A significantly lower percentage of people know how to pick a lock. Out of this rare number of people, most of them are criminals. Did you know? Picking a lock is a unique skill. It can save you from big trouble.
Moreover, every time you forget your keys, it becomes difficult to find a solution. This is because the duplicate key is inside, and you have no idea about picking a lock. As a result, you end up destroying a lock and paying hundreds to thousands for a silly mistake.
Today, we will share the steps with you about lock picking. All you need is a skill and a pinch of patience to accomplish the task. However, please do not misuse the talent. The consequences can be dangerous.
Below are the steps about “How to pick a lock”. Please read them carefully.
How to pick a lock in details:
You reach home to find that you do not have your home keys in your purse. You spend a few moments searching, atoning, frustrating, disappointing and then thinking about calling someone to help. What if you become able to solve this problem on your own. This will help cut down at least half an hour of drama from your life. Furthermore, it will help you save hours which you could spend drinking margaritas or watching soccer probably.
Let’s get started with the first step!
Step by step description about “How to pick a lock”
Analyze the lock condition:
Firstly, you need to check for any damage, rust or scratches on the lock. If any of the conditions seem favourable, there is no chance to pick a lock, unfortunately. Moreover, old and distorted locks froze over time with rust, dust, and many more.No experts will save you in that case. I took the liberty of sharing something important here. You may save your lock from rusting just by lubricating it from time to time using oil and other lubricants available in the market.
Always keep your lock picking tools handy:
Just like you keep your car, home or office keys close to your chest, make sure to keep your lock picking tools with you. Moreover, it is easier to carry it in your purse or keep it in your car at some safe place. Make sure to keep all these belongings away from the children or toddlers.
Now, what does a professional lock picking tool kit contain? Let’s check out:
A locking kit contains several necessary yet dangerous tools such as picks, raking tools and tension wrenches.
Moreover, it is essential to note that you will need a lubricant to remove any extra dust from the tool. Therefore, you can visit any local hardware shop and buy some grease. FYI Graphite Lubricants are the best ones.
How to pick a lock if a lock picking kit is not available?
I must say it is an intelligent question indeed. You reach home and find neither the keys nor the lock picking kit! Scandalous, right? Well, you need not worry, we have other options.
- A paper clip or a bobby pin will do the trick. You can keep them in your purse. Also, if you could not find either of these pins in your wallet, it is readily available in the market for very cheap.
- Moreover, it is essential to note that keeping a lock picking kit is not allowed in many countries. Therefore, please make sure that your country allows that. Otherwise, it will be considered a crime against the law.
Learn more about the lock picking tools:
Before discussing the topic in detail, it is crucial to know the basics. Therefore, you must know all the history and geography of the tools. Having complete knowledge about the tools will make it easier for you to use them uniquely.
This section will give help you explore the main lock picking tools in detail.
- Firstly, you must know about the tension or torque wrench. This is an L or Z shaped tool that has blazed ends. A torque wrench is a straight Z diagonal line tool. Moreover, the primary function of this tool is to apply tension on the part of the lock that rotates.
- Secondly, we will discuss an essential piece of metal, A lock Picker. It is a piece of metal that narrows down to a curvy and thin needle-like end. The leading role of this tool is to force the lock pins available inside the lock to move.
- Finally, it is time to discuss rakes. Rake looks like a key with several ridges at the end. Moreover, these teeth-like ridges play a vital role to disengage the pins.
How does a lock function?
This section will give you a clear picture of the lock mechanism. A lock is made up of strong metals such as zinc or brass. It consists of a keyhole, where you can insert the key to unlock it. Moreover, It is challenging to open a lock without its key but not impossible. A keyhole consists of a unique pattern of ridges. Only the proper key consists of the right peaks to unlock it. Therefore, when the key with the right ridges enters the lock, the key forces the ridges to move and forms a straight shear line. This allows the safety to turn open. That means, when a lock is unopened, the ridges form a mountain-like pattern. And to open it, you need to solve the design using a key and align the ridges into a straight shear line.
Generally, a simple lock consists of 3-4 pins. However, big locks such as door locks are complex. They consist of more than six pins. Thus, it is slightly difficult to open the door locks.
Lubrication is a big Yes!
It is essential to lubricate the lock from time to time. This will protect the safety from rusting, corrosion, dirt, and other damage to the lock. Also, it is advisable to apply the proper lubricant on the lock before picking a lock. It is a must step to follow.
To make it easier for you, several lubricants are available in the form of sprays that make it easier to lubricate the lock from inside without any chaos.
How to pick a lock techniques
- To begin with, it is imperative to know the primary goal of each of the tools. Let’s start our journey using a tension wrench. Take the tension wrench and put it inside the keyhole of your lock. The torque or tension wrench will apply pressure on the pins to lift in the upward direction. You need to perform this very patiently and with total concentration. Once all the pins are lifted upwards, there are enough rooms for the other tools to enter. Moreover, the tension wrench will also prevent the nails from falling.
- Once you lift the pins, move the torque wrench to the bottom of the keyhole. A plus is present at the end of the keyhole. Once the tension wrench reaches the plug, carefully move the wrench to apply pressure. Put maximum pressure using your fingers. It will do the trick. Once the plug feels the pressure, it will show movement in the direction where the key unlocks. This will determine the direction of turning the key.
To be continued..
I hope you are all clear with what we discussed above. Now, it is time to use our lock pick. Using the lock pick, it becomes easy to determine the position of the pins inside the lock. Insert the lock pin inside the keyhole. Make sure to apply gentle pressure. The lock pick will decide if all the pins are aligned or not; trust me, you will be able to feel it. It is best to close your eyes and imagine the staples in your mind.
- Meanwhile, gently increase the pressure with every move. This will help you determine the resistance of the pins. Make sure not to apply too much pressure, as this can lead to pin destruction. Otherwise, You will have no other option than to wait for the locksmith.
- Now, both the tension wrench and lock pick are inside the lock. Now, it is time to unbind the pins. Each pin is bound with its respective locks. Unbinding them using a lock pick is the only task that needs accomplishment here.
- Once the pins are aligned, use a tension wrench to keep them from falling. Now, put the pressure on each of the nails using a lock pick. This will help to unbind each pin. As a result, the lock will open up.
This is all about how to pick a lock using a tension wrench and lock pick. It was not that bad after all.
However, we forgot to discuss how to do it using a rake. Let’s do that too!
The rake technique
In my opinion, this is a less time taking process than the above one. However, This technique is no different to the above one. You need to insert the wrench to align the pins and prevent them from falling. Now, instead of using the lock pick, you need to use the rake. Rake looks like a key that has several ridges on it. Insert it in the keyhole and apply slight pressure on the pins. It is less time-consuming because, with the lock pick, you have to unbind the pins one by one. However, you need to move the rake back and forth inside the lock with little pressure 3-4 times in this technique. This will help you unlock the door easily and quickly.
Conclusion
I am cent per cent sure that you like the latter process more convenient and easy. On that note, let us end this article about lock picking today. It is a humble request to the readers to check your country’s laws before attempting or keeping the lock picking toolkit as it can be illegal in your country. In the end, I hope you find today’s article worth reading. Thank you for your time. Take care and be safe!
