I've heard (by a cop) that many locks can be defeated by injecting acid inside. This "solutions" don't seems to be stupid, imagine that acid dissolves springs and so pins will fall.
What do you think about this?
the springs disolving wont open the lock. the pins will still block it from turning.
A. If the lock is installed in the usual pins up orientation then the springs push the pins down not hold them up so the pins would stay right where they normally do.
B. A. doesn't matter because even if the pins fall they wouldn't magically stop at the shear line so the plug still wouldn't turn unless the key pins all dropped completely out of the plug which is highly unlikely.
C. The acid will just make a mess out of everything and probably burn the hell out of the user.
Learn about the basic workings of a pin tumbler lock and then come back, unless your trolling, then go away.
He didn't specify "Pin Tumbler Locks"
And I think it might work as suggested on another type of lock and perhaps a system used by GM in the 50s and 60s
How is that for an unspecific answer?
still mildly unacceptable. HCl and H2SO4 wouldn't eat right through anything. you'd have to fill, agitate, flush, and repeat.
Seems to me someone's been watching too many James Bond movies.
sounds like a health risk to the user.
that's what you get for listening to what an undereducated public servant has to say. if he knew his ass from a box of donuts he wouldn't have to work as a cop.
He said "acid dissolves springs and so pins will fall" .
The whole acid concept sounds fairly nonsensical to me. Corrosives usually leave a well corroded mess behind, no matter what it was used on it would probably just jam everything up permanently.
it was pretty nonspecific.
If we take as exemple a simple pin tumbler lock with pin at the bottom, and using a solution of nitric acid (I found it's work a little better on metal), then in theory if springs are totally dissolved the pin will fall under the shear line, because they are usually longer than pin (about 1,3 cm).
In case of a normally mounted lock (pin in up position) you can manage to push up each pin and turning the lock after pin dissolved. Or perhaps with corrosion pins will slightly diminish their diameter and fall alone.
In pratical I was thinking about using a syringue (so small quantity requiered for low health risk), and acid will be pumped deeply in lock by racling pins.
I accord to you that, in the first approach, everything look like james bond movie, but I never was speaking about dissolving the entire lock, but just those small and fragile springs. It's the second time I heard a story like this, the first time when I was a teenager and with padlock (and a chewing gum!), and the second time with this cop.
I'm just asking your expert advice, if you have heard this before, or even tried it at home. I think, nextly, I will try on a low cost lock. I kept you informed.
dude. the springs don't hold the pins in the way. if there we no springs, and the lock was upside down, there would still not be enough room for both pins in each hole to fall. a lock will function without the springs. they're there to return the pins to the original position so the lock wont jam up. also makes it possible to mount upside down but that's about it.
It is a complete waste of time. But knock yourself out.
That does to some degree depend on the pinning, and the lock in question. In any event the spring would not just cleanly dissapear there would be a corroded mess in each chamber.
yea it Might work on a lock that's keyed to an uncut blank. but to say it happens alot is completely out. even to say its possible is a stretch.
Ottawa Canada
Unfortunately acids are messy dangerous to handle and most lock cylinders being made of brass do not corrode as nicely as you would like.
As most pin tumbler locks are mounted so the pine are above the keyway I wonder how you plan to get the acid past the pin and its driver up to where the spring is?
Strong nitric acid is not that readily available. And if you get some, don't breathe the fumes as it will corrode your silver fillings and release the mercury in them!
The cop who told you acid will render most locks useless is just passing on a story someone told him probably years ago and which he has never tried as he is a fine, law aviding citizen.
Sulfuric acid is cheat and reasonably strong but even it does not nicely dissolve the springs of a properly installed lock.
Leave the chemicals to the chemistry majors.
Brian
You might be able to dissolve the springs, but the pins won't fall under the shear line. Those springs have a different job that has nothing to do pin alignment to the shear line.
Your acid won't dissolve those pins. You'll, at best, make them all shiny. At worse, you'll wear off enough to change the bitting and then even the original key will no longer function. Still won't get you in the door.
IF you had a substance that could dissolve those pins, you'd likely also dissolve part of the cylinder as well... If so, you'd basically be fusing them together.
liquid nitrogen would be kinda neat, still involves force, wonder if that works.
Is this alt.locksmithing or the spy-network ???
Lets like try and discuss things that MIGHT ACTUALLY occur...
Evan the Maintenance Man
"Hey you ... Yeah YOU... Is that a tank of liquid nitrogen in your pants pocket or are you just happy to see me ???"
** Calls Security and the POLICE **
why? this is more fun
"totally dissolved" is quite a major requirement! Why don't you take a sample spring and put it in a test tube with 2 drops or so of nitric acid (maybe 1 drop is all you'll be able to get into the spring chamber) and look it every 10 minutes and see how long (if ever) it take to dissolve the spring totally.
It's been mentioned that this is no always true.
How are you going to arrange to "totally disolve" the springs that are up above the pins? That sounds very difficult.
Wrong direction.
Easier to say than to do.
I think I've heard this story many times, and have seen it in the movies multiple times. I've also heard/read/... many times about many other fictional devices and methods.
Good idea. Let us know what observations you make.
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