceed to forcefully violate my m15, that would be greatly appreciated (just kidding with the violating. It wouldn't be forceful. It would be slow and torturous.) Also, I need new locks, for like dirt cheap, or free preferably. If any of you have any suggestions on that, that would also be great. I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great. Anywho, I've wasted all your time enough for now.
Pyroxyz out.

I miss the olden days. When paragraphs still existed.

[jeffmoss26]

I miss the olden days. When paragraphs still existed.

I used paragraphs once.

[kwoswalt99-]

I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great.

You won't be able to open any of those locks without serious power tools to cut them/machine them open. If you are looking for a lock you can easily take apart and tinker with, the Abus 83/45 is rekeyable with a Schlage core (Search Abus 83AL/45 for the cheaper aluminum version). When its unlocked you can access a screw in the shackle hole that will cause the cylinder to drop out. If you want to take apart the 'guts' you will need something to act as a 'follower', which will keep the springs inside from causing everything to fly all over when you take it apart.
There are lots of other locks that can be taken apart in a similar way- most higher-end locks. Cheaper locks are riveted or pinned permanently.

A lot of the locks you would get from a locksmith are going to be rim or mortise cylinders, no power tools required.

[pyroxyz]

Hey everyone!
Pyro here.
So, I just fairly recently got into picking as a hobby, started about two weeks or so ago. And, I have a bit of a conundrum! I'm fairly penniless, so I got a cheap pick set and some locks that have been gathering dust around my room and other various hidey-holes, and now have a grand total of three locks to play with. (four if you count the piece of crap TSA lock that I can literally spp in UNDER a second... Needless to say, that's kinda fun in a macabre way, almost as if I were violating the dang thing.) Anywho, those are a Master 130, a master m15, and the acrylic lock that came with the cheap pick set. The 130 is a really fun little lock, spools at 3 and 4, a fairly fun bitting, but fairly lax tolerances that makes all that really easy. I do NOT like the acrylic lock. The tolerances are so high that I feel absolutely ZERO from all but pin 1 of six, and it pretty much comes down to more of luck than anything whether I can get it open, even when looking at the pins. And now for the m15. Why, oh why did I not check the key before I bought the dang thing? It's extremely difficult. I've never gotten more than three pins set at one time. One and two are very deep cuts, followed by three through five, which are very shallow. Obviously I'm never gonna rake this, and it's a royal pain in the butt to SPP. The binding order seems to be 5,4, either 3 or 2, 1. The reason I can't decide 2 and 3 is because sometimes it feels like 3 is binding first, sometimes 2, depending on the lock's mood, I think, which tends to change faster than the weather up in the mountains of Colorado. Beyond that, pin 5 is incredibly difficult to set, even with my deepest hook, even after I thinned it from .032 in to a cute .0205 in to be able to slide the pick through the warding to try to not overset any of the other pins as I push it down incredibly far. Even after putting my pick through such a rigorous diet, it's still difficult to navigate through the warding, but I fear that any more diet and the poor pick will develop anorexia and break in the wind. Thankfully I don't have to deal with my tension wrench binding against the wall or I think I'd tear all my hair out. I'd love to just chuck the lock violently into my naughty pile, but seeing as how I only have three locks to really play with, I'd get bored really quickly. Oh, wait! I'm already beginning to get bored, either making the same mistakes over and over, or picking the same lock over and over... Before I saw someone say that you shouldn't pick locks in use, I would attack my mother's schlage doorknob lock to the craft room. Never got it, combination of warding and spools, but at least the spools were fun cuz it seemed like the more I played with it the further I'd get. Anywho, enough long winded explanations. Let's get to why I am writing this! If someone can give me some good hints or tricks as to how I can defeat and then proceed to forcefully violate my m15, that would be greatly appreciated (just kidding with the violating. It wouldn't be forceful. It would be slow and torturous.) Also, I need new locks, for like dirt cheap, or free preferably. If any of you have any suggestions on that, that would also be great. I went to my local locksmith to ask for extra locks to practice with, but they suggested that first I get the tools necessary to gut the locks so I could figure out what's going on after I'm done picking, so suggestions for that would ALSO be great. Anywho, I've wasted all your time enough for now.
Pyroxyz out.

I miss the olden days. When paragraphs still existed.

I'm sorry! All my writing is done from a mobile phone nowadays and it's difficult to make paragraphs in a coherent manner on such media. XP

[billdeserthills]

Actually my junk bucket is overflowing with locks, some brand new cylinders that were left after I took the thumb-turns out to sell them
and other stuff. Thing is I'm not gonna let it cost me anything, I can throw this stuff in the brass bin or the trash, for free. You wanna pay
for the shipping, I'd be glad to mail them. US priority mail small box is what $6?

I must say, it really is sad when you can't even give it away

[tpark]

Actually my junk bucket is overflowing with locks, some brand new cylinders that were left after I took the thumb-turns out to sell them
and other stuff. Thing is I'm not gonna let it cost me anything, I can throw this stuff in the brass bin or the trash, for free. You wanna pay
for the shipping, I'd be glad to mail them. US priority mail small box is what $6?

I must say, it really is sad when you can't even give it away

I've had much the same experience. I offered a bunch of old padlocks on another forum for shipping only, and no bites. I know that many of the locks were pickable (at least by me), but there seems to be limited interest in old padlocks. Such is life.