Disc Tumber Lock

[luckyPick]

Hello! I just started the Foley-Belsaw lock-smithing course and it lesson 11 you have to pick a Disc Tumber Lock.

I beleieve there are 4 disks in the lock... although I am not sure as when they sent it to me it was locked! So I couldnt work my way up to all the disks. However heres my problem:

I can set the first and second no promlem with some light tention but the third in line just wont set. I tried varying the tention but to no avail I just cant get it to set.

Any advice? Right now Im using a raker pic, but i have my own set so maybe something else would work better? I dont know but I have been tring to pick the thing for an hr to no avail.

Thanks!

[luckyPick]

wow i must be tired I spelt tumbler wrong twice.

[sublime progie]

isnt a disc tumbler a wafer lock? if so a ball pick should do the trick.

[vector40]

I can only assume that they mean a wafer lock. If they mean an Abloy-type disc tumbler then my best guess is that Messrs. Foley and Belsaw are on a mission to destroy the brains and bodies of tomorrow's locksmiths.

[luckyPick]

Yes they do say in the lesson it is also known as a waffer lock. Go figure

[sublime progie]

yup a circle, half circle, or snowman should do ya some good

[sublime progie]

sorry for the double post, i forgot to say i just signed up for this course too and i cant wait to get started. how are you liking it so far?

[luckyPick]

sublime progie: So far the first 11 lessons have been good. lessons 1-5 how-ever are super easy as its just basic lock stuff. I mean the day I got it I had lessons 1-5 done and mailed. 6 - 10 are pretty much the same except that you have to impression a key for a warded padlock.... which can take you a while depending on how accurate to the orginal you want it or how nice you want it to look. Personlay it took me about 2 hrs as it took me some time to relise what marks where what when I smoked the key. I had a master lock #22 btw. Now im on lesson #11 and I just cant pick this lock. It was supose to come unlocked so you could take it apart and leave however many waffers you wanted in but looks like I have to pick the whole shiz. So far well worth the money (I got it for $599)

[sublime progie]

i too got it for $599 and i am very stisfied with that fact.

[SFGOON]

Remember, Picked Wafer lock = HEAVY tension + rake

[Chrispy]

Remember, Picked Wafer lock = HEAVY tension + rake

Agreed.

[skold]

Rake a wafer lock?

Oh i have an idea..lets go grind down the wafers with a sawtooth!

Medium tension and a short hook.

[n2oah]

Rake a wafer lock?

Oh i have an idea..lets go grind down the wafers with a sawtooth!

Medium tension and a short hook.

Rake for wafer locks= Snowman or half snowman


So

Snowman and Heavy Tension

[sublime progie]

yup a circle, half circle, or snowman should do ya some good

[luckyPick]

Thanks guys finnaly got it. I find that the snowman works best for this type of lock... but only slightly. In fact sometimes the snowman slows it down as I have to really jam it it to get up and thru the first waffer, as the lock keyway is on the smallish side. I found the raker pick to actually work slightly worse.

Now for the kicker... As it turns out I was probably doing it right the whole time. My problem was I was putting clockwise tention on the lock (as the documentation told me to) I was getting fed up with this lock when all of a sudden i took my pick out and looked at the keyway.. for some reason it was turned slightly in the counter-clockwise direction. Confused I stuck my tention wrench into the lock and turned it clockwise and listened to a snap as the waffers went back into place. Ahhhhhhh the book is wrong! I have to go counter clockwise with the tention! after re-adjusting the tention wrench (which felt odd to hold it to go the opposite direction) 2 seconds later with light tention and a quick rake it was open.

DOH!

So either they sent me a lock where its just different from the book or they made a misstake.

Oh well, learning is half the battle.... Right??