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New picker (sort of)

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DrDevice

Newbie

Posts: 3

Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:38 pm

Post Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:10 pm

New picker (sort of)

Hello -
I'm sort of new to picking - I used to do it casually in high school, but never got any good - and I have a couple of dumb questions. Hopefully someone answer them or direct me to the appropriate sub:
1. I started up again about a month ago, and being a bit more serious this time around, I'm actually improving somewhat. In fact, I've picked the best that my local hardware store has to offer, so I'm looking for some more challenging locks. What is the best (and hopefully most economical) place to find good practice locks?
2. I've been working with what I picked up almost twenty years ago now, and while they're functional, I definitely need a few upgrades. What is a good place to purchase tools? For starters, an .050 tension bar would be immensely helpful.

For reference, this is the best lock that I found locally:

2019-08-05X10.32.16.jpg


2019-08-12X09.35.53.jpg


Thanks.


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MHM

User avatar

Familiar Face

Posts: 222

Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:33 pm

Location: Napier, New Zealand

Post Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:38 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

Welcome to the group mate, good to have you here.

The answers to both of your questions depend a lot on where you are. But in general,

If you're in the US, https://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/ or https://www.thinkpeterson.com/

If you're in Europe, https://www.lawlocktools.co.uk/

If you're in my part of the world, https://www.pickpals.com.au/

If you last bought gear 20 years ago you genuinely will not believe the range of stuff now available to hobbyists.



As to where to get locks, in no particular order:

Locksmiths, scrap metal merchants, building demolition yards, ebay job lots, double glazing installers, aluminium joinery fitters, self storage places (they sometimes cut padlocks off of non-payers), car boot fairs, garage sales, swaps with other hobbyists, and as a last resort and only when you start getting into high security stuff, buy retail.
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DrDevice

Newbie

Posts: 3

Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:38 pm

Post Mon Aug 19, 2019 5:13 am

Re: New picker (sort of)

Now I really feel dumb - I didn't think about asking the local locksmith. What's a good way to approach that?


Sand
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MHM

User avatar

Familiar Face

Posts: 222

Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:33 pm

Location: Napier, New Zealand

Post Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:32 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

Buy something. These guys are there to make a buck, after all.

Some look at you like you're from Mars. Some don't want anything to do with hobbyists and will spend time telling you, wrongly, why what you want to do is illegal and immoral etc etc etc. But some guys are great and are as enthusiastic about locks as we are.

So yeah, my way of dealing with them is simply to bowl in, introduce myself and ask to buy a lock, and then get started about "If you've got any scrap locks that you're sending to the scrap metal guy I'll be happy to give you some money for those too..." etc.
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DrDevice

Newbie

Posts: 3

Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:38 pm

Post Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:20 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a whirl when I get a chance.


Sand
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awesome14

Newbie

Posts: 6

Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:32 am

Post Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:21 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

High-security door locks are expensive, because one generally can obtain a key even if he has none to use as a pattern. They're rated for at least 700,000 operations, or cycles, which is a lock or unlock. So, they last. Even if a key falls into the hands of a hostile player who knows which lock it fits, the cylinder can be rekeyed or replaced in a few hours.

Virtually zero are available as refuse. But you can find high-security cylinders used for electrical switches, file cabinets, computer chassis, storage cabinets, inexpensive fire safes, strong boxes, safety interlocks, general-purpose cam (tab) locks, industrial control security, and many other applications where they might be salvaged.

A lot end up on ebay. One piece of advice, high-security locks are mostly impossible to manually pick with common tools. Medeco cylinders can be easier if they're dried and then lubricated with graphite. Mul-T-Lock Hercular MT5+ deadbolts are on my house, with Mul-T-Lock Junior/Schlage passage sets. Electric locks have the potential for almost infinite digital exploits, which have already rendered some of them useless.

There is evidence the MT5+ cylinder has now been successfully picked and disassembled. But I believe the locked was opened with a key, compromised, reassembled, and then a video was made picking it open!
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MHM

User avatar

Familiar Face

Posts: 222

Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:33 pm

Location: Napier, New Zealand

Post Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:46 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

awesome14 wrote:High-security door locks are expensive, because one generally can obtain a key even if he has none to use as a pattern. They're rated for at least 700,000 operations, or cycles, which is a lock or unlock. So, they last. Even if a key falls into the hands of a hostile player who knows which lock it fits, the cylinder can be rekeyed or replaced in a few hours.

Virtually zero are available as refuse. But you can find high-security cylinders used for electrical switches, file cabinets, computer chassis, storage cabinets, inexpensive fire safes, strong boxes, safety interlocks, general-purpose cam (tab) locks, industrial control security, and many other applications where they might be salvaged.

A lot end up on ebay. One piece of advice, high-security locks are mostly impossible to manually pick with common tools. Medeco cylinders can be easier if they're dried and then lubricated with graphite. Mul-T-Lock Hercular MT5+ deadbolts are on my house, with Mul-T-Lock Junior/Schlage passage sets. Electric locks have the potential for almost infinite digital exploits, which have already rendered some of them useless.

There is evidence the MT5+ cylinder has now been successfully picked and disassembled. But I believe the locked was opened with a key, compromised, reassembled, and then a video was made picking it open!


Lol, you're kidding re the MT5+ right? While there may be one or two videos of morons and wannabes picking a lock that's been tampered with, these videos are stupidly easy to spot and these people are politely told to take a hike.

There are about a dozen guys worldwide who'll admit to being able to pick them. (Edit: and I suspect quite a few who work for three letter agencies who don't admit it publiclly). Have a look at my channel, I spank a few of them and they're all legitimate picks.
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tpark

Contributor
Contributor

Posts: 240

Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 4:17 pm

Location: Alberta, Canada

Post Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:02 pm

Re: New picker (sort of)

awesome14 wrote:High-security door locks are expensive, because one generally can obtain a key even if he has none to use as a pattern. They're rated for at least 700,000 operations, or cycles, which is a lock or unlock. So, they last. Even if a key falls into the hands of a hostile player who knows which lock it fits, the cylinder can be rekeyed or replaced in a few hours.

Virtually zero are available as refuse. But you can find high-security cylinders used for electrical switches, file cabinets, computer chassis, storage cabinets, inexpensive fire safes, strong boxes, safety interlocks, general-purpose cam (tab) locks, industrial control security, and many other applications where they might be salvaged.

A lot end up on ebay. One piece of advice, high-security locks are mostly impossible to manually pick with common tools. Medeco cylinders can be easier if they're dried and then lubricated with graphite. Mul-T-Lock Hercular MT5+ deadbolts are on my house, with Mul-T-Lock Junior/Schlage passage sets. Electric locks have the potential for almost infinite digital exploits, which have already rendered some of them useless.

There is evidence the MT5+ cylinder has now been successfully picked and disassembled. But I believe the locked was opened with a key, compromised, reassembled, and then a video was made picking it open!


The sidebar mechanism in the MT5+ isn't as good as the one in the Schlage Primus or the Assa twin. It's possible to open the MT5+ locks, but it's not easy. If either the sidebar or the pins bind first, it's much easier to open. The Hercular deadbolts are great, the way the balls lock the bolt into the frame makes it much more resistant to physical attack.

I've had mixed results with stuff off eBay. I've bought many kinds of lock, and the ones without keys are often dead - either they are full of glue, or there are wrecked pins or springs, or they've been exposed to a fire. For stuff you get on eBay or garage sales, if the item is good, you can generally get it open in time, since you can mount it in a vise and sit down and spend time with it.

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