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MIT Guide To Lock Picking

MIT
Guide
to
Lo
c
k
Pic
king
T
ed
the
T
o ol
Septem
b er
1,
1991
Distribution
Copyrigh
t
1987,
1991
Theo dore
T.
T
ool.
All
rights
reserved.
Permission
to
repro duce
this
do cument
on
a
non-pro t
basis
is
granted
pro
vided
that
this
cop
yrigh
t
and
distribution
notice
is
included
in
full.
The
information
in
this
b
o oklet
is
provided
for
educational
purp
oses
only
.
August
1991
revision.
1
Con
ten
ts
1
It's
Easy
4
2
How
a
Key
Op ens
a
Lo ck
5
3
The
Flatland
Mo del
7
4
Basic
Pic
king
&
The
Binding
Defect
9
5
The
Pin
Column
Mo
del
11
6
Basic
Scrubbing
17
7
Adv
anced
Lo ck
Picking
21
7.1
Mechanical
Skills
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21
7.2
Zen
and
the
Art
of
Lo
c
k
Pic
king
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7.3
Analytic
Thinking
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8
Exercises
23
8.1
Exercise
1:
Bouncing
the
pick
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23
8.2
Exercise
2:
Picking
pressure
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24
8.3
Exercise
3:
Picking
T
orque
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24
8.4
Exercise
4:
Identifying
Set
Pins
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25
8.5
Exercise
5:
Pro
jection
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25
9
Recognizing
and
Exploiting
Personalit
y
T
raits
27
9.1
Which
W
a
y
T
o
T
urn
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27
9.2
How
F
ar
to
T
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29
9.3
Gravit
y
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29
9.4
Pins
Not
Setting
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9.5
Elastic
Deformation
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29
2
9.6
Lo ose
Plug
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30
9.7
Pin
Diameter
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32
9.8
Beveled
Holes
and
Rounded
pins
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32
9.9
Mushro om
Driv
er
Pins
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34
9.10
Master
Keys
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36
9.11
Driv
er
or
Spacer
Enters
Keywa
y
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38
9.12
Vibration
Picking
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39
9.13
Disk
T
um
blers
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40
10
Final
Remarks
42
A
T
o ols
43
A.1
Pic
k
Shap es
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43
A.2
Street
cleaner
bristles
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44
A.3
Bicycle
sp okes
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46
A.4
Bric
k
Strap
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47
B
Legal
Issues
48
3
Chapter
1
It's
Easy
The
big
secret
of
lo ck
picking
is
that
it's
easy
.
An
y
one
can
learn
ho
w
to
pic
k
lo cks.
The
theory
of
lo ck
picking
is
the
theory
of
exploiting
mechanical
defects.
There
are
a
few
basic
concepts
and
de nitions
but
the
bulk
of
the
material
consists
of
tricks
for
op ening
lo cks
with
particular
defects
or
c
haracteristics.
The
organization
of
this
manual
re ects
this
structure.
The
rst
few
chapters
presen
t
the
v
o cabulary
and
basic
information
ab out
lo cks
and
lo ck
pic
king.
There
is
no
w
a
y
to
learn
lo ck
pic
king
without
practicing,
so
one
chapter
presents
a
set
of
carefully
c
hosen
exercises
that
will
help
y
ou
learn
the
skills
of
lo
c
k
picking.
The
do cument
ends
with
a
catalog
of
the
mec
hanical
traits
and
defects
found
in
lo
c
ks
and
the
tec
hniques
used
to
recognize
and
exploit
them.
The
rst
app endix
describ es
how
to
make
lo ck
picking
to
ols.
The
other
app endix
presents
some
of
the
legal
issues
of
lo ck
picking.
The
exercises
are
imp ortant.
The
only
wa
y
to
learn
how
to
recognize
and
exploit
the
defects
in
a
lo ck
is
to
practice.
This
means
practicing
many
times
on
the
same
lo ck
as
well
as
practicing
on
many
di eren
t
lo
c
ks.
An
y
one
can
learn
ho
w
to
op
en
desk
and
ling
cabinet
lo cks,
but
the
ability
to
op en
most
lo cks
in
under
thirt
y
seconds
is
a
skill
that
requires
practice.
Before
getting
in
to
the
details
of
lo
c
ks
and
picking,
it
is
worth
p
oin
ting
out
that
lo
c
k
picking
is
just
one
wa
y
to
b
ypass
a
lo ck,
though
it
do es
cause
less
damage
than
brute
force
techniques.
In
fact,
it
ma
y
b
e
easier
to
b
ypass
the
b olt
mechanism
than
to
b
ypass
the
lo ck.
It
may
also
b e
easier
to
bypass
some
other
part
of
the
do or
or
even
av
oid
the
do or
en
tirely
.
Remember:
There
is
alwa
ys
another
wa
y
,
usually
a
b etter
one.
4
Chapter
2
Ho
w
a
Key
Op
ens
a
Lo
c
k
This
chapter
presen
ts
the
basic
w
orkings
of
pin
tumbler
lo cks,
and
the
vocabulary
used
in
the
rest
of
this
b
o oklet.
The
terms
used
to
describ e
lo
c
ks
and
lo
c
k
parts
v
ary
from
manufacture
to
manufacture
and
from
cit
y
to
city
,
so
even
if
y
ou
already
understand
the
basic
workings
of
lo
c
ks,
y
ou
should
lo ok
at
gure
2.1
for
the
v
o cabulary
.
Knowing
ho
w
a
lo
c
k
works
when
it
is
op ened
by
a
k
ey
is
only
part
of
what
you
need
to
know.
Y
ou
also
need
to
know
ho
w
a
lo ck
resp onds
to
picking.
Chapters
3
and
5
present
mo dels
whic
h
will
help
you
understand
a
lo
c
k's
resp onse
to
pic
king.
Figure
2.1
in
tro duces
the
vocabulary
of
real
lo
c
ks.
The
key
is
inserted
into
the
keyway
of
the
plug.
The
protrusions
on
the
side
of
the
k
eyw
a
y
are
called
war
ds.
W
ards
restrict
the
set
of
keys
that
can
b
e
inserted
in
to
the
plug.
The
plug
is
a
cylinder
which
can
rotate
when
the
prop
er
key
is
fully
inserted.
The
non-rotating
part
of
the
lo ck
is
called
the
hul
l.
The
rst
pin
touc
hed
by
the
key
is
called
pin
one.
The
remaining
pins
are
num
bered
increasingly
tow
ard
the
rear
of
the
lo ck.
The
prop er
key
lifts
each
pin
pair
until
the
gap
b etw
een
the
key
pin
and
the
driver
pin
reaches
the
she
er
line.
When
all
the
pins
are
in
this
p osition,
the
plug
can
rotate
and
the
lo ck
can
b
e
op
ened.
An
incorrect
key
will
leav
e
some
of
the
pins
protruding
b
et
w
een
the
hull
and
the
plug,
and
these
pins
will
prev
en
t
the
plug
from
rotating.
5
Figure
2.1:
W
orkings
of
pin
tum
bler
lo cks
6
Chapter
3
The
Flatland
Mo
del
In
order
to
b ecome
go o d
at
picking
lo cks,
you
will
need
a
detailed
understanding
of
how
lo cks
works
and
what
happ ens
as
it
is
pick
ed.
This
do
cumen
t
uses
tw
o
mo dels
to
help
y
ou
understand
the
b ehavior
of
lo
c
ks.
This
c
hapter
presen
ts
a
mo del
that
highlights
interactions
b etw
een
pin
p
ositions.
Chapter
4
uses
this
mo del
to
explain
ho
w
picking
w
orks.
Chapter
9
will
use
this
mo del
to
explain
complicated
mechanical
defects.
The
" atland"
mo del
of
a
lo
c
k
is
shown
in
Figure
3.1.
This
is
not
a
cross
section
of
a
real
lo ck.
It
is
a
cross
section
of
a
very
simple
kind
of
lo ck.
The
purp
ose
of
this
lo
c
k
is
to
keep
tw
o
plates
of
metal
from
sliding
ov
er
eac
h
other
unless
the
prop
er
key
is
presen
t.
The
lo ck
is
constructed
by
placing
the
tw
o
plates
ov
er
each
other
and
drilling
holes
whic
h
pass
through
b
oth
plates.
The
gure
sho
ws
a
t
w
o
hole
lo
c
k.
Two
pins
are
placed
in
eac
h
hole
such
that
the
gap
b etw
een
the
pins
do
es
not
line
up
with
the
gap
b etw
een
the
plates.
The
b ottom
pin
is
called
the
key
pin
b ecause
it
touches
the
k
ey
.
The
top
pin
is
called
the
driver
pin.
Often
the
driver
and
k
ey
pins
are
just
called
the
driver
and
the
pin.
A
protrusion
on
the
underside
of
the
b ottom
plate
keeps
the
pins
from
falling
out,
and
a
spring
ab
o
v
e
the
top
plate
pushes
do
wn
on
the
driver
pin.
If
the
key
is
absen
t,
the
plates
cannot
slide
o
v
er
eac
h
other
b
ecause
the
driv
er
pins
pass
through
b oth
plates.
The
correct
key
lifts
the
pin
pairs
to
align
the
gap
b etw
een
the
pins
with
the
gap
b etw
een
the
plates.
See
Figure
3.3.
That
is,
the
key
lifts
the
key
pin
un
til
its
top
reaches
the
lo
c
k's
sheer
line.
In
this
con guration,
the
plates
can
slide
past
eac
h
other.
Figure
3.3
also
illustrates
one
of
the
imp
ortan
t
features
of
real
lo cks.
There
is
alwa
ys
a
sliding
allow
ance.
That
is,
any
parts
whic
h
slide
past
eac
h
other
must
b e
separated
b
y
a
gap.
The
gap
b etw
een
the
top
and
b ottom
plates
allows
a
range
of
keys
to
op en
the
lo ck.
Notice
that
the
righ
t
k
ey
pin
in
Figure
3.3
is
not
raised
as
high
as
the
left
pin,
y
et
the
lo
c
k
will
still
op en.
7
Figure
3.1:
Flatland
mo del
of
a
lo ck
Figure
3.2:
(a)
Flatland
k
ey
raises
pins
Figure
3.3:
(b)
Prop
er
key
allo
ws
plates
to
slide
8
Chapter
4
Basic
Pic
king
&
The
Binding
Defect
The
atland
mo
del
highlights
the
basic
defect
that
enables
lo ck
pic
king
to
w
ork.
This
defect
makes
it
p ossible
to
op en
a
lo ck
by
lifting
the
pins
one
at
a
time,
and
thus
you
don't
need
a
key
to
lift
all
the
pins
at
the
same
time.
Figure
4.3
sho
ws
ho
w
the
pins
of
a
lo ck
can
b e
set
one
at
a
time.
The
rst
step
of
the
pro cedure
is
to
apply
a
sheer
force
to
the
lo ck
b
y
pushing
on
the
b
ottom
plate.
This
force
causes
one
or
more
of
the
pins
to
b
e
scissored
b etw
een
the
top
and
b
ottom
plate.
The
most
common
defect
in
a
lo
c
k
is
that
only
one
pin
will
bind.
Figure
4.3a
sho
ws
the
left
pin
binding.
Even
though
a
pin
is
binding,
it
can
b e
pushed
up
with
a
pic
king
to ol,
see
Figure
4.3b.
When
the
top
of
the
k
ey
pin
reaches
the
sheer
line,
the
b ottom
plate
will
slide
slightly
.
If
the
pick
is
remov
ed,
the
driver
pin
will
b
e
held
up
by
the
o
v
erlapping
b ottom
plate,
and
the
k
ey
pin
will
drop
do
wn
to
its
initial
p osition,
see
Figure
4.3c.
The
slight
mo
v
emen
t
of
the
b
ottom
plate
causes
a
new
pin
to
bind.
The
same
pro cedure
can
b e
used
to
set
the
new
pin.
Thus,
the
pro cedure
for
one
pin
at
a
time
picking
a
lo
c
k
is
to
apply
a
sheer
force,
nd
the
pin
which
is
binding
the
most,
and
push
it
up.
When
the
top
of
the
k
ey
pin
reaches
the
sheer
line,
the
moving
p
ortion
of
the
lo ck
will
give
slightly
,
and
driv
er
pin
will
b
e
trapp ed
ab ov
e
the
sheer
line.
This
is
called
setting
a
pin.
Chapter
9
discusses
the
di erent
defects
that
cause
pins
to
bind
one
at
a
time.
1.
Apply
a
sheer
force.
2.
Find
the
pin
that
is
binding
the
most.
3.
Push
that
pin
up
until
you
feel
it
set
at
the
sheer
line.
4.
Go
to
step
2.
T
able
4.1:
Figure
5:
Picking
a
lo
c
k
one
pin
at
a
time.
9
Figure
4.1:
(a)
Sheer
force
causes
driver
to
bind
Figure
4.2:
(b)
Pick
lifts
the
binding
pin
Figure
4.3:
(c)
Left
driv
er
sets
and
right
driver
binds
10
Chapter
5
The
Pin
Column
Mo
del
The
atland
mo
del
of
lo
c
ks
can
explain
e ects
that
inv
olv
e
more
than
one
pin,
but
a
di eren
t
mo del
is
needed
to
explain
the
detailed
b ehavior
of
a
single
pin.
See
Figure
5.1.
The
pin-
column
mo
del
highlights
the
relationship
b
et
w
een
the
torque
applied
and
the
amount
of
force
needed
to
lift
eac
h
pin.
It
is
essential
that
you
understand
this
relationship.
In
order
to
understand
the
"feel"
of
lo
c
k
pic
king
y
ou
need
to
kno
w
ho
w
the
mov
emen
t
of
a
pin
is
e ect
by
the
torque
applied
by
your
torque
wrenc
h
(tensioner)
and
the
pressure
applied
by
y
our
pick.
A
go
o d
wa
y
to
represent
this
understanding
is
a
graph
that
shows
the
minimum
pressure
needed
to
mov
e
a
pin
as
a
function
of
ho
w
far
the
pin
has
b een
displaced
from
its
initial
p osition.
The
remainder
of
this
chapter
will
derive
that
force
graph
from
the
pin-column
mo
del.
Figure
5.2
shows
a
single
pin
p
osition
after
torque
has
b
een
applied
to
the
plug.
The
forces
acting
of
the
driv
er
pin
are
the
friction
from
the
sides,
the
spring
contact
force
from
ab ov
e,
and
the
con
tact
force
from
the
key
pin
b
elo
w.
The
amount
of
pressure
y
ou
apply
to
the
pick
determines
the
con
tact
force
from
b elow.
The
spring
force
increases
as
the
pins
are
pushed
into
the
h
ull,
but
the
increase
is
slight,
so
we
will
assume
that
the
spring
force
is
constan
t
ov
er
the
range
of
displacements
w
e
are
interested
in.
The
pins
will
not
mo
v
e
unless
you
apply
enough
pressure
to
o
v
ercome
the
spring
force.
The
binding
friction
is
prop ortional
to
how
hard
the
driver
pin
is
b eing
scissored
b
et
w
een
the
plug
and
the
h
ull,
which
in
this
case
is
prop
ortional
to
the
torque.
The
more
torque
you
apply
to
the
plug,
the
harder
it
will
b e
to
mov
e
the
pins.
T
o
make
a
pin
mov
e,
you
need
to
apply
a
pressure
that
is
greater
than
the
sum
of
the
spring
and
friction
forces.
When
the
b ottom
of
the
driver
pin
reac
hes
the
sheer
line,
the
situation
suddenly
changes.
See
Figure
5.3.
The
friction
binding
force
drops
to
zero
and
the
plug
rotates
slightly
(un
til
some
other
pin
binds).
Now
the
only
resistance
to
motion
is
the
spring
force.
After
the
top
of
the
key
pin
crosses
the
gap
b etw
een
the
plug
and
the
hull,
a
new
contact
force
arises
from
the
key
pin
striking
the
hull.
This
force
can
b e
quite
large,
and
it
causes
a
p eak
in
the
amount
of
pressure
needed
to
mov
e
a
pin.
If
the
pins
are
pushed
further
into
the
hull,
the
key
pin
acquires
a
binding
ction
lik
e
the
driver
pin
had
in
the
initial
situation.
See
Figure
5.4.
Thus,
the
amount
of
pressure
needed
11
Figure
5.1:
The
pin-column
mo del
to
mov
e
the
pins
b
efore
and
after
the
sheer
line
is
ab out
the
same.
Increasing
the
torque
increases
the
required
pressure.
At
the
sheer
line,
the
pressure
increases
dramatically
due
to
the
key
pin
hitting
the
hull.
This
analysis
is
summarized
graphically
in
gure
5.5.
12
Figure
5.2:
Binding
in
the
pin-column
mo
del
13
Figure
5.3:
Pins
at
the
sheer
line
14
Figure
5.4:
Key
pin
en
ters
h
ull
15
Figure
5.5:
Pressure
required
to
mov
e
pins
16
Chapter
6
Basic
Scrubbing
At
home
you
can
take
your
time
pic
king
a
lo ck,
but
in
the
eld,
sp
eed
is
alwa
ys
essential.
This
chapter
presents
a
lo ck
pic
king
technique
called
scrubbing
that
can
quickly
op en
most
lo cks.
The
slow
step
in
basic
picking
(chapter
4)
is
lo cating
the
pin
whic
h
is
binding
the
most.
The
force
diagram
(Figure
5.5)
developed
in
c
hapter
5
suggests
a
fast
w
a
y
to
select
the
correct
pin
to
lift.
Assume
that
all
the
pins
could
b
e
characterized
b
y
the
same
force
diagram.
That
is,
assume
that
they
all
bind
at
once
and
that
they
all
encounter
the
same
friction.
Now
consider
the
e ect
of
running
the
pick
o
v
er
all
the
pins
with
a
pressure
that
is
great
enough
to
o
v
ercome
the
spring
and
friction
forces
but
not
great
enough
to
ov
ercome
the
collision
force
of
the
key
pin
hitting
the
hull.
An
y
pressure
that
is
ab ov
e
the
at
p ortion
of
the
force
graph
and
b
elo
w
the
top
of
the
p
eak
will
work.
As
the
pic
k
passes
o
v
er
a
pin,
the
pin
will
rise
until
it
hits
the
h
ull,
but
it
will
not
enter
the
hull.
See
Figure
5.3.
The
collision
force
at
the
sheer
line
resists
the
pressure
of
the
pic
k,
so
the
pick
rides
ov
er
the
pin
without
pressing
it
into
the
hull.
If
the
prop
er
torque
is
b eing
applied,
the
plug
will
rotate
slightly
.
As
the
pick
leav
es
the
pin,
the
key
pin
will
fall
back
to
its
initial
p
osition,
but
the
driver
pin
will
catch
on
the
edge
of
the
plug
and
stay
ab ov
e
the
sheer
line.
See
gure
6.1.
In
theory
one
stroke
of
the
pick
ov
er
the
pins
will
cause
the
lo
c
k
to
op en.
In
practice,
at
most
one
or
tw
o
pins
will
set
during
a
single
strok
e
of
the
pic
k,
so
several
strokes
are
necessary
.
Basically
,
you
use
the
pick
to
scrub
bac
k
and
forth
o
v
er
the
pins
while
you
adjust
the
amoun
t
of
torque
on
the
plug.
The
exercises
in
chapter
8
will
teac
h
y
ou
how
to
choose
the
correct
torque
and
pressure.
Y
ou
will
nd
that
the
pins
of
a
lo
c
k
tend
to
set
in
a
particular
order.
Many
factors
e ect
this
order
(see
chapter
9),
but
the
primary
cause
is
a
misalignmen
t
b etw
een
the
center
axis
of
the
plug
and
the
axis
on
whic
h
the
holes
were
drilled.
See
gure
6.2.
If
the
axis
of
the
pin
holes
is
sk
ew
ed
from
the
cen
ter
line
of
the
plug,
then
the
pins
will
set
from
bac
k
to
front
if
the
plug
is
turned
one
wa
y
,
and
from
front
to
back
if
the
plug
is
turned
the
other
w
a
y
.
Many
lo cks
hav
e
this
defect.
Scrubbing
is
fast
b ecause
you
don't
need
to
pay
attention
to
individual
pins.
Y
ou
only
need
to
nd
the
correct
torque
and
pressure.
Figure
6.1
summarizes
the
steps
of
pic
king
a
lo ck
by
scrubbing.
The
exercises
will
teach
you
ho
w
to
recognize
when
a
pin
is
set
and
ho
w
17
Figure
6.1:
Driver
pin
catches
on
plug
to
apply
the
correct
forces.
If
a
lo ck
do esn't
op
en
quic
kly
,
then
it
probably
has
one
of
the
characteristics
describ ed
in
c
hapter
9
and
you
will
hav
e
to
concentrate
on
individual
pins.
18
Figure
6.2:
Alignment
of
plug
holes
19
1.
Insert
the
pick
and
torque
wrenc
h.
Without
applying
any
torque
pull
the
pick
out
to
get
a
feel
for
the
sti ness
of
the
lo ck's
springs.
2.
Apply
a
light
torque.
Insert
the
pick
without
touc
hing
the
pins.
As
y
ou
pull
the
pick
out,
apply
pressure
to
the
pins.
The
pressure
should
b e
sligh
tly
larger
than
the
minimum
necessary
to
ov
ercome
the
spring
force.
3.
Gradually
increase
the
torque
with
each
stroke
of
the
pic
k
un
til
pins
b egin
to
set.
4.
Keeping
the
torque
xed,
scrub
bac
k
and
forth
ov
er
the
pins
that
hav
e
not
set.
If
additional
pins
do
not
set,
release
the
torque
and
start
ov
er
with
the
torque
found
in
the
last
step.
5.
Once
the
ma
jorit
y
of
the
pins
ha
v
e
b een
set,
increase
the
torque
and
scrub
the
pins
with
a
sligh
tly
larger
pressure.
This
will
set
any
pins
whic
h
ha
v
e
set
low
due
to
b eveled
edges,
etc.
T
able
6.1:
Figure
13:
Basic
scrubbing.
20
Chapter
7
Adv
anced
Lo
c
k
Pic
king
Simple
lo ck
picking
is
a
trade
that
an
y
one
can
learn.
How
ev
er,
adv
anced
lo ck
picking
is
a
craft
that
requires
mechanical
sensitivity
,
physical
dexterity
,
visual
concentration
and
analytic
thinking.
If
you
striv
e
to
excel
at
lo ck
pic
king,
y
ou
will
gro
w
in
many
wa
ys.
7.1
Mec
hanical
Skills
Learning
how
to
pull
the
pick
ov
er
the
pins
is
surprisingly
dicult.
The
problem
is
that
the
mechanical
skills
you
learned
early
in
life
inv
olv
ed
main
taining
a
xed
p
osition
or
xed
path
for
your
hands
indep endent
of
the
amount
of
force
required.
In
lo ck
pic
king,
y
ou
must
learn
how
to
apply
a
xed
force
indep endent
of
the
p
osition
of
your
hand.
As
you
pull
the
pic
k
out
of
the
lo ck
you
w
an
t
to
apply
a
xed
pressure
on
the
pins.
The
pick
should
b ounce
up
and
down
in
the
k
eyw
a
y
according
to
the
resistance
o ered
by
each
pin.
T
o
pic
k
a
lo ck
y
ou
need
feedback
ab
out
the
e ects
of
y
our
manipulations.
T
o
get
the
feedback,
y
ou
must
train
y
ourself
to
b e
sensitiv
e
to
the
sound
and
feel
of
the
pick
passing
ov
er
the
pins.
This
is
a
mec
hanical
skill
that
can
only
b e
learned
with
practice.
The
exercises
will
help
y
ou
recognize
the
imp ortant
information
coming
from
your
ngers.
7.2
Zen
and
the
Art
of
Lo
c
k
Pic
king
In
order
to
excel
at
lo ck
pic
king,
y
ou
m
ust
train
y
ourself
to
hav
e
a
visually
reconstructiv
e
imagination.
The
idea
is
to
use
information
from
all
your
senses
to
build
a
picture
of
what
is
happ ening
inside
the
lo ck
as
you
pick
it.
Basically
,
you
w
an
t
to
pro
ject
your
senses
into
the
lo ck
to
receive
a
full
picture
of
ho
w
it
is
resp
onding
to
your
manipulations.
Once
y
ou
hav
e
learned
how
to
build
this
picture,
it
is
easy
to
c
ho ose
manipulations
that
will
op
en
the
lo ck.
All
y
our
senses
provide
information
ab
out
the
lo
c
k.
T
ouc
h
and
sound
provide
the
most
information,
but
the
other
senses
can
reveal
critical
information.
F
or
example,
y
our
nose
can
tell
you
whether
a
lo
c
k
has
b een
lubricated
recently
.
As
a
b eginner,
you
will
need
to
use
21
your
ey
es
for
hand-eye
co ordination,
but
as
y
ou
improv
e
y
ou
will
nd
it
unnecessary
to
lo
ok
at
the
lo ck.
In
fact,
it
is
b etter
to
ignore
y
our
eyes
and
use
your
sight
to
build
an
image
of
the
lo
c
k
based
on
the
information
y
ou
receive
from
y
our
ngers
and
ears.
The
goal
of
this
mental
skill
is
to
acquire
a
relaxed
concentration
on
the
lo ck.
Don't
force
the
concen
tration.
T
ry
to
ignore
the
sensations
and
thoughts
that
are
not
related
to
the
lo
c
k.
Don't
try
to
fo cus
on
the
lo ck.
7.3
Analytic
Thinking
Each
lo ck
has
its
o
wn
sp ecial
characteristics
which
make
picking
harder
or
easier.
If
y
ou
learn
to
recognize
and
exploit
the
"p ersonality
traits"
of
lo cks,
pic
king
will
go
muc
h
faster.
Basically
,
you
wan
t
to
analyze
the
feedback
y
ou
get
from
a
lo ck
to
diagnose
its
p ersonality
traits
and
then
use
y
our
exp
erience
to
decide
on
an
approach
to
op
en
the
lo ck.
Chapter
9
discusses
a
large
n
um
ber
of
common
traits
and
w
a
ys
to
exploit
or
ov
ercome
them.
People
underestimate
the
analytic
skills
inv
olv
ed
in
lo
c
k
picking.
They
think
that
the
picking
to
ol
op
ens
the
lo ck.
T
o
them
the
torque
wrenc
h
is
a
passiv
e
to ol
that
just
puts
the
lo ck
under
the
desired
stress.
Let
me
prop ose
another
w
a
y
to
view
the
situation.
The
pic
k
is
just
running
ov
er
the
pins
to
get
information
ab out
the
lo
c
k.
Based
on
an
analysis
that
information
the
torque
is
adjusted
to
mak
e
the
pins
set
at
the
sheer
line.
It's
the
torque
wrench
that
op
ens
the
lo ck.
V
arying
the
torque
as
the
pick
mo
v
es
in
and
out
of
the
keyw
a
y
is
a
general
tric
k
that
can
b e
used
to
get
around
sev
eral
picking
problems.
F
or
example,
if
the
middle
pins
are
set,
but
the
end
pins
are
not,
you
can
increase
the
torque
as
the
pic
k
mov
es
ov
er
the
middle
pins.
This
will
reduce
the
chances
of
disturbing
the
correctly
set
pins.
If
some
pin
do
esn't
seem
to
lift
up
far
enough
as
the
pic
k
passes
o
v
er
it,
then
try
reducing
the
torque
on
the
next
pass.
The
skill
of
adjusting
the
torque
while
the
pick
is
mo
ving
requires
careful
co
ordination
b etw
een
your
hands,
but
as
y
ou
b ecome
b etter
at
visualizing
the
pro cess
of
picking
a
lo
c
k,
you
will
b
ecome
b etter
at
this
imp ortant
skill.
22
Chapter
8
Exercises
This
chapter
presents
a
series
of
exercises
that
will
help
you
learn
the
basic
skill
of
lo ck
picking.
Some
exercises
teac
h
a
single
skill,
while
others
stress
the
co ordination
of
skills.
When
you
do
these
exercises,
fo cus
on
the
skills,
not
on
op ening
the
lo
c
k.
If
y
ou
fo
cus
on
op ening
the
lo
c
k,
y
ou
will
get
frustrated
and
your
mind
will
stop
learning.
The
goal
of
each
exercise
is
to
learn
something
ab out
the
particular
lo ck
you
are
holding
and
something
ab out
yourself.
If
a
lo
c
k
happ ens
to
op
en,
fo cus
on
the
memory
of
what
you
w
ere
doing
and
what
you
felt
just
b efore
it
op ened.
These
exercises
should
b
e
practiced
in
short
sessions.
After
ab
out
thirty
minutes
you
will
nd
that
your
ngers
b ecome
sore
and
your
mind
lo oses
its
ability
to
ac
hiev
e
relaxed
concentration.
8.1
Exercise
1:
Bouncing
the
pic
k
This
exercise
helps
you
learn
the
skill
of
applying
a
xed
pressure
with
the
pic
k
indep endent
of
ho
w
the
pick
mov
es
up
and
down
in
the
lo ck.
Basically
y
ou
wan
t
to
learn
ho
w
to
let
the
pick
b ounce
up
and
down
according
to
the
resistance
o ered
by
each
pin.
How
y
ou
hold
the
pick
mak
es
a
di erence
on
how
easy
it
is
to
apply
a
xed
pressure.
Y
ou
wan
t
to
hold
it
in
such
a
wa
y
that
the
pressure
comes
from
your
ngers
or
y
our
wrist.
Y
our
elb
o
w
and
shoulder
do
not
ha
v
e
the
dexterity
required
to
pick
lo cks.
While
you
are
scrubbing
a
lo ck
notice
whic
h
of
your
join
ts
are
xed,
and
which
are
allo
w
ed
to
mo
v
e.
The
moving
joints
are
providing
the
pressure.
One
wa
y
to
hold
a
pick
is
to
use
t
w
o
ngers
to
provide
a
pivot
p oint
while
another
nger
levers
the
pic
k
to
pro
vide
the
pressure.
Which
ngers
you
use
is
a
matter
of
p
ersonal
choice.
Another
wa
y
to
hold
the
pic
k
is
lik
e
holding
a
p encil.
With
this
metho d,
y
our
wrist
provides
the
pressure.
If
y
our
wrist
is
providing
the
pressure,
your
shoulder
and
elb ow
should
pro
vide
the
force
to
mov
e
the
pic
k
in
and
out
of
the
lo ck.
Do
not
use
y
our
wrist
to
b oth
mov
e
the
pick
and
apply
pressure.
A
go o
d
w
a
y
to
get
used
to
the
feel
of
the
pick
b ouncing
up
and
do
wn
in
the
k
eyw
a
y
is
to
try
scrubbing
ov
er
the
pins
of
an
op en
lo ck.
The
pins
cannot
b e
pushed
do
wn,
so
the
pic
k
23
must
adjust
to
the
heights
of
the
pins.
T
ry
to
feel
the
pins
rattle
as
the
pic
k
mov
es
ov
er
them.
If
you
mov
e
the
pick
quickly
,
y
ou
can
hear
the
rattle.
This
same
rattling
feel
will
help
you
recognize
when
a
pin
is
set
correctly
.
If
a
pin
app ears
to
b e
set
but
it
do esn't
rattle,
then
it
is
false
set.
F
alse
set
pins
can
b
e
xed
b
y
pushing
them
down
farther,
or
b
y
releasing
torque
and
letting
them
p op
bac
k
to
their
initial
p
osition.
One
last
word
of
advice.
F
o cus
on
the
tip
of
the
pick.
Don't
think
ab
out
how
you
are
moving
the
handle;
think
ab out
how
you
are
moving
the
tip
of
the
pick.
8.2
Exercise
2:
Pic
king
pressure
This
exercise
will
teac
h
y
ou
the
range
of
pressures
you
will
need
to
apply
with
a
pic
k.
When
you
are
starting,
just
apply
pressure
when
you
are
dra
wing
the
pick
out
of
the
lo ck.
Once
you
hav
e
mastered
that,
try
applying
pressure
when
the
pick
is
moving
inw
ard.
With
the
at
side
of
y
our
pick,
push
down
on
the
rst
pin
of
a
lo ck.
Don't
apply
any
torque
to
the
lo ck.
The
amount
of
pressure
you
are
applying
should
b
e
just
enough
to
ov
ercome
the
spring
force.
This
force
gives
y
ou
an
idea
of
minimum
pressure
you
will
apply
with
a
pic
k.
The
spring
force
increases
as
you
push
the
pin
down.
See
if
you
can
feel
this
increase.
Now
see
how
it
feels
to
push
down
the
other
pins
as
you
pull
the
pick
out
of
the
lo ck.
Start
out
with
b oth
the
pic
k
and
torque
wrench
in
the
lo
c
k,
but
don't
apply
an
y
torque.
As
you
draw
the
pick
out
of
the
lo ck,
apply
enough
pressure
to
push
eac
h
pin
all
the
wa
y
down.
The
pins
should
spring
back
as
the
pick
go
es
past
them.
Notice
the
sound
that
the
pins
make
as
they
spring
bac
k.
Notice
the
p opping
feel
as
a
pick
go
es
past
each
pin.
Notice
the
springy
feel
as
the
pick
pushes
down
on
each
new
pin.
T
o
help
y
ou
fo cus
on
these
sensations,
try
coun
ting
the
num
b er
of
pins
in
the
lo
c
k.
Do or
lo cks
at
MIT
ha
v
e
seven
pins,
padlo
c
ks
usually
hav
e
four.
T
o
get
an
idea
of
the
maxim
um
pressure,
use
the
at
side
of
your
pick
to
push
down
all
the
pins
in
the
lo ck.
Sometimes
y
ou
will
need
to
apply
this
muc
h
pressure
to
a
single
pin.
If
y
ou
encounter
a
new
kind
of
lo
c
k,
p erform
this
exercise
to
determine
the
sti ness
of
its
springs.
8.3
Exercise
3:
Pic
king
T
orque
This
exercise
will
teach
you
the
range
of
torque
you
will
need
to
apply
to
a
lo
c
k.
It
demon-
strates
the
in
teraction
b
et
w
een
torque
and
pressure
which
was
describ e
in
c
hapter
5.
The
minimum
torque
you
will
use
is
just
enough
to
ov
ercome
the
ction
of
rotating
the
plug
in
the
h
ull.
Use
your
torque
wrench
to
rotate
the
plug
until
it
stops.
Notice
how
muc
h
torque
is
needed
to
mov
e
the
plug
b
efore
the
pins
bind.
This
force
can
b
e
quite
high
for
lo cks
that
hav
e
b
een
left
out
in
the
rain.
The
minimum
torque
for
padlo cks
includes
the
force
of
a
spring
that
is
attac
hed
b
et
w
een
the
plug
and
the
shackle
b
olt.
24
T
o
get
a
feel
for
the
maximum
v
alue
of
torque,
use
the
at
side
of
the
pic
k
to
push
all
the
pins
do
wn,
and
try
applying
enough
torque
to
mak
e
the
pins
stay
down
after
the
pick
is
remov
ed.
If
your
torque
wrench
has
a
t
wist
in
it,
y
ou
may
not
b e
able
to
hold
do
wn
more
than
a
few
pins.
If
y
ou
use
to o
m
uc
h
torque
and
to
o
muc
h
pressure
you
can
get
into
a
situation
like
the
one
y
ou
just
created.
The
key
pins
are
pushed
to o
far
into
the
hull
and
the
torque
is
sucient
to
hold
them
there.
The
range
of
picking
torque
can
b e
found
by
gradually
increasing
the
torque
while
scrub-
bing
the
pins
with
the
pic
k.
Some
of
the
pins
will
b ecome
harder
to
push
down.
Gradually
increase
the
torque
until
some
of
the
pins
set.
These
pins
will
lo
ose
their
springiness.
Keep-
ing
the
torque
xed,
use
the
pick
to
scrub
the
pins
a
few
times
to
see
if
other
pins
will
set.
The
most
common
mistak
e
of
b eginners
is
to
use
to o
muc
h
torque.
Use
this
exercise
to
nd
the
minim
um
torque
required
to
pick
the
lo
c
k.
8.4
Exercise
4:
Iden
tifying
Set
Pins
While
you
are
picking
a
lo
c
k,
try
to
identify
which
pins
are
set.
Y
ou
can
tell
a
pin
is
set
b ecause
it
will
hav
e
a
slight
giv
e.
That
is,
the
pin
can
b e
pushed
down
a
short
distance
with
a
ligh
t
pressure,
but
it
b
ecomes
hard
to
mo
v
e
after
that
distance
(see
chapter
6
for
an
explanation).
When
you
remo
v
e
the
ligh
t
pressure,
the
pin
springs
bac
k
up
slightly
.
Set
pins
also
rattle
if
y
ou
ic
k
them
with
the
pick.
T
ry
listening
for
that
sound.
Run
the
pick
ov
er
the
pins
and
try
to
decide
whether
the
set
pins
are
in
the
front
or
back
of
the
lo
c
k
(or
b oth).
T
ry
iden
tifying
exactly
which
pins
are
set.
Remem
b er
that
pin
one
is
the
frontmost
pin
(i.e.,
the
pin
that
a
k
ey
touc
hes
rst).
The
most
imp ortant
skill
of
lo ck
picking
is
the
ability
to
recognize
correctly
set
pins.
This
exercise
will
teac
h
y
ou
that
skill.
T
ry
rep
eating
this
exercise
with
the
plug
turning
in
the
other
direction.
If
the
fron
t
pins
set
when
the
plug
is
turned
one
w
a
y
,
the
bac
k
pins
will
set
when
the
plug
is
turned
the
other
wa
y
.
See
Figure
6.2
for
an
explanation.
One
wa
y
to
verify
how
man
y
pins
are
set
is
to
release
the
torque,
and
coun
t
the
clic
ks
as
the
pins
snap
back
to
their
initial
p osition.
T
ry
this.
T
ry
to
notice
the
di erence
in
sound
b etw
een
the
snap
of
a
single
pin
and
the
snap
of
t
w
o
pins
at
once.
A
pin
that
has
b
een
false
set
will
also
mak
e
a
snapping
sound.
T
ry
this
exercise
with
di erent
amoun
ts
of
torque
and
pressure.
Y
ou
should
notice
that
a
larger
torque
requires
a
larger
pressure
to
mak
e
pins
set
correctly
.
If
the
pressure
is
to o
high,
the
pins
will
b e
jammed
into
the
hull
and
stay
there.
8.5
Exercise
5:
Pro
jection
As
y
ou
are
doing
the
exercises
try
building
a
picture
in
y
our
mind
of
what
is
going
on.
The
picture
do es
not
hav
e
to
b e
visual,
it
could
b e
a
rough
understanding
of
which
pins
are
set
25
and
how
muc
h
resistance
y
ou
are
encountering
from
each
pin.
One
wa
y
to
foster
this
picture
building
is
to
try
to
remember
y
our
sensations
and
b eliefs
ab out
a
lo ck
just
b efore
it
op ened.
When
a
lo ck
op ens,
don't
think
"that's
ov
er",
think
"what
happ
ened".
This
exercise
requires
a
lo
c
k
that
you
nd
easy
to
pic
k.
It
will
help
you
re ne
the
visual
skills
y
ou
need
to
master
lo
c
k
picking.
Pick
the
lo ck,
and
try
to
remember
ho
w
the
pro
cess
felt.
Rehearse
in
y
our
mind
ho
w
ev
erything
feels
when
the
lo
c
k
is
pick
ed
prop erly
.
Basically
,
you
wan
t
to
create
a
movie
that
records
the
pro cess
of
picking
the
lo ck.
Visualize
the
motion
of
y
our
muscles
as
they
apply
the
correct
pressure
and
torque,
and
feel
the
resistance
encountered
b
y
the
pick.
Now
pick
the
lo
c
k
again
trying
to
match
your
actions
to
the
mo
vie.
By
rep
eating
this
exercise,
y
ou
are
learning
how
to
formulate
detailed
commands
for
your
muscles
and
ho
w
to
in
terpret
feedback
from
your
senses.
The
men
tal
rehearsal
teac
hes
you
how
to
build
a
visual
understanding
of
the
lo
c
k
and
how
to
recognize
the
ma
jor
steps
of
picking
it.
26
Chapter
9
Recognizing
and
Exploiting
P
ersonalit
y
T
raits
Real
lo
c
ks
hav
e
a
wide
range
of
mechanical
features
and
defects
that
help
and
hinder
lo
c
k
picking.
If
a
lo
c
k
do esn't
resp ond
to
scrubbing,
then
it
probably
has
one
of
the
traits
discussed
in
this
chapter.
T
o
op en
the
lo ck,
you
m
ust
diagnose
the
trait
and
apply
the
recommended
technique.
The
exercises
will
help
you
develop
the
mec
hanical
sensitivit
y
and
dexterity
necessary
to
recognize
and
exploit
the
di erent
traits.
9.1
Whic
h
W
a
y
T
o
T
urn
It
can
b e
very
frustrating
to
sp end
a
long
time
picking
a
lo ck
and
then
discov
er
that
y
ou
turned
the
plug
the
wrong
wa
y
.
If
you
turn
a
plug
the
wrong
wa
y
it
will
rotate
freely
until
it
hits
a
stop,
or
until
it
rotates
180
degrees
and
the
drivers
enter
the
keyw
a
y
(see
section
9.11).
Section
9.11
also
explains
how
to
turn
the
plug
more
than
180
degrees
if
that
is
necessary
to
fully
retract
the
b olt.
When
the
plug
is
turned
in
the
correct
direction,
y
ou
should
feel
an
extra
resistance
when
the
plug
cam
engages
the
b
olt
spring.
The
direction
to
turn
the
plug
dep ends
on
the
b olt
mec
hanism,
not
on
the
lo
c
k,
but
here
are
some
general
rules.
Cheap
padlo cks
will
op en
if
the
plug
is
turned
in
either
direction,
so
you
can
chose
the
direction
which
is
b
est
for
the
torque
wrench.
All
padlo cks
made
by
the
Master
company
can
b e
op ened
in
either
direction.
P
adlo c
ks
made
b
y
Y
ale
will
only
op en
if
the
plug
is
turned
clo ckwise.
The
double
plug
Y
ale
cylinder
lo cks
generally
op en
b
y
turning
the
b ottom
of
the
keyw
a
y
(i.e.,
the
at
edge
of
the
key)
aw
a
y
from
the
nearest
do
orframe.
Single
plug
cylinder
lo
c
ks
also
follo
w
this
rule.
See
Figure
9.1.
Lo cks
built
into
the
do
orknob
usually
op
en
clo ckwise.
Desk
and
ling
cabinet
lo cks
also
tend
to
op en
clo
c
kwise.
When
you
encoun
ter
a
new
kind
of
lo ck
mec
hanism,
try
turning
the
plug
in
b oth
direc-
tions.
In
the
correct
direction,
the
plug
will
b e
stopp ed
by
the
pins,
so
the
stop
will
feel
mush
y
when
y
ou
use
heavy
torque.
In
the
wrong
direction
the
plug
will
b e
stopp ed
b
y
a
metal
tab,
so
the
stop
will
feel
solid.
27
Figure
9.1:
Direction
to
turn
plug
28
9.2
Ho
w
F
ar
to
T
urn
The
companion
question
to
which
w
a
y
to
turn
a
lo ck
is
how
far
to
turn
it.
Desk
and
ling
cabinet
lo cks
generally
op
en
with
less
than
a
quarter
turn
(90
degrees)
of
the
plug.
When
op ening
a
desk
lo
c
k
try
to
av
oid
having
the
plug
lo ck
in
the
op en
p osition.
Lo cks
built
in
to
do orknobs
also
tend
to
op en
with
less
than
a
quarter
turn.
Lo cks
whic
h
are
separate
from
the
do orknob
tend
to
require
a
half
turn
to
op en.
Deadb olt
lo ck
mechanisms
can
require
almost
a
full
turn
to
op
en.
T
urning
a
lo
c
k
more
than
180
degrees
is
a
dicult
b
ecause
the
driv
ers
enter
the
b
ottom
of
the
k
eyw
a
y
.
See
section
9.11.
9.3
Gra
vit
y
Picking
a
lo ck
that
has
the
springs
at
the
top
is
di eren
t
than
picking
one
with
the
springs
at
the
b ottom.
It
should
b e
obvious
how
to
tell
the
tw
o
apart.
The
nice
feature
of
a
lo
c
k
with
the
springs
at
the
b ottom
is
that
gravit
y
holds
the
k
ey
pins
down
once
they
set.
With
the
set
pins
out
of
the
wa
y
,
it
is
easy
to
nd
and
manipulate
the
remaining
unset
pins.
It
is
also
straight
forw
ard
to
test
for
the
slight
giv
e
of
a
correctly
set
pin.
When
the
springs
are
on
top,
gravit
y
will
pull
the
key
pins
down
after
the
driver
pin
catc
hes
at
the
sheer
line.
In
this
case,
you
can
identify
the
set
pins
b
y
noticing
that
the
key
pin
is
easy
to
lift
and
that
it
do es
not
feel
springy
.
Set
pins
also
rattle
as
you
draw
the
pick
ov
er
them
b
ecause
they
are
not
b
eing
pushed
down
by
the
driver
pin.
9.4
Pins
Not
Setting
If
you
scrub
a
lo ck
and
pins
are
not
setting
even
when
you
v
ary
the
torque,
then
some
pin
has
false
set
and
it
is
keeping
the
rest
of
the
pins
from
setting.
Consider
a
lo ck
whose
pins
prefer
to
set
from
back
to
front.
If
the
backmost
pin
false
sets
high
or
lo
w
(see
Figure
9.2),
then
the
plug
cannot
rotate
enough
to
allow
the
other
pins
to
bind.
It
is
hard
to
recognize
that
a
back
pin
has
false
set
b ecause
the
springiness
of
the
fron
t
pins
mak
es
it
hard
to
sense
the
small
give
of
a
correctly
set
back
pin.
The
main
symptom
of
this
situation
is
that
the
other
pins
will
not
set
unless
a
v
ery
large
torque
is
applied.
When
y
ou
encoun
ter
this
situation,
release
the
torque
and
start
ov
er
by
concentrating
on
the
bac
k
pins.
T
ry
a
light
torque
and
mo derate
pressure,
or
hea
vy
torque
and
heavy
pressure.
T
ry
to
feel
for
the
clic
k
that
happ ens
when
a
pin
reac
hes
the
sheer
line
and
the
plug
rotates
sligh
tly
.
The
click
will
b
e
easier
to
feel
if
y
ou
use
a
sti
torque
wrenc
h.
9.5
Elastic
Deformation
The
in
teresting
even
ts
of
lo ck
pic
king
happ en
ov
er
distances
measured
in
thousandths
of
an
inch.
Ov
er
such
short
distances,
metals
b ehav
e
like
springs.
V
ery
little
force
is
necessary
29
to
de ect
a
piece
metal
o
v
er
those
distances,
and
when
the
force
is
remo
v
ed,
the
metal
will
spring
back
to
its
original
p osition.
Deformation
can
b e
used
to
y
our
adv
an
tage
if
y
ou
w
an
t
to
force
several
pins
to
bind
at
once.
F
or
example,
picking
a
lo
c
k
with
pins
that
prefer
to
set
from
front
to
back
is
slow
b ecause
the
pins
set
one
at
a
time.
This
is
particularly
true
if
you
only
apply
pressure
as
the
pick
is
drawn
out
of
the
lo ck.
Each
pass
of
the
pick
will
only
set
the
frontmost
pin
that
is
binding.
Numerous
passes
are
required
to
set
all
the
pins.
If
the
preference
for
setting
is
not
very
strong
(i.e.,
the
axis
of
the
plug
holes
is
only
slightly
skew
ed
from
the
plug's
center
line),
then
you
can
cause
additional
pins
to
bind
by
applying
extra
torque.
Basically
,
the
torque
puts
a
twist
in
the
plug
that
causes
the
front
of
the
plug
to
b e
de ected
further
than
the
bac
k
of
the
plug.
With
light
torque,
the
back
of
the
plug
sta
ys
in
its
initial
p
osition,
but
with
medium
to
heavy
torque,
the
front
pin
columns
b
end
enough
to
allow
the
back
of
the
plug
to
rotate
and
th
us
cause
the
bac
k
pins
to
bind.
With
the
extra
torque,
a
single
strok
e
of
the
pick
can
set
several
pins,
and
the
lo ck
can
b e
op
ened
quic
kly
.
T
o o
m
uc
h
torque
causes
its
own
problems.
When
the
torque
is
large,
the
fron
t
pins
and
plug
holes
can
b e
deformed
enough
to
preven
t
the
pins
from
setting
correctly
.
In
particular,
the
rst
pin
tends
to
false
set
lo
w.
Figure
9.2
shows
ho
w
excess
torque
can
deform
the
b ottom
of
the
driv
er
pin
and
preven
t
the
key
pin
from
reac
hing
the
sheer
line.
This
situation
can
b
e
recognized
by
the
lack
of
give
in
the
rst
pin.
Correctly
set
pins
feel
springy
if
they
are
pressed
do
wn
sligh
tly
.
A
falsely
set
pin
lacks
this
springiness.
The
solution
is
to
press
down
hard
on
the
rst
pin.
Y
ou
may
w
an
t
to
reduce
the
torque
sligh
tly
,
but
if
you
reduce
torque
to
o
muc
h
then
other
pins
will
unset
as
the
rst
pin
is
b eing
depressed.
It
is
also
p
ossible
to
deform
the
top
of
the
key
pin.
The
key
pin
is
scissored
b
et
w
een
the
plug
and
the
h
ull
and
stays
xed.
When
this
happ ens,
the
pin
is
said
to
b e
false
set
high.
9.6
Lo
ose
Plug
The
plug
is
held
into
the
hull
by
b eing
wider
at
the
front
and
b
y
ha
ving
a
cam
on
the
back
that
is
bigger
than
the
hole
drilled
in
to
the
h
ull.
If
the
cam
is
not
prop
erly
installed,
the
plug
can
mov
e
in
and
out
of
the
lo ck
sligh
tly
.
On
the
outw
ard
stroke
of
the
pic
k,
the
plug
will
mov
e
forw
ard,
and
if
y
ou
apply
pressure
on
the
inw
ard
stroke,
the
plug
will
b e
pushed
back.
The
problem
with
a
lo ose
plug
is
that
the
driver
pins
tend
to
set
on
the
bac
k
of
the
plug
holes
rather
than
on
the
sides
of
the
holes.
When
you
push
the
plug
in,
the
drivers
will
unset.
Y
ou
can
use
this
defect
to
y
our
adv
an
tage
b
y
only
applying
pressure
on
the
outw
ard
or
inw
ard
strok
e
of
the
pick.
Alternatively
,
you
can
use
your
nger
or
torque
wrenc
h
to
preven
t
the
plug
from
moving
forward.
30
Figure
9.2:
Driver
pin
false
set
b
y
elastic
deformation
31
9.7
Pin
Diameter
When
the
pair
of
pins
in
a
particular
column
hav
e
di erent
diameters,
that
column
will
react
strangely
to
the
pressure
of
the
pic
k.
The
top
half
of
Figure
9.3
shows
a
pin
column
with
a
driv
er
pin
that
has
a
larger
diameter
than
the
key
pin.
As
the
pins
are
lifted,
the
picking
pressure
is
resisted
by
the
binding
friction
and
the
spring
force.
Once
the
driv
er
clears
the
sheer
line,
the
plug
rotates
(until
some
other
pin
binds)
and
the
only
resistance
to
motion
is
the
spring
force.
If
the
k
ey
pin
is
small
enough
and
the
plug
did
not
rotate
very
far,
the
k
ey
pin
can
en
ter
the
h
ull
without
colliding
with
the
edge
of
the
hull.
Some
other
pin
is
binding,
so
again
the
only
resistance
to
motion
is
the
spring
force.
This
relationship
is
graphed
in
the
b ottom
half
of
the
Figure.
Basically
,
the
pins
feel
normal
at
rst,
but
then
the
lo ck
clicks
and
the
pin
b ecomes
springy
.
The
narro
w
key
pin
can
b e
pushed
all
the
wa
y
into
the
hull
without
lo osing
its
springiness,
but
when
the
picking
pressure
is
released,
the
key
pin
will
fall
back
to
its
initial
p osition
while
the
large
driver
catches
on
the
edge
of
the
plug
hole.
The
problem
with
a
large
driver
pin
is
that
the
key
pin
tends
to
get
stuc
k
in
the
hull
when
some
other
pin
sets.
Imagine
that
a
neighboring
pin
sets
and
the
plug
rotates
enough
to
bind
the
narro
w
key
pin.
If
the
pic
k
was
pressing
do
wn
on
the
narrow
k
ey
pin
at
the
same
time
as
it
w
as
pressing
do
wn
on
the
pin
that
set,
then
the
narrow
k
ey
pin
will
b e
in
the
h
ull
and
it
will
get
stuck
there
when
the
plug
rotates.
The
b
eha
vior
of
a
large
key
pin
is
left
as
an
exercise
for
the
reader.
9.8
Bev
eled
Holes
and
Rounded
pins
Some
lo ck
manufacturers
(e.g.,
Y
ale)
b
ev
el
the
edges
of
the
plug
holes
and/or
round
o
the
ends
of
the
key
pins.
This
tends
to
reduce
the
wear
on
the
lo
c
k
and
it
can
b
oth
help
and
hinder
lo ck
pic
king.
Y
ou
can
recognize
a
lo ck
with
these
features
b
y
the
large
giv
e
in
set
pins.
See
Figure
9.4.
That
is,
the
distance
b etw
een
the
height
at
which
the
driv
er
pin
catches
on
the
edge
of
the
plug
hole
and
the
heigh
t
at
whic
h
the
k
ey
pin
hits
the
hull
is
larger
(sometimes
as
large
as
a
sixteenth
of
an
inch)
when
the
plug
holes
are
b
ev
eled
or
the
pins
are
rounded.
While
the
k
ey
pin
is
moving
b etw
een
those
tw
o
heigh
ts,
the
only
resistance
to
motion
will
b
e
the
force
of
the
spring.
There
won't
b e
any
binding
friction.
This
corresp
onds
to
the
dip
in
the
force
graph
sho
wn
in
Figure
5.5.
A
lo ck
with
b eveled
plug
holes
requires
more
scrubbing
to
op en
than
a
lo ck
without
b eveled
holes
b ecause
the
driver
pins
set
on
the
b evel
instead
of
setting
on
the
top
of
the
plug.
The
plug
will
not
turn
if
one
of
the
driv
ers
is
caugh
t
on
a
b
ev
el.
The
k
ey
pin
m
ust
b e
scrubb
ed
again
to
push
the
driv
er
pin
up
and
o
the
b
ev
el.
The
left
driver
pin
in
Figure
9.6a
is
set.
The
driver
is
resting
on
the
b
ev
el,
and
the
b ottom
plate
has
mov
ed
enough
to
allow
the
right
driver
to
bind.
Figure
9.6b
sho
ws
what
happ ens
after
the
righ
t
driv
er
pin
sets.
The
b
ottom
plate
slides
further
to
the
right
and
now
the
left
driv
er
pin
is
scissored
b etw
een
the
b
ev
el
and
the
top
plate.
It
is
caught
on
the
b evel.
T
o
op en
the
lo ck,
the
left
driver
pin
must
b e
pushed
up
ab
o
v
e
the
b
ev
el.
Once
that
driver
is
free,
the
b
ottom
plate
32
Figure
9.3:
Driv
er
pin
wider
than
key
pin
33
Figure
9.4:
Bev
eled
plug
holes
and
rounded
k
ey
pins
can
slide
and
the
right
driver
ma
y
bind
on
its
b evel.
If
y
ou
encounter
a
lo ck
with
b eveled
plug
holes,
and
all
the
pins
app ear
to
b e
set
but
the
lo ck
is
not
op ening,
y
ou
should
reduce
torque
and
con
tin
ue
scrubbing
ov
er
the
pins.
The
reduced
torque
will
mak
e
it
easier
to
push
the
drivers
o
the
b evels.
If
pins
unset
when
you
reduce
the
torque,
try
increasing
the
torque
and
the
picking
pressure.
The
problem
with
increasing
the
force
is
that
you
may
jam
some
k
ey
pins
in
to
the
hull.
9.9
Mushro
om
Driv
er
Pins
A
general
trick
that
lo ck
makers
use
to
make
picking
harder
is
to
mo dify
the
shap
e
of
the
driver
pin.
The
most
p
opular
shap es
are
m
ushro om,
sp
o ol
and
serrated,
see
Figure
9.7.
The
purp ose
of
these
shap es
is
to
cause
the
pins
to
false
set
low.
These
drivers
stop
a
picking
technique
called
vibration
pic
king
(see
section
9.12),
but
they
only
sligh
tly
complicate
scrubbing
and
one-pin-at-a-time
pic
king
(see
chapter
4).
If
you
pick
a
lo ck
and
the
plug
stops
turning
after
a
few
degrees
and
none
of
the
pins
34
Figure
9.5:
(a)
Driver
sets
on
b evel
Figure
9.6:
(b)
Driver
jams
on
b
ev
el
35
can
b
e
pushed
up
any
further,
then
you
known
that
the
lo
c
k
has
mo
di ed
drivers.
Basically
,
the
lip
of
the
driver
has
caugh
t
at
the
sheer
line.
See
the
b ottom
of
Figure
9.7.
Mushro
om
and
sp o ol
drivers
are
often
found
in
Russwin
lo cks,
and
lo cks
that
ha
v
e
sev
eral
spacers
for
master
keying.
Y
ou
can
iden
tify
the
p ositions
with
m
ushro om
driv
ers
by
applying
a
light
torque
and
pushing
up
on
each
pin.
The
pins
with
mushroom
drivers
will
exhibit
a
tendency
to
bring
the
plug
back
to
the
fully
lo ck
ed
p
osition.
By
pushing
the
k
ey
pin
up
you
are
pushing
the
at
top
of
the
k
ey
pin
against
the
tilted
b ottom
of
the
mushroom
driver.
This
causes
the
driver
to
straighten
up
which
in
turn
causes
the
plug
to
unrotate.
Y
ou
can
use
this
motion
to
iden
tify
the
columns
that
ha
v
e
m
ushro om
driv
ers.
Push
those
pins
up
to
sheer
line;
ev
en
if
y
ou
lose
some
of
the
other
pins
in
the
pro cess
they
will
b e
easier
to
re-pick
than
the
pins
with
mushroom
driv
ers.
Ev
en
tually
all
the
pins
will
b
e
correctly
set
at
the
sheer
line.
One
w
a
y
to
identify
all
the
p
ositions
with
mushroom
drivers
is
to
use
the
at
of
your
pick
to
push
all
the
pins
up
ab out
halfw
a
y
.
This
should
put
most
of
the
driv
ers
in
their
co
c
k
able
p osition
and
you
can
feel
for
them.
T
o
pick
a
lo ck
with
mo
di ed
driv
ers,
use
a
lighter
torque
and
heavier
pressure.
Y
ou
w
an
t
to
error
on
the
side
of
pushing
the
key
pins
to o
far
in
to
the
hull.
In
fact,
another
w
a
y
to
pick
these
lo cks
is
to
use
the
at
side
of
y
our
pic
k
to
push
the
pins
up
all
the
wa
y
,
and
apply
very
hea
vy
torque
to
hold
them
there.
Use
a
scrubbing
action
to
vibrate
the
k
ey
pins
while
you
slowly
reduce
the
torque.
Reducing
the
torque
reduces
the
binding
friction
on
the
pins.
The
vibration
and
spring
force
cause
the
k
ey
pins
to
slide
down
to
the
sheer
line.
The
key
to
picking
lo cks
with
mo
di ed
drivers
is
recognizing
incorrectly
set
pins.
A
mushroom
driver
set
on
its
lip
will
not
ha
v
e
the
springy
giv
e
of
a
correctly
set
driver.
Practice
recognizing
the
di erence.
9.10
Master
Keys
Many
applications
require
keys
that
op
en
only
a
single
lo
c
k
and
k
eys
that
op en
a
group
of
lo cks.
The
k
eys
that
op en
a
single
lo
c
k
are
called
change
keys
and
the
keys
that
op en
multiple
lo cks
are
called
master
keys.
T
o
allow
b
oth
the
change
key
and
the
master
key
to
op en
the
same
lo ck,
a
lo
c
ksmith
adds
an
extra
pin
called
a
sp
ac
er
to
some
of
the
pin
columns.
See
Figure
9.8.
The
e ect
of
the
spacer
is
to
create
tw
o
gaps
in
the
pin
column
that
could
b e
lined
up
with
the
sheer
line.
Usually
the
c
hange
key
aligns
the
top
of
the
spacer
with
the
sheer
line,
and
the
master
key
aligns
the
b ottom
of
the
spacer
with
the
sheer
line
(the
idea
is
to
prev
en
t
p eople
from
ling
down
a
change
key
to
get
a
master
key).
In
either
case
the
plug
is
free
to
rotate.
In
general,
spacers
make
a
lo
c
k
easier
to
pic
k.
They
increase
the
n
um
ber
of
opp ortunities
to
set
each
pin,
and
they
make
it
more
lik
ely
that
the
lo ck
can
op
ened
by
setting
the
all
the
pins
at
ab out
the
same
height.
In
most
cases
only
t
w
o
or
three
p ositions
will
hav
e
spacers.
Y
ou
can
recognize
a
p osition
with
a
spacer
by
the
t
w
o
clic
ks
you
feel
when
the
pin
is
pushed
down.
If
the
spacer
has
a
smaller
diameter
than
the
driver
and
key
pins,
then
y
ou
will
feel
a
wide
springy
region
b ecause
the
spacer
will
not
bind
as
it
passes
through
the
sheer
line.
It
is
36
Figure
9.7:
Mushro om,
sp
o ol,
and
serrated
driver
pins
37
Figure
9.8:
Spacer
pins
for
master
keying
more
common
for
the
spacer
to
b e
larger
than
the
driver
pin.
Y
ou
can
recognize
this
by
an
increase
in
friction
when
the
spacer
passes
through
the
sheer
line.
Since
the
spacer
is
larger
than
the
driv
er
pin,
it
will
also
catch
b
etter
on
the
plug.
If
y
ou
push
the
spacer
further
into
the
hull,
you
will
feel
a
strong
click
when
the
b ottom
of
the
spacer
clears
the
sheer
line.
Thin
spacers
can
cause
serious
problems.
If
y
ou
apply
hea
vy
torque
and
the
plug
has
b eveled
holes,
the
spacer
can
twist
and
jam
at
the
sheer
line.
It
is
also
p ossible
for
the
spacer
to
fall
into
the
k
eyw
a
y
if
the
plug
is
rotated
180
degrees.
See
section
9.11
for
the
solution
to
this
problem.
9.11
Driv
er
or
Spacer
En
ters
Keyw
a
y
Figure
9.9
sho
ws
how
a
spacer
or
driv
er
pin
can
enter
the
keyw
a
y
when
the
plug
is
rotated
180
degrees.
Y
ou
can
prev
en
t
this
b
y
placing
the
at
side
of
your
pick
in
the
b ottom
of
the
keyw
a
y
b
efore
y
ou
turn
the
plug
to
o
far.
If
a
spacer
or
driv
er
do
es
en
ter
the
k
eyw
a
y
and
preven
t
you
from
turning
the
plug,
use
the
at
side
of
you
pic
k
to
push
the
spacer
bac
k
into
38
Figure
9.9:
Spacer
or
driver
can
en
ter
keyw
a
y
the
hull.
Y
ou
ma
y
need
to
use
the
torque
wrench
to
reliev
e
an
y
sheer
force
that
is
binding
the
spacer
or
driver.
If
that
do esn't
work
try
raking
o
v
er
the
driv
ers
with
the
p ointed
side
of
y
our
pick.
If
a
spacer
falls
in
to
the
k
eyw
a
y
completely
,
the
only
option
is
to
remov
e
it.
A
ho ok
shap ed
piece
of
spring
steel
works
well
for
this,
though
a
b ent
pap erclip
will
work
just
as
well
unless
the
spacer
b ecomes
w
edged.
9.12
Vibration
Pic
king
Vibration
picking
works
by
creating
a
large
gap
b etw
een
the
key
and
driv
er
pins.
The
underlying
principle
is
familiar
to
any
one
who
has
pla
y
ed
p
o ol.
When
the
queue
ball
strikes
another
ball
squarely
,
the
queue
ball
stops
and
the
other
ball
heads
o
with
the
same
sp
eed
and
direction
as
the
queue
ball.
Now
imagine
a
device
that
kicks
the
tips
of
all
the
key
pins.
The
key
pins
would
transfer
their
momentum
to
the
driver
pins
whic
h
w
ould
y
up
into
the
hull.
If
y
ou
are
applying
a
ligh
t
torque
when
this
happ ens,
the
plug
will
rotate
when
all
the
39
drivers
are
ab
o
v
e
the
sheer
line.
9.13
Disk
T
um
blers
The
inexp ensive
lo
c
ks
found
on
desks
use
metal
disks
instead
of
pins.
Figure
9.10
shows
the
basic
workings
of
these
lo cks.
The
disks
ha
v
e
the
same
outline
but
di er
in
the
placemen
t
of
the
rectangular
cut.
These
lo cks
are
easy
to
pick
with
the
right
to ols.
Because
the
disks
are
placed
close
together
a
half-round
pick
works
b etter
than
a
half-diamond
pick
(see
Figure
A.1).
Y
ou
ma
y
also
need
a
torque
wrench
with
a
narrow
er
head.
Use
mo derate
to
hea
vy
torque.
40
Figure
9.10:
W
orkings
of
a
disk
tumbler
lo ck
41
Chapter
10
Final
Remarks
Lo ck
picking
is
a
craft,
not
a
science.
This
do cument
presents
the
knowledge
and
skills
that
are
essen
tial
to
lo
c
k
picking,
but
more
imp ortantly
it
provides
y
ou
with
mo
dels
and
exercises
that
will
help
y
ou
study
lo
c
ks
on
y
our
o
wn.
T
o
excel
at
lo
c
k
picking,
you
m
ust
practice
and
develop
a
style
which
ts
you
p ersonally
.
Remem
b er
that
the
b est
technique
is
the
one
that
works
b est
for
y
ou.
42
App
endix
A
T
o
ols
This
app
endix
describ es
the
design
and
construction
of
lo ck
picking
to ols.
A.1
Pic
k
Shap
es
Picks
come
in
sev
eral
shap es
and
sizes.
Figure
A.1
shows
the
most
common
shap
es.
The
handle
and
tang
of
a
pick
are
the
same
for
all
picks.
The
handle
m
ust
b e
comfortable
and
the
tang
m
ust
b
e
thin
enough
to
av
oid
bumping
pins
unnecessarily
.
If
the
tang
is
to o
thin,
then
it
will
act
lik
e
a
spring
and
y
ou
will
lo ose
the
feel
of
the
tip
in
teracting
with
the
pins.
The
shap e
of
the
tip
determines
how
easily
the
pick
passes
ov
er
the
pins
and
what
kind
of
feedback
you
get
from
each
pin.
The
design
of
a
tip
is
a
compromise
b etw
een
ease
of
insertion,
ease
of
withdra
w
al
and
feel
of
the
interaction.
The
half
diamond
tip
with
shallow
angles
is
easy
to
insert
and
remov
e,
so
you
can
apply
pressure
when
the
pick
is
moving
in
either
direction.
It
can
quickly
pic
k
a
lo ck
that
has
little
v
ariation
in
the
lengths
of
the
k
ey
pins.
If
the
lo ck
requires
a
k
ey
that
has
a
deep
cut
b etw
een
tw
o
shallow
cuts,
the
pick
may
not
b
e
able
to
push
the
middle
pin
down
far
enough.
The
half
diamond
pic
k
with
steep
angles
could
deal
with
such
a
lo ck,
and
in
general
steep
angles
give
you
b etter
feedback
ab
out
the
pins.
Unfortunately
,
the
steep
angles
make
it
harder
to
mov
e
the
pic
k
in
the
lo ck.
A
tip
that
has
a
shallo
w
fron
t
angle
and
a
steep
bac
k
angle
w
orks
w
ell
for
Y
ale
lo cks.
The
half
round
tip
works
well
in
disk
tumbler
lo cks.
See
section
9.13.
The
full
diamond
and
full
round
tips
are
useful
for
lo cks
that
hav
e
pins
at
the
top
and
b
ottom
of
the
keyw
a
y
.
The
rak
e
tip
is
designed
for
picking
pins
one
by
one.
It
can
also
b
e
used
to
rake
o
v
er
the
pins,
but
the
pressure
can
only
b e
applied
as
the
pick
is
withdra
wn.
The
rak
e
tip
allows
you
to
carefully
feel
each
pin
and
apply
v
arying
amoun
ts
of
pressure.
Some
rak
e
tips
are
at
or
den
ted
on
the
top
to
mak
es
it
easier
to
align
the
pick
on
the
pin.
The
primary
b
ene t
of
picking
pins
one
at
a
time
is
that
you
av
oid
scratching
the
pins.
Scrubbing
scratches
the
tips
of
the
pins
and
the
keyw
a
y
,
and
it
spreads
metal
dust
throughout
the
lo
c
k.
If
you
w
an
t
to
av
oid
lea
ving
traces,
you
must
a
v
oid
scrubbing.
The
snak
e
tip
can
b
e
used
for
scrubbing
or
pic
king.
When
scrubbing,
the
multiple
bumps
43
generate
more
action
than
a
regular
pick.
The
snak
e
tip
is
particularly
go o
d
at
op ening
ve
pin
household
lo cks.
When
a
snake
tip
is
used
for
picking,
it
can
set
t
w
o
or
three
pins
at
once.
Basically
,
the
snake
pick
acts
like
a
segmen
t
of
a
key
whic
h
can
b
e
adjusted
by
lifting
and
low
ering
the
tip,
by
tilting
it
bac
k
and
forth,
and
by
using
either
to
top
or
b ottom
of
the
tip.
Y
ou
should
use
mo
derate
to
heavy
torque
with
a
snake
pick
to
allow
several
pins
to
bind
at
the
same
time.
This
style
of
pic
king
is
faster
than
using
a
rake
and
it
leav
es
as
little
evidence.
A.2
Street
cleaner
bristles
The
spring
steel
bristles
used
on
street
cleaners
make
excellent
to ols
for
lo ck
picking.
The
bristles
hav
e
the
right
thickness
and
width,
and
they
are
easy
to
grind
into
the
desired
shap e.
The
resulting
to ols
are
springy
and
strong.
Section
A.3
describ es
how
to
make
to
ols
that
are
less
springy
.
The
rst
step
in
making
to
ols
is
to
sand
o
any
rust
on
the
bristles.
Course
grit
sand
pap er
works
ne
as
do es
a
steel
wool
cleaning
pad
(not
copp er
wool).
If
the
edges
or
tip
of
the
bristle
are
w
orn
do
wn,
use
a
le
to
mak
e
them
square.
A
torque
wrench
has
a
head
and
a
handle
as
shown
in
gure
A.2.
The
head
is
usually
1/2
to
3/4
of
an
inch
long
and
the
handle
v
aries
from
2
to
4
inc
hes
long.
The
head
and
the
handle
are
separated
by
a
b
end
that
is
ab
out
80
degrees.
The
head
m
ust
b
e
long
enough
to
reac
h
o
v
er
an
y
protrusions
(such
as
a
grip-pro of
collar)
and
rmly
engage
the
plug.
A
long
handle
allo
ws
delicate
control
o
v
er
the
torque,
but
if
it
is
to o
long,
it
will
bump
against
the
do orframe.
The
handle,
head
and
b end
angle
can
b e
made
quite
small
if
you
wan
t
to
make
to ols
that
are
easy
to
conceal
(e.g.,
in
a
p
en,
ashlight,
or
b elt
buckle).
Some
torque
wrenches
ha
v
e
a
90
degree
twist
in
the
handle.
The
twist
makes
it
easy
to
con
trol
the
torque
by
controlling
ho
w
far
the
handle
has
b een
de ected
from
its
rest
p osition.
The
handle
acts
as
a
spring
which
sets
the
torque.
The
disadv
an
tage
of
this
metho
d
of
setting
the
torque
is
that
y
ou
get
less
feedback
ab out
the
rotation
of
the
plug.
T
o
pick
dicult
lo
c
ks
you
will
need
to
learn
ho
w
to
apply
a
steady
torque
via
a
sti
handled
torque
wrench.
The
width
of
the
head
of
a
torque
wrench
determines
ho
w
well
it
will
t
the
keyw
a
y
.
Lo cks
with
narro
w
keyw
a
ys
(e.g.,
desk
lo cks)
need
torque
wrenches
with
narrow
heads.
Before
b ending
the
bristle,
le
the
head
to
the
desired
width.
A
general
purp
ose
wrench
can
b e
made
b
y
narrowing
the
tip
(ab out
1/4
inc
h)
of
the
head.
The
tip
ts
small
k
eyw
a
ys
while
the
rest
of
the
head
is
wide
enough
to
grab
a
normal
keyw
a
y
.
The
hard
part
of
making
a
torque
wrenc
h
is
b
ending
the
bristle
without
cracking
it.
T
o
make
the
90
degree
handle
twist,
clamp
the
head
of
the
bristle
(ab out
one
inch)
in
a
vise
and
use
pliers
to
grasp
the
bristle
ab
out
3/8
of
an
inc
h
ab ov
e
the
vise.
Y
ou
can
use
another
pair
of
pliers
instead
of
a
vise.
Apply
a
45
degree
t
wist.
T
ry
to
keep
the
axis
of
the
twist
lined
up
with
the
axis
of
the
bristle.
No
w
mo
v
e
the
pliers
back
another
3/8
inc
h
and
apply
the
remaining
45
degrees.
Y
ou
will
need
to
t
wist
the
bristle
more
than
90
degrees
in
order
to
set
a
p ermanent
90
degree
t
wist.
T
o
make
the
80
degree
head
b end,
lift
the
bristle
out
of
the
vise
b
y
ab out
1/4
inch
(so
44
Figure
A.1:
Selection
of
pick
shap
es
45
3/4
inc
h
is
still
in
the
vise).
Place
the
shank
of
a
screw
driver
against
the
bristle
and
b end
the
spring
steel
around
it
ab out
90
degrees.
This
should
set
a
p ermanent
80
degree
b end
in
the
metal.
T
ry
to
keep
the
axis
of
the
b end
p erp
endicular
to
the
handle.
The
screwdriver
shank
ensures
that
the
radius
of
curv
ature
will
not
b e
to
o
small.
An
y
rounded
ob
ject
will
work
(e.g.,
drill
bit,
needle
nose
pliers,
or
a
p
en
cap).
If
y
ou
hav
e
trouble
with
this
metho
d,
try
grasping
the
bristle
with
tw
o
pliers
separated
by
ab out
1/2
inc
h
and
b
end.
This
metho d
pro duces
a
gentle
curv
e
that
won't
break
the
bristle.
A
grinding
wheel
will
greatly
sp eed
the
job
of
making
a
pick.
It
takes
a
bit
of
practice
to
learn
ho
w
mak
e
smo oth
cuts
with
a
grinding
wheel,
but
it
tak
es
less
time
to
practice
and
make
tw
o
or
three
picks
than
it
do
es
to
hand
le
a
single
pick.
The
rst
step
is
to
cut
the
front
angle
of
the
pick.
Use
the
fron
t
of
the
wheel
to
do
this.
Hold
the
bristle
at
45
degrees
to
the
wheel
and
mo
v
e
the
bristle
side
to
side
as
you
grind
a
w
a
y
the
metal.
Grind
slo
wly
to
a
v
oid
ov
erheating
the
metal,
which
mak
es
it
brittle.
If
the
metal
changes
color
(to
dark
blue),
you
hav
e
ov
erheated
it,
and
you
should
grind
aw
a
y
the
colored
p ortion.
Next,
cut
the
back
angle
of
the
tip
using
the
corner
of
the
wheel.
Usually
one
corner
is
sharp
er
than
the
other,
and
you
should
use
that
one.
Hold
the
pic
k
at
the
desired
angle
and
slowly
push
it
into
the
corner
of
the
wheel.
The
side
of
the
stone
should
cut
the
back
angle.
Be
sure
that
the
tip
of
the
pick
is
supp
orted.
If
the
grinding
wheel
stage
is
not
close
enough
to
the
wheel
to
supp
ort
the
tip,
use
needle
nose
pliers
to
hold
the
tip.
The
cut
should
should
pass
though
ab out
2/3
of
the
width
of
the
bristle.
If
the
tip
came
out
w
ell,
contin
ue.
Otherwise
break
it
o
and
try
again.
Y
ou
can
break
the
bristle
by
clamping
it
into
a
vise
and
b ending
it
sharply
.
The
corner
of
the
wheel
is
also
used
to
grind
the
tang
of
the
pick.
Put
a
scratc
h
mark
to
indicate
how
far
back
the
tang
should
go.
The
tang
should
b e
long
enough
to
allo
w
the
tip
to
pass
ov
er
the
back
pin
of
a
seven
pin
lo ck.
Cut
the
tang
by
making
several
smo
oth
passes
o
v
er
the
corner.
Each
pass
starts
at
the
tip
and
mov
es
to
the
scratch
mark.
T
ry
to
remov
e
less
than
a
1/16th
of
an
inc
h
of
metal
with
each
pass.
I
use
tw
o
ngers
to
hold
the
bristle
on
the
stage
at
the
prop er
angle
while
my
other
hand
pushes
the
handle
of
the
pic
k
to
mov
e
the
tang
along
the
corner.
Use
whatev
er
tec
hnique
w
orks
b
est
for
you.
Use
a
hand
le
to
nish
the
pick.
It
should
feel
smo oth
if
y
ou
run
a
nger
nail
ov
er
it.
Any
roughness
will
add
noise
to
the
feedback
you
wan
t
to
get
from
the
lo ck.
The
outer
sheath
of
phone
cable
can
b e
used
as
a
handle
for
the
pick.
Remo
v
e
three
or
four
of
the
wires
from
a
length
of
cable
and
push
it
ov
er
the
pick.
If
the
sheath
w
on't
sta
y
in
place,
y
ou
can
put
some
ep
o
xy
on
the
handle
b
efore
pushing
the
sheath
o
v
er
it.
A.3
Bicycle
sp
ok
es
An
alternative
to
making
to
ols
out
of
street
cleaner
bristles
is
to
make
them
out
of
nails
and
bicycle
sp
ok
es.
These
materials
are
easily
accessible
and
when
they
are
heat
treated,
they
will
b
e
stronger
than
to
ols
made
from
bristles.
A
strong
torque
wrench
can
b
e
constructed
from
an
8-p
enn
y
nail
(ab out
.1
inc
h
diameter).
First
heat
up
the
p oint
with
a
propane
torc
h
until
it
glows
red,
slo
wly
remo
v
e
it
from
the
46
Figure
A.2:
T
orque
wrenches
ame,
and
let
it
air
co ol;
this
softens
it.
The
burner
of
a
gas
sto
v
e
can
b
e
used
instead
of
a
torch.
Grind
it
down
into
the
shap e
of
a
skinny
screwdriver
blade
and
b
end
it
to
ab out
80
degrees.
The
b
end
should
b e
less
than
a
right
angle
b ecause
some
lo
c
k
faces
are
recessed
b ehind
a
plate
(called
an
escutche
on)
and
you
wan
t
the
head
of
the
wrenc
h
to
b e
able
to
reach
ab out
half
an
inch
into
the
plug.
T
emper
(harden)
the
torque
wrench
by
heating
to
bright
orange
and
dunking
it
into
ice
water.
Y
ou
will
wind
up
with
a
virtually
indestructible
b ent
screwdriver
that
will
last
for
years
under
brutal
use.
Bicycle
sp okes
make
excellent
picks.
Bend
one
to
the
shap e
you
w
an
t
and
le
the
sides
of
the
business
end
at
suc
h
that
it's
strong
in
the
vertical
and
exy
in
the
horizontal
direction.
T
ry
a
righ
t-angle
h
unk
ab out
an
inch
long
for
a
handle.
F
or
smaller
picks,
which
you
need
for
those
really
tin
y
keyw
a
ys,
nd
any
large-diameter
spring
and
unbend
it.
If
y
ou're
careful
you
don't
hav
e
to
play
any
metallurgical
games.
A.4
Bric
k
Strap
F
or
p erfectly
serviceable
key
blanks
that
you
can't
otherwise
nd
at
the
store,
use
the
metal
strap
they
wrap
around
bric
ks
for
shipping.
It's
wonderfully
handy
stu
for
just
ab
out
anything
y
ou
wan
t
to
manufacture.
T
o
get
around
side
w
ards
in
the
keyw
a
y
,
you
can
b end
the
strap
lengthwise
b
y
clamping
it
in
a
vice
and
tapping
on
the
protruding
part
to
b end
the
piece
to
the
required
angle.
Brick
strap
is
very
hard.
It
can
ruin
a
grinding
wheel
or
key
cutting
mac
hine.
A
hand
le
is
the
recommended
to ol
for
milling
brick
strap.
47
App
endix
B
Legal
Issues
Contrary
to
widespread
m
yth,
it
is
not
a
felony
to
p ossess
lo
c
kpic
ks.
Each
state
has
its
own
laws
with
resp ect
to
such
burglarious
instruments.
Here
is
the
Massach
usetts
version
quoted
in
entiret
y
from
the
massach
usetts
general
co de:
Chapter
266
(crimes
against
prop
ert
y)
Section
49.
Burglarious
instruments;
making;
p ossession;
use.
Who ever
mak
es
or
mends,
or
b egins
to
mak
e
or
mend,
or
kno
wingly
has
in
his
p ossession,
an
engine,
machine,
to ol
or
implement
adapted
and
designed
for
cutting
through,
forcing
or
breaking
op
en
a
building,
ro
om,
v
ault,
safe
or
other
dep ository
,
IN
ORDER
TO
STEAL
THEREFROM
money
or
other
prop erty
,
or
to
commit
an
y
other
crime,
knowing
the
same
to
b e
adapted
and
designed
for
the
purp ose
aforesaid,
WITH
INTENT
TO
USE
OR
EMPLO
Y
OR
ALLO
W
the
same
to
b e
used
or
employ
ed
for
such
purp ose,
or
who ever
kno
wingly
has
in
his
p ossession
a
master
key
designed
to
t
more
than
one
motor
vehicle,
WITH
INTENT,
TO
USE
OR
EMPLOY
THE
SAME
to
steal
a
motor
v
ehicle
or
other
prop erty
therefrom,
shall
b e
punished
by
imprisonment
in
the
state
prison
for
not
more
than
ten
y
ears
or
by
a
ne
of
not
more
than
one
thousand
dollars
and
imprisonment
in
jail
for
not
more
than
tw
o
and
one
half
y
ears.
Emphasis
added.
In
other
w
ords,
mere
p ossession
means
nothing.
If
they
stop
you
for
sp eeding
or
some-
thing,
and
nd
a
pick
set,
they
can't
do
m
uc
h.
On
the
other
hand,
if
they
catc
h
you
picking
the
lo
c
k
on
a
Monec
machine
they
get
to
draw
and
quarter
you.
States
with
similar
wording
include
ME,
NH,
NY.
One
place
that
DOES
NOT
ha
v
e
similar
wording,
and
do es
mak
e
p
ossession
illegal,
is
W
ashington,
DC.
These
are
the
only
other
places
I
ha
v
e
chec
k
ed.
I
would
imagine
that
most
states
are
similar
to
Massach
usetts,
but
I
w
ould
not
b et
anything
substantial
(say
,
more
than
a
slice
of
pizza)
on
it.
It
may
b e
a
go o
d
idea
to
carry
around
a
xeroxed
cop
y
of
the
appropriate
page
from
your
state's
criminal
co de.
48