Dumb New guy here

[Cellardoor]

Hi all,

I just wanted to start off by saying that i have been lurking around the site for a while, and there is TONS of great info i have learned so much from reading past posts already. I have also read "howstuffworks" and the MIT guide, my picks should b in tomm and im excited to get started but i also had a few questions.

1st may sound dumb but..... can some one get me a link to explain or explain "security pins"? i have done a few searchs both on the site and out and about on the net wo no real avail, also how are they picked? tho i noted that some people mentioned different types of security pins hence, diff picking methods.

2nd Im a lowly poor college boy with car payments and ins payments, where do u guys get all these variouse locks to practice on? i have mayb 5 or 6 around my house that i can work on but i feel like that may not last as long as i would like. any advice on where to get cheap or free locks would b appreciated!

and last but no least this is more a personal request for any videos u may have or any links to videos, again i used the search function and came up with way more posts then i could ever get through. Most simply mentioning the word "vidoe" or "movie" somewhere down on page 8million of the thread.

any advice or ingo would b appreciate! and mods.....if this thread is misplaced please wip me into shape and move it !

-Hutch-

[Chrispy]

Welcome to LP101 Cellar.

Im a lowly poor college boy with car payments and ins payments, where do u guys get all these variouse locks to practice on?

I know that having expendable income is a rare thing these days but even buying one lock per week (or fortnight) will gradually build your collection. On your pay day, go and buy a simple deadlock, take it home and mount it (you don't have to mount it) and start practising. Next pay day, do the same. After a couple of weeks, depending on your purchase choices, you should have locks that you haven't picked yet, as you are still working on the one you bought last week!

If you walk past an interesting lock in a shop somewhere, remember it and come back and buy it. Eventually you will have lots of locks to practise on.

[Cellardoor]

Thanks chrispy for the warm welcome thats actualy good adive, and kinda what i figured i would have to something along those lines ur right tho ill have to get some hardcore ones to keep me going for a while

-Hutch-

[master in training]

welcome to lp101!

read through the FAQ's and if i remember rightly (its been a while, i should go through them again...) theres a really good thread saying where to get locks for free, try places like window and door fitters and locksmiths, the worst they can say is "no, you cant have any".

i know what its like to have no money, i havent got any either and you have more locks than me right now!

security pins come in different types, things like spool pins, serrated pins and mushroom pins to name some of the more common ones. take ntoe of the searchs features, you can use AND (in capitals) to make it search for only things with both words in, so whereas "security pins" would return every post with the word security in it and every post with the word pins, searching for "secuity AND pins" would give you all the posts with both words. see what i mean?

videos arent all that useful when learning to pick because you cant see what they're doing with the picks because of the lock and you cant feel what they're feeling, so they're not all that useful to be honest.

good luck, i hope you enjoy picking as much as the rest of us!

~ MiT ~

[Grudge]

Greets!

The MIT Guide is pretty much a one stop shop for beginners. I believe it describes security pins too.

On cheap locks, of course check the mega discount stores (Walmart, etc). Dollar stores have some stuff, almost useless because it is so bad, however. Check around with your neighbors and see if they have some old padlocks laying about. If you hit a garage sale they probably won't have any out, but just offer a buck for any old lock they have, key or not (you would be surprised what people hang onto). Don't forget junkyards for auto stuff and (perhaps) door hardware. Flea markets may also be a good source.

In short, be creative and ask. Hope that helps.

[zekeo]

For padlocks check out your local gym, high school, etc. and ask the janitor. They routinely cut them off and throw them away. They're still good to pick, though.

[capt.dunc]

hello and welcome, don't forget to fill out your profile, it helps to know where people are based, this is so we know what type of locks you are dealing with, and can help with advice on where to get tools. you may be living near a lp101 member who wouldn't mind lending or swopping locks.

[Geek142]

Hey

If you are having troubles finding locks, Go to your local tip shop, if your dump collects old things that people throw away and resell them you can get a great deal, The other day I got 8 locks for 10 bucks... some good Lockwood’s to so it was a good deal. Otherwise ask everywhere... Ask your friends... ask your teachers just tell them you are pursuing a new hobby... ask random people on the street if you want but i honestly wouldn’t . Just ask, ask, buy, ask and ask. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no. But if it comes to it just save your change you have and put it in a little jar and save for them.

Geek

[fixer]

1st may sound dumb but..... can some one get me a link to explain or explain "security pins"? i have done a few searchs both on the site and out and about on the net wo no real avail, also how are they picked? tho i noted that some people mentioned different types of security pins hence, diff picking methods.

To understand how or why security pins work, you have to know why it is possible for picking to work.

Security pins are not really the pins you see in the keyway (the bottom pins) but are the top pins or drivers.

I am sure it is a topic for the advanced forums, but the basic principal of the various pins is to give a false edge that the picker feels when picking the lock.

I hope this points you in the right direction for further study.

[digital_blue]

Security pins are not really the pins you see in the keyway (the bottom pins) but are the top pins or drivers.

To be precise, security pins can be top or bottom pins. They are more common on top (driver pins) however.

I am sure it is a topic for the advanced forums...

Nope. Security pins are not restricted info. Talk away!


Cheers!

db

[Cellardoor]

thanks for all the great info guys! i did some more searching and found some basic info about security pins and such enough to get me by till i run into some problems ! also thanks alot for the warm welcome guys! its always nice to be welcomed into a forum!

-Hutch-

[NKT]

I've found car boot sales are great. Just look for someone doing uPVC or whatever, and you will get loads of locks for £10, since they will be a bit old. Most come with keys, too, so you can listen for the security pins.

[Zammo]

Hi Cellar door

I'm a total n00b to and have just bought myself some lockpicks, the website I got them from has some videos to download that you may find useful!


http://www.devonlocks.com/lock-picking/ ... videos.htm


I havn't tried them yet as I havn't got emule or edonkey, I deleted them ages ago in favour of bittorrent.

[motorhead]

I actually visit the local car junk yard and play with car locks when i have extra time. It only cost $2 to get in and it gives me the oppurtunity to practice on all types of cars. I dont actually pick the cars while iam there, but i do get practice getting too and removing door and ignition locks. If i decide to purchase a lock, it is only $3.95 and if I want to spend ours there and not purchase anything, than that is ok too. Its a great place to practice....!

[fixer]

I actually visit the local car junk yard and play with car locks when i have extra time. It only cost $2 to get in and it gives me the oppurtunity to practice on all types of cars. I dont actually pick the cars while iam there, but i do get practice getting too and removing door and ignition locks. If i decide to purchase a lock, it is only $3.95 and if I want to spend ours there and not purchase anything, than that is ok too. Its a great place to practice....!

If you talk to the owner of the scrap yard, they might pay you to remove the locks from a vehicle and provide them as a set in a baggie. If you can make a key to work the locks, that might be even better.