Back again with another

[Canadaguy]

Hey guys, thanks alot for the one thing ive read probably everything on this net (lol) but ya ok i have this padlock here and ive picked it twice by picking the pins. but here and there i will set all the pins ( i look inside the lock and there all set) and i try and turn both ways and nothing happens. I dont understand how this work, should i losen the rench or put more pressure?

[Kayvon]

What brand/type of padlock are you picking?

[digital_blue]

I can't imagine how you could look in the keyway and establish that all the pins are set. You may have one or more top pins that have not yet passed the shear line and therefore the lock will not set. I don't think it would be possible to visually confirm that pins are set on any padlock I've seen.

db

[RangerF150]

There's a good chance you have "overset" one or more of the pins.
It's easy to do .

Just keep at it , it takes a lot of practice to learn.

A cutaway lock , would be a good investment if you feel you are gonna stick with it.
In the genearll topic forums Varjeal is putting together a deal for members on a cutaway lock.

Else you can get one on line , or if your handy you could make one yourself.

Have fun

[raimundo]

there is setting pins and there is binding pins, the difference when you hold the padlock near your ear and shake it, you will hear loose bottom pins rattle if they are set. the more pins rattling, a different sound. set one pin shake the lock and listen, then set more pins, you can hear the difference. Most likely you will be setting some pins and highbinding others, you just have to realize that heavy tension is not the way.

[rayman452]

if its a masterlock, then theres a good change your tension wrench is in the plug too much. Happened to me the first 10 times I did it, then I clued in and pulled it out...

[Canadaguy]

Ok its a cheap RONA paddlock from RONA i unno if u guys got that in the states but ya im prety sure there is 3 pins and i can see them all set. I guess the rattling thing might work im goin to try soon but i guess ill figure it out thanks

[digital_blue]

Canadaguy, I think you are misunderstanding something. When you look in the keyway it is quite possible that you can see the bottom pins. What you can not see is the placement, at any given moment, of the top pins. When you are applying rotational pressure and sliding the pins up, it is possible that you are not sliding the top pin up far enough to clear the shear line. In this state, the bottom pin of that pin stack would drop back down and may appear to be "set" but, in actual fact, the top pin is still crossing the shear line blocking the plug from turning.

Conversely, if you push the pin stack up too far you can cause the bottom pin to cross the shear line and get scissored or bound at the shear line. In this state, we would say you have a pin that is "false set". If you are looking into the keyway and seeing the top pins "up" higher than their normal place of rest, then they are false set and you need to release tension and try again.

My point was that there is no way to know if the pin stacks are correctly set just from looking at the placement of the bottom pins, as this does not tell you the current state of the top pins.

Hope this clears things up. Happy picking!

db