"Claw pick" to rotate chisel pins in Medeco
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:14 pmSo as you may or may not know, I've been trying to find ways of more easily rotating key pins in Medeco locks. I'm still working on the magnetic route but I have lost steam since I'm pretty sure it won't work, and I don't have a suitable solenoid to use.
Anyways, the following idea that has been floating around in my brain, so I made it today as a sort of proof-of-concept. The main goal was to maximize surface area of the pick that touches the chisel pin by matching the shape in hopes to increase control. Also, the tool has to be very thin in order to angle itself to the right or left side of the pin depending on which direction the rotation needs to take place. Here is what I came up with:
And here is how it sits with a typical chisel pin:
In preliminary testing, I was surprised how much rotational control it afforded me. Even in the reverse tweezers above, it was easy to rotate. My steps to success thus far seems to be (1) raise to shear line with short hook and (2) rotate with claw.
Overall, I'm pleased with how well it works, but there is certainly room for improvement. In the proof-of-concept shown here, I did a somewhat sloppy job, which resulted in too much metal on the inner side and not quite enough on the outer side. Also, I think it would work better if the height of the pick tip was shortened a bit.
Anyways, the following idea that has been floating around in my brain, so I made it today as a sort of proof-of-concept. The main goal was to maximize surface area of the pick that touches the chisel pin by matching the shape in hopes to increase control. Also, the tool has to be very thin in order to angle itself to the right or left side of the pin depending on which direction the rotation needs to take place. Here is what I came up with:
And here is how it sits with a typical chisel pin:
As you can see, I tried my best to match the angle of the pin so it fits right in the pick.
In preliminary testing, I was surprised how much rotational control it afforded me. Even in the reverse tweezers above, it was easy to rotate. My steps to success thus far seems to be (1) raise to shear line with short hook and (2) rotate with claw.
Overall, I'm pleased with how well it works, but there is certainly room for improvement. In the proof-of-concept shown here, I did a somewhat sloppy job, which resulted in too much metal on the inner side and not quite enough on the outer side. Also, I think it would work better if the height of the pick tip was shortened a bit.
