Anyone know how to pick a lock?

[Bob]

Secretary gave me the wrong key... again.  And I told someone I'd finish something in that room this weekend.

It's this kind of lock.



That's a standard lock pick procedure, right?  I even had a student pick one once.  "I'm gonna pick the lock!"  Me,  "Go ahead," thinking it's a big wooden door, secure office door lock.   A minute later the student is walking into the room, followed by a herd of students.


Paper clips didn't work.  I wasn't sure if I was applying pressure with the lower one that's supposed to turn the lock.  I could hear the other pins making clicking sounds.  I did get the keyhole to actually spin at one point (slightly freaked and thought I broke it) but the actual knob part still wouldn't turn.


Any good tool kits or training videos for it?  It's not the first time it's happened for the key not working.  I could have checked but I didn't.  Now I'm going to be pressed for time on Monday.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

 Smash it with a hammer

Or shoot it with a gun

[Bob]

   Needs to remain undetectable.   Next time I can just check the key first.

[pianoplunker]

Secretary gave me the wrong key... again.  And I told someone I'd finish something in that room this weekend.

It's this kind of lock.



That's a standard lock pick procedure, right?  I even had a student pick one once.  "I'm gonna pick the lock!"  Me,  "Go ahead," thinking it's a big wooden door, secure office door lock.   A minute later the student is walking into the room, followed by a herd of students.


Paper clips didn't work.  I wasn't sure if I was applying pressure with the lower one that's supposed to turn the lock.  I could hear the other pins making clicking sounds.  I did get the keyhole to actually spin at one point (slightly freaked and thought I broke it) but the actual knob part still wouldn't turn.


Any good tool kits or training videos for it?  It's not the first time it's happened for the key not working.  I could have checked but I didn't.  Now I'm going to be pressed for time on Monday.

Try the credit card technique.  Sometimes it over-rides any picking technique and remains with no damage. Unless you do it wrong.

[Bob]

That's an idea.  I also found "bump keys" which looked interesting.

Who hasn't been curious about learning how to pick a lock?  I was looking around for kits to buy to learn to do it.  Then I can resolve the situation when it happens next time.

I've got a project half started in a locked room now...   Then tomorrow I have to rush to wrap to wrap it up and tell the person we have to start again and I need more time.

[avanchnzel]

I know how... somewhat, and trust me, the fine motor skills you hone through your piano playing will help immensely. Just kidding.

I have a lockpick set which I bring around with me everywhere I go for, you know, just in case. For all the good it does me! Because I live in a really old town that's been there for donkey years (500+ year old buildings and such) and all the locks are really old and basically *not* pin and tumbler - they're virtually unpickable and I've seen keys to some of these locks that are a foot long!

That being said I spent a while on training locks, the transparent ones where you can see what you're doing, and I can do some of the easier opaque ones (you know, little padlocks), but I haven't been able to do a door yet.

The general idea is that you have a tension wrench (the lower one you were speaking of) and a lockpick. Go google how to make them out of paper clips, but I find paper clips very easy to break. Whilst applying pressure with the tension wrench (in the direction you turn the key), find and count the pins by feeling them with the lockpick. Then jiggle them around and try to push them up. There'll be a tiny but very satisfactory click when you get one up, and it could be any of the pins in the row. It's not the right one if you push it and it comes back down. You need to do this in the right order - push all the pins up - whilst holding the tension and once you've got the last pin up, the lock will turn.

[Bob]

Yeah, I was using paper clips the other day.  I couldn't tell if the turning one was putting enough pressure on things.  I could hear the pins with the other one clicking.  I couldn't find something flat enough to be a stronger pushing part.

I lucked out on Monday and caught a janitor early enough to get in and get enough done before work.