Lock Picking By Shoedog Essays - Locksmithing, Lock Picking, Lock

Lock Picking By Shoedog Lock Picking Lock picking is an art in its entirety. It takes lots of hard work, practice, and patience to pick a lock. Being able to sit in one place for a long time doing something that at first seems hopeless is the key to learning how to pick a lock. In the world of locks there are probably 1000's of different locks. The most common type of lock is the pin tumbler lock. Since this type of lock is the most commonly used lock, this is what I will use to teach the basics of lock picking. To start things off you must first learn how a lock works. The most basic of locks as stated above is the pin tumbler lock. A tumbler lock has a plug and shell with usually five pins with spring tension. Each pin has two parts, a top pin and a bottom pin. Both of which are held in a groove by a spring. As a key is inserted, the two pin parts are aliened to what is called the shear line. When the key is fully inserted into the key way all of the pins aliened to the shear line. Thus this turns the key freely between the plug and the shell along the shear line. Before you begin to pick a lock you need some basic tools. I might suggest for a beginner to start out with simply a safety pin and a very tiny Philips head screwdriver or a paper clip. First open up your safety pin to about a 60 degree angle. Then bend the very tip of the safety pin to approximately a 55 degree angle. This will be your pick. Next bend the tip of the screwdriver to an 85 degree angle or do the same with a paper clip. This will be your tension wrench. Now that you have your tools you a ready to pick your first lock! The mechanics of lock picking all lie in a very tiny error in nearly all locks. As tension is applied in usually a clock word direction the pin binds. This makes it possible to pick a lock one pin at a time. Another way to bind a pin is by applying sheer force. In which you push the plug into the shell with a slight direct pressure as you torque the plug clockwise with a tension wrench. As a pin is pushed up with the pick the top pin slides over the plug while the bottom pin drops below the sheer line into the plug. Thus by this action each pin is set one at a time. Now that you understand the physics of lock picking the rest will be easy. Your first step in picking a lock all lies on the tension wrench. I could never emphasize the importance of how you handle this tool so pay extra special attention to what I have to say. Your first step is to place the wrench into the bottom part of the key way. Gently put a clockwise torque to the wrench. If you are right handed do this with your left hand. Next take you safety pin or pick and insert it all of the way to the back of the key way. Now at this point there are two things you can do. The first of which is to push up each individual pin as you use torque on the wrench. As you do this be very sure to put equal tension on the torque as the tension on the springs have on your pick. Secondly and my personal favorite method is to slide the pick across the pins in a scrubbing motion. Try to combine both these picking styles as you pick. When the top of the key pin reaches the sheer line you will feel the plug give slightly. This is called a set pin. The way you know when a pin is set is when it shakes loosely without the pressure of the spring. It will also make a jiggling sound when shaken. Try to be relaxed as possible and over use your sense of hearing and touch. This all may take awhile, but it