First Forray into Lockpicking

by **subtlevoice** » 30 Jan 2005 23:52

Spent all night and morning reading about picking, developing a pretty thorough understanding of the basic concepts..

Then gathered my tools, pretty slim pickings.. pun unintentional

Fund some bobby/hair pins
Nail clippers
Staples (for the big heavy duty stapleguns)
Small screwdrivers
Small allen wrenches
Safety Pins

Bent one screwdriver into a tension wrench.. doesn't work so hot.. mabye because I am not sure how to place/hold it..

Turned another screwdriver into a hook pick with a hammer.. did the same thing to a safety pin.. filed the point flat in relation to where the pins are.. The screwdriver was really promising, but it broke a little when I tried to adjust it. Fixed it, but its not as nice as it was. The pin pick isnt half bad...

I've got a "Yale" pin and tumbler combination lock. It's likely more than 20 years old, and works. I count four pins, and that seems to agree with me looking at the key and analyzing the rises/falls.. I can definately feel the pins move when I poke them with the pick.. it's sort of a prying, actually.. but I can't get the lock to open.. hm.. Definately think I can get a few to bind/stick though..

I think I need more technical aptitude.. and some nicer tools? No street sweepers here, heh.

by **stick** » 31 Jan 2005 0:49

Better tools are highly recommended. You can only do so much with such makeshift, nondurable tools.

by **subtlevoice** » 31 Jan 2005 7:36

Alrighty, then. Got a blacksmith friend who is going to make some out of mild steel. He knows how to pick, so they should rock my socks.

by **stick** » 31 Jan 2005 11:28

A blacksmith friend? Wow, lucky.

by **99atlantic** » 31 Jan 2005 15:54

subtlevoice wrote:Alrighty, then. Got a blacksmith friend who is going to make some out of mild steel. He knows how to pick, so they should rock my socks.

blacksmiths actually exist today?

by **Mr Ules** » 31 Jan 2005 16:23

Blacksmiths are used in the business of horse racing. And as a matter of fact, they make quite reasonable ammounts of money. To put four shoes on a horse, costs $150.

by **Eschatos** » 31 Jan 2005 16:34

Around here we call them ferriers (at least the guys who put the shoes on the horse) =)

I do think I remembered the term 'Blacksmith' being thrown around a few times, though.

by **subtlevoice** » 1 Feb 2005 21:44

Well, he's a multi-talented craftsman. He makes axeheads and high quality knives from high carbon steel railroad spikes.. glass tobacco pipes .. he is a carpenter, cabinetmaker, silversmith, etc.. It's really quite awe-inspiring..

That said.. I used a diamond lapidary wheel do grind down my screwdriver and allen wrench tension wrenches.. they rock now..

Bought a practice lock today.. Kwikset deadbolt.

Removed all but one pin, got it.
added a pin, got it eventually.

Tried the Yale lock (4 pins) got it! Wasnt pretty... sort of just inserted a little tiny screwdriver... raised the first two pins.. and then jammed the screwdriver in as far as possible and lifted while twisting..

But woohoo! already progressing farther/faster than I anticipated..

I learned that my angle of approach was wrong.. I was trying to start lifting the pin too high, they reach down farther in the kwikset than I had anticipated... can't really 'feel' anything yet.. so I watch whatever pins are visible.. that's why I could get the kwikset with pin 1 only in.. but not 5 only.. not sure if I could now that i've got the motion sort of figured out.

That said.. go tiny screwdrivers! and safety pins!

by **subtlevoice** » 2 Feb 2005 16:13

Up to three pins on the kwikset deadbolt, that's really all my tools allow, I think.

Can pick the yale too (4 pins) because its tiny... but it's not pretty.. I can only describe it as.. mashing :oops:

First Forray into Lockpicking

First Forray into Lockpicking

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