Need beginner help

[ghost1]

Got to weigh in with tech entry pry bar / peterson for tok or centre plug tension as i like to call it and a small half diamond for padlocks and you find that a lot require some heavy tension due to shackle spring pre-loading (though tends to be on cheaper shimmables not ballbearing types).
Just my opinion based on what we see over here on actual jobs not so much clean out of the clam shell padlocks.

[scudo]

Update............ bought a practice 6 pin euro type lock and took 5 of the pins out, leaving just one. Although I could set it there was something just not right.........it was the tension, when I applied what I thought was very little tension was in fact `jamming` the pin making it difficult to set. I then applied what I would have considered zero tension and hey presto its a different ball game now.
This has been useful as I never realised just how little tension is required. I will stay at one pin for a few days and then add number 2 back in and then slowly build back to the 6 pins.

[easy-e]

Update............ bought a practice 6 pin euro type lock and took 5 of the pins out, leaving just one. Although I could set it there was something just not right.........it was the tension, when I applied what I thought was very little tension was in fact `jamming` the pin making it difficult to set. I then applied what I would have considered zero tension and hey presto its a different ball game now.
This has been useful as I never realised just how little tension is required. I will stay at one pin for a few days and then add number 2 back in and then slowly build back to the 6 pins.

I frequently start with medium to heavy tension to help with finding the binding pin, then I lighten up on my tension while actually lifting the pin. As Neilau said, Xeo's video shows this technique which also works well with security pins. If you think you are going to bend the pick, then you are lifting with way too much force. I bent a few picks when I was starting out and the letting up on the tension when lifting technique has not only saved my tools, but helped me pick a lot of locks.

[Gregted]

My eureka moment came when I went back to my 3 pin deadbolt practice lock and realised I was also over-setting some pins.

Just inserting my pick and applying next to no pressure had pin 2 set without doing anything. I mistook this pin as binding until I realized my mistake and this has completely changed the way I pick.

Now with house locks, I just place pick at the back of the lock, apply very little pressure on the tension wrench and push up on rear pin and if springy, leave it alone and move forward and try again until I reach a hard pin. This pin is already set. Then I continue to the front and repeat until all pins are hard and the core will turn and it is open. This may take many passes and some pins will drop and need to be reset but it will eventually work.

After a few locks picked, you will learn to remember the setting or binding order and this will make this lock a much quicker pick in the future.

I had my son on his first lock just last night and he was applying way too much pressure until I put him on my 3 pin practice lock. He picked that and was amazed how little pressure it took to open the lock. Then he went back to the original lock and he picked it easy. He has now picked 3 locks and is over the moon with his new skill. Note to self... put better lock on booze cupboard...

On tension wrenches.. I now have 4. One bent 3 ways to allow me to get into deep knobsets and one straight one for doors close to the jam with limited room at the side.

Tension wrenches.jpg

You can make many from one steel wiper insert and they are free from the skip bin outside the auto parts store.. After hours. He he. Shhhhh...

The flat one is cut from a hacksaw blade. Mark the long straight lines on a diagonal to allow the whole wrench to fit on the thin blade and the short ends are at 90 degrees from the straight lines. This makes the main body 6mm or 1/4 inch wide and plenty strong enough.
Remember little pressure. One video I saw had 1 steel washer on the end of his tension wrench and this was enough.

Flat wrench sketch.jpg

[ShadowCamo]

When I started back into it, I cheated and looked at the bitting on the key. It helps to know if the next pin is going to be higher or lower than the one you just set and how much. At least you have an idea how it should feel when you run your pick over the pins... low high low mid etc. Yeah! so that's my advice, cheat code key. You can put all the keys away later and after you pick a dozen locks you'll never remember what the key looked like.