Lock Picking

First things first.  Think of these as very strong recommendations.  If you need a reason why or a lecture, visit the Internet.

Lock picking was one of the oldest projects I can remember having when I realized that I might like the research, planning and building stages of a project more than the execution.  It started simple enough, with an open ended google search: “How to…”  Even today, I have fun with this search.  I will also search videos and pics with “How to make” or “How to build”.  I can jump from one topic to another with a swiftness finding something I want to make in no time.  Pinterest has made this process even easier; however, I recommend using it as a tool or source and not your only source.  It is far to easy to fall into a creation rut.

I think some of my picks are around here somewhere.  If so, I will slide a photo in here.  Otherwise, we will have to make do with some sketches and a web pic or two.  In my research stage of this project I learned that there are three materials available to me in which to make a good lock pic.  I tried to use steel strips found at the local hardware store.  they served little good other than to hone my crafting skills as they will not pick a lock.

The first is not so much available as it is found in urban settings.  It is the spring steel bristles of a street sweeper broom.  You’ve seen them before driving around town with their rotating circular broom-heads whisking in and out of the neighborhood.  When I was a kid, I was intrigued by the marks they left on the street like something flowed down the street and swooped around parked cars. I did not know what made these markings until I had my drivers license.  The steel bristles dropped by the mechanical housekeepers of our byways were hard to find and I never invested enough time to hunt them down.

The next material is the blade of a hacksaw.  I find this material to be suitable; however, it tends to give under repeated pressure use.   In my opinion it does not have a good lifespan to vested crafting time ratio.  I may have had better luck with blades that were not on the lowest end of the price range at the hardware store.

Finally, my favorite pick material.  The spring steel that holds your windshield wiper rubber to the segmented arm.  These metal strips are the perfect size to start crafting as you do not have to remove much material to craft the finished pick.  There is enough material in a wiper set to make about 12 picks or more if you craft a handle from something else.

The process is fairly straight forward.  After the material is cut to length; about four to five inches, it can then be formed into countless styles.  A bench grinder is best for forming the rough cut.  Then you can fine tune the design with had tools and sand paper.  I found my templates the same place as the idea; on the world wide internets.  I find that I can work well with one of two designs.  One is simple hook and the other has a bit of a crook at the end.  The more refined and smooth these tools are, the better they can be used to feel inside the lock.  The only other tool needed is a tension wrench.  It can also be made from the same material.  It needs no fine finishing and really only requires a 90° bend.

I am not writing a tutorial on how to pick a lock; however.  I will give an overview of my technique.  I use the tension wrench to apply a light rotational pressure in the direction required to unlock the given lock.  I will then insert the pick, hook facing up.  I will run the point of this tool along the pins feeling the pins go up and spring back down.  One of the pins will usually have more tension.  This is the first pin to set.  This pin can be slowly lifted with the point of the pick until it sets into place where the pin is split.  The pin is set by the rotation tension on the lock an the barrel will turn a minute amount.  The amount will not be noticeable; however, it is what holds the pin in the set position.  The process is repeated until all of the pins are set and the lock rotates.  If none of the pins able to be set, more pressure should be applied to the tension wrench.

If this method does note work, there is a another method called raking.  I consider this method to be “messy” and I have minimal luck with it.  It works best with a pick that has at least one or more peaks, like a key only smaller.  With the tension on the lock the pick is inserted in and out of the lock, “raking” the pins.  This drives the pins up and lets them fall.  The idea is that the pins will fall into the set position.  It helps if the pick is moved in and out of the lock quickly and sometimes you need to vary the pressure on the tension wrench at the same time.

I give this pass time two thumbs up.  It was fun and the skill learned even useful. The research into the inner workings of a lock was the most interesting part.