Patrick Star wrote:It's interesting that you have more trouble with the Medeco than the 3KS. I haven't done the 3KS personally (only Desmo), but I feel that slider locks are significantly harder, atleast when it comes to learning the technique so you get to the point of first open.
Though maybe I should shut my cocky starfish mouth since I just got my hands on a Medeco Biaxial (as a Scandinavian oval cylinder... not common) that I'm not having much luck with... Though I suspect the sidebar springs are acting up in that one.
PS. This forum might not have tons of activity, but the average quality both when it comes to questions and answers certainly is excellent!
It's funny you bring that up, I have been thinking it would be interesting to see a poll on what locks people find most difficult (slider,medeco,twin etc.). I do feel I'm bad at Medecos and slider locks have came easier. But in my experience slider-type locks are not necessarily easier but they can be approached in a more strategic way. For example when I find a binding slider, and then raise it up to the top of the keyway, you generally only encounter 2-4 gates. Knowing now that there are only those few positions I can generally find the true gate by the jiggle test and or plug rotation. Once I can confirm a single slider is in its true gate I put my pick on it and take a mental note of what it feels like, and visually look to see how far it will move up and down (Within its true gate). Then I find the next binding slider and match it to that mental note. It wont usually open on the first go, but through trial and error it will open eventually (3KS took me a couple days).
I have been working on Medeco's exclusively the last 4 days (10+ hours) and still haven't opened a fully pinned one. Over that period I have gotten a 5/6 pin M3 open a few times though. I just don't feel that I can pick them in a strategic way like the slider locks. I probably need much more practice, but at this point I think they are/will be one of the hardest locks to pick consistently.
I have been using this method with some success, but since I haven't opened a fully pinned one I can't say it works that well..
1.) Rotate the pins with little to no tension
2.) With very little tension, rub my pick over the tip of each pin feeling/listening for a slight clicky sound (Indicating it's in a true gate.)
3.) Raise pin to shearline while using clockwise tension