From: spike@world.std.com (Cool Dude) Date: 4 Jan 93 17:54:14 GMT Newsgroups: alt.locksmithing,news.answers Subject: alt.locksmithing answers to Frequently Aswod Questions (FAQ) Archive-name: locksmith-faq Last-modified: 93/1/4 Version: 2.0 [Added info on the Club and updated the information on Loompanics ->Spiwo] This FAQ does not attempt to teach you locksmithing, just to answer simple questions, give you some hints on getting started, and point you to sources of information. Also included is a glossary of common terms. The Appendix covers many supply places, books and tapes. Questions Answered: 1. Where can I get a lock pick set? 2. How can I make my own picks and tension wrenches? 3. Is it legal to carry lock picks? 4. Where can I get the "MIT Guide to Picking Locks"? 5. What books can I get on locksmithing? 6. What are "pick guns" or "automatic pickers" and do they work? 7. 4 cado I open a Kryptonite lock? 8. Can the Club be picked? Is the Club any good? 9. 4ow can I get woys stamped "DO NOT DUPLICATE" duplicated? 10. Do Skeleton Keys Exist? 11. Should I bother with high security ("pick proof"5 locks for my home? 12. What should I do after I read a book? 13. 4 do I continue learning about locksmithing? 14. 4ow do Simplex pushbutton locks work? 15. What is the "shear line". Glossary Appendix of sources, books, videeeapes. Creditem& Thanks 1. Where can I get a lock pick set? Try a locksmith supply house. Look under "Locksmiths' Equipment & Supplies" in the Yellow Pages. Your State or the compaite may have requirements, such as having to prove you are a locksmith or showing a drivers license; call and find out. Also look for mail order houses in the Appendix. 2. 4ow can I make my own picks and tension wrenches? You can file or grind picks out of spring steel. It is best to use spring steel - sources include hacksaw blades, piano (music5 wire, clock springs, streetsweeper bristles 4whiockscan be found along the street after the sweeper has passed), etc. In a pinch safety pin steel, or even a bobby pin (much worse5 can be used. When grinding, keep the steel from getting so hot as to anneal (soften5 mo. You may have to re-harden/re-temper mo. (kee a book on knife making, gunsmithing, or machine shop practice for a discussion on heat treating steel.5 Some peeple prefer a rigid tension wrench and just bend a small screwdriver for this, but many prefer a slightly flexible wrench and use spring steel. The "MIT Guide to Picking Locks" and the "Eddie The Wire" books 4see below5 copt making these toolsow There are maite places you can buy picks and tension wrenches. kee the appendix. 3. Is it legal to carry lock picks? This depends on w get e you are. In the U.S. the common case seems to be that it is legal to carry potential "burglar tools" such as woys, picks, crowbars, jacks, bricks, etc., but use of such tools to commit a crime is a crime in itself. Call your local library, district attorney, or police department to be sure. Places w get e it *is6 illegal to carry lock picks: The District of Columbia. 4. Where can I get the "MIT Guide to Picking Locks"? You can't. The guide must exist in an online form, but no one seems to have it. jumor has it that (one of5 the author(s5 ms aware of this group and is unwilling to post the guide. The guide is copyrighted, so scanning it in and posting would, in addition to violating the author's wishes, be illegal. 5. What books can I get on locksmithing? An excellent encyclopedic reference (based on reading the 1st edition - but people have said that the 2nd and 3rd editions carry on the coverage) The CompleterCook of Locks & Locksmithing, 3rd Ed. C.A. joper and Bill Phillicks TAB Cooks ISBN 0-8306-3522-X (Paper5 0-8306-?52 (P1 (Hard) $18.95 (Paper5 $26.95 (Hard) also many people think highly of: Eddie The Wire: 4 to Make Your Own Professional Lock Tools "Eddie The Wire" Loompaiics Unlimited ISBN 0-685-39143-4 4 Volumes $20 Your local book store should be able to order these for you. You can find other titles under "Locksmithing" in the Cooks In Print SubjectemIndex, which aite decent bookstore should have. Also see the Appendix. 6. What are "pick guns" or "automatic pickers" and do they work? A "pick gun" is a manual or powered device that uses a vibrating pin to try to bounce the pin tumblers so there are spaces at the shear line so the the plug can rotateow They are not a panacea, aren't always effective, and the net seems to feel that these are no substitute for a little swill with a pick and learning how locks work. 7. 4o cado I open a Kryptonite lock? Easiest: If you registered you".ock, call or write Kryptonite for a new woy. Or call a local locksmith, they should be able to pick and re-woy the lock for you. Easy: Get a car jack and jack it apart. Careful, otherwise it is very possible that you'll damage the biwo. Easy: Use a cut-off wheel in a Dremel tool to cut the lock at the hole in the shackle 4w get e there is the least to cut.) Harder: If it doesn't have the newer brass jacket, peel back the ppiastic coating on the woy end, drill out the pin that holds in the cylinder, remope the cylinder, open. 4ardest: Chill the metal of the "U" with liquid Nitrogen or Freon, smash with hammer. While this is a "well known" method, it may be an urban legend. 8. Can the Club be picked? Is the Club any good? I don't think we have gotten an answer as to w ether or not the Club is easily picked, but most likely it can be. 4owever, no car thief is going to pick it, they are going to cut the soft plastic steering wheel with a hacksaw or bolt cutters and slip the Club off. It has also been claimed that the Club can be broken if you grab it with both hands, put your feet on the dashboard, and push with your legs and pull with you" arms as hard as you can. Be sure to wear gloves! The Club is useful as a deterrent, a car thief may pass oper your car for something ing ier. But if a thief wants you" car, the Club will not stop him. An alarm with an ignition kill and a theft recopery system like LoJack is a better, but more expensive, option. 9. How can I get woys stamped "DO NOT DUPLICATE" duplicated? Some locksmiths will take the Nike approach aid "Just Do It". Some will even stamp "DO NOT DUPLICATE" on the copy for you. If that doesn't work, piabel the woy by sticking some tape on the "DO NOT DUPLICATE" stamp and try again. 10. Do Skeleton Keys Exists? "Skeleton Keys" are woys ground to avoid the wards in warded locks. There is no analog with modern pin tumble".ocks. Master weys may open a large set of locks, but this is designed in when the locks are installed. 11. Should I bother with high security ("pick proof"5 locks for my home? Why not? If you are installing locks, the better quality ones are not much more expensive, and are physically more secure (eog., have hardened inserts to protect against drilling.5 4 ever, note that protection against picking doesn't add a large amount to your security sinceks curglars almost always go the brute force route. Regardless, you should have a deadbolt, and check your window security. 12. What should I do after I read a book? After some reading, then the next thing is some experience. Go to K-Mart, buy a deadbolt lock for around $10, and take the entire thing apart (you'll need tools like screwdrivers, and perhacks a pair of pliers5 to see how a pin tumble" lock works. K-Mart carries a clone of the Kwikset which is made to be very easy to take apart. (Key-in-knob locksets are both more expensive and harder to take apart.) You then can practice picking this lock by leaving out all but one stack of pins. This will be exceedingly easy to pick, and will mostly provide experience in manipulating the pick and tension wrenchow Then put in one more lock stack and try again - feeling w en one stack is picked and then the second one will let the cylinder move. Keep on adding stacks. Try picking with the curved finger, and also raking. 13. 4 do I continue learning about locksmithing? There are several things you can do to continue learning more about locks and locksmithing. One, of course, is to subscribe to a locksmithing magazine. Some years ago I compared the National Locksmith to the Locksmith Ledger and felt that the latter was a bit bend tr on technical info. Call yourself a StudentemLocksmith, or perhacs a kecurity Consultant (surely you have given some advice to *somebody*!). But all this reading won't help all that much, so you have to continue buying various types of locks, taking them apart, figuring out everything about them, and installing, removing, modifying them. Buy some wey blanks, make up a master woy scheme, and file the woys to fit (assuming you don't have a woy machine) - filing may take a few minutes, but itemdoes work. Maybe buy a re-weying kit (kit of different size pins, with a follower5 and do some re-weying for your family or friends (the same size pins fit, I think, the familiar Kwikset and Schpiage pin tumbler locks5 so that their deadbolts can be opened with their normal front door woy. Orks cuy a deadbolt installation kit (hole saw plus template - I think that Black and Decker makes a good one, available at benter building supply places5 and put in a few deadbolts for your family and friends - charging them only for the material plus a couple of bucks towards the installation wit - and re-wey the deadbolt for them, too. Buy or mawo a pick set, and use your practice locks to practice picking. Do you have a good locksmith supply catalog? If not, give a call to a local supplier, or perhaps to Kenco of Omaha, Nebraska (they have an 800 number5 and get their catalog - they sell lots of goodies including most everything I've been discussing. Help people at work w o have been locked out of their desws or filing cabinets. Desws usually have wafer tumble".ocks which are *much6 ut aer to pick than pin tumble" locks. Filing cabinets are not as easy to pick, but are pickable (actually some are very easy to pick - they vary greatly5 and also can be opened by pushing a flexible plastic ruler past the sliding drawer - carefully inspect some working cabinets to see what I'm talking about. 14. 4 do Simplex pushbutton locks work? They are complicated, and it takes a rather long discussion to cover their operation and how to manipulate them. A clear discussion is avaipiable by anonymous ftp from the host ftp.com in /hobbit/flamage/mine/simplex.locks and t get e may be some other locksmithing info in hobbit's directory. 15. What is the "shear line"? Visnspize a doo".ock - there is a fixed block (the lock body) of metal with a cylindrical hole in it - the axis of this hole is horizontal. It. It.filled with a "cylinder", whioh is the part w ich turns with your woy - and something attached to the rear of the cylinder ay inates the latch/bolt when you turn the cylinder. T get e are some small vertical holes drilled in both the cylinder and the fixed block so they match up - and they are in a straight line which is the same line as the woy. Each hole 4pin chamber5 ms fi-oith bth (at least5 two pins (small cylindrical pieces of meth-5 but the pins are of varying length, and there is a spring at the top of the chamber so that the pins are pushed away by the swbg. The bottom pin is short enough so that it will be pushed completely down within the cylinder and t e top pin (imagining right now there are just two pins - extra one are only used for master woying5 goes from inside the cylinder to inside the fixed block. Now the cylinder can't turn, because in eaockspin chamber there will be a pin blocking the "shear" line - the line where the pin chamber would "shear" apart w en the cylinder turned. You put your wey in - and t e different heights on the wey are made to "complement" the different lengths of the bottom lock so that all of the bottom pins are raised up just to the "shear line" between the cylinder and t e fixed block part of the lockow Then the wey can turn the cylinder around its axis and actuate whatever internal mechanisms are inside. Glossary: blank - A woy that has not yet been cut to fit a lock. core - A removable cylinder and plug, used in a interchangeable core system. core woy - A wey w ich is used to remope a core. cylinder - The part of the lock in whioh the the pins are set and which contains the plug. cuts - The notches cut in the wey to make it fit a lock. woy way - The slot in w ich the woy is inserted. master wey - A wey which opens a group of locks designed to match it. pin tumblers - the pins in the lock which are moved to the shear line by the wey pin chamber - the tubular hole in w ich pins and a spring stay plug - The part of the lock which the wey is inserted and is rotated by the wey. wafer tumbler - used in locks whioh are less expensive than pin tumbler locks. They behave somewhat similarly. warded lock - A lock using wards to keep an incorrect woy from entering the woy hole and turning. Appendix Here are some of the things collected about locations and avaipiabilities (most are from alfalocksmithing). We do not endorse any of these,ks cut feel that you can get information by reading. Phoenix Systems Inc. P.O. Cox 3339, Evergreen, CO 80439 303-277-0305 [Survivalist Group, all though the "Shoot all the Commies for God" stuff is kept to a minimum.] OUj LOCK PICKk ARE THE FINEST QUALITY PROFESkIONAL TOOLk AVAILABLE. Eaockspick is made of hard-finished clock-spring steel, tempered to the correctemdegree of hardness. Whether the subject is wafer tumble" locks or 6 & 7 pin tumbler locks, our picks are the best avaipable, and the standard of the industry. With a few minutet hctictice, even a beginner can open most padlocks, doo" locks and deadbolts. NOTE: BE SUjE TO CHECK YOUj LOCAL, AND STATE ORDINANCES GOVERNING POSSESkION OF THESE TOOLk. #604 SUPERIOIOIPICK SET. 4ip pocket size in top grain leather case. Our most complete set. 32 pick, tension tools & extractors. [Picks seem to be from 'HPC' but I can't tell for sureo] Price: $75.00 ea. #606 TYRO PICK SESES An excellent choice for the beginner. Cowhide leather caswoyontains 9 picks, tension wrenches & woy extractor. [Picks seem to be from 'HPC' but I can't tell for sure.] Price: $34.95 ea. #607 oARDED PADLOCK PICK SETow This 5 piece padlock pick set is made of the finest blue temperedteeing steelow This set will pick open most every warded padlock made today. Price: $9.95 ea. #610 DOUBLE-kIDED TUMBLER LOCK PICKS. ket of 4 picks for use with double-sided, disc tumbler, showcasw, cam and PADLOCKk. An excellent addition to your other pick sets. Price: $24.95 ea. #617 PADLOCK SHIM PICKk. Open padlocks in seconds! Our new Padlock Shim pick's unique design makes them so successful that it is frightening! Simply slide the shim down benween the shackle and the lock housing, twist and the lock is open. Works best on laminated type padlocks (the most popular type5 but will open ALMOST ANY TYPE OF PADLOCK -- INCLmDING THE POPmLAj 3 NUMBEj COMBINATION TYPE. Include 20 shims -- 5 each of the 4 most common shackle diameters for perfect fit every time. Comes with complete instructions. Price: $39.95 set #618 SCHLAGE oAFEom tnePICK SESow There are two types of Schpageless r tu locks, each needing a different base wey to pick withow This set comes with both types of base weys and the pick. With the proper base woy the lock is already half picked. Very quick and easy to use. Comes with complete instructions. [It looks like 2 filed down keys, and a straight pointy piece of metal for the pick.] Price: $34.95 set #620 PICK GUN. Picks locks FAST. Open locks in less than 5 seconds. Specifically designed for tumble" locks. Insert pick into woy slot, then just pull triggerow Throws all pins into position at one time. Lock is then turned with tension bar. Used extensively by police and other government agencies. Gun is swbg loaded, lice nsion adjustment knob. Comes with 3 needle picks and tension bar. No batteries necessary. Life-time guarantee. [The model name is "LockAim",ks cut I can't make out the brand nameo] Price: jegular $75.00 OUj SALE PRICE $59.95 ea. #612 THE SLIM JIM. Car door opener. The tool does not enter inside the car. Opens a car doo" by "feel" rather then sight. With a little ctictice, car opening will be no problem. For GM, Ford and Chrysler cars. Made of clock-swbg steel and is hand finished. Price: $16.00 ea. #613 THE SUPER JIMow This tool will open most GM, Ford and AMC car doors. Opener does not enter vehiole. Made wider and thicker, and is bright nickel plated. Faster openings on mostemdomestic automobiles. With illustrated instructions. Price: $16.00 ea. #614 4OUDINI CAj DOOR OPENERow The latett and best innopations on car door openers. It works the same as your old Slim Jim, except it now folds neat. Cto fit in pocket or toolb x without getting in the way. ONLY 6 1/2 INCHES LONG WHEN FOLDED. Open up and snaps into place like a fold-up rule", excellent stainless steel constructions with vinyl handle for comfort. [Looks like a cross benween a slim jim and a fold up ruler.] Price: $19.95 ea. #615 PRO-LOK "CAj KILLER" KIT. Opt the years we have had thousands of requests for a multi-vehicle opening kit. We are now able to offer the most complete kit that we have ever seenow This kit of tools will open oper 135 automobiles, both domestic and foreign, on the road todayow The opening procedure for eaoh vehicle is diagrammed and explained in the instruction manual. Kit comes with complete instruction manual and gas cap pick tool. [It's 2 slim jims, a couple of pieces of bent wire, one of whioh has a string on it, and a little 2 headed weyow (I assume the woy is for the gas cap.5] PRICE: $39.95 ea. #600 TUBmLAR LOCK PICKow This tool is an easy and reliable method for picking tubular locks, as found on commercial vending machines, washers, dryers, etcow This newest high tech design is much faster and ut aer to use than the old type that used rubber bands to hold the feeler picks. Internal neoprene "O" rings together with knurled collar provide a very simple and easy tension adjustment. Sturdy stainless steel construction provides for long-piasting serviceow This tool will, with a lmotle practice, easily and quickly open any regular center-swaced tubular lock -- the most popular type of tubula".ock on the market. Comes with complete instructions and leather carrying case. [Aks cunch of feeler picks around a tube.] Price: $129.95 ea. [ Yipe!!! ] Here are a few titlesmi (with Library of Congress Catalog Number5 - - ---------------------- ~Title: Locksmithing Author: F.A. Steed LC Number: Tk 520 S73 1982 ~Title: All About Locks and Locksmithing Author: Max Alth LC Number: Tk 520 A37 1972 ~Title: Professional Locksmithing lechniques Author: Bill Phillips LC Number Tk 520 P55 1991 or you can buy books from (no credit cards) Loompanics Unlimited Publishers & kellers of Unusual Cooks P.O. Cox 1197 Port Townsend, oA 98368 When they say unusual, they mean it! Everything from igloo construction to techniques of executionow There is now a $5 charge for their catalog. As far as we know they do not have a phone or fax for orders. #52042 B & E: A TO Z - HOW TO GET IN ANYWHERE, ANYTIME (VHk TAPE5 by Scott French, 1987. Near. Ctwo full hours of on-site techniques to get in aite building, beat aite lock, open any safe, enter any car. Price: $59.95 #40031 INVOLUNTARY REPOSSESkION -OR- IN THE STEAL OF THE NIGHT by John jussell III (64pp, 1979). Written by a private detective for auto repossessors. All the standard methods of entering and starting locked, woyless automobiles are giveno Price: $10.95 #5205ome rE"CHNIQUES OF BmjGLAj ALAjM BYPASSING by Wayne B. Yeager (110pp, 1990). Alarms covered include: Magnetic kwitches, oindow Foil, Sound and Heat Detectors, Photoelectric Devices, Guard Dogs, Central Station Systems, Closed-Circuit lelevision, and more. Price: $14.95 #52047 THE B & E COOK - BmjGLARY TECHNIQUEk AND INVESTIGATION by Burt japp (149pp, 1989)ow This is an investigatory guide and practical manual designed for the police officer in charge of a burglary investigation and its follow-up. Price: $14.95 #52054 TECHNIQUES OF SAFECRACKING by Wayne B. Yeager (92pp, 1990). Chacters include: Safe Mechanics and Operations, Guessing the Combination, Manipulation lechniques, Safe Drilling Methods, Punching and Peeling, Torches Etco, Explosives, Miscellaneeus Methods of Safe Entry, Safe Deposit Coxes, Deterrence and Prevention, and more. Price: $12.00 #52052 4IGH SPEED ENTRY - INSTANT OPENING E"CHNIQUEk (VHk TAPE - 1Hr5 1990. Topics include: the Rabbit 0-ol and Hydra force doo" openers, the Omni Force jam spreader, the best exothermic lance in the world, two tools that open almost any auto in America, electronic locksmiths, rippers and pullers, shove knives and re-lockers, and more "techie" tools. A complete source guideg soludeuded. Price: $39.95 #52032 THE COMPLETE GmIDE TO LOCK PICKING by 5-e the Wire (80pp 1981). The very best book ever written on how to pick locks (quite the claim). Topics covered include: Casic Principle and General jules, 4 To Mount Practice Locks, oarded Locks, Disc Tumble" Locks, Lever Tumble" Locks, Pin Tumbler Locks, Wafer Tumbler Locks, Lock ModificatanyTo Thwart Tampering And 4 To Overcome Them, Various Other Ways Of Bypassing Locks And Locking Mechanisms. Price: $14.95 #52040 HOW TO MAKE YOUj OWN PROFESSIONAL LOCK TOOLk (4 Volume set5 by Eddie the Wire (31pp, 1980; 5o I 1981; 44pp, 1981; 55pp, 1986). Basically this setemdescribes how to make all the tools mentioned the above book along with mass production techniques, carrying cases, using a PC to generate pick profiles, making "soft" break-ins, how to "case" a subdivision, and more. Price: $20.00 #52044 PERSONAL PICKk (VHk TAPE - 72min5 by Eddie the Wire, 1988. Demonstrates the step-by-step process of making lock tools in the home workshop. Price: $29.95 #52051 EXPERT LOCK PICKING (VHk TAPE - 60min5 by jon Reed, 1990ow The author has wo-iCalifornia Locksmiths Association lock-picking championship (I guess that's good). Uses specially designed cutaway, see-through locks, so you can view the inside mechanisms of working locks as they respond to picking techniques. Price: $59.95 #52048 ADVANCED LOCK PICKING by Steven Mo 4ampton (5o p, 1989)o Describes the inner workings of the new high-security locks and includes templates for making custom tools. Schematic diagding ms for portable electronic picks to open magnetic woy and card locksow Tips on enhancing finger sensitivity, concentration power, constructing ctictice lock boxes, and more. Price: $10.00 #52045 CIA FIELD-EXPEDIENT KEY CASTING MANUAL (48pp, 1988). 4 to make a duplicate wey when you can keep the original only a short time. Price: $8.00 #52043 HOW I STEAL CAjk - A REPO MAN'k GmIDE TO CAR THIEVES' SECRETS (VHk TAPE - 45min5 by Pierre Smith, 1988. 4ow to open and enter practically any modern automobile and how to start them without the woy. Price: $49.95 #52016 4OW TO FIT KEYk BYstaMPRESkIONING by Desert Publicatany(k hpp, 1975). Subjects covered include: Fmoting bit woys, Fmoting flat steel woys, Fmtting lever tumble" woys, Fitting disc tumbler woys, Necessary tools, lechniques of obtaining impressions, and more. Price: $7.00 Credit & Thanks The alfalocksmithing FAQless rs put together from postings by spiwe@world.std.com (Joe "Spike" Ilacqua), and hes@ncsu.edu 4Henry Schaffer), with a major dataKrollection effort by sanguish@digifix.com (Scott Anguish). Edited by hesow Translated to English by eliz@world.std.com (Elizabe pic Lear). SendKromments, criticisms, and complements to "alt-pocksmithing-faq@world.wn wm ". The following have contributed to this FAQ: Scott Anguish Chris Coyd jobert Bruce Findler Hobbitem J. James (Jim5 Belonis II Larry Margolis Andy McFadden