American Padlocks+newb= ?

[invision620]

Hello, my names Mike, and I just received my lockpick set about 4 days ago from a friend, but anyways onto the problem...


I found an American Padlock laying around the house and decided i might as well try on it. Its been three days, no luck. Is this a hard lock for a beginner? I've read the MIT guide about 10+ times, but still nothing...

[Cman22]

American Padlocks are very difficult to pick for a noob. I recommend you get a kwikset cylinder or a master lock #3 then move to a schlage and then an american.

[mcm757207]

Don't feel bad, some american cylinders are hard even for the best.

[maverick003]

American Padlocks are very difficult to pick for a noob. I recommend you get a kwikset cylinder or a master lock #3 then move to a schlage and then an american.

Ive been trying to pick a master lock number three with my homemade pcks and i havent been able to get it....im buying a 11 piece set tomorrow and i was wondering which pick would i use to pick it.....ive been tryin with a diamond pick but ive had no luck so far. any help would be appreciated

[WhiteHat]

if the diamone doesn't work - often you get better success with a hook. the reason being that a hook can generally push the pins up further than the diamond or "snake" rakes.

[sevenply]

I just started picking recently too. The only pick I use is a hook now. I started with a small diamond but when I moved on to the masterlock I had no luck with it and moved to the hook and haven't looked back. I had a hardtime with the masterlock #1 which is suppose to be very similar to the #3. I got a S. Parker cylinder which I believe is a real easy cylinder like a Kwikset. I tried for a few minutes to pick it but no luck. I removed two sets of pins and then worked at picking it with the 3 remaining pins. I picked it like that till I could do it quickly and consistently. Put the 4 pins in and did that till I got it quickly and consistenly then went for 5 pins. Then I went on the masterlock #1. I didn't get the masterlock #1 right away but I would say definately in under half hour which was better than the days I had been trying it previously to no avail. Now I can pick a masterlock #1 and #5 consistently.

I definatly recomend getting a cheap cylinder and removing pins and starting easy. This way you can figure out how it is suppose to feel. Figure out how to use the picks and which picks you like.

[quickpicks]

I have been able to pick my American lock with a half round and a custom made tension wrench. The wards make it pretty hard to feel the right amount of tension you are putting on the cylinder. They have very high qualiy spools with one serration above the upper part of the spool so the pins feel like they are setting when they aren't. If you have a key for the lock, dissasemble it and try with only a few pins.

[BOBO]

Mike - hello and welcome. If you want to build your confidence (and abilities) start off with a Kwickset deadbolt of Master #3. Use light tension, and scrub a couple of times...this will usually set at least two pins in the #3. Then follow up with the hook to feel and set the others.

Personally, I have found the half-diamond to be almost useless (BOBO hunkers down, ready to be attacked)

Purists will tell you that scrubbing is not picking. But for a noob, the more time you spend inside the lock, the better. Eventually you will want to move on to single-pin picking, but for a confidence builder - scrubbing may get you to that magical "click" a little quicker.

P.S. stay away from American

[silent]

Ive tried flooding my 1105 with wd-40, tried picking it manually, pick gun, electric pickgun. All with failure so Im getting fed up with it.

*puts lock in vice and pulls out drill, the lock can fight back all it wants now but its not going anywhere...........

[quickpicks]

Ive tried flooding my 1105 with wd-40, tried picking it manually, pick gun, electric pickgun. All with failure so Im getting fed up with it.

*puts lock in vice and pulls out drill, the lock can fight back all it wants now but its not going anywhere...........

so much waste of a good cylinder *sigh*

[Varjeal]

Depending on the bitting of the key, and if a locksmith keyed the lock, you may have as many as five serrated bottom pins and five spool or serrated pins on top, so pleaaaaaase put the drill away for now...