2 day old picker post - OR - Noob Wit Questions PLZ REad !!1

[Stevenb18]

Me: Hello, My name is Steven and I am a lock picker
Everyone: Hello, Steven

This is a just a ramble to follow:
Why this there a stigma around lock picking? I mean for obvious reasons... “You can break into a house”. For instance, today I was at work picking a deadbolt in my hand from my house that I bought and I had like 8 people look at me like they were going to go home tonight and change the locks and bar the windows and head down to the storm shelter with granny Lynn‘s ashes.
What is the deal? I’m a newbie at picking locks and have I ever seen you before, I’m the lease likely person in the world to commit a crime. Why do they automatically assume that I’m doing something bad? People get a life and stop worrying about me picking your lock and start watching what your kids are doing online and who that are talking to.
/rant


Ok now onto the meat of this post.
I just started 2 days ago when I got my Southord MPXS-08 set and I think I’m getting the hang of things. Here is a list of picked locks:

1 Master Lock #3 lock (about 5 times) (feeler, snake rake) (pens)
1 Schlage residential door knob (my basement, not a random door on the side of the road) (1 time, I think it was more of happen stance then actually picking it) (feeler, snake rake)(pens, security?)
2 different cabinets (3 times each) (ball pick) (wafer)
1 Cash drawer from work, LEGAL! (2 times) (ball pick) (wafer)
1 Defiant residential deadbolt (old one from my house (I fell secure now ) (Lost count) (half diamond, feeler, snake rake)

Ok, things I would like to know:

1. How-to / what type of pens in a Schlage residential door knob, Schlage residential dead bolt.
2. Torque wrench – LOTS OF PRESURE or little pressure. I have read many a conflicting posts.
3. Any good links on re-keying?

I look forward to being a part of this growing community.


Thank you in advanced

Steven

[digital_blue]

1. How-to / what type of pens in a Schlage residential door knob, Schlage residential dead bolt.
2. Torque wrench – LOTS OF PRESURE or little pressure. I have read many a conflicting posts.
3. Any good links on re-keying?

1. Seems to me there are most commonly 6 pins, but I'm not entirely sure about what schlage has in their residential line. I know the schlage residentials that I have seen had 6. I really only made an attempt at answering this for completeness. Moving on...
2. As a general rule of thumb, little pressure = greater success. You will need to develop your own feel, but it is far more common for a newbie to use too much torque as opposed to too little. In an idea situation, you need only apply just enough torque to cause a pin to bind up enough that it doesn't drop back down when pressure is released. Then you push it to the shear line and move on. Some locks will do better with marginally more tension, but you'll have to figure that out as you go.
3. You could check out this thread at http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=2241. Scroll down a ways until you find Romstar's post on the subject.

Hope this is somewhat helpful. Happy picking!

db

[MrB]

Hello and welcome.

Pens? Perhaps you mean pins? You had me lost for a moment there.

If you pick locks in public, people will look askance at you. Not to mention you will have carried and will be using lockpicks in a public place, which is potentially unsafe. To avoid any possible complications, you would be well advised to keep your picks at home and only use them there.

Schlage residential locks typically have some spools.

Where tension is concerned, use less pressure is the sound advice commonly given to newcomers. I'm not sure where you would have found conflicting posts on that, unless someone was having a laugh at the expense of a clueless newcomer.

On rekeying, there are basically four important steps:

1. Removing the cylinder from the lock; typically easy with deadbolts, can be tricky with some knobs like Kwiksets.
2. Removing the plug from the shell using a plug follower.
3. Replacing the key pins to suit the new key.
4. Reassembly.

One possible difficulty is finding the right size pins to rekey with. For the home rekeyer, a rekeying kit obtainable from hardware stores or online is a handy solution.

Kwikset has online manuals for rekeying their locks:

http://kwikset.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/kwi ... _faqid=215

Otherwise there is various information on rekeying spread around this site.

[digital_blue]

2. ... In an idea situation, you need only apply just enough torque to cause a pin to bind up enough that it doesn't drop back down when pressure is released...

For one, I obviously meant to say "an ideal situation". Also, as I reread this line I thought it sounded a little confusing. What I should have said was that you need only apply just enough torque to cause a pin to bind up enough that it doesnt drop back down when pressure is released with the pick. This has nothing to do with releasing pressure with the tension wrench. Hope that makes more sense.

Cheers!

db

[raimundo]

two days old and already picking locks, hes a prodigy

[Stevenb18]

Thank you guys for all the great info. I'll reply with more later, I'm just on my way to work.

BTW i think.

If you have a key to the lock that you are picking, you should be able to pick it

[digital_blue]

If you have a key to the lock that you are picking, you should be able to pick it

Don't agree there at all. If I am a store owner and I give you a key to one of MY locks, I am authorizing your use of that key. I may even put stipulations on when and under what circumstances you may use that key. If I give you a key to that store room it does not automatically give you free reign to do what you like with the store room. You can not take the door off, hang some beaded curtains, and start entertaining friends in there, can you? No, I've given you the rights to "limited use". I would have every right to be upset with you if I found that you had been picking one of my locks without permission.

I'll keep saying it until my fingers fall off. You can only pick locks which you own, or those to which you have been given expressed permission to pick by the legal owner. Anything else is unethical, and should be avoided by any respetful lockpicker. The beauty of adopting this policy is that it doesn't leave any room for "grey areas" or interpretation. It is cut and dry, and it will always keep you out of trouble.

It seems like every month or two this topic comes up.

db

[Stevenb18]

BTW yes pen = pin, I would edit it but there is not edit button that I can see


I meant by the fact that you have a key would be that someone has given a key to you or it is your own lock to begin with.

But i see where you are coming from.

[MrB]

I have a Medeco key in my possession for the pool and hot tub areas of my homeowner's association. But certainly can't go and try to pick those locks. In fact, I would probably be arrested if I was caught trying.

[sublime progie]

I agree with MrB and DB i am not reaming just agreeing. but congradulations on all the succesful picks all the same just go way out of you way to make sure everything is legit