Tension wrench use.

[sauceykat]

Hello, I am a noob and just got my southord stainless steel jackknife pickset but I'm a bit confused...how does one use the tension wrench (by that, I mean how does one insert it in the lock?). I have read the MIT guide but there are no diagrams I can find that show how the tension wrench is inserted into the lock...I tried the obvious way, sticking it straight in (the flat, straight end and holding on to the end with the L-shaped handle) but it's too wide for the locks...it it meant to be used sideways? If so, there doesn't seem like there is much room to insert the pick...

Thanks!

D-

[Prepheckt]

Hello and welcome to the forums1 (Sorry Varjeal, if I'm stepping on your territory)

First of all, what type of lock are you picking? (brand and type) i.e.(Yale 5 pin deadbolt). That will give the more experienced a better idea of what you're trying to do. What might be your problem is that the keyway is narrow or small, which will not leave much room for the pick or tension wrench.

Second, try cleaning out the lock with a teflon/silicon based solution to get the gunk that accumulates inside during the lock's lifetime. This might give you some more room to work with (I'm guessing here).

Personally, I put my pick in first and feel the pins to discern the type of pressure necessary to lift the pins. Then I push it up as far as it will go to make room for the tension wrench. The use the tension wrench opposite the manner you have discribed. I stick the short part of the L into the lock and use the longer part as a handle. If possible use a diffrent wrench that might fit better

[sauceykat]

The use the tension wrench opposite the manner you have discribed. I stick the short part of the L into the lock and use the longer part as a handle. If possible use a diffrent wrench that might fit better

Oh, okay...so basically, the metal 'slot' on the end of the tension wrench should be vertically in the lock rather than horizontally (on a reg. 5 pin tumbler type lock)?

Thanks!
D-

[Varjeal]

That is exactly correct. The short part of the L goes into the bottom of the cylinder with the "handle" perpendicular to the keyway.

Best of luck.

Btw, Prepheckt, are you trying to steal my job? , j/k...good job.

[I_Man10000]

ok, to use the tension wrench... do i twist it, or pull at the bottom of the lock sideways

[Chucklz]

push down or up on the end of the wrench. BUT the force you apply is MINIMAL

[I_Man10000]

minimal... I'll keep that in mind

umm, ne1 got a good picture or diagram of a good tension wrench? all, i've got is some cheap home-made ones

[Grudge]

Just a quick clarification on tension wrench pressure. You want to use the MINIMAL effective pressure. For instance, most padlocks have a spring which pushes the cylinder back to center, while most deadbolt/door locks don't have a spring. This means you need to use a higher tension for padlocks to overcome the spring and give a similar effective pressure against the pins as you did for your deadbolt. Likewise some locks have a sticky pins/movements and you have to use more pressure to overcome this mechanical friction.

In practice situations, use the key for the lock and pay attention to how much force is needed to turn the bolt/unhook the shackle (you may be surprised at the amount of difference in various locks). This will give you some idea of what your tension should be. Also (suggested in an ebook on the Internet, forgot which one) you can use the flat side of the pick to lift all of the pins and then apply heavy tension to hold all of the pins suspended (bound). Then back off of the pressure until a pin drops. This is the maximum pressure you should consider when picking this lock (you may need a LOT less).

Good Luck

[Chucklz]

My favorite tension wrench is a stiff one made from street sweeper bristle just L shaped, no twists, no hanging weight systems, no springs, no magic at all. About overcoming spring tension on padlocks, to assume that you need higher tension in general can run you into quite a bit of hassle. This advice is good, but it only applies to locks that have such a spring. This may seem obvious, but its not really. Many key retaining locks will lack this feature, so you need less tension for them. Unfortunately many locks come in both Key retaining / non key retaining features without any outside markings. Many if not most ball bearing locking padlocks also do not have this spring. The padlocks that almost always have the spring would be cheap chinese knockoffs and Master 4 pin padlocks (also may be key retaining). When using a key to see how much tension you should use for a situation, see how much tension is required to Just begin to turn. Good luck.

[I_Man10000]

thanks guys