LC manipulation: LaGard struggles (5)
This is a new lock I got to replace some parts that were damaged in my LaGard when we had a mishap changing the combination for try number 4.
When the lock arrived it was fully functioning but no change key. The new one even had a relocker, which I uninstalled and set aside. I pulled the other one off the stand and put the new lock on it.
You can see they are identical in configuration but the one that is older has lost some of it's luster.
New combo and away we gooooooo.....
First I free spun the lock and jotted down anything that looked suspicious.
I jinxed myself by writing OPEN: and was anticipating filling in the correct combo there.
So far so good, but didn't open when I thought I had the second and third numbers. Darn. Well time to graph it, shouldn't have been lazy.
I really liked the way this lock read at first, but...
Part way through this graph I put the lock down and had a chat with the family for a couple hours. I was excited to get back to it and when I picked it up again, I dropped it and it bounced across the carpet floor. I shrugged and kept going, but the lock read differently, I think the dial turned a little bit on the spline or got tipped to it was binding now. The contact points weren't on the same numbers anymore.
I've been sent to the penalty box for rough lock handling once again.
I disassembled the lock sorted out the issue, lubed and re assembled, then restart graphing.
The X's on the graph were the first pass, then if I wanted to amp anything or check my work I would put a little circle (o) on the graph for the second path.
I caught I nice break here with page 2. Just checking w3 with w1 and w2 arbitrarily set to 15 showed me that plummet at 80. It was there both before and after I dropped the lock so I was feeling good about it.
More consistent now, but still found sticky areas. It almost felt like there was contact at 7 AND 7 1/2. If I felt past one then there was no contact again and then I found it beyond the first spot. I tried to work around this ignoring the first sticky spot. I noted "?" on my charts when I found those weird sticky areas. I didn't figure them out till after the lock was open.
Ok getting zeroed in on some numbers that keep popping up. So I'll try to amplify them really carefully on a graph and then try wheel 1 around with all numbers concerned plus or minus a bit of tolerance.
OPEN: 30 - 53 - 80
Now other than my clumsy hands, why did this one take so long?
1) Looking at page 1, I missed a low around 55 on my AWL spinning, but I should have seen it when I hi lo tested 44. I checked 44 - 55 - 44 and I got my best reading on the entire page right there. But did I pursue it? Nooooo I just thought "hi lo testing is such a nightmare" and ignored it. [kicks self in ass]
2) ??? - page 3 was riddled with confusion with those touchy contact points showing up at random intervals. I should have recorded them carefully the first time around , but I thought it was a problem with the lock. I didn't actually think they could be gates there. When I took apart the lock after opening it, I discovered the spline key was a little loose but I put it back in facing outward rather than inward. The "Extra" contact I was feeling was legitimately the correct contact spot, but the dial could then turn an eighth to a quarter increment before the slack in the spline key would snug up. I had to do those measurements over and over staring in the lock to see what the problem was.
3) The REAL reason: on page 4 when I was looking at those real interesting readings between 25 and 30. I recreated what I was doing, and it turns out I was rotating the wheels one too many times, so essentially I had w3 at 80, but I was checking w1 and w2 Right Around.
So I was seeing the w1 gate and the w2 gate, but I thought they were wheel 2 only. [slapped in the face with a large trout]
I'm pretty sure I could even feel the wheels picking up, so why would I ignore it? I tried all around w1 with w2 @ 29 and w3 @ 80. I tried all around w1 with w2 @ 55 and w3 @ 80. Both so close but when nothing came of all that time and effort spend I got put off the whole thing. I must say I really dislike redoing entire w2 graphs, I even more dislike entire w1 arounds. That's because I'm lazy and I just wanted to work right the first time I do it. Yeah well it doesn't work like that, and I need to take my time and use as much paper as I need until I have the foundation sound.
What am I learning through all this?
I need to go back to basics. When I rush or get lazy, or put the lock down and then come back to it much later, I may as well restart.
Also, I have to RECORD EVERYTHING VERY CAREFULLY. I've had so many clues from the lock that I just threw away because I thought it was a lock issue, or I thought I was doing something wrong. The whole time my girlfriend must have been dying inside to tell me I was ignoring good indications!
Comments, Questions, Jokes, all are welcome.
LibertyClicks