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DaRkDwArF
March 24th, 2003, 11:39 AM
A few months back I decided I was going to teach myself to pick locks, didn't realise how simple it would be, so I've decided to create a post on the easiest way to practise, suggested items to purchase and a few tips I picked up on the way.

After getting advice from not only this forum but another aussie based forum and chat, I decided to stick with purchasing a set of picks from southernord. Their catalogue of picks can be viewed here:
<a href="http://www.southord.com/lockpicks.htm" target="_blank">http://www.southord.com/lockpicks.htm</a>

The general idea was to purchase their 8 peice set, but having a few extra dollars laying around and wanting to get something that would last, I eventually went for the 11 peice set. The picks arrived and were nothing flash, but they do the job. I'd strongly recommend buying the 11 peice set and don't even bother with the jack knive things.

While waiting for the picks to arrive (standard mail to australia) I hunted down the pdf version of the MIT lock picking guide and printed it at work and started reading up on basic concepts of how locks work.

After the picks arrived I purchased 3 common brand pin tumbler locks and got to work. It took me about 2 hours to get the lock to turn over for the first time, but it was a feeling of great success. After a few more weeks of fiddeling around I got myself down to about 12 - 15mins.

I've found the easiest way to do standard pin tumbler locks is scrubbing/raking, using a lubricant suchg as WD40 about 20 seconds before the attempt also helps. A few other little things such as using heatshink on the handles of the picks for a little bit extra comfort, making a new pouch to replace the dodgy vynil one (you get what you pay for) and learning how to reset the pins in the locks also keeps the challange going.

So to sum it up, learning to pick can be very rewarding in more ways then one :D It can get extremely frustrating, but the payoff in the end is worth it. Any comments, questions?

a_bab
March 24th, 2003, 12:26 PM
It sounds great. The time is quite good also, and I suppose it passes very fast as you are working on. I'm interested if is it possible to lockpick a padlock and if it is harder than an ordinary lock to do it.

spydamonkee
March 24th, 2003, 01:46 PM
it is very possible to pick padlocks and the cheaper ones are very easy i have picked alot of them with just 2 paper clips and other just using some old keys i had laying around :D
cheers for that site as i am looking at getting into recreational lockpicking so might just order me that 11pc set.

Caacrinolaas
March 24th, 2003, 02:14 PM
If any one wants some more information i'll post some links for you.

<a href="http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/" target="_blank">http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/</a> ,A littel out-of date and some broken links.
<a href="http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html" target="_blank">http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html</a> ,The MIT guide, a classic :) .
<a href="http://www.pillarcom.com/impress.html" target="_blank">http://www.pillarcom.com/impress.html</a> ,Another lockpick guide.
<a href="http://www.wilton.force9.co.uk/lock/" target="_blank">http://www.wilton.force9.co.uk/lock/</a> ,Infopaedia.

There is also a guide on <a href="http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm" target="_blank">http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm</a> wich is nice and easy to understand, might be a good place to get some basic knowledge. There are probobly more sites with information on the subject but these where the only ones that i could find a few years back.

<small>[ March 24, 2003, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Caacrinolaas ]</small>

DaRkDwArF
March 24th, 2003, 07:11 PM
I forgot to metion the how stuff works guide, thanks Caacrinolaas!
It has animated disgrams that makes the understanding blatently obvious. The MIT guide covers most of what ever other guide does, but different sites may have better diagrams.

As for padlocks, most pin tumbler padlocks can be picked easily and are probably the most common thing you'll come into contact with in the real world (why scale a barbed wire fence?)

Flake2m
March 25th, 2003, 04:29 AM
The 3 best tools for picking locks:
1: Dynamite/C4
2: Sledge hammer
3: the key itself

I have had an intrest myself in picking locks, but I dont have the cash for a set of picks atm. On the other though I might not need lockpicks after I discovered that I can unlock any lockwood lock at the school I go to, even the bike cage padlock :p .

DaRkDwArF
March 25th, 2003, 07:56 AM
Interesting, I work for the department of education australia, and all the schools in my district don't use lockwood padlocks for that exact reason...

Al Nobel
March 25th, 2003, 01:28 PM
The most ineresting tool on your link is the E100HO Electric Lock Pick.I think this tool is the best choice for opening locks really fast,but it´s fucking expensive.

PyroTech
March 25th, 2003, 03:59 PM
I bought a lockpick set, a while ago. It contained 6 picks and a little book. I was amazed of how easy it was to open simpel locks, But to get the front door of a house open? :confused: I guess you need to be real patient if you want to learn how to open a front door, and it would be much easier to just buy a electric one. Because in my opinion, if you really want to open a house door, you have some intentions. :cool: And I didn't have the intentions, only intressted.

Energy84
March 25th, 2003, 11:02 PM
What the hell's so special about this thing?
<img src="http://www.southord.com/images/thumbs/E100C_E100HO.jpg" alt=" - " />
Looks to me like it just vibrates or something? If that's the case, you could probably just get an electric toothbrush or a vibrating cell phone or any other vibrating electrical appliance and just buy the picking needles for $5.
Edit: I suppose that I should mention that this is the E100HO Electric Lockpick. <a href="http://www.southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=locksmith&rowstart=30" target="_blank">SouthernOrd</a>

<small>[ March 25, 2003, 10:04 PM: Message edited by: Energy84 ]</small>

PyroTech
March 26th, 2003, 02:58 AM
Well, I have some picks, and a electric toothbrush. I'll see if it works. I'll post te results ASAP.

Al Nobel
March 26th, 2003, 05:33 PM
I think that a certain frequence of the vibration is required.Has something to do with Eigenschwingung (sorry,but no online dictonary helped me to find the correct english word).

DaRkDwArF
March 26th, 2003, 08:50 PM
no specific frequency, just nothing too over the top and nothing minute... an electric tooth brush on soft setting should do the trick, all it's used for is rakeing

Energy84
March 26th, 2003, 11:55 PM
I don't think frequency really matters. Just as long as the pulses are strong enough to 'snap' the pins all the way back to where the springs are fully compressed. Combine this with a little binding action by turning the cylinder, and you should be able to open up most locks.

Agent Blak
April 6th, 2003, 01:16 AM
I hooked up a cheap tooth brush to a pick. I found that if I set the first 3-4 pins with it off the last one was easier. I am in the process of writting an article on it.

Agent Blak
April 7th, 2003, 04:07 AM
Has anyone ever tried to drill out a lock?

There are drills called "Hard Cut Drills". The are made from Carbide, the whole bit is carbide not a brazed insert. The would be very useful with a 24 volt cordless drill.

Ghostcustom 24
April 8th, 2003, 12:22 AM
Since I am sometimes rather impatient my success with lock picking has been somewhat of a bad experience. But I have experimented with other methods and found drilling to be a long and noisy solution to the problem. In my opinion, thermite, despite its drawbacks is the best solution to getting past a lock. I realize that it leaves a rather permanent mark on the lock but so does drilling.

Also, if the lock is of regular size, why bother with drills and thermite. Just go to your local hardware store and buy a lock cutter :p .

serene
September 18th, 2003, 06:14 PM
My chemicals are aqquired from the lab in my college when i clean the room after school. There is a big yellow safe like thing in the corner of the room with the words 'flammable' on it. The first time i wanted chemicals i managed to pick the lock in 5 minutes and steal them via a black bin bag. Then i noticed a locked cubbord underneath that i picked in about 4 minutes to find about every chemical i could ever need.

And what did i use??
A very small screwdriver as a turning rench and a paper clip for the pins. In all honestly i think that its pointless buying something when a job can be done with easily accessable equipment. Is there an advantage to using an official 'lockpicking' tool?

Rhadon
September 18th, 2003, 06:34 PM
I don't know how experienced you are serene, but I assume that you're a newbie to lock picking. Either you were just lucky or, what I think is the most probable explanation, the lock you picked is quite a bad one. Therefore it can be considered unlikely that you'll be able to pick any better locks with that method. It's not that easy :).

jelly
September 18th, 2003, 07:12 PM
The most ineresting tool on your link is the E100HO Electric Lock Pick.I think this tool is the best choice for opening locks really fast,but it´s fucking expensive.
And it's is useless for silent/secret operations. Picking a lock with an electric pick gun is quite noisy.

nbk2000
September 18th, 2003, 07:43 PM
Serene, what you broke into is called a fire safety cabinet, and they usually use cheap wafer locks. Wafers are ridiculously easy to pick, so doing so isn't something to brag about. :p

serene
September 18th, 2003, 08:25 PM
Nah im not bragging about picking it, just wanted to brag about my constant supply of free chemicals :P

The lock was a pin tumbler, not a wafer lock, and this was just one of them times when it seems to just work. I have struggled on many locks in my time and have failed to be able to open them E.g the Pin Tumblers with the bastard spool pins in them ;)

Sorry to sound ignorant guys

CommonScientist
February 5th, 2004, 03:25 PM
I am pretty fluent when it comes to pin tumbler locks, I picked 5 filing cabinets with a paper clip and a allen wrench filed down to a flat point to use a tension wrench. I practice picked a roller file cabinet so much that I ruined it ! It is now permantly locked, so I had to use a crow bar to un lock it.

Be careful what you pick, because sometimes you can ruin the lock so bad that not even the original key will work in it!

McGuyver
February 5th, 2004, 10:38 PM
That is exactly why you shouldn't mind spending a few dollars to get a small pick set. Picks don't ruin locks, paper clips do:rolleyes: .

It is my experience that if you want to stay good at lockpicking you can't stop, you need to practice at least every once in awhile. I stopped for awhile and now I can't pick a lock for shit.

orius
February 11th, 2004, 06:11 AM
Yeah Im a noob I know but lockpicking is sort of my hobby. Yes wafer locks are a joke they are on alot of car doors and really pathetic. Pin tumblers are a joke as well. Even spool pins and mushroom heads are nothing against a snap gun and/or skilled hand.
Here is a link that animates how to pick a lock. Doesnt get any more detailed.
click the buttons on the animations (http://www.kickthefog.com/how_works.htm)
Here is the link to the best lockpicking forum out there (IMHO) lockpicking 101 forum (http://www.lockpicking101.com).

Really you should start out picking wafer locks but most people dont want to learn that first they want to learn to pick house locks (pin tumblers) which is perfectly fine but it gets way more difficult than pin and wafer locks. The best book available on the subject, which also includes safe opening , is locks, safes, and security by marc weber tobias. 200 bucks but well worth it if you are into security or breaking security.

Jacks Complete
February 19th, 2004, 07:05 PM
Wafer locks aren't always easy - sometimes they can take 20 seconds!

Seriously, if someone was dumb enough to protect something like a chemical store with a cheap wafer lock, (ab)use it all you can!

My garage front door had a wafer lock on it, and it was a well made one. I could never get it to open, even though I have picked quite a few Yale type locks in my time, including actual Yale front door cylinders, bobbin pins and all. However, it was obvious that a strong screwdriver would have opened it in a second or so, so I changed it anyway!

I would recommend you make your own tool for picking. go buy a cheap set of blue Allen keys. The larger ones can be ground or filed down to make great wedges, hammer-style levers, etc. The mid size ones are great as tension tools, and the thinner ones are great picks!

To make the picks, carefully (to avoid overheating) grind the edges down till you have a thin, long pick. Nice handle on it, too! Make a few different sizes. They are seriously tough unless you kill the steel temper. To make the others, grind the shorter edges into various wedge shapes.

I seriously have to build a better tension wrench, though. I want one that you fit to the lock, and which actually turns the cylinder around the proper axis, rather than having to hang on the bottom of the keyway!

PsycHorse
March 28th, 2004, 04:08 PM
Ok Guys ,

so you want to get into any Cylinder Lock Door in about 30 seconds ?


take a ~18v battery powered electric Drill and a ~3mm Steel drilling stick
now drill a hole at the point where the round inner cylinder meets the outer casing ( with the pins inside it ) >--- |||||
then put to needle/... inside the hole to prevent the upper pin peaces from falling down and the lower pin peaces from popping back up

insert a screwdriver - turn - and you are in


btw : yes picking is more fun but in reality often to slow / unpredictable


btw : go and grab LSS_Locksmith from emule - contains everything for your needs

PsycHorse
March 28th, 2004, 04:47 PM
Ok Guys ,

so you want to get into any Cylinder Lock Door in about 30 seconds ?


take a ~18v battery powered electric Drill and a ~3mm Steel drilling stick
now drill a hole at the point where the round inner cylinder meets the outer casing ( with the pins inside it ) >--- |||||
then put to needle/... inside the hole to prevent the upper pin peaces from falling down and the lower pin peaces from popping back up

insert a screwdriver - turn - and you are in


btw : yes picking is more fun but in reality often to slow / unpredictable


btw : go and grab LSS_Locksmith from emule - contains everything for your needs

DaRkDwArF
April 2nd, 2004, 04:23 AM
I'll upload a rather good video to the ftp that goes into really good detail about lockpicking tonight, keep an eye out

DaRkDwArF
April 2nd, 2004, 04:32 AM
it's the H2K2 lockpicking conference, the videos 600mb, and shows you how to use various tools and explains in detail how tools and locks work

mrloud
April 9th, 2004, 12:11 PM
A very interesting lecture it is too. I downloaded it from here yesterday http://connectmedia.waag.org/toool/h2k2-lockpicking-vcd.mpg

jelly
April 11th, 2004, 11:34 AM
btw : go and grab LSS_Locksmith from emule - contains everything for your needs
Yes, it's a very recommendable database :)

If you want to see some nice pics of my favourite "un"pickable lock (springless locking pins!!!), look for "EVVA 3KS Laser Trace System" in chapter 17 (3KS= 3-Kurven-System =3 curves system, manufactured by the austrian company EVVA).

link: http://www.evva.com/3ksInfoE.htm

PYRO500
September 2nd, 2004, 04:11 AM
As a locksmith myself I have a few tips to offer:

For starters dont get used to raking a lock as your primary means of opening it. often enough you can use a hook pick much faster and open many more doors such as those that for some reason refused to open with a snake.

There are some situations that can make picking a lock extremely difficult. For anyone just starting to learn to pick locks try and avoid locks with a really long pin in front of a short pin. When we run across that situation its time for a hook pick with longer reach. Get to know your pick gun and picks, each one serves its own purpose and sometimes its much faster to use one than the other if even the other will work. Generally though you want to practice with a hook pick that gives you consistant results. Some people prefer to use a dimond pick but the hook will allow you to scrub the lock, pick it pin by pin, and sometimes sets a few pins when you rake outwards.

in general the less picks you have to use on the locks you use the quicker you will be able to get locks open, so find the right pick, determine how fast you need to be and if it isnt working split. more tools = more chance of loosing one and leaving evidence.

Although those jacknife picks look neat the best ones I've found are the ones with metal handles that are riveted on. the only flat steel pick that I use (with no handle) is the snake when I really need to feel inside the lock.
speaking of snakes, this pick is incredibly useful on wafer locks, especially those in glass display cases and some cam locks.

Now torque wrenches and tools.
The torque wrench that has proven to be the most reliable for me is the kind that come with the pick guns, one side has a twist on it witch works great for cylinders that fit the kwikset keys, the twisted part goes right between the wards. in the schlage type I find its easyer to use the flat end at the top of the keway, also this type of tension wrench is good for spinning the plug if you pick it in the wrong direction and it stops, you make a larks head with a rubber band on one end, stretch the band and hold the wrench in place and if you let go and it rotates fast enough your lock will flip around to the other side without needing to re pick the lock.

As far as automotive locks go, dont even bother to pick them. Especially GM cars witch have a sidebar lock making picking very hard and needing special tools to do it in any reasonable time and for what its worth a simple "air wedge" jammed in the door will let you stick a rod through. I use a 3/16ths length of 420 stainless and it lets you hit door unlock buttons and pull handles easily.

As far as going through the car, when using the airwedge, its best to try to get it as near to the top of the car as you can when your path is not impeded by some things such as double striker bolts etc. On most fords simply pulling on the door handle will unlock the doors and on some ford trucks with the handle in a recess that you squeeze to open, you have about a 2 1/2 inch piece on the end of the rod that lets you twist the whole rod provided you have a good sturdy handle to twist with (my first rod had an L shaped handle witch was about 4' now I have a triangular shaped handle and at the end where it crossed over the rod I used an angle grinder to put a groove in it and wrapped wire around the overlap and coated it with liquid electrical tape)

On some cars there are simpler ways to get in. On pre 96 toyota camrys the vertical linkage could be moved upwards by sticking a fondue fork in a hole under the handle (yes a fondue fork) and on chevy astro vans with the dutch doors (3 mini doors, one that flips up, two to the sides) up untill 98 I believe you could take out the tag light and movet the bell crank withyour finger or a screwdriver.

as far as the ignition locks. you probobly need an ignition drill template and if you try to rip it out you likely going to lock the steering colum in place and breaking a steering lock is sometimes a mighty difficult thing to do.
anyways I'll get to some more advanced stuff sometime soon.

Scientist
September 2nd, 2004, 07:08 AM
I hooked up a cheap tooth brush to a pick. I found that if I set the first 3-4 pins with it off the last one was easier. I am in the process of writting an article on it.
So it actually worked and you could open a lock with it?

meselfs
September 3rd, 2004, 08:10 PM
I personally use screws to make my picks. A screw (a good one at least) has the perfect heat treatment for this purpose.

Just get a few screws and grind them to shape. Make absolute sure you don't overheat them, you'll lose the heat treatment.
Finish-shape the tip with a file or (if you have it) rotary tool.
For a handle, I made a little pencil-like holder out of brass on my lathe that accepts anything with a 1/8 shank (I use it to hold other things as well), so I ground the non-business end of each of my picks to 1/8. The interchangeability is very convinient.
If you don't have a lathe, you can buy one of those carbide scribes from a hardware store, they cost 5$ and come with a pencil-like handle that works perfectly.
When heat treating a torque wrench (made out of a nail), make sure you hold it in heat for at least a minute. Not heating long enough is a very common mistake. In fact, when toolmakers do heat treatment with a decent furnace, they heat their worpieces for (small stuff, eg hammer head) half an hour.


MIT guide is indeed a classic, but I find the section on making the picks to be trash :-< .

be_unique
May 25th, 2006, 12:10 AM
Hi guys,

I haven't been on this site in ages, but I can pick, but am a bit of a noob at the moment.

I can pick simple padlocks (4 pins or less) and have tried front doors, filing cabnets and even some padlocks which I just can't seem to get.
I've come to the conclusion that I just need more practise.

If anyone is interested in making their own picks, and doesn't want to look suspicious by going out and looking for a store that sells them, Like here in AUS. I find that Hanksaw blades work very well when fashioned correctly.

But the chances are that all you guys already knew that.

If anyone has any additional advice for me to help me move on and grow into a better picker, would be appreciated.

Thanks.

irongriffin
May 26th, 2006, 02:05 AM
Well For simple locks if you don't want to take the time to pick it you could spray some Freon gas into the lock and hit it with a hammer.
Though this is not very subtle it should work very well unless it’s a dead bolt.
Those I have no idea how to pick other than having lots of patience.

ShadowKnows
November 7th, 2006, 06:46 AM
An excellent lockpicking primer can be found here:

http://deviating.net/lockpicking/topics.html

It includes movies and animations. Check out the section on padlocks and combination locks--these can easily be defeated with shims made from sheet metal. One video shows how to open a bike lock with a Bic pen. These lockpicking methods give you access to all kinds of goodies in an academic environment.

Hemisync
November 8th, 2006, 09:30 AM
Anyone who has been lockpicking for a while has probably read the MIT Guide to lockpicking

WELL there is a new guide out that is even better

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/11/locksport_inter.html

I would be interested in your opinion of this guide. Do you see any major mistakes ?

NoltaiR
November 9th, 2006, 02:24 PM
While there are many items that can only be opened by either the key or a lock-picking technique, do not forget what can be opened by other techniques such as drilling into the bolt or other similar locking mechanism.

It is understandable that you may take some time to be nice and neat if you want your presence there to not be known. But if you just want to crack into something just to get in, a drill, pair of bolt cutters, and a hacksaw can go a long way.

Russianesq
November 30th, 2006, 07:46 AM
Can someone repost the material on rapidshare?
The files are no longer active.

vod8750
December 1st, 2006, 09:19 AM
Ordinary, modern locks have been done to death and its very easy to find information on picking techniques.

But what about the old style locks? The type that are usually used on interior doors in a house or school and can sometimes be found on the exterior doors of old houses. The typical keyhole shape and the big keys with the round shaft and small head.

Does anyone know how these types of locks work and how one would go about picking them? Or where one could find documentation on the subject?

I have searched the internet but havent found anything. Of course it probably doesnt help that I dont know the official name for that type of lock!

Cobalt.45
December 1st, 2006, 11:57 AM
Skeleton key?

They were traditionally very "pick friendly"

WMD
December 4th, 2006, 03:12 AM
They are called warded locks. Most of these locks can be opened with a strong wire, bent into a z-shape (like this: '''''|_____O ) and with dimensions similar to the key.
When you use it don't try to use it like a key, instead put it into the lock with the short end turned upside, just like in my 'illustration'. Now you move it upwards, engage the bolt and try to pull the bolt sideways towards the middle of the door, away from the door frame. Try it once and you know what I mean.

tiac03
December 5th, 2006, 05:25 PM
It's been said earlier in this thread but, for your questions about warded and lever locks the best place I've seen for that is still lockpicking101.com . So go there and Use the search function and you will find all the information you need about them.

crosseout
December 6th, 2006, 11:41 AM
I think that a certain frequence of the vibration is required.Has something to do with Eigenschwingung (sorry,but no online dictonary helped me to find the correct english word).

no sir egensvingning or eigenschwingung...I do not now if there is any english word for it... but that does not have much to do with lockpicking. Eigenshwingung is what makes a bridge or a glass brake, its about sound or air waves and the vibration of the object...
the vibrations of the tool just helps open the lock as if its you who do the vibrations, only waay quicker;)

Jacks Complete
December 6th, 2006, 04:14 PM
That sounds like "Q" or resonance to me.

And it has nothing to do with lockpicking, as far as I know.

nbk2000
December 6th, 2006, 07:24 PM
I've seen on the multi-pick.de website a video demonstration of a tool that uses particular patterns of vibration to open high-security locks, like DOM and ASSA.

Meawoppl
December 7th, 2006, 12:56 PM
When it comes to DOM or ASSA locks, really your best bet is bump keys. For these strange keyways, they will cost 10 bucks a pop, but they are extremely effective.
They are also the lazy mans lock pick and work great in the US because there is really only 2-3 different commonly used key ways: kwikset, schlage, and masterlock (padlocks).
You can get these 3 bump keys on e-bay for like 10 bucks w/ shipping. After all once you cut yourself a good one, you can copy it at home depot for a buck.

Cobalt.45
December 9th, 2006, 12:07 AM
You might also be surprised at how few different keys are used on each lock model. If you start collecting keys, eventually you'll have a fair chance of opening a lock with another lock's key.

Granted, you can't go around with ten pounds of keys, but that being said, neither should you miss a chance at an easy entry with a key.

As locks wear, they're even more susceptible to any kind of tactic. Especially to a key from a like lock.

The most common Master pad locks (and knock-offs) might be the worst in this regard.

Everybody knows any lock with a seam around it's circumference (read: Cheap) can be busted by hitting it on the seam while backing the opposite side solidly. But you usually won't be so lucky.

_SAS_
January 22nd, 2007, 10:04 PM
It's good to be able to pick, even as a noob.

The other day I locked my dad's keys in his car... even though it was a 1984 landcruiser, it still was good to know that I could pick.

On another note, where I live, it's going to look a bit sus for an 18 year old kid to go around to a lock smith or shop asking for picks. So I made my own :) Hacksaw blades seem to work really well.

Can someone also explain to an ignorant noob, why you use different shaped picks. eg snakes, diamonds. etc. I seem to find my hook pick quite capable in most situations.

paroxysm
January 24th, 2007, 05:48 PM
I saw this video on google and I thought someone may be interested, its pretty self explanatory, but useful all the same;

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-9094641035220699727&q=lockpick+making

tiac03
January 25th, 2007, 02:50 AM
Can someone also explain to an ignorant noob, why you use different shaped picks. eg snakes, diamonds. etc. I seem to find my hook pick quite capable in most situations.

When it comes to pin tumblers there are two main picking methods. SPP (Single pin picking) and Raking.

Your hook pick is for SPP along with the diamond, "snakes" and other picks with multiple heads are for Raking, and then there are a bunch of other shapes designed to work in different locks or lock profiles. (Ball and double ball picks are used for wafer locks for example.)

LSI has come out with a new free beginers guide to Lockpicking which will (along with LP101) answer every question you have about lockpicking.

Link to guide...
http://locksport.com/home/index.php?entry=entry061027-222056

orangeman
January 25th, 2007, 06:42 PM
I was wondering if the Pick guns work as well as people say they do.

I have found that raking has been the fastest way to get through a lock.

I was wondering if it is worth the money.

BlackFalcoN
January 25th, 2007, 07:34 PM
I was wondering if the Pick guns work as well as people say they do.

In my experience they can be quite effective on a large selection of pin tumbler locks. It takes less time in general to open a lock with them compared to picking/raking. ( Although a trained picking technique will open locks with smaller tolerances and 'anti-picking' protections, and raking generally doesn't take very much time either )

They require very little training to be efficient with them.

However, every 'snap' of the mechanism, makes a considerable amount of noise, which can be a factor for those 'super-silent' stealth missions ;)

Another disadvantage is that most European locks tend to have their pins on the bottom of the keyway, which requires you to flip the pickgun.
This way, the door-latch can become an obstacle since it sometimes will prevent you from inserting the needle straight into the keyway.
(an angled needle can solve this problem most of the times though)

I own one, and I rarely use it anymore, since picking isn't that much slower on most locks once you get the feeling for it.

They do offer a way to open a good part of pin tumbler locks without much training or tools.

If you intend on using it a lot, I advice you to also look into electric pick-guns, since they use the same principle as 'snap'-pick-guns, but vibrate the needle at a much higher speed, and are generally faster in my experience.

jamamee
December 4th, 2007, 08:33 AM
I don’t really know all that much about lock picking, I’ve read quite a bit about it but never actually had any practice and from what I can gather practice is what counts. One tip I have picked up though was don’t get caught with any picks in your possession , if you do you’ll get fingered for every major job in the area for the last few years.

jrrdw
December 13th, 2007, 09:45 AM
As a locksmith I feel compelled to tell every one reading this: If your not a locksmith, or directly working for a locksmith, the carrying of lock picks can and will probably be viewed as carrying breaking and entering tools with contempt of committing a breaking and entering crime.

Furthermore, any non forced entry theft reported in the general area can be blamed on you, the carrier of the lock picks. Any real lock smith knows this and should not be reveling trade secrets on a internet forum to people you don't even know, much less intend on doing lock work with.

This thread should not even be here, this is The Explosives and Weapons Forum, not a lock picking forum.

I hope I made my point positively clear!

Stay out of trouble guys.

(Please watch your spelling, and make sure the spell checker uses the correct words - megalomania)

Jackal1412
March 9th, 2008, 08:21 AM
A small bit of advice from a forum noob. I have dabbled in lock picking from time to time over the past four years. Here are a couple of tips that I have been given; some on here already, some new.

I have heard that hacksaw blades work great for making your own lock picks for two reasons. The first being that you can make two really 'good picks' from one blade. What I mean by two 'good picks' is that you can use the holes in the ends to keep them on a small chain to keep them together. I tried this once, and it worked well, but they seemed too brittle.

What I ended up using, by complete happenstance, were parring knives. Simple, cheap, parring knives. You can pick up 4-6 at any store of merit for about a dollar. The steel is typically spring steel, so it bends well if you are a little rough on your picks. Other than this, the handle that most parring knives come with are plastic. You can leave this on there, or you can smash the handle off and get the added benefit of being able to put it on a key chain. Thats right, it has a loop just like the hacksaw blades do.

I hope this gives at least someone a little but of help somewhere along the lines. If you have read this far (or just skipped to the last page of posts) and still don't know what a pick looks like, I encourage you to go out and find the MIT Guide To Lock Picking, this guide has templates that you can use. I haven't been able to read the new MAKE guide yet, but it sounds promising.

Also, if you, like myself, are still young and do not work for a lock smith, then don't get caught carrying these around, it will NOT look good, no matter what you say.

BlackFalcoN
March 11th, 2008, 10:42 AM
I think most people in the lockpick community now-a-days make their own lockpicks from windshield wiper blades since the material of the blades is better suited for long time use.

The procedure is exactly the same as for hacksaw blades; you select a digital template, print it 1:1 on paper, cut out the 'metal side' from the paper, glue it temporary on the metal blank and with a rotary tool or bench grinder remove all the excess metal. Since you don't want the metal to become too soft and retain it's springiness, it's recommended to quench the lockpick in water whenever you detect the buildup of heat while grinding. Afterwards you de-bur the crude pick with emery cloth to remove all sharp and uneven edges and polish them till they are smooth and glide through the keyway without too much resistance.

I have digital template images of most Brockhage, HPC, LAB, Peterson & SouthOrd picks (hint: those are established lockpick manufacturers, for the total n00b ;) ).

If anyone is interested in them, I can upload them if you want.

Bugger
March 11th, 2008, 10:46 AM
I have digital template images of most Brockhage, HPC, LAB, Peterson & SouthOrd picks (hint: those are established lockpick manufacturers, for the total n00b ;) ).If anyone is interested in them, I can upload them if you want.Yes, please upload them for us.

BlackFalcoN
March 11th, 2008, 11:00 AM
You can find the templates on the FTP in /UPLOAD/BlackFalcoN/Lockpick Templates/

The whole collection is about 240 MB of drawings and images of most commercial lockpicking gear around.
( I'm still uploading them at the moment, but since this can take a while with my slow connection, I'm providing the link now.)

A scale reference is included in most photos to allow for proper rescaling.

Charles Owlen Picket
March 11th, 2008, 11:39 AM
That's really great; many thanks. I experimented with my own picks for a few years and got hooked (no pun intended) on "rolling my own". I find that I worked out some designs that I always wanted but didn't want to buy (Peterson's, etc).
There is a source of steel that I found that was fantastic. I don't know if it's available in Europe....

There is a plumbing supply company called "Brass" that sells snakes made from surplus spring steel. Very large quantities of extremely high quality steel are available via those snakes. There is also a company called "Greenlee" that sells a wire puller made from fantastically high quality spring steel.

A high grade wire puller is an interesting tool in itself. With a spool of self-contained roll-up steel, one can fashion a very long reach automobile opening tool of any tip design that can reach across a vehicle and change the tip element at will (just cut off the previous one and make another).

tiac03
March 13th, 2008, 08:54 PM
I have heard that hacksaw blades work great for making your own lock picks for two reasons.... I tried this once, and it worked well, but they seemed too brittle.



Use new blades (Used ones tend to have been abused enough to be weak), and If grinding with a grinder or Dremel, you can easily heat up your metal passed the point of being a useful pick. If it changes color when grinding it you have made it brittle enough to break on you.
Take your time, when it heats up to the point that it is uncomfortable to hold dip it in water to cool it down and repeat.

Personally my favorite for picks is brick strap (metal straps that hold things together like bundles of lumber, bricks or tiles). Lots of it, easy to work with and strong enough to make a very nice pick.

totenkov
March 15th, 2008, 12:30 AM
A simple set of feeler gauges from the dollar store are much more durable and long lasting. Spring steel looses its temper easily, so quench regularly. Hacksaw blades are thick in terms of picks and bend.

Charles Owlen Picket
March 15th, 2008, 10:41 AM
I like feeler gages as they allow for a "pocket knife" configuration in the completed product and several of the same designs made in varying thicknesses....When I get the chance to buy them cheap I get quite a few...

I came across a set of stone wheels that were once very expensive (Norton Abrasive mfg.) and setup a very nice machine that cuts so well, that heat is virtually non-existent (if done with some deliberation). --- White and pink Arkansas variety, not the carborundum type; they cost a mint, but I got 'em from a surplus yard.

a3990918
March 16th, 2008, 11:19 PM
I like feeler gages as they allow for a "pocket knife" configuration in the completed product and several of the same designs made in varying thicknesses....When I get the chance to buy them cheap I get quite a few...I.
If you need several picks of the same thickness, feeler gage stock is available in bulk rolls or strips at most wholesale machine tool & accessory dealers. Would probably save time, money and clutter over buying several sets to acquire a couple of pieces of stock.

Charles Owlen Picket
March 17th, 2008, 10:51 AM
I don't know about anyone else but I go through periods & phases of the lockpicking hobby wherein I get into new ideas, get my feel back (I loose that in as little as a week of no picking) and get turned on to it all over again, but from a different angle. I look at all the shit I've collected over the years and it started OUT with simple picks and turned into fucking locksmithing on a minor scale.

EDIT:
I also realize that for the last few years I've become accustomed to closing my eyes on occasions. Especially with padlocks of a med-level quality. (5000 series master, etc). I HAD a bore scope that I used to use but I had to return it to my neighbor and THAT was a Hell of a learning tool. It allowed you to see into what you're picking and hence to visualize later what and where I was doing. I got into Impressioning sometime back and never looked back. That actually came easier than picking and I bought some machines from a buddy (a mid-level Ilco and a small Speedex) that came with a shit-load of keys...just seemed a waste not to get into Impressioning.

a3990918
March 17th, 2008, 02:06 PM
it started OUT with simple picks and turned into fucking locksmithing on a minor scale.

if it's a passion you can live with, then let it roll my man...:)

Charles Owlen Picket
March 18th, 2008, 11:01 AM
Does anyone else enjoy Impressioning as much as I do? I really get a kick out of it. I was looking for a thread that is not a few years old but couldn't find anything.... For that matter, what other endeavors have people done after picking toward higher and higher security strength locks? I pulled a couple of side-bar auto locks but mounting them was a bitch and I finally hot-glued them to a board with a few other tougher locks.

tiac03
March 19th, 2008, 07:16 PM
I've only attempted impressioning twice, First time I didn't get to finish it (because I was working), second time I spent about 15 mins (in a period of 4 hours) on it and managed to mess it up due to once again being at work and rushed.

One day I'm bound to find time to give it a real go.

Charles Owlen Picket
March 20th, 2008, 11:00 AM
Being rushed can ruin a wet dream.....Screws everything up badly. Impressioning also can be made MUCH easier if you have available the correct materials. The best thing for low cost (just my opinion here of course) is proper magnification. If you are setting up your blank in a manner that will take a mark well; you must be able to see that mark continually.

I tried carbon black, a marker, etc....but IF you have really good quality magnification.... rubbing with steel wool is fantastic. It leaves a microscopic series of striation lines in one direction and the interruption of those lines via the pin impression is easy to identify.
The interruption of the lines is also made so as to not be easy to simply wipe off. What's more if you use care with the preparation with steel wool, the ridges will give you more information on when to STOP making your cut as well!

WMD
March 23rd, 2008, 05:19 PM
Most important thing for me when doing impressioning is good light. I've found that led-lights give a nice soft light.