yale padlock

Apr 19, 2005 Last reply: 21 years ago 8 Replies

hello.



i have been reading up about lock picking for a while and understand the theory. i eventually made myself some lock picks (using junior hacksaw blades) following some templates i found then bought myself a yale lock.



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on the back of the packaging it states it has a "strength rating" of 4 (out of 10), just right for a beginner :-)



i can manage to get 3 of the pins but those last two just keep evading me... do these padlocks have one of those mushroom or spool pins?



if so, i think i've bitten more than i can chew!


Speaking only for myself, my policy is that I don't teach picking techniques unless I've personally known the person for two years.

You can find many forums on the web, but that's out of my control.

When I was new at locksmithing, I was completely fascinated by picking. Now, after 20+ years in the trade, it's an important part of the job, but not totally fascinating. There is so much more to the job.

The reasons I don't teach picking are several.

1) There is no way to know who is the person asking. Most people asking (or lurking and reading the posts) are decent people, but a few are not. So, I've decided simply not to say anything to anyone.

2) Picking locks is a "trade secret" like many other trades which have their techniques and systems.

3) A very small part of the security of locks is that so few people know how to pick them. So, by teaching lock picking, I make all locks less secure for the world. Not what I want to do.

4) Purely selfishly, I learned lock picking the hard way, with lots of practice, and you can do the same.

I wish you well. Hope this doesn't sound unkind, but the world isn't a nice place sometimes.

fair enough but i think you'll find i was asking for information on a certain padlock, not how to pick it :-)

lockpicking101... i'm wading my way through their faqs right now.

the link i provided shows the padlock (and keys!) i purchased. this was to demonstrate that it is _my_ lock and not one securing someone's shed/garage/door. just my way of showing i am one of the "decent" people.

i'd say it wasn't secret anymore!

ok.

i'm willing to put in the practice... i was just after some info on a specific lock.

thanks. same to you.

no problem. at least you didn't flame me!

I doubt that padlock has mushroom pins. Based on the size of your picks and the key cuts, I would guess you are overpicking at least one pin. Keep practicing.

Bob

i don't know how i missed this! if you look closely at the first pin, there's a split quite near the top. i've pushed the pin in up to this split but this leaves a fair part of the pin protruding into the keyway.

looking at the key, however, the first pin would have to be pushed entirely into the plug. this is obviously a security measure.

do you think it will just be the first pin? the padlock was only £9.99 so i can't see it being "over-engineered".

i looked up "overpicking"... is that when i push a pin too far?

certainly will! :-)

looks more like a master pin than a mushroomer. or maybe just grooves carved around a regular pin. that would be my guess.

not a problem. i give you the straight dope around here!!

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