I picked a parking meter slider lock for the first time!
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:11 pmI've had this old parking meter for around 20 years, when I originally bought it, the vault was locked open, and the top was still locked. I kept it that way for awhile, until I wanted to see if a local locksmith could open it. The locksmith I took it to said they couldn't pick it or make keys, but gave me the option of drilling the top lock, which I didn't want. On closer inspection, he saw the top lock was accessible from the coin vault, and used a long screwdriver and a mallet to remove the retaining nut, thus opening the top.
Meter overall:
Fast forward a year, and I wanted working keys and locks. Thankfully, an online seller was selling replacement locks and custom made keys!
Here's the cool key:
Unfortunately, this seller is no longer selling these, but, there is a person on ebay who is selling new ones.
Fast forward to yesterday, I'm bored, watching videos of someone restoring one of these meters, and he picks it with a cheap pick set. I get to thinking, I've got a nice new Sparrows set, can I make this happen for fun?
WOW! I did it!
My technique involved using a standard tension wrench, and a shallow hook to move the sliders around until they bound up, I also used a thin tension wrench to "jiggle" everything from the top and bottom of the keyway. Once I had it tensioned in the right direction, it opened in 30 seconds or so!
Here's the lock core removed: https://i.imgur.com/sxYhLx3.jpg I know it's a crappy pic, but it's a standard Bell style slider lock with 6 slider pins and no sidebars.
Duncan still makes parking meters, but they no longer use this system of lock, their new meters have disc detainer and Medeco locks, so I see no harm in posting this now. (Plus LPL and others have videos of this style being picked online)
Meter overall:
Fast forward a year, and I wanted working keys and locks. Thankfully, an online seller was selling replacement locks and custom made keys!
Here's the cool key:
Unfortunately, this seller is no longer selling these, but, there is a person on ebay who is selling new ones.
Fast forward to yesterday, I'm bored, watching videos of someone restoring one of these meters, and he picks it with a cheap pick set. I get to thinking, I've got a nice new Sparrows set, can I make this happen for fun?
WOW! I did it!
My technique involved using a standard tension wrench, and a shallow hook to move the sliders around until they bound up, I also used a thin tension wrench to "jiggle" everything from the top and bottom of the keyway. Once I had it tensioned in the right direction, it opened in 30 seconds or so!
Here's the lock core removed: https://i.imgur.com/sxYhLx3.jpg I know it's a crappy pic, but it's a standard Bell style slider lock with 6 slider pins and no sidebars.
Duncan still makes parking meters, but they no longer use this system of lock, their new meters have disc detainer and Medeco locks, so I see no harm in posting this now. (Plus LPL and others have videos of this style being picked online)
