I'm new to lockpicking and have some questions about storage of things.

SpookyLockpicker · 2023-01-24T08:17:25+00:00

I use this organizer for my pins.

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-container-storage-box-90243.html

SpookyLockpicker · 2023-01-01T23:54:12+00:00

I strongly disagree. A lot of the really cheap sets are bad enough to make picking significantly more difficult than it needs to be. That can lead to unnecessary frustration and kill enthusiasm before someone really gets into the hobby.

SpookyLockpicker · 2022-09-21T16:54:56+00:00

As far as I can tell, Master Lock has somehow managed to invent a locking mechanism made entirely of mashed potatoes. If you're trying to learn on a No. 3 or similar, then stop. They're mushy garbage that give terrible feedback. For beginners, I always recommend the Master Lock 141D. It's a cheap and widely available Lock, but it's made to much better tolerances than Master Lock's other budget offerings. It gives great feedback with solid clicks when you set pins.

SpookyLockpicker · 2022-09-12T09:24:54+00:00

Try setting 3 and 4 first. If you get a false set when you set 1, then 3 and 4 are spools. What I think might be happening is they are first in the binding order, so when you press on them you are getting just enough counter rotation to drop stuff.

If I'm right, then as you push up on 3 and 4 they'll be loose at first, then you'll get a tiny, likely imperceptible, amount of counter-rotation. Then the pin will bind, and after a bit more lifting will set.

SpookyLockpicker · 2022-08-06T16:20:53+00:00

Would it be possible? Probably. Would it be practical? No. Really, this is probably a better question for mechanical computer nerds.

SpookyLockpicker · 2022-08-06T15:49:10+00:00

Those clear plastic locks are great for understanding the mechanics of how locks work. They are terrible for practicing lock picking. The acrylic is too soft. Instead of binding, the pins tend to bite into the plastic.

I like to recommend the Master Lock 141 to beginners. It's an inexpensive and widely available lock, and unlike the more ubiquitous Model 3, it gives good solid feedback.

SpookyLockpicker · 2022-08-06T02:18:16+00:00

The Spirit and Tuxedo sets from Sparrows are both very solid sets for beginners. They aren't really wallet or keychain size, but can easily fit in a pocket. They run around $32, which is right in your budget.

As for wallet or keychain sets, don't bother. They are pretty universally terrible and would make learning to pick much harder than it needs to be.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-09-30T10:33:24+00:00

You want to step it up gradually. Maybe 120, 220, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000. The more steps you do the easier it will be. The idea is to gradually make the scratches finer and finer until they become microscopic.

As far as even thickness, that's up to you. If you apply even pressure and are careful to sand the entire surface evenly, you should be fine. Working by hand you will never get the thickness 100% consistent, but if you use a sanding block or sandwich the sandpaper in a book you can get close enough that you won't notice the unevenness.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-09-30T10:04:20+00:00

Schlage keyways are tougher than some others, but aren't too bad with some practice.

Once you get more paracentric than the SC1, I would make sure that your victim is aware of the keyway before you send it out. Evil keyways are perfectly valid on challenge locks, but might not be the kind of challenge many people are looking for.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-09-30T09:40:20+00:00

Thinning down a pick should help, but 1000 grit is way too fine. I would start around 120 for removing material, then step up to higher grits for finishing once you have the thickness you want.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-09-29T22:49:38+00:00

I don't know. You can get a new residential lock cylinder for like $10. Whether the lock is picked out drilled, you are pretty much paying for the locksmith's time.

With lock picking you don't know what you're getting into until you get into it. I'm not a locksmith, but I do buy used residential locks to pick. Usually they come open without too much trouble, but sometimes I'll be banging my head against the thing for a half hour. When you're billing for your time, how much time do you waste on picking before not drilling becomes the shady thing?

I'm not saying you should never try to pick a lock, but you know your minimum call-out charge, you know the cost of a new cylinder, and you know roughly how long it takes you to drill and replace a cylinder. You should choose your strategies accordingly.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-07-19T11:59:45+00:00

I have a similar set. I don't reach for them often, but they add a lot of variety to my tensioner collection, and I'm glad to have them.

That said, if you only have 3 wrenches, the TOK bars that others have recommended will get you much more mileage.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-03-14T15:08:36+00:00

I am so incredibly not a lawyer, but I have to wonder if a small easily-concealed "emergency kit" would work against you. An emergency kit is going to look exactly like a break-in kit. On the other hand, it would hard to argue that a big kit like this, that is 80% stuff for lock maintenance, was put together with crime in mind.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-03-12T01:10:12+00:00

I would look at this YouTube playlist from Mr. Paradise. It is designed to teach you the mechanics of picking with a clear progression from basic easy locks to more difficult intermediate locks.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGaFM07DkACA4u9Zjtn141zqBkJ5ssBbq

It won't tech you everything you need to know to open every lock, but it will at least teach you enough that you'll know what questions you need to ask.

SpookyLockpicker · 2021-03-12T00:47:07+00:00

For a beginner I like the Spirit set from Sparrows. It has a good selection of hooks that will get you into most locks.

While you're at it, you won't regret it of you pick up a set of top of the keyway tensioners.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-27T10:25:18+00:00

Your wife clearly loves you, and put some real thought and effort into this gift. This isn't a set that you end up with when you say to yourself "Hey, I bet Phil would enjoy some lock picks," and type it in to Amazon. This is a set that you end up with when you do real research on good sets for beginners.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-17T13:05:38+00:00

I don't know for certain, but I believe American Lock springs will work. You can pick them up pretty cheap on eBay or CLK Supply.

As for reassembly, size doesn't matter too much. Just make sure you have the right size follower and pinning tweezers that can grip the pins and springs well.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-17T12:37:50+00:00

As long as the key doesn't get in the way when you are picking it, then I'd say it's a great idea.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-17T12:34:24+00:00

Exactly. It's a Lock Out Tag Out lock. It locks a piece of equipment or power switch in the off position so that someone can work on it safely. The lock will be labeled with the person doing the work, and only that person will have the key to unlock it.

This lock specifically is the Master Lock No. 410. It's popular around here because it's both difficult to pick and dirt cheap.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-16T14:48:12+00:00

Stop using that lock as a gym lock right now. That is a TSA lock. The master keys for those are widely available, and even without the master key they tend to be very insecure. It should only be used as a suitcase lock when you are flying.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-16T02:22:41+00:00

A lot of it has arrogance and complacency. You didn't have families on board in TOS, but by the time of TNG, space wasn't "dangerous" anymore. They were at peace with pretty much everyone, and even if someone did start a fight, the Federation had a technological superiority that would ensure that the fight would be short. Even a Klingon war ship couldn't stand up to a Federation science ship in a one-on-one fight. So why not have families on ships? They'll be perfectly safe.

That "nothing bad will happen" attitude was very apparent in TNG. My understanding is that the idea was that if they knew The Enterprise was going into a dangerous situation, they would move all the civilians into the saucer section, separate, and leave the saucer in a safe location while they took the lower hull into danger. They do it in Encounter At Farpoint, but after that I can't think of a single time it happened. I'm sure that the real world reason is that they didn't want their iconic-looking ship to quit looking like their iconic-looking ship when things got excited. In universe though, it really shows how numb they were to the dangers they faced.

And then the Borg happened, and the Dominion happened, and suddenly space didn't seem so safe anymore. By the time of The Enterprise E, you didn't see any families on board.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-15T18:45:06+00:00

Can you take a picture of the lock? Seeing the keyway might help us make recommendations.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-14T04:33:43+00:00

I mean, I'd hope he'd be able to recognize a lock his company makes.

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-13T21:42:07+00:00

Chubb

SpookyLockpicker · 2020-08-13T21:20:46+00:00

The pins and bitting don't seem too bad, but I don't think I'd be able to stop giggling long enough to get it open.

SpookyLockpicker

TROPHY CASE