Lock Picking Tutorial - Basics for Beginners

[einsteinian77]

Has anyone here done or know how? I'm looking for a brief tutorial on how to pick somewhat simple locks.

 

[brum]

How Lock Picking Works

from the site www.howstuffworks.com

it explains how to pick some of the simpler locks.

 

[tribdog]

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to know?
I learned how to pick locks also. It was one of the first things I ever looked up on the internet. I had seen a show on PBS about computers being invented and it mentioned that lock picking had a lot to do with it. I suspect there are basically three types of people who learn how to pick locks: thieves, locksmiths and the people like us(hopefully) the chronically curious.

I can't explain how as well as some of the guides you can find can show you, but here is some hints.

The most important part of the process isn't the picking part, it is the use of the tensioner(don't know if that's a real word) you have to put constant pressure on the lock while you are picking it, but too much or too little won't work. The actually amount varies, but it is probably less than you think.

Master locks are worthless, I can pick a Master lock in about 1/2sec.

an easy way to make tensioners is to walk down the street and pick up the metal brush bristles from street sweepers

WD40 is your friend

Don't pick locks of people bigger than you

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Learned it some time back, but for a reason, worked in a place that had lots of lockers and people who would forget/lose/misplace their keys...and they needed to get into them, NOW!, sooo...Oooops looook'y here, "it's open" now...

EDIT if you figure out, from that site, how it works, well, you might just realize that "The better the lock the easier the pickin" as precision in lock-making is facilitating to (easier) picking...at least a little bit, if you are good at it...

 

[brum]

Originally posted by tribdog
Master locks are worthless, I can pick a Master lock in about 1/2sec.

just curious -- how do you do it? with a stethoscope?


(you're talking about http://www.masterlock.com/cgi-bin/app_search.pl?layer=layer2&cat_id=B45&sub_cat_id=D1503 kind of lock, right?)

 

[Monique]

One time I was locked out of a running Chevy cavalier rental car.. the local security guard didn't want to help even though he was able to (liability matters) so we had to call a lock-guy.. waited two hours in a parking structure.. finally he shows up, walks to the door and immediately walks away and charges $20.. he opened it in a split second

 

[jimmy p]

easy way to get into a car...if you have a tennis ball and a knife... cut the tennis ball in half. Place half ball over lock and smack it hard. Lock pops. Voila.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Did cars, for a service station that I worked for, back when I was in my late teens, "Slim Jims" work better then 'tennis balls', that, or a 'Slide Hammer' from the Body shop, twist it in, slide the ...well lock out, but it busts the lock and the door, coat hangers used to work so well if you knew how...

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by jimmy p
easy way to get into a car...if you have a tennis ball and a knife... cut the tennis ball in half. Place half ball over lock and smack it hard. Lock pops. Voila.

Huh? I don't get it at all. How does this work? What do you smack it with? Why do you need the half tennis ball? Does this wreck the lock?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Nose Picking

On a related topic: nose picking. Has anyone here done or know how? I'm looking for a brief tutorial on how to pick somewhat simple noses.

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
On a related topic: nose picking. Has anyone here done or know how? I'm looking for a brief tutorial on how to pick somewhat simple noses.

I have only one thing to say about that:

You can pick your friends,
You can pick your hair,
You can pick you nose!
But YOU CAN'T PICK YOUR FRIEND'S HAIRY NOSE!

Don't go there, Zoob. You might lose a friend or two it you try it.

 

[Tsu]

WELL! Yer not going to believe this, but, just for Zooby, I googled 'nose-picking tutorial' and came up with this! Yer going to love it!
http://www.gamers.com/image/1386684/1341035/4/game

I also found something very interesting about chroot! If he ever throws you in jail, go to this site:
http://www.bpfh.net/simes/computing/chroot-break.html

I always wondered about his name...

 

[jimmy p]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Huh? I don't get it at all. How does this work? What do you smack it with? Why do you need the half tennis ball? Does this wreck the lock?

You smack the tennis ball with your fist. The half tennis ball traps the air inside, so when you smack it, the huge increase in pressure should force the lock to pop. I don't know perfectly how it works because i have never done it, but it is a common way of getting into cars.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Anyone ever try one of those round key ones? those ones are 'different'...little more of a challenge, I suppose...

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by jimmy p
You smack the tennis ball with your fist. The half tennis ball traps the air inside, so when you smack it, the huge increase in pressure should force the lock to pop. I don't know perfectly how it works because i have never done it, but it is a common way of getting into cars.

This is fascinating! Please give it a try for me next time you're at the pub and all the car owners are inside drunk. I'd like to know if you can actually do it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by Tsunami
WELL! Yer not going to believe this, but, just for Zooby, I googled 'nose-picking tutorial' and came up with this! Yer going to love it!

Thanks, Tsunami! That little finger technique might just work. My guess is that it must have been pioneered by Dr. Evil.

I won't be picking any friends noses. My house guest, Mean Mr. Mustard, is rumored to keep a ten bob note up there.

I also found something very interesting about chroot!
I always wondered about his name...

What I'm wondering is how a search for nose picking lead you to search "Chroot"?

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
What I'm wondering is how a search for nose picking lead you to search "Chroot"?

*doesn't say a word*

 

[chroot]

Hey, everyone should have a hobby.

- Warren

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
What I'm wondering is how a search for nose picking lead you to search "Chroot"?

Originally posted by chroot

Hey, everyone should have a hobby.

ROTFLMAO! (HELP ME! I'M IN PAIN, HERE...)

Don't ask ME, man! I'M not a google engine...
I wasn't searching chroot! It came up on the google page when I googled 'nose-picking tutorial'!
Maybe if you google what I googled, you'll see it, too!

 

[jimmy p]

(i can't believe I am asking this) can you write exactly what u googled and how many pages in. Man i have no life.

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by jimmy p
(i can't believe I am asking this) can you write exactly what u googled and how many pages in. Man i have no life.

I googled 'nose-picking tutorial'. The site I found is now on page two (it was one the first page when I did it the first time). Here is the site it came from:

http://faktory.org/m/blog/archives/2003_06.html

Don't you just LOVE that picture of the puppy?? He's so CUTE!
The link to the picture is at the very bottom of the page. I didn't peruse it further as I had a trauma come into the ER right then.

Chopnik, you have a very NICE life! You work for a bookie! (I just LOVE libraries!)

 

[The_Professional]

Originally posted by einsteinian77
Has anyone here done or know how? I'm looking for a brief tutorial on how to pick somewhat simple locks.

The term Hacking is not limited to computers, this is another form of it.

And here's a good link in my opinion.

http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html

 

[tribdog]

Originally posted by Mr. Robin Parsons
Anyone ever try one of those round key ones? those ones are 'different'...little more of a challenge, I suppose...

I know of two ways, the first way only works 5-10% of the time. Take a plastic valve stem cover off of a tire and press and turn it into the key hole.
The second is to use a specially made pick. File grooves in a round key and fit bobby pins into the grooves and rubber band them together. then you can slid the pins in and out to press on the pins.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Like the second one...got a friend with some of them, that no longer work, so maybe I can have some "fun" with them...(it's a/the challenge)

Thanks!

 

[firefly]

Originally posted by jimmy p
easy way to get into a car...if you have a tennis ball and a knife...

Ahhhh, yes. One should ALLLLLways drive around with a tennis ball and a knife. never leave home without 'em, and in the back pocket of course!

Alas when having been locked out of the car, I have usually been locked out of the house (the times I was actually at home), no knife, and no tennis ball! SILLY, SILLY ME!

BUTTTTTTT. all fun and fingerwaggin aside, I really got to admit. Practical or not, I do think this solution is pretty cool! I'm curious to see it in action... first chance, I get, I will try it out. Just for kicks.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Just to be sure firefly, I don't think he meant it to be used on house locks, just cars...(I suspect)

 

[Zantra]

One of the many things I was interested in as a teenager was lockpicking. even had a semi auto pick gun for a while. it's all a matter of practice. As someone mentioned earlier, if you're good, you can do it with a screwdriver and a paperclip. (I was not good).

I used a coathanger more than once to get me into my car after I locked the keys out. Of course I had old cars with the horizontal lock bar. The newer ones make that impossible. Why did I do this you ask? childhood fantasy to be a PI- *shrug* go figure.

As far as the newer cars, lojack is a lojoke if you know where to look(I'm not telling) and that goes for just about any vehicle nowadays. The club? Lol 30 seconds with a nice horizontal saw can solve that problem. Anyone see "gone in 60 seconds?" hotwiring a car is a very simple task if you have the knowledge. They can invent velcro, but the best they can come up with is a metal bar affixed to a rubber steering wheel? *sigh* They need to implement thumprint locks- I'm sure the technology is affordable nowadays- at least for luxury autos.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

If you would truly worry about car theft, and need a system to prevent it, According to Car thieves themselves the best method is a Gasoline Cut off Valve...manual one...installed into the fuel line...thief takes the car, goes whatever number of blocks, car stalls *suddenly* in where ever they happen to be, becoming a "heat attractor", thief flees (screaming...don't we all wish!)

 

[Monique]

My dad did something like that to our car(s), where he interrupted the wiring at some stragetic spots in the car, which need to be connected in order to start the car :)

The lesson to be learned is to buy a good car alarm.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

That is exactly the reason why "car thieves themselves" recommend a gasoline cut off switch, (a manual one) electrical cutoffs are usually to easy to find, and defeat...