Oldfast wrote:PhoneMan wrote:Thanks guys, both are open now! I'll also look up Oldfast's technique for future reference. Must be nice to have code books!
My method I've found does not work for all of them. Usually works best on the newest ones.
It's always nice to be armed with several approaches for combination locks (not just master).
A book I found useful, if you're interested... can be found on ebay. It's only about 60 pages:
"Opening Combination Padlocks - No tools, No problem" by Carl Black. It doesn't have the
best reviews, but I think this is because most people were expecting to find some sort of
James Bond secret within its' pages - allowing them to open any lock in 3 seconds. lol
Phoneman,
Oldfasts technique it pretty reliable but like he mentioned, it isn't fullproof. I have some locks, brand new, where finding that second number is a challenge. There are times when I SWEAR I've found the second number and it's off by two or three numbers. I'll try again and it will be right on. At first I thought I was doing something wrong but I've done this hundreds of times now and sometimes it just doesn't work the way it's supposed to. And if the second number is very close (within two or three) of where the dial stops the second time, you'll think that you're still in the gate that stopped the dial and ignore it. Well, you probably ARE, but it's still the second number. I've also found that using the longer technique of finding the third number and then determining the other two numbers with basic math doesn't always work either. I have one lock that the third number is simply not following the pattern.
So Oldfast is right to say that you should have several tools in your arsenal to find these combinations. The book he suggested is useful, and I bought my copy virtually from Amazon for about $10. While not earth shattering information, it's useful, and more knowledge is always a good thing.
One other interesting fact I stumbled across recently is that it is possible to dial a master padlock backwards, that is, L-R-L instead of R-L-R. All you do is subtract 7 from the first number and add 1 to the second number and dial it L-R-L, using the same third number. It might seem more like a parlor trick than anything, but it's helpful (or at least it was to me) to think about the lock in a different way. It also is a good way to conceal your combination out in the open. If you have the L-R-L combination written down, most people won't know how to get the lock open. Of course, all you should be locking up with these padlocks is your trash cans to keep animals out, but you get the idea
.
Cheers!
-Mike
I have an amazing grasp of the obvious. Beyond that, not so much.
Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:52 pm 
901368 = 20-02-36
