How To Pick A Lock

How many times has it happened that you had to spend the night at your friend's house, because you forgot to take the key and it was too late at night to get a locksmith? Or was it that you lost the key to your bike lock and had to hitch a ride or hire a cab? In all these cases, one thing was common. Sooner or later, you had to part with cash, to pay the locksmith. Next time, you get stuck in such a situation and are about to call the locksmith, just wait. You can pick the lock yourself also. Yes, you read that right. You can pick a lock, provided you have an idea about the whole process. It is not too difficult and can be mastered with practice. In order to help you in picking locks, we have provided a number of tips in the lines below. Practice them well and become a master.

How To Pick A Lock

First of all, you need to understand how the lock works. This would make it easier for you to pick it.
Scrape the side wall of the lock, while trying to make sure that you click or unlock the pins in it.
Get a pick and tension wrench. The tension wrench has to be placed into the lower portion of the keyhole.
Turn the tension wrench the way you turn the key to open the lock. If you don't know the way you need to turn the wrench, turn it both ways - first clockwise and then counterclockwise.
You will feel the cylinder in the lock moving hardly a fraction of an inch, before it stops. Try to feel the firmness of the stop.
If you have moved the wrench the wrong way, the stop will feel very firm and stiff. Otherwise, there will be a bit more give.
Now is the time to apply light torque to the tension wrench, in the correct direction, and hold. This will require some trial and error.
Push the pick inside the upper part of the keyhole. Press it up and feel the individual pins with its tip. As you push up the pins and then release the pressure, you should be able to feel them spring back down.
Take the most stubborn pin out of all and, while still applying torque, lightly press up on each pin, one at a time and push them all the way up.
If all the pins are easy to push, turn your tension wrench more and increase the torque.
If one of the pins comes across as too stubborn, ease the torque until you can push it up.
Now, push the stubborn pin till it “sets” and press enough to overcome the downward pressure of the spring.
When you hear a faint click and are able to push up the pin a little, with no resistance from the spring, it means that the upper pin is “set.”
While applying torque, increasing it or decreasing it, repeat the process with all the remaining pins.
Finally, with the help of the tension wrench, turn the cylinder and unlock the lock.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Home & Living'