Assa Twin Combi

[femurat]

There's a tool to keep springs and bottom pins in the cylinder while you insert the plug with top pins.
I've seen something similar made with a paperclip.
I don't have a picture at the moment, will post it tomorrow.

Cheers

[femurat]

Hey huxleypig,

here is a tutorial on how to repin an euro cylinder with the help of a quick and simple to make tool.

Cheers

[huxleypig]

Hey huxleypig,

here is a tutorial on how to repin an euro cylinder with the help of a quick and simple to make tool.

Cheers

Cheers mate. Unfortunately that method requires you to pick the lock!! So I decided to pull the cylinder and try to repin it once I took the sidebar, side pins and their springs out.

So I did that then had to collect the top pins from the cylinder. Ok so far...Then the nightmare began...I removed the sidebar, side pins and springs ok but when it came time to put the pins back in the cylinder I had to try to put the 1st one in then hold it down with a pick, then insert the 2nd one while holding down the 1st and try to get the 2nd and 1st pins under my pick. Doing this for all 6 pins without any shooting out was VERY frustrating. Anyway, I managed it in the end and tried the key in it. I didn't think about the top pins shooting into the hole where the sidebar used to be

So how to push the top pins back into the housing when I can't get access to it? Can't remove the key....In the end I had to drill a tiny hole in the front of the plug so I could get a wire in to push the pins back up. And doing this was immensely time consuming and annoying and to boot I have a small hole in my fucking lock now...It's still useable and at least it's not dead but I am very annoyed.

The point of this story is that i WAS getting trapped on the evil top pins in a huge false set and at least now I can practise on the top pins alone. At least I have another half of the Euro lock that is sound too.

I hate this lock.

But I WILL beat it.

[NNFAK]

So I decided to pull the cylinder and try to repin it once I took the sidebar, side pins and their springs out.

The second I read this I knew what was coming! I had the same thing happen to one of my ASSA Twins a long time ago and I went insane!

Why not just drill holes above the pins and put in some set screws? That would have been pretty cool and there wouldn't have been a hole in the front of the plug.

[xeo]

What problem are you having with the top pins?

[huxleypig]

So I decided to pull the cylinder and try to repin it once I took the sidebar, side pins and their springs out.

The second I read this I knew what was coming! I had the same thing happen to one of my ASSA Twins a long time ago and I went insane!

Why not just drill holes above the pins and put in some set screws? That would have been pretty cool and there wouldn't have been a hole in the front of the plug.

I was so pleased with myself after getting all the pins back in and the plug back in there too. Then when the key worked fine I was well happy...then...click. Oh shit.

I did think about drilling the tops out of the pins but I've never put set screws in anything like this before and I was pretty nervous about doing it. I thought I'd probably be more likely to kill the lock totally if I tried that.

So you had to drill a little hole in front of where the sidebar lives too then? Or did you drill the top pins out? At least I know I can put it back together and it'll work ok and if I ever decide to use it on a door (which I doubt because I only have 1 key) then I'd be ok putting the side with the hole in it facing inwards. It doesn't actually help you pick the lock or open it when it's locked and the sidebar won't be affected by it.

It does look ugly though and I am really, really pissed off with myself. I won't be happy until I get another ASSA Twin now either...

What problem are you having with the top pins?

They're the same type pins as the Combi in the OP, not double barrelled spools (or whatever they're called). So when they go into a false set it's a really big one. Then when I get into a false set with them I don't seem to get any feedback from the ones that aren't set right (no counter rotation) and so I'm struggling to figure out which ones to try to push up further. Without knowing this it just gets pretty random.

[xeo]

They're the same type pins as the Combi in the OP, not double barrelled spools (or whatever they're called). So when they go into a false set it's a really big one. Then when I get into a false set with them I don't seem to get any feedback from the ones that aren't set right (no counter rotation) and so I'm struggling to figure out which ones to try to push up further. Without knowing this it just gets pretty random.

There is a way to detect which pins are stuck in the milling. Release as much tension as you're comfortable with and gently tap on each pinstack 5-6 times. If you feel very slight counter-rotation then finish the lift. The ones that are fully set will not produce this effect. The counter-rotation is VERY subtle so you'll need to learn how to differentiate between a keypin touching the top of the shearline and the keypin touching a driver.

[NNFAK]

So you had to drill a little hole in front of where the sidebar lives too then? Or did you drill the top pins out?

The plug was able to stick out just a little bit so I could see the sidebar slot (I was able to make this happen after a lot of pulling and smashing) at which point I just made a little L shape with a small piece of metal and stuck it to the back of the slot and pushed all the pins up... Took me a while to do that though!

[huxleypig]

So you had to drill a little hole in front of where the sidebar lives too then? Or did you drill the top pins out?

The plug was able to stick out just a little bit so I could see the sidebar slot (I was able to make this happen after a lot of pulling and smashing) at which point I just made a little L shape with a small piece of metal and stuck it to the back of the slot and pushed all the pins up... Took me a while to do that though!

I got it sticking out a little bit too and I could see the sidebar slot but there was just nooooo way I was gonna be able to get anything in there, let alone get under the pins to push them up, the slot was tiny!

[NNFAK]

Yeah that is what I mean by it took a while! I had to work that thing out for so long before the slot was big enough to get anything in! I had some other ASSAs I could mess around with while I was doing that though.

[femurat]

Sorry to hear about your misadventure huxleypig, let me point out a couple of things for future reference.

1) the repin method I linked works both with picked locks and opened with a key locks. If you open the lock with the key, when you disassemble it all the pins fly away. You have to pull out the plug and everything and then you can start to insert springs and pins from the front. Insert first spring, insert first pin, push in the pin keeping tool over the first pin, done. Proceed to the back until the last one.

2) if you want to play with a lock without having to worry about the sidebar, remove just the sidebar pins. This way once the standard pins are picked the plug will turn. And you don't risk to get trapped by the standard pins. I guess you already know this, hope somebody else will benefit from reading this.

Cheers

PS: I have a couple of these locks: I hate them too... I can't get the hang of them.

[huxleypig]

They're the same type pins as the Combi in the OP, not double barrelled spools (or whatever they're called). So when they go into a false set it's a really big one. Then when I get into a false set with them I don't seem to get any feedback from the ones that aren't set right (no counter rotation) and so I'm struggling to figure out which ones to try to push up further. Without knowing this it just gets pretty random.

There is a way to detect which pins are stuck in the milling. Release as much tension as you're comfortable with and gently tap on each pinstack 5-6 times. If you feel very slight counter-rotation then finish the lift. The ones that are fully set will not produce this effect. The counter-rotation is VERY subtle so you'll need to learn how to differentiate between a keypin touching the top of the shearline and the keypin touching a driver.

Cheers xeo, no kidding the counter-rotation is subtle!! I'm still struggling to feel it. Would it be more in the tension wrench or the pick that you'd feel it? Normally I'd say the wrench but I'm drawing a blank. More practise I suppose! Practise, practise, practise! Then throw the lock up the wall in frustration!

[LockManipulator]

how are you able to gut this lock? I have a hard time just shimming it from the back and can only get 2 pins. plus i have no idea about how to get the sidebar pins to align so i can slide the whole thing out.

[NNFAK]

how are you able to gut this lock? I have a hard time just shimming it from the back and can only get 2 pins. plus i have no idea about how to get the sidebar pins to align so i can slide the whole thing out.

I haven't taken the Combi apart but you should be able to just slide the plug out without having to pick the sidebar. Just keep trying to shim it from the back!

[LockManipulator]

k thanks! i'm 4 pins in and 2 to go!