New to Picking. Help with Master 140D.

[DeadPark121]

Hi Everyone. I'm fairly new to picking. Only been doing it maybe a month now. I've picked up a bunch of practice locks and managed to get through all of them. I have the Sparrows cut away locks set, as well as the Sparrows Revolver. I'm at the point where I can consistently manage to get all 4 locks picked on the revolver in a relatively short amount of time, so I'm starting to move onto commercial locks instead of practice locks. I bought a new Master 140D brass padlock, and now I am completely lost and losing all the confidence those practice locks built up. I can't feel any feedback at all from this thing, and I've tried everything I've managed to pick up in the last month. Top of key way tension, bottom of key way tension, heavy tension, light tension, back to front, front to back, holding it in my hand, clamping it in a vise. No matter what I try I can't get any feedback from it. Once it even taunted me, I had barely put my pick in and it popped open on its own. But other than that one instance I'm getting nowhere fast.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong at this point and would appreciate any advice or even just words of encouragement anyone is willing to give me.

[GWiens2001]

The problem is that this lock has spool pins. They are pretty extreme ones, too. Go lighter on the tension and pay attention to what the tension wrench is doing while you lift the pins.

Gordon

[DeadPark121]

Still can't get the lock open with Single Pin methods. However, I did manage to open it by raking the other day. So that gave me a little bit of hope again. I'll keep at it.

[GWiens2001]

The spool pins on a Master 140 padlock are fairly solid. It is best to use VERY light tension. After setting the pin, don't let the tension wrench move forward until it stops. Then try picking the same pin or other pins. If any of the pins cause the keyway to turn backwards slightly, that is a spool pin. Keep picking that pin until it sets again.

Gordon

[MacNutz]

Ha, I am having the same issue with the same lock. It seems that the Sparrows practice locks, even with security pins installed, are a bit easier than commercial locks, even with the same pins. That has been my experience, so far. But that might be just me.

Rather than wipe out what little confidence I have gained from the progressive locks from Sparrows, I got a couple of Master #01 locks. I find them more difficult than the practice locks but finally got them open and learned the binding order in the process. Now I am about to start wrestling with the 140D again. Peering into the 140D with light and magnifier, it appears to me that the first pin is actually serrated. My eyesight is terrible so it is possible that I have confused a serrated pin with a spool because of my crappy eyeballs.

Now, if you have not already done so, you might consider getting the Sparrows rekeying kit that will allow you to change the pins in the revolver or the progressive locks, so that you can practice picking security pins on the practice locks you already have.

Practice beats luck but good luck anyway.

[DeadPark121]

I DID IT!!! kind of.

My dad gave me a bunch of spare locks he had sitting around. One of them was also a Master 140 and i was able to pick that one. I wonder if they changed the pins in newer ones. I also notice my key for the new one has a pretty severe high - low - high - low. So maybe i just got unlucky keying on mine.

Either way, Master 140 lock successfully picked. Crossing it off my list.

And to MacNutz, I actually have purchased the rekeying kit already, but i haven't played with it yet. I've dismantled one of the progressive locks to get a feel for it, but that's about it so far.

[stratmando]

I DID IT!!! kind of.

My dad gave me a bunch of spare locks he had sitting around. One of them was also a Master 140 and i was able to pick that one. I wonder if they changed the pins in newer ones. I also notice my key for the new one has a pretty severe high - low - high - low. So maybe i just got unlucky keying on mine.

Either way, Master 140 lock successfully picked. Crossing it off my list.

And to MacNutz, I actually have purchased the rekeying kit already, but i haven't played with it yet. I've dismantled one of the progressive locks to get a feel for it, but that's about it so far.

Good Deal on the 140, took a while for me on that one,
You're either Good or got Lucky, I would try a second time at least, good Practice if nothing else. the one I had was Very tough. Good Job.