Wafer locks

[yami-hikari]

What are wafer locks?
Does anyone know of a good site that explains the mechanics of them?
I've tried HowStuffWorks, but they only had pin-type locks.

Thanks for helping the lost n00b

[digital_blue]

Wafer locks use small flat wafers (think of discs) in place of the pins. Each wafer has a cutout in the middle through which the key passes. The determined the height to which the wafer is lifted, and through any of a number of mechanisms, allows the plug to turn.

This might make it clearer:
http://colt.projectgamma.com/lock/fig-06.gif

Hope this helps! Happy learning!

db

[SFGOON]

Bottom line on wafers is higher torque and raking, they're fairly easy to pick.

[yami-hikari]

Thanks db and sfgoon, that was really helpful
So basically wafer locks are like pin locks but the pins are flat?

[vector40]

Sort of. The truth is that the mechanism is actually quite different, but because it ends up acting almost exactly the same in terms of picking, we tend not to care.

There isn't actually a shearline, since there's only one "piece" for each wafer; proper bit height is ensured by making the wafers protrude at both ends (so if the key lifts one too far, it pokes out the top; if it doesn't lift it far enough, it pokes out the bottom).

[Neo]

But if the wafer pin goes out too far or not enough.. does it make a great influence on the unlocking?

[wtf|pickproof?]

Yes, it wont unlock

BTW there are several nice threads on waferlocks. just read up a bit and you will see.

wtf|pickproof?

[n2oah]

So basically wafer locks are like pin locks but the pins are flat?

Kind of. Yes, they do react almost the osame way when picked. No because the the key passes through the middle the wafer. Visualize a small piece of metal with a rectangular hole in it. Wafers are usually very easy to pick. Maybe I could take one apart and post pics if you still don't understand. (db's link probably had pictures, too)