Schlage door knob lock trouble

[Ffyter]

So....I've been picking for about 6 months and I currently volunteer for Habbitat for Humanity Restore. They get donated home supplies like windows, doors, cabinets, etcetera. I pick their donated entry locks and make keys for them as most do not come with a key. I consistently have trouble with some of the schlage door knob locks that have a wide opening. My large tok tension wrench consistently slips out. The cores on some of these are super sloppy which makes you have to counter rotate the tension wrench to get the pins to move at all. My guess is that the driver pins are dropping down to the core and tension applied locks them in place which is causing this issue. I usually pick with the medium hook. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Shackle Jackal]

wait so you pick the locks that I(other customers) end up buying ? not sure I like that...

[kwoswalt99-]

I you want to repin them, the easiest way is to shim them.

[Robotnik]

wait so you pick the locks that I(other customers) end up buying ? not sure I like that...

As long as they're not abused in the process, I personally see no issue with picking, disassembling, and cutting a key. Presumably, they're being sold as used, as-is hardware, and it renders an otherwise bricked piece of hardware useable again for the majority of the buying public.

[Shackle Jackal]

Any time a lock is picked/dissembled there is potential for damage, it is never an issue until its an issue. I suppose if i wanted something pristine I would buy new. Part of the reason i go to the HH Restore is that I like to do those things myself.

[tjohn]

You have to turn the key or cylinder to depress the retainer to get Schlage knobs apart, so it has to be picked to repin

[Robotnik]

Any time a lock is picked/dissembled there is potential for damage, it is never an issue until its an issue. I suppose if i wanted something pristine I would buy new. Part of the reason i go to the HH Restore is that I like to do those things myself.

As do I. I take no keys as a direct challenge .

I'm quite familiar with picking and disassembling locks, and the various issues that can result. Presuming the person picking and disassembling knows what they're doing, and knows how to assess for any functional issues, I'm of the opinion all's legit. From H4H's standpoint, I'm assuming they're looking at it as a choice - we can sell either 1) used hardware, non-functioning, and untested, or 2) used hardware, functional, and verified operation. The latter would undoubtedly net them more $, as well as being significantly more useful to the average DIY homeowner.

[Ffyter]

You do have to pick them as someone mentioned to remove the handle and disassemble. I then measure the key pins and cut a key with a code machine. As long as you are not a heavy handed forceful person and you understand how locks work, the chances you will damage the lock are extremely minimal. I have never damaged a lock in well over 300 picks since I started picking. I'm not saying damage can't happen but again, someone who knows what they are doing will most likely not do any damage. I understand why people on the forum here constantly remind people to not pick locks in use as it is sound advise but the notion that picking a lock will most likely ruin it are absurd. A pick in the hand of someone who knows what they are doing will likely do no more damage than using the key itself. Enough of that rant, anyone have any advice or trick to make the lock in question easier to pick? I usually have to secure them gently in my tabletop vice to be able to control the counter rotation to get the pins to set.

[Robotnik]

Schlage knobsets can be tricky. As you mentioned, there's the play between the core and the knob. I've usually tried to stabilize the knob as much as possible with my hand while applying tension (can be awkward and/or impossible depending on mounting, etc). Can't really speak to the TOK tool slipping out; for me every Schlage keyway I've picked has taken either an .050" or .040" prybar pretty well. That said, with C keyways in particular, sometimes I can't get any traction with TOK, and will switch to BOK. This usually works for me.

Another thing to watch for with Schlage's residential knobsets is the floating bible and T-pins. These can get squirrelly for me, and they're among my least favorite residential cylinders to pick.

[tjohn]

You can "damage" one of those collapsible style cylinders by picking since it came up ^

Regular cylinders are much harder to damage while picking but since this thread is about picking Schlage knobs I figured I would point out that out

[Shackle Jackal]

You do have to pick them as someone mentioned to remove the handle and disassemble. I then measure the key pins and cut a key with a code machine. As long as you are not a heavy handed forceful person and you understand how locks work, the chances you will damage the lock are extremely minimal. I have never damaged a lock in well over 300 picks since I started picking. I'm not saying damage can't happen but again, someone who knows what they are doing will most likely not do any damage. I understand why people on the forum here constantly remind people to not pick locks in use as it is sound advise but the notion that picking a lock will most likely ruin it are absurd. A pick in the hand of someone who knows what they are doing will likely do no more damage than using the key itself. Enough of that rant, anyone have any advice or trick to make the lock in question easier to pick? I usually have to secure them gently in my tabletop vice to be able to control the counter rotation to get the pins to set.

No offense but you did mention that you have been picking for six months, and at no point did I say ruin. Not trying to argue.

[sisk]

I've no problem with someone picking a lock to cut a key when there isn't one. In fact once, long before I learned to do such things myself, I paid a locksmith $40 to do exactly that on my gun cabinet. If the whole point of picking them is to cut a key I'd say that's a darned good reason to be picking locks.

That said, if all you're doing is cutting keys it might be worth looking into impressioning locks also. I've only done it on Kwiksets with plastic blanks off my 3D printer (which I suspect is, plastic and Kwikset being what they are, somewhat easier than doing it with brass keys in Schlages). Do it right and you end up with a working key without ever having to pick the lock. Of course, do it wrong and you'd better have an extractor handy, and you end up with a hand cut key, which some people might not like.

[Ffyter]

You do have to pick them as someone mentioned to remove the handle and disassemble. I then measure the key pins and cut a key with a code machine. As long as you are not a heavy handed forceful person and you understand how locks work, the chances you will damage the lock are extremely minimal. I have never damaged a lock in well over 300 picks since I started picking. I'm not saying damage can't happen but again, someone who knows what they are doing will most likely not do any damage. I understand why people on the forum here constantly remind people to not pick locks in use as it is sound advise but the notion that picking a lock will most likely ruin it are absurd. A pick in the hand of someone who knows what they are doing will likely do no more damage than using the key itself. Enough of that rant, anyone have any advice or trick to make the lock in question easier to pick? I usually have to secure them gently in my tabletop vice to be able to control the counter rotation to get the pins to set.

No offense but you did mention that you have been picking for six months, and at no point did I say ruin. Not trying to argue.

No offense taken. I see a lot of people warning others on the forum which I understand. I guess I did snap back a little bit as yes I am a noob and definitely don't know all there is to picking locks but I did not describe the volume that I have done since my binge picking began. I apologize if I offended anyone that offered caution as it is sound advice.

[GWiens2001]

You do have to pick them as someone mentioned to remove the handle and disassemble. I then measure the key pins and cut a key with a code machine. As long as you are not a heavy handed forceful person and you understand how locks work, the chances you will damage the lock are extremely minimal. I have never damaged a lock in well over 300 picks since I started picking. I'm not saying damage can't happen but again, someone who knows what they are doing will most likely not do any damage. I understand why people on the forum here constantly remind people to not pick locks in use as it is sound advise but the notion that picking a lock will most likely ruin it are absurd. A pick in the hand of someone who knows what they are doing will likely do no more damage than using the key itself. Enough of that rant, anyone have any advice or trick to make the lock in question easier to pick? I usually have to secure them gently in my tabletop vice to be able to control the counter rotation to get the pins to set.

No offense but you did mention that you have been picking for six months, and at no point did I say ruin. Not trying to argue.

No offense taken. I see a lot of people warning others on the forum which I understand. I guess I did snap back a little bit as yes I am a noob and definitely don't know all there is to picking locks but I did not describe the volume that I have done since my binge picking began. I apologize if I offended anyone that offered caution as it is sound advice.

We will always be happy to befriend a Packer's fan.

Gordon