What did you pick today?

[GWiens2001]

Used Gordon's tutorial on Wise locks to open this one , which my friend bought for me in broken condition. Innermost spring is broken, but the lock has a flat enough bitting that the grime holds the key pin in place well enough.

Those are interesting locks. Kind of fun to think that Wise Lock has pin-in-pin-in pin 40 years before Mul-T-Lock became famous for it's "creation" of the pin-in-pin lock.

Gordon

[prevariikation]

It's wild how the single pin stack means it has a definite binding order from outer to inner!

I've been searching fruitlessly for earrings that are also functional locks, and this design might be the easiest for me to fabricate for a specifically pin tumbler design. (Since the earrings are just for me I feel OK with the ethics of an exact re-creation )

[GWiens2001]

It's wild how the single pin stack means it has a definite binding order from outer to inner!

I've been searching fruitlessly for earrings that are also functional locks, and this design might be the easiest for me to fabricate for a specifically pin tumbler design. (Since the earrings are just for me I feel OK with the ethics of an exact re-creation )

Try to find a Master No. 9 or No. 10 padlock. A couple of them would work admirably for a set of earrings.

Gordon

[[serious]]

Warm-up:
Brinks 161 brass padlock
Brinks 45mm laminated steel padlock
Master Lock 575

Main run:
Penn mortise cylinder
Segal Rim cylinder
Segal Rim cylinder
Corbin mortise cylinder

Pushing myself:
Corbin Rim cylinder

You may be asking why one Corbin is a main run and one is a challenge, the answer is one of them has a much more challenging bitting and binding order. This was my 4th successful pick on it since I got it, with dozens of failed attempts.

[Southerneditor]

Here's a vintage Lustre Line padlock that came with a mixed lot I sourced from eBay. As it's a smallish lock, it needed a TOK torsion wrench, and the pins were sticky from disuse. Even though on the scale of things this one rates as a fairly simple lock to open, the feeling of accomplishment when the cylinder starts turning never gets old.

[GWiens2001]

Here's a vintage Lustre Line padlock that came with a mixed lot I sourced from eBay. As it's a smallish lock, it needed a TOK torsion wrench, and the pins were sticky from disuse. Even though on the scale of things this one rates as a fairly simple lock to open, the feeling of accomplishment when the cylinder starts turning never gets old.

Well done, Southerneditor. And yes, it never gets old.

Gordon

[RubberBanned]

Several Schlage FSIC construction cores that weren't keyed to a construction key. While not very hard usually, these were all mounted in levers and I had to pick them horizontally.

[GWiens2001]

Several Schlage FSIC construction cores that weren't keyed to a construction key. While not very hard usually, these were all mounted in levers and I had to pick them horizontally.

So you could just lay down and pick them in the normal orientation, right?

It can be tricky if you are not used to picking the locks with the pins horizontally. I have never practiced that way, but now that you mention it, I should. You absolutely come across them mounted that way in the wild.

Gordon

[Pickit Fence]

I've managed to pick a Delaney 5 pin lock with a Kwikset keyway.

[CanoePick]

This lock was a pain, spring tension was insane. I don’t even know how many times I’ve picked it but it didn’t turn.

Herculock (Hercules Industries) 800 series all brass stamped FP&L on the back so clearly an utility lock. Love the all brass look!

Any idea on the keyway? I’ve gone through the entire Ilco catalog for North America and found nothing. Not even close. Anyone know of a way to gut it? I’d love to repin it for me. Sorry about the resolution. It looks great in my camera. Upload got me.

[peterwn]

This lock was a pain, spring tension was insane. I don’t even know how many times I’ve picked it but it didn’t turn.

Herculock (Hercules Industries) 800 series all brass stamped FP&L on the back so clearly an utility lock. Love the all brass look!

Any idea on the keyway? I’ve gone through the entire Ilco catalog for North America and found nothing. Not even close. Anyone know of a way to gut it? I’d love to repin it for me.

Herculock may have its own keyway limited to utility keyed alike padlocks. There would be so little demand for blanks outside its customer base that the after market blank manufacturers would not bother. Herculock seems to be a direct competitor to WB (Wilson Bonhannan) who also makes padlocks for utilities. WB has been around for 160 years compared with Herculock's 50 years.

Extruded brass padlock cases may drilled for the plug, shackle holes, bolt hole, pin tumblers holes and retaining pin holes (to retain plug and shackle). Holes are plugged after assembly and case burnished so plugs are not visible. These plugs would need to be drilled out to gut padlock and replaced possibly with hand made ones. Since the intended users would not bother to re-key such padlocks, this would be no disadvantage. Some manufacturers of such padlocks sell 'loose pin' versions with blank keys and level '9' pins so a locksmith can key them to customer requirements.

[jeffmoss26]

FP&L uses a Best L keyway

[CanoePick]

Thank you guys for the help!

[peterwn]

FP&L uses a Best L keyway

So that implies that the utility used to purchase BEST or other IC padlocks which were keyed alike for substations, cabinets, pole switches, etc. But it is unlikely that the cores would ever be changed with these padlocks. So some bright spark probably recognised that it would be cheaper to purchase conventional padlocks keyed to the existing utility IC type key.
Local power utility used to use Union (UK) keyed alike nightlatches and Lockwood (C4 keyway - keyed alike) padlocks. Then the prices of the nightlatches became ridiculously high and delivery times unbearable. Solution was to purchase nightlatches keyed to the padlock key - problem solved.

[prevariikation]

The recent questions about Gougler locks prompted me to break out the last four undecoded ones and get combos. Tough to see inside but thankfully just a sliver of visibility was enough to get them all open.