Pin Tumbler only turned half way

[Agent-X]

So I was picking the lock on my back door's knob. I used my raking pick and kept raking over and over which became annoying because the pick wouldn't stay in place, but eventually I picked the lock.

Previous the lock was in a regular position.

O

I had the tension wrench turning the plug clockwise.

So I picked it, and then it stopped half way at 9' oclock. I didn't know what happened or if i turned incorrectly, so i just put it back to how it was.

Perhaps there is another pit inside of the lock that the pins fell into?

[Chrispy]

You said 9 o'clock, so that means that you turned the plug 90 degrees, correct? There could be some damage to the plug that the driver pins got stuck on. This ofcourse would not be the case if the key works, which I assume it does. Hmmm.......

[Mad Mick]

I think he means he originally had the wrench at 3 o'clock, turned the plug 180 degrees and the wrench is now at 9 o'clock.

It's simple...the driver (upper) pins have entered the slit in the bottom of the keyway. Insert the flat underside of a pick, then raise up the driver pins to allow further rotation. Sounds like you are working on a deadbolt, which requires more rotation than a key_in_knob lock.

HTH.

[Chrispy]

It's simple...the driver (upper) pins have entered the slit in the bottom of the keyway.

That's what I thought, but the whole 9 o'clock thing was itching at me...

and then it stopped half way at 9' oclock

I was thinkin' he meant the plug, as in....

Plug upright: |

Plug at "9 o'clock": _

Which wouldn't be the bottom of the keyway. But if he was talking about the wrench then, yeah, it's the driver pins in the keyway.

Quicklocks has a video with this problem in it somewhere (can't think of which one... there are so many.... )

[Santos718]

The driver pins are the top pins correct? Aren't the driver pins the top pins? That would mean you'd have to have them past the shear line.

| <driver
| <pin.

Correct, the driver pins are the pins on top.

[Agent-X]

|

180

Turned clockwise 90 degree to
<--

It stopped half way as I turned it 90 degrees.


Aren't the driver pins the top pins? That would mean you'd have to have them past the shear line. Even though I picked the lock I wouldn't have to lift the drivers because they aren't going to go into a pit. Wouldn't they just slides against the metal with the torque of the plug? Well, I'll try what you said anyways Mick.

It is a key in knob lock though with plug.

Either way, I've been on this website a long time, I don't remember seeing a video about solving a 90 degree turn problem. Just mostly shims and stuff.

I'll try it when I get home.

[Agent-X]

I had the wrench head at 6 oclock and turned the plug to 9 which is 90 degrees if i'm correct.

[Chrispy]

I had the wrench head at 6 oclock and turned the plug to 9 which is 90 degrees if i'm correct.

I thought that's what he meant.

You said 9 o'clock, so that means that you turned the plug 90 degrees, correct?

[Agent-X]

What you're saying Mick, is that I will have to pick each individual pin and put the driver past the shear line?

So while I was turning the plug 90 degrees, the drivers started to slip out and are blocking the plug from turning?

Could anyone give me a diagram/schematic picture as to why this would happen, if i'm correct?

[Mad Mick]

What you're saying Mick, is that I will have to pick each individual pin and put the driver past the shear line?

So while I was turning the plug 90 degrees, the drivers started to slip out and are blocking the plug from turning?

Could anyone give me a diagram/schematic picture as to why this would happen, if i'm correct?

No, the reason I suspected that the drivers had dropped into the slot in the keyway, was your initial post where you stated you had turned the plug halfway: (this is a common occurrence with certain deadbolts, when turned 180 degrees)

So I picked it, and then it stopped half way at 9' oclock. I didn't know what happened or if i turned incorrectly, so i just put it back to how it was.

Since I normally have the tension wrench at 3 o'clock when picking clockwise, I assumed the 'halfway' & '9 o'clock' meant you started off with the wrench in the same position.

Unfortunately, I don't have a response to the plug stopping after rotating 90 degrees....


...hang on, after re reading the thread again, you are working on a key_in_knob, right? If so, the internal mechanism, which is contained within the door when mounted, only allows the plug to rotate enough to lock/unlock the mechanism...usually around 90 degrees. When the knob is removed from the door, the plug is able to be rotated further.

Since the lock is mounted to the back door, I assume you have the key for it...try this:
Unlock & open the door.
Lock the door with the key, noting which way the key turns. (CW/CCW)
Pick the lock in the oppostie direction.

I suspect that you initially picked the lock in the state it was already in, e.g.
The lock was unlocked, and you picked it unlocked again,
or it was locked and you picked it in the locking direction.

Could that be what happened?

[Mad Mick]

Since the lock is mounted to the back door, I assume you have the key for it...try this:
Unlock & open the door.
Lock the door with the key, noting which way the key turns. (CW/CCW)
Pick the lock in the oppostie direction.

Disregard the line above in bold
As this lock is obviously in use, please don't risk damage to it, from picking.

[Agent-X]

Maybe there is some security feature I'm missing. My dad knows a bit about locks, i'm probably being stupid picking a door lock he obtained. I should go work on some other pin tumbler set-up.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll get back to this doorknob when the heat isn't so crazy for me to kneel down outside.

[Mad Mick]

If you can identify what lock you are working on, we can probably get a little more into specifics.

If you can take & post a pic of this lock, that would be even better.

There are locksmiths on here that can ID a lock from a pic of the hardware & keyway, then tell you exactly what you are up against. The better the information you can give us, the better chance you have of getting the correct advice.

HTH.

[raimundo]

In the past, I have known of locks with broken springs that fed the end of the spring down into the gap between the plug and the cylinder, this then gets feed into the gap by turning until the whole thing jams solid, and will neither go further or return.

[sillyboy]

I think the "key" to your problem is try a lighter tenshun and just rake rapidly... always works for me, must have done about 11 locks that way. Try it, works great