Tension/Torque/Turning tool observations

[The Wanderer]

I have been using Raimundos bogota rakes almost exclusively since I got them. I was concerned that I might lose my “touch” somewhat for single pin picking and had decided to get back to my regular practice sessions using all the tools I have at my disposal. The bogotas made me lazy. If the lock wouldn’t open for me with traditional tools in a reasonable amount of time, I’d take out a bogota, do the jiggle thing and BING, it was open. They were just too good! (If there is such a thing.)

It was during one of these practice sessions that I made an observation that puzzles me somewhat. I find it interesting that certain pick/tension combinations seem to work better together in different locks.
I have few locks that seem to have a preference as to which pick/wrench combo to use. Sometimes the reason is obvious. Keyway size and shape for example can dictate what tools are necessary for the job. There are however, other locks I have that absolutely will not yield to any other combination of lock picking tools but one. I observed that the plug wouldn’t always seem to give me that tiny shifting motion, that tells you that you’ve set the pin and that it’s time to go find the next bound pin. Why would the plug not turn that miniscule amount?

Some of the locks would only give decent feedback if the tension wrench was barely in the keyway. Maybe there was resistance being created by the tension wrench? There wasn’t any resistance when I put the key in and turned the plug. The only time I felt any resistance or drag, was when I’d turn the plug with the tension wrench in the keyway. It seems that there was a hard edge on some of my tension wrenches that was creating enough drag that it was affecting the plugs ability to give me those tiny amounts of movement that were necessary to get the pins to bind and the lock to open. I tried putting more pressure on the turning tool, but the results were the same or worse. I was likely oversetting the pins now. What do I do now?

I had surmised (although I could be full of beans) that any drag placed against on the surface of the walls of the cylinder by the tension wrench would impede my ability to open the lock. Perhaps the torque tool is catching on something. Maybe there’s a rough spot inside the lock itself that it’s catching on. I don’t know. I can’t see anything. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

What would be the best solution to my dilemma? My first notion (and most economical) was to polish the hard edges on the tension tools to a high gloss shine. (Like Raimundo does with his picks!) I figured the highly polished surface would pass right over these imperfections. Even better than this would be a tool designed to turn the plug within the keyway. This tool would never come in contact with the plug/cylinder wall at all. The Falle-Safe variable adjustable “torque tool” (there description) would be the ideal solution to preventing this type of friction. However, the price of one arm, one leg, and my first born male child for a set of these is too high for me to even consider. There are the round tension tools that also fit inside the keyway, but they aren’t very affordable either. I’ve never heard anyone on LP101mention them as being a useful tool before. If they were any good, I’m sure I’d of heard about them by now. Perhaps if I made some torque tools that fit in the top of the keyway, I could avoid the possible pitfalls that may be occurring using the more traditional method. It’s worth a shot. None of my present tension tools want to stay put in that part of the keyway very well. I guess I’ll have to go scrounging for materials somewhere.

I’m going to go with the edge polishing idea first I guess. I’ll keep you posted as to whether or not this will makes any difference or not.

One thing I have learned since I have been buying tools from Raimundo is this.…Sometimes a great lockpicker can open a difficult lock with average tools, and sometimes an average lockpicker can open a difficult lock with great tools. I think I need some more tools, and of course I will need to continue to practice, practice, practice!

[zekeo]

Thanks for the interesting post. I'm curious about your observations, especially because I've been picking with only one tension wrench and two picks- hook and half diamond. It does take me a long time to find the proper tension on many new locks, and I wonder how much my picking is being limited by my small selection of tools. Still, I've yet to run across a lock I've not been able to pick (being that I haven't tried anything high security yet--just a few security pins and high-tolerance stuff so far). I haven't noticed the wrench catching on the keyway...

Raimundo's rake sure sounds good... how about one Rai?

[Kaellman]

Very good post indeed. Cant answer any of your questions, but i totally agree with you on the some-tools-for-some-locks thing. I have, for example, made a pick that has opened every disc tumbler i own, but is useless on any other type of lock.

[pip]

.

what type of pick did you make ?
can you post a pic of your pick ?

[capt.dunc]

i was having a hard time finding a wrench for a padlock the other day, because of lack of space in the key way, i ended up using too small a wrench and when i was applying a downward force to the end of the wrench the tip was prone to losing contact with the key way wards and twisting up into my way (because the angle in the wrench was over 90 degrees). i would imagine that if you were using an upwards force on the end of your wrench, then the tip could be draging on the bottom of the cylinder housing. if it was a yale for example where the pins are loaded from the bottom, then the tip of your wrench may be binding in a hole and stoping you. try a different wrench, or the same wrench pointing left and right while trying to pick in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction.

[capt.dunc]

the edit's not working again so;
ps this may explain why it's fine when just the very tip of the wrench is in the key way.

[MrB]

I definitely find that lack of space in the keyway of some padlocks makes it hard to get a wrench in there as well as a pick. One trick I found was to use a very small wrench, but double it up with another. That gives a blade about the thickness of a key and enables it to stay securely in the bottom of the keyway without twisting and moving around.

A square section wrench like a ground allen key has the same benefit, but lacks the springiness of a typical wrench.

I'm starting to feel there is a lot of benefit to the two pronged wrenches like the Falle-Safe tool. Leaves the keyway wide open and allows very controlled turning of the plug both forwards and backwards to get past spools.

[Varjeal]

Remember this as well....the proper key for the lock will apply even torque across the plug surface. Your standard tension wrench not only applies torque, but applies axial tension as well, meaning the plug will be binding less at the first pin, and harder at the last pin, thus changing the shearline minutely.

In an ideal situation, your tension wrench would:

1.) Stretch across the entire length of the plug not touching the pins or the lock housing...

2.)Leave enough room not touching the pins that your pick tool will slide in without touching the pins unless you tip it slightly.

The circular tension tool, as long as the prongs fit properly into the plug without touching pins or shell, is an excellent theory, but does require a lot of practice to become effective, and must be customizable enough to adapt to the key plug warding of a wide variety of lock cylinder types.

My limited experience with circular tension tools has been with weiser locks, and I have found them to be effective with those, though it is a clumbsy tool to carry.

[raimundo]

or, you could make a tensor blade that while polished on the edge to reduce friction if it happens to touch the cylinder wall, is also bent to a zigzag so that the edges of the blade pressure fit against the walls of the keyway, of course too much tension would still cause this to push down against the cylinder wall, but picking lightly....
When a tensor gets stuck in a keyway, (the previous paragraph describes one that is designed to get stuck) The way to get it out, is to put another tensor under it so that the 90% bends link up like chain links, and then hook fingers under the linked tensor, while steadying the end of the stuck tensor, and pull straight out on the tensor, This eliminates the possibliity of straightening out the stuck tensor bend and possibly breaking it off leaving the blade still stuck in the keyway.