What did you pick today?

[Ralph_Goodman]

I just picked a simple 5 wafer lock at work, nothing tricky except you never can tell which way to turn them on account of the variety of ways they were installed!

What's your primary method of finding the proper direction for tension?

Do you use a plug spinner if you get it wrong, or just try again?

My method has always been to turn with just tension and see which direction moves most freely. That usually works. Usually.

[adi_picker]

Lockwood 234 with MLAA JB restricted core



All the pins sit flush on the ledge of the 'M" in this profile, super tough! Used a 0.018 Peterson to rotate the pins into place.

Gordon, I believe you are probably correct about the last profile only being for key control. Its one of the cheaper generic 'restricted' profiles offered to locksmiths down here, basically a way to restrict distribution of keys and get your name coined onto the blanks for recognition.

adi_picker

[mattc]

What's your primary method of finding the proper direction for tension?

Trial and error, mostly. It doesn't help that it's a master keyed arrangement, and the keyways and wafers are often so chewed up you can put the key in upside down, warding be darned. I'm sure if such wear should make it easier to open or not.

[GWiens2001]

What's your primary method of finding the proper direction for tension?

My method is to use a tension wrench to lightly turn the plug in both directions. It seems to me that most of the time when I do that, if it is turned the wrong way, the plug stops either straight up/down or at a 90 degree angle depending on orientation of the keyway. Turned the correct way, it is usually a few degrees off.

Gordon

[sam_lukitsch]

Well I started the afternoon on an Abus Titalium but I just wasn't getting anything from it so I switched it up to a centurion padlock with a nice high-low-high-low pinning. Got that opened up a few times as a small confidence booster. Probably going to revisit the Abus later though!

[sam_lukitsch]

Probably going to revisit the Abus later though!

Update, got the Abus picked twice today, Finally worked up a feel for it!

[GWiens2001]

Congrats, Sam.

Gordon

[greengrowlocks]

I've been determined to pick this lock. I have been working on it for the last few nights without much success. Earlier today I removed the pins so I could just focus on the sidebar. The sliders by themselves were very challenging. Although they are springless, the tolerances are so tight that they don't freely jiggle like other slider locks. Feedback is minimal, and there is little room to work with. The first pick I made was .025" and was thicker than the lowest depth. I recently made one out of .017" which is proving more useful. I have a couple more of these ordered, and will hopefully get a fully pinned DP picked soon.

ASSA DP 4400 Sidebar Only (10 sliders)

[GWiens2001]

Can we get some gut shots of that ASSA?

Gordon

[greengrowlocks]

Can we get some gut shots of that ASSA?

Gordon

Yeah I'll post them in a few hours, also have some other cool stuff to share.

[GWiens2001]

Can we get some gut shots of that ASSA?

Gordon

Yeah I'll post them in a few hours, also have some other cool stuff to share.

***drooling***

Gordon

[WilsonTrucking]

Out of curiosity, whats with the green tape?

[GWiens2001]

Out of curiosity, whats with the green tape?

It is probably so his tension wrench does not scratch the plug.

Gordon

[adi_picker]

This guy! What a champ

As always, superb work greengrow, seeing your picks always inspires me to challenge myself a little bit furthur. Keep it up mate!

adi_picker

[greengrowlocks]

It probably sounds silly but Gordon is right. When picking brand new locks I put painters tape above the keyway so I don't scratch it.