Tubular Lock Pick - Help ?

[masterice]

Hey there all,

I recently bought a Southout tubular lock pick set, (the set with both the 7 and the 8 pin picks, TPXA-78).

Once i got it, i read the instructions and also watched a min long video on how to use it from the company i bought it. So i went to try it out on one of my little tubular locks. Much to my amazement it opened first try. I then locked it up again and tryed again.. no sucess... and again, and again and again.

I just can seem to grasp the idea of how to use it, i was wondering if someone from this forum could tell me how it works inside the lock to open, so hopefully i can understand why its not picking the pins.

Any instructions you can include would be great, i have the southord ones but they are of no use, as it doesnt work for me in 6 simple steps.

Thanks All in advance

Lee

[masterice]

oh yeah, Just a little note: i have tryed it on 3-4 different locks, so its not that lock.

[vague]

did you reset it after the first try? You need to always push the feelers back to the front before re-trying.

[masterice]

yes i did. I know all that part from the instructions. its just the actul picking it part. Maybe if i understood how it did it, i could see what im not doing. Im not sure about the tension either.. how much i need ect

[Quin]

You might also try adjusting the tension for each lock as well. Sounds like you might have it set too firm or too soft.

[masterice]

How do i know how much to use? I turn it until it slighty grips (the tension ring). Ive tryed loosening it and doing it, ive tryed it really tight

[Quin]

There is a certain knack to it and because you've already picked the lock once it must be down to what you're doing.

- Try loosing each of the pins a little more. They are really stiff when new.
- Don't apply lots of force when you pick it.
- When you push the pick in are the pins moving into position easily?
- Make sure as you're turning the pick your not pulling the pick out too fast.
- If the fail the first time make sure you reset the pick. If you're trying to pick a lock for the second time after failing the first with the same settings it won't work.

That's all I can think of for now. They are very easy to learn and you'll be kicking yourself soon when you succeed time after time

[masterice]

Hey there,

thanks for the advice. I hope i will be able to do it soon. Everyone keeps saying how i will be kicking myself but at the moment its getting really annoying lol.

The pick im using (the 7 pin) is loose enough
I am resetting every time
Yeah, The pins are being pushed toward me when i insert the pick

I suppose i will just have to keep on trying.. over and over

[Chucklz]

Ive found that a reasonably tight tension works well for me. I would tighten it down a fair bit. Finger tight in a way thats easy to loosen, but firm... if that makes any sense. Insert straigt and turn back and forth at a medium pace, somehing like 2x a second is good. Keep going it may take a full minute.

[Eyes_Only]

The hardest part is knowing how much and how fast you pull the pick out of the key way while picking. I pull it out...about.....1/2 to 1 mm every I turn the tool two or three times in each direction. I found that if you turn/wiggle the tool too slow the pick fingers will get pushed too far back into the tool, so I again, give it about two quick turns every second. Be careful though because the lil piece of metal inside the tip of the tool (the tang or tab or whatever its called) that fits in the little recession in the center of the key way is made out of some kind or very thin and weak piece of metal that can snap if you wiggle the tool in the lock too aggressively.

[Nasydave]

I set he tension by holding the handle in right hand, putting thumb + forefinger of left around tension wheel. Crank till it's tight without really holding the wheel too tight. That will do the normal cheap locks. For AceII, I crank the wheel really really tight..so that the pins are hard to move by hand.

If the feelers are moving on your first poke, it's probably too loose. When you do get it to open, take a black marker and put a line on the wheel that lines up with the screw. Most of your locks witll be within 1/3 of a turn from that mark.

As far as the motion itself, I hold the pick in right hand and place extended thumb against the lock area. By keeping my thumb there, I keep from going too far out.

[StreetFunk]

i have a dumb question but when u guys r talking about torqing it and moveing the pick back out of the lock just a mm at a tyme when i try to turn the pick and move it out i cant get it to move just alittle or is it that u dont turn the pick while pulling it out alittle?? ive tried to pick these locks and i cant do it no matter how long i try i just cant seem to unlock anything

[Nasydave]

It may be you're trying to apply too much turning pressure. Picture just using two fingers to hold the very end of the tool and lightly turning. Then go in and out.. and as long as you stay in the lock, you should be ok.

[raimundo]

you push it to the bottom of the keyway with a little tension to turn, then release that tension and let the springs in the lock push it back as far as they will, retension and push in again. if you have a new commercial tubular pick, it can be tuned up by using some fine grit sandpaper wrapped around the last quarter inch and then turning the pick tip in that, it will take down the friction that may be making it a bit difficult. don't over do this, and pull the sliders in just a bit when you do it, so that you don't take the edge off the tips of them, taking the edge off the length of them is actually good, but keep the tips from becomig rounded, as for the tube they are mounted on, rounding its tip is ok

[raimundo]

If you do as nasydave says for ace two, release all the tension before storing the pick or it will change the way the pick works. in fact, if its not two loose, releasing the tension a little bit on the pick after ordinary use is a good practice, leaving it on will change the way the rubber sets, and it may also make the rubber adhere to a slider.