Shimming with pliers

[felspar]

Hello all.

Just recently I stumbled across lockpicking101 after watching the H2K2 videos and went looking for more information. Wow! There's such a wealth of knowledge here, I'm looking forward to a rainy afternoon to immerse myself in the archives.

Anyway, last night I came across a few posts mentioning shimming locks with a pop can. This sounded pretty neat, so I gave it a shot. As I'm sure others have found, the aluminum is prone to bending and giving way before it reaches the bolt in the lock. After some experimenting, I found that using a small strip of aluminum and pliers was much easier to manipulate, instead of just the aluminum and fingers.

I documented what I did and put it up online at http://www.ipaterson.ca/writings/locks/ if anyone is interested.

It wasn't until this morning, after I'd finished posting my notes, that I found Jason Lynn's video showing the kind of shim he used. I tried doing it his way as well, but I felt that the pliers method was a little better at preventing unwanted bends or rips.

I hope someone finds my notes useful.

[zeke79]

another good material for making shims is an old measuring tape. Cut it to shape and give it a shot. It is much stronger than aluminum and just as thin.

[rayman452]

Shimming doesnt seem to work when i tried it. I used a dudly lock...does it work there?

[felspar]

I tried shimming a dudley lock as well, to no avail. On inspection of the lock, it seems to use a different kind of mechanism than other padlocks I've tried. It's neither a bolt nor a heel and toe ball system. I assume that shimming won't work on any other lock that has the same pattern of grooves found on a Dudley.

I'd be interested to know what it's called, if anyone knows.

[stick]

If dudley locks are what I imagine them to be, a shim wouldn't work on them. Shims only work with padlocks that use spring loaded locking dogs (funny images come to mind).

[Grudge]

Nice looking pics and descriptions on the web site. Good job

[Crypto]

Nice coke can shim, I'm going to have to try this on my tool box lock at work. Thanks, If it works I will show off to a couple of my buddies that I work with.

[archiebald]

Thanks fot that tip felspar nice one.

[p8ntbller]

Sweetness I finally can shim my little master locks. I just cannot seem to get the master combo locks. If you can do this with master combo locks can you take pics of like every step and log it like you did above, thanks.

[digital_blue]

p8ntbller: There is a video around here somewhere showing exactly that. Look for a thread about pop can shims.

db

[stick]

Not really much to do. Insert shim, turn shim about shackle, pull shackle. Find the Jason Lynn popcan shim video, he opens a Master combo lock with a shim.

[p8ntbller]

I know I watched the video a bunch. No matter how hard I try to push it on the inside of the shackle it wont go inbetween locking dog it'll just bend or not move. If I try to put it on the back of shackle and twist around like with non combo locks, when I turn it around it gets caught up and either bends or just twists and rises up the schackle. Maybe I need stronger material for the combo ones like a tape measure or something. I can do it find one regular padlocks though.

[stick]

You sure it doesn't use a ball locking mechanism? Ball locking mechanisms aren't susceptible to shims.

[digital_blue]

That's not really surprising. The aluminum in a can is very thin and weak. It is really only capable of shimming open the cheapest of locks. Some people have had some success with pop can shims, but there is really a better way. Find thinner steel like those in a set of feeler gauges.

Good luck.

db

[xodishox]

is the lockwood 121/40 "shimable"? the one with that black hard plastic cover