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Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:27 pm
by Tarquin
So, I am trying to write this newbie guide of mine and in the process I am trying to explain how to read a key.

Something just occurred to me, however. I can't read a key correctly.

I have a key that has bitting that is sort of close to the following (I did my best):

Image

As you can see, there's an issue here. This ain't the easiest lock to pick.

Add to this that this is my M15, which is heavy as Hell and requires a significant amount of tension just to keep the pins in place. I also suspect (but can't prove) that my torsion wrench is getting bound up on something inside the lock so I'm not getting pressure on the cylinder as I pick. Rather I'm just putting pressure on whatever is in my way. I've seen this lock picked in several videos and so far almost all of them either mention it or actually run into it when picking this lock.

That's another issue however. Right now, I'm just trying to read the key. According to the key, the number 3 pin has to be raised VERY high in order to hit the seam line. The problem here is that because of different lengths of key pins and top pins, I don't know exactly how long that pin is, or how much I should be raising it. It's possible that I only need to raise it the height of my lockpick, but because I don't know the length of this pin or the top pin, I can't quite tell exactly how high to raise this pin.

How do you know how high you need to raise a pin?

Bonus question: What if you don't have the key? How do you figure it out under that circumstance?

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:33 pm
by KokomoLock
"How do you know how high you need to raise a pin?" Just raise the pin till it sets. No need to read the key or try decoding or wonder how tall the pin is. I have talked to you a time or two on the tag board and no offense but I think you are just over thinking things. Just get the pick in it TOK tension and raise the pin till you feel it set. So my suggestion is to stop thinking and start picking, you have picked several locks and know what you are doing. You are probably just oversetting pin 2 while trying to set pin 3.

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:49 pm
by Tarquin
Entirely possible. I may well be over-thinking this. In fact, I'm sure I am. I just can't think of anything to do about it since I am frustrated by this one damned lock.

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:53 pm
by KokomoLock
Tarquin wrote:Entirely possible. I may well be over-thinking this. In fact, I'm sure I am. I just can't think of anything to do about it since I am frustrated by this one damned lock.

I know what to do. PM me your address and I will pin you up a lock with close to the same bitting and I will make it a cutaway for you so you can see all the pins in it. That way you can see exactly what is going on and how when you lift #3 you are also overlifting #2!! Maybe that will get ya over the hump!!

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:57 pm
by Tarquin
KokomoLock wrote:
Tarquin wrote:Entirely possible. I may well be over-thinking this. In fact, I'm sure I am. I just can't think of anything to do about it since I am frustrated by this one damned lock.

I know what to do. PM me your address and I will pin you up a lock with close to the same bitting and I will make it a cutaway for you so you can see all the pins in it. That way you can see exactly what is going on and how when you lift #3 you are also overlifting #2!! Maybe that will get ya over the hump!!


That is amazingly generous of you. I'm not certain I've earned such generosity so far, however. I'd prefer to give before I get. Credibility matters to me. It's a personal thing. I've already gotten 6 practice locks from Sandman and I feel kind of sketchy about having accepted those.

I'll try to work through this (and get an appropriate TOK torsion wrench). Let me try a day or two more and if I still can't get it, we'll work out a trade.

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:02 pm
by KokomoLock
Tarquin wrote:
KokomoLock wrote:
Tarquin wrote:Entirely possible. I may well be over-thinking this. In fact, I'm sure I am. I just can't think of anything to do about it since I am frustrated by this one damned lock.

I know what to do. PM me your address and I will pin you up a lock with close to the same bitting and I will make it a cutaway for you so you can see all the pins in it. That way you can see exactly what is going on and how when you lift #3 you are also overlifting #2!! Maybe that will get ya over the hump!!


That is amazingly generous of you. I'm not certain I've earned such generosity so far, however. I'd prefer to give before I get. Credibility matters to me. It's a personal thing. I've already gotten 6 practice locks from Sandman and I feel kind of sketchy about having accepted those.

I'll try to work through this (and get an appropriate TOK torsion wrench). Let me try a day or two more and if I still can't get it, we'll work out a trade.


Works for me. Check this out makes really good TOK wrench, if no music wire available, just try to find an old bike spoke. http://keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=102&t=3750&hilit=music+wire.

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:12 pm
by sandman
Well i gave you those locks because i expected you to put out on our first date. just kidding, whatever questions you have, i as well, can key you up a lock, and show you in person what your doing wrong this saturday at our Pick-Nic.
I got the locksmith job in louisville, i start in my own van Oct. 1st, then ill have access to all kinds of shit that we talked about, i get to take home locks on a day to day basis. and cut bump keys and all kinds of shit, FREEDOM BABY!!!

Re: Reading a Key

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:20 pm
by Tarquin
sandman wrote:Well i gave you those locks because i expected you to put out on our first date. just kidding, whatever questions you have, i as well, can key you up a lock, and show you in person what your doing wrong this saturday at our Pick-Nic.
I got the locksmith job in louisville, i start in my own van Oct. 1st, then ill have access to all kinds of shit that we talked about, i get to take home locks on a day to day basis. and cut bump keys and all kinds of shit, FREEDOM BABY!!!


Sandman, I am so happy for you! Congratulations, brother!

This is the same lock we had trouble with last Saturday by the way. This one, for whatever reason, is a real bitch.