Fiasco's journey to lockpicking

[Neilau]

Hi Fiasco.

With the M1 you have to use medium to hard torsion as they have a strongly spring loaded core and you are right, there is very little feedback.

Stick with the half diamond - strong torsion and lifting and raking the pins. All of a sudden it will go.

I've tried another one (besides mine) and that's how I got it.

Good luck.

PS. We all have at least one lock (or a "naughty Box" full of them) that is really stubborn. You will get it - eventually.

[Fiasco Badmandry]

Hey everyone!

Alright i won't bother you with the abus 55/40 and the M1 still no results with those little f*ckers. But since i don't want to go into manic depression (the state of mind, not the awesome Hendrix's song) over them i went back to the hardware store to cheer me up a bit, here's what i came out with :



from left to right :
- a new Master 140 : i've already got two that i pick pretty well now, but i'm strating to like that model, small, good fit in the hand, good "confidence builder"
- a Master 645
- a Master 150
- and two litle padlocks made in china that i expect to pick pretty quickly

So that's pretty much it, i've also got a set of files and a windshield wiper out of which i'll try to make a skinny prybar to tension that Abus 55/40 son of a b*tch

That's it ! Stay tuned, don't hesitate to comment...

[Oldfast]

So how's it goin' over there buddy?

[Fiasco Badmandry]

Hey oldfast!

Well there's not much to say, on the last bunch of locks i've presented on my last post, my score is 4/5 .. The largest chinese (the silver one) keeps resisting...
No real news about the M1 and the Abus 55/40... I've tried to make a hook from the windshield wiper i bought, but it was to small to fit my hand .. i'll try again..

Something i have discovered : i need picks with handles. The kit i've got from sparrows is a bunch of nude 0.015" picks, my hand muscles are begining to hurt.. I'll be on a trip to berlin next two weeks but when i come back i'll have a look at Peterson's picks and get me some of those with nice plastic handles.

Anyway, i spend my nights trying to get that M1 and that chinese one to budge... when i start to get fed of'em i take all the padlocks i know i can pick open and try to open them all in a row... when it's done i go back to the M1 or The chinese one.. and so on...

So that's pretty much it.. Thanks for taking interest in my progression.. Maybe you have some advices about peterson's picks ?

[Anarchy_won]

if you need a little bit of padding on your picks try some shrink sleeve, (in case you don't know what it is here is a link to some on ebay http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-Kit-260pcs-A ... 1217564479 )
keep at it you will get past those locks soon enough

[Oldfast]

Sounds like you're coming along nicely. I'm sure those brass #'s have been some great practice for spools.

.....The largest chinese (the silver one) keeps resisting.....

Funny, when you first mentioned those, I wondered if you'd have any problems with 'em. lol
Opposite of what you'd think, it's not uncommon for a cheap sloppy lock to be troublesome.
I know it's happened to me more than once. lol

[Fiasco Badmandry]

hey everyone!

It's been a while since last time i posted.. But there's a good reason : i have no news for you guys...

I was in berlin, and didn't have time to pick anything there, since i'm home, i work hard to regain my "skills". It's amazing (and disappointing) how i lost all my sensations and skills just by not picking any lock for 3 weeks.

So, what am i doin' now ?
Well i spend my nights down on locks i picked so easily a month ago, tryin' to regain all that i lost ... tryin' to pick'em all in a row and damn do i have a hard time!

So that's it, but i still prowl around the forum, and watch bosnianBill's videos.

Oh and about those handles stuff i think i'll go with a pot of plastidip, and try dipping my tools because my hand muscles hurt..

[Neilau]

Hi Fiasco.

If you want to make a quick, cheap, easy and comfortable handle on your picks.

Super glue a popsicle stick onto each side, file or sand to the shape of the pick handle, then put on one or two shrink sleeve as Anarchy_won suggested. You could build up the handle with a number of shrink tubes but the sticks will give bulk without using up too much tube.

It won't be the flashes pick handle but it will be comfortable and durable and a comfortable pick will help with your picking.

I'm surprised that you haven't got the M1 yet but there is ALWAYS one. We have all had them.

Put it away for a week or two then come back to it fresh. They are pickable.

Good luck.

[Oldfast]

Good to see ya... and glad you're still at it!