Happy 2020! A lock a day keeps the doctor away

[femurat]

Day 361 of 366. A worn out dimple lock. Easy to overset a pin with old and gunky pins. Just release tension and start over again.

Cheers

[edocdab]

Gunky locks are quite a bit more difficult to pick if you ask me.
I gutted and cleaned a few of them in the last days and they are much esier to open afterwards. Next up T-5!

[femurat]

I wanted to try it the condition I got it. Cleaning will help for sure.



Day 362 of 366. This GEGE took me hours!

Cheers

[femurat]

Day 363 of 366. Today I decided to open something different, a safe lock. Last one was months ago.

I started with all wheels left and found something interesting at 0, 4 and 58.

I was not sure of the result, so decided to park wheels #1 and #2 at zero, and mapped wheel #3 around left. I found a clear gate signature at 44 but decided to finish the graph anyway, just for fun.

Then I had some troubles with the high low test, otherwise I could have saved 43 minutes and a useless graph. I found out that 58 was actually a gate, and not zero as I thought.

I was going to graph also the last brute force on wheel #1 but there was almost no variations in vibration points, so I read them but did not draw all the graph.

Took me two hours. Not bad.

I also picked a small padlock but I prefer to post this one as today's lock.

Cheers

[edocdab]

Very nice Femurat! Always good to see how different people graph and make choices in manipulation. T-3 for today expected. Only 3 to go!

[femurat]

Thank you edocdab, now I'm curious to see your manipulation style!





Day 364 of 366. This may be the first version of modern hidden shackle padlocks. It has the bolt on the back and five or six levers. The spring is very strong and almost bent my wires.
An unusual and very interesting padlock.

Cheers

[edocdab]

See attachment for one screenshot of the excel I made that automatically plots the graph, calculates high lows to set etc. Took some effort to make it usable but it allowed me to enter measurements very quickly afterwards and the rest worked automatically.

T-2 Femurat...

[femurat]

Interesting, edocdab! I made an excel some time ago to input numbers and automatically draw the graphs. I tried it a couple times but I found quicker to draw points on a printed table and directly make the graph.





Day 365 of 366. This Castell sliding padlock is one of the nicest old postal lock.

When I got it, without keys, I filed down a blank to fit the lock and impressioned a key. I had to solder a small piece of brass to the key bow to support the pins while the lock slides open.

If you pick one, be careful to shim the pins before sliding it open. The first time I picked it the pins flied everywhere. It took me hours to put everything back together. As you can see, this time I just opened a small gap between the two parts.

Cheers

[femurat]

Day 366 of 366. Looks like I did it!

I saved this old Cisa padlock from the trash. The shackle is so rusted I think it spent all his life outside. It needed a few days with some wd40 and a pick to be able to move the pins again.
The reverse keyway makes it difficult to apply tension. But a tight fitting wrench did the trick.

This year felt longer, not because it was a leap year, but for the general situation. This challenge helped me a lot. Having to pick a lock every day gave me a reason to be a bit happy even in sad days.
I wouldn't have made it without al your comments and support. Knowing that someone was waiting for my post made me proud and motivated in busy days or when I was tired. Thank you all!

I wish you a happy 2021!

Cheers

[edocdab]

Awesome job Femurat! Congratulations on making it all the way to the end. I also enjoyed watching all the locks and short stories come by this strange year! It was absolutely one of those fun things that also happened in 2020. You too a happier 2021 and the same to all the others here.

@all: I'd like to offer Femurat something to remember the challenge by. Anyoneone interested in a small donation or other contribution, pm me and we'll arrange something.

[just1pick+open]

Way to go femurat! I truly have looked forward to seeing your posts everyday. They were the one thing I could count on during this odd year.
You are the man with that

[MHM]

Yeah, I'd second that.

The range of locks you've picked with that half diamond has really amazed me, it's been great to watch this thread throughout the year Femurat and I really liked the shots with the countryside in the background while you were on holiday as well.

[madsamurai]

What an accomplishment! Congratulations! It's been a pleasure to watch your progress all year, thank you for sharing it with us all.

[femurat]

Thank you all for the comments and congratulations!
No need to donate anything, edocdab. You already made me happy by following me all the way through the year!

If you wonder, I did pick my lock today. Not having to do it every day will be strange at first. Not taking a picture of it feels strange too. I hope I'll get used to it.

Cheers :)

[Riyame]

Congratulations on making it the entire year. It has been one heck of a journey.