Picking the Best SFIC

[VarlamShalamov]

Cool, that gave me a lot of confidence.

I'm going to go home and practice a lot. The old city I lived in had Russwin Corbin locks all over its chemistry departments. In this american city, they use Best locks. It's true that Russwin-Corbin are sort of a joke to pick: which is why I'm a little upset at myself right now.

But I guess I haven't been picking for a long time. Now that I have a source of income, I can afford locks and picks. I'll think I'll buy a Medeco lock next...

[Stevo]

Got it! I can now say that I have picked a Best SFIC 7-pin (once).

The idea that earlier I hadn't picked the control but the operating shear line in the wrong direction was an epiphany. I realized then that perhaps I had been using too little tension on the wrench. I figured I was already putting a little bit of pressure on the operating shear as it was, and that I really needed to maximize the difference in tension on the two. So to get a great difference I was going to have to putt a good deal more tension on the control shear. It worked. The very definite clicks I got assured me each stack was set to the correct (control) shear line. My poor hook pick got a workout, but it got the job done.

I think I'll leave the core out to gloat for awhile before I put it back together.





But eventually my hands will grow restless.

[Hojo]

What if the tauqe tool fit the bottom and was shaped like an L, just take some sheet metal and make a 90* (degree) angle, the grind it to fit, that should work....

[Stevo]

Well, I punched all the stacks and measured the pins then put everything back together. Without any speciaThe 020l tools... well, it took a long time,

Anyway, I was at home. No calipers. All my calipers are metric anyway, but I did have a spark plug gauge! Call me MacGyver. I used the gauge to measure the smaller pins, then stack them to measure the big pins. It ain't incredibly precise, but I now have a complete bitting chart for the core.

I've tried some research on bitting depths and haven't found much information. Maybe this is by design? If it is let me know.

The nearest thing to helpful I have found is the Schlage SFIC manual:
http://professional.schlage.com/pdfs/pc ... manual.pdf

Anyway, the pins seem to all be multiples of .020" with .020" being the smallest. Do these Best pins correspond in some way to the numbering system refered to by the Schlage manual? Or is the Best system different?

[Stevo]

I finally found a decent guide for pin depths.

See this reference:

viewtopic.php?t=5320

Based on my rather imprecise measurements it is looking like the core I have is pinned with the A4 system.

Now then, with the complete bitting chart I _should_ be able to have keys made for the lock or order up some blanks and file my own. I'll likely do this and replace the Master #3 that I have had in service with this padlock. God knows, that SFIC is harder to pick.

I've only picked it three times now, and while I'm learning, it is still slow going. I ordered some more cores off of eBay. Hopefully it is just the L keyway that is giving me the most trouble and I'll do better with "easier" ones.

[randmguy]

Am I the only person who finds it sad that a guy who lives in the same city as the Best factory is having a hard time purchasing best locks. and/or keys? Find a bar close to the factory and try to make some friends in shipping. They might be able to snag you some PKS cores.

[Stevo]

Heh. If you only knew. It's only about a kilometer from my office to the factory gate (as the crow flies). Pretty sad, huh?

[SFGOON]

I'd be interested to know if best is using their own locks...

[Varjeal]

Nah...I hear they use Schlage Primus.... j/k.

[randmguy]

Its been over 10 years since I visited the Best factory. At that time they were indeed using their own locks. Now that they're owned by Stanley and now that Dr. Blaze's paper on master keying is so famous I don't know what they'd be using (aside from more CCTV and guards).

Has anyone else gotten the mailer from Stanley about their new total security service. Apparently they are trying even harder than Best did to put locksmiths out of business. I wonder how they're going to get around the states with laws regulating locksmiths and alarm installers???