tubular lock question

[salzi684]

They seem to be in the range of $10 to $15. http://www.lockandsupply.com/catalog/ca ... oducts.htm

[locknut]

salzi684 & technik are correct in saying you cant insert the key it can only go in and out at one point because of the tab on the key
the tab is there for 2 reasons 1 is to not leave the lock partly open or closed and 2 it turns the plug and takes the load off the pins otherwise the chambers would wear and the pins would move around in the chambers and start to lean over thus bind up to a point of not working

[Chucklz]

The outer tab on a tubular lock does not turn the plug. The inner bit of the tab does that. Just a clarification.

[locknut]

the inner and outer and the head are all one bit man

[Chucklz]

Yes, I know they are all one piece. I was using bit, colloquially, as in the inner portion, poor word choice on my part. Sorry about the confusion everyone.

[Deviant Ollam]

one problem i've had with tubular locks that are halfway in-between locked and open (typically the result of my doing the BIC pen trick without 100% success) is that sometimes one of the inner pin stacks will line up with the notch in the housing that is used to allow the key to be inserted.

on cheaper locks which don't have any shaped bottom pins, this can allow the pin lined up with the keyway notch to fall right out of the lock if you invert it. (you can just stick them back in, but if you don't have a key pin pressing against the driver it makes the lock no longer work with the original key)

so that's something to keep in mind when playing with tubular locks in the half-open position. thank god for my tubular pick or else i'd rarely get such locks closed again easily.

[Redbull83]

Mad Mick

Could you post a picture of your pick?

[Mad Mick]

Look at the 9th post down......here:
viewtopic.php?t=1952&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

Beneath the ball pick on the left (with the blue handle showing 'SUBARU') are the two tools I use to pick tubular locks. The modified Allen wrench is ground to a square, which snugly fits the notch in the centre of the plug and is used for applying torque. The needle type tool is used to manually manipulate the pins.

HTH,
Mick.