FAQ  •  Register  •  Login
UKLockpickers.co.uk Lockpicking supplies such as Lockpicks, tools, and more! COMMANDOLOCK.COM Military grade padlock systems lockpickshop.com A source for lockpicking supplies such as lockpicks, locksmith tools, and more!

Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

<<

L4R3L2

Active Member

Posts: 257

Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2018 9:48 pm

Location: Sutter County, CA

Post Sat Jan 05, 2019 11:21 pm

Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

I've been thinking about how my methods have changed from the time I was dialing locks as a consumer, to how I deal with them now with some manipulation under my belt. How many of you have also noticed the shift in approach?

1) Consumers are instructed to start over if they mess up dialing a combination, and never to go back to a previous number to try to correct it. With some experience spinning locks, we become intimately familiar with wheel pick up, and can know how to "make" the wheels do our bidding. Gone are the days of starting over. Now if I overshoot a number, I know how to reset the wheel to come back at the number for a second try without starting the whole combination over again.

2) Manipulators learn to center the gate in order to maximize room for dialing error in spinning the dial. Very often, this means we end up with a gate center at a half number interval. I caught myself the other day giving a manipulated combination as 28 1/2 - 50 - 73 1/2. Only a manipulator would give a combination in this odd language, no?

3) Consumers are told to count the times they pass the next targeted number. For example, turn the dial to the left four times to the first number. Then, turn the dial to the right, passing the second number two times, and stopping on it the third time. Then, turn the dial back to the left, passing the last number once and stopping on it the second time.

Manipulators tend to keep track of the wheels by full rotations from where we start the turns in order to keep track of wheel pickup. When I reverse wheel direction to go to the next number, I'll count full wheel rotations BEFORE going to and stopping on the next number. In other words, consumers focus on the next number throughout the turns, while manipulators count wheel pickups based on the number we are spinning FROM before switching focus and stopping on the next number.

Am I an oddball, or do fellow manipulators think in these new terms too?
<<

Oldfast

User avatar

OldddffAASSTT the Spin Master Extraordinaire and American Lock Slayer
OldddffAASSTT the Spin Master Extraordinaire and American Lock Slayer

Posts: 4412

Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:16 am

Location: Michigan

Post Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:11 am

Re: Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

:yep: True on all accounts.

Especially in counting turns.
4x 3x 2x... is for us, 3x 2x 1
" Enjoy the journey AS MUCH as the destination."
<<

Jaakko Fagerlund

Active Member

Posts: 383

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:55 am

Location: Finland

Post Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:50 pm

Re: Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

Ditto except on counting turns. I never say "past and stop", but rather "to", like 4 times to a number, not 3 times past and then stop. I do however keep a mental image of wheel pickups to be sure of what wheel is moving, especially in a more noisier environment.
<<

MartinHewitt

User avatar

Prolific Poster

Posts: 1823

Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 12:19 pm

Location: Germany

Post Wed Jan 16, 2019 2:59 am

Re: Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

Yup, I do both, m times to number and nth wheel pickup. The easier the wheel pickup is to feel and the closer two tested number are together the more focus I put on wheel pickup.
In case you wonder ... Martin Hewitt is a fictional detective in stories by Arthur Morrison:
Martin Hewitt, Investigator Chronicles of Martin Hewitt
<<

Jaakko Fagerlund

Active Member

Posts: 383

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:55 am

Location: Finland

Post Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:56 am

Re: Laymen to Manipulator: thought process changes

MartinHewitt wrote:Yup, I do both, m times to number and nth wheel pickup. The easier the wheel pickup is to feel and the closer two tested number are together the more focus I put on wheel pickup.

Yeah, I usually almost slow down nearing the pickup and mentally mumble "wheel 2 picks up" or somethig to keep track and focus. No such need when practicing home where the environment is known and I can expect "privacy" (as in no-one watching or doing something).

Return to Safes, Strongboxes & Combination Locks

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

Don't forget to visit our sponsors for all of your lockpicking needs!
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Grop
"CA Black" theme designed by stsoftware