Reassembled wrong

[JohnnyMnemonic]

Hello, this is my 2nd post here

I've gutted my first lock a week ago and played around with changing the number of pins to improve my picking.

However, I messed up today.

I've put in core without the 2nd key pin while all the driver pins are in their positions.

Now I can't use the key to remove the core because the driver pin is crossing the shear line.

Is there any way to remove the core without picking the 4 pins along with the driver pin (if he can even be set that deep)?

[GWiens2001]

Most likely it is the spring blocking the shear line.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

If it is just the spring, you can just force the cylinder to turn & bust the spring
Then you can put in a new spring

[pemlock]

Is there any way to remove the core without picking the 4 pins along with the driver pin (if he can even be set that deep)?

No. Picking might still be possible. Be careful not to turn the core too hard, in case it's the spring that's blocking the shear line as Gordon says. If it gets snagged or bent it might be impossible to get it open again. If you're lucky it might be possible to get the driver pin and spring out through the keyway as well, depending on the size and shape of things...

We've all been there. It's a risk you take when disassembling locks, sometimes disasters happen, by mistake or just bad luck. It could have been worse, you could have deadlocked it completely.

(My only accident so far was when disassembling a cheap Chinese dimple lock and it turned out that it for some reason had a "ribbed" core with deep groves all around which immediately trapped the driver pins. Lesson learned: Always use a shim when disassembling an unknown lock.)

[demux]

Depending on the type and construction of the cylinder in question, it may be possible to remove the top retainer/cover and re-gut everything from the top of the bible, as opposed to the normal method of sliding the plug out with a follower. Sort of how an SFIC core is normally disassembled for combinating, if you're familiar with that procedure at all.

Depending on how aggressively you have to go at it it may ruin the cover, but those are usually fairly standard parts and can be had for pennies each at most lock supply houses. They are usually just crimped, clipped, or friction fit in place.

I'm talking about this part here, for reference:
https://www.lockmasters.com/medeco-cyli ... -cp-170011

[GWiens2001]

A tip for getting those covers off (if you indeed have them) is to use a hacksaw blade. Put the core in a vise, place the hacksaw blade with the teeth set to cut towards the back of the lock, then tap with a plastic mallet on a 45 degree angle down and backwards on the hacksaw blade. The teeth will bite a bit and start sliding the cover backwards.

Some people use a screwdriver to pry up the end and peel up the cover, but with some cores, the cores will be destroyed as the area that pinches the cover gets broken off.

Gordon