Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:20 pm by huxleypig
RE: Binding Order 2 and magnet manipulation
Ok, so I've been playing some more. After taking onboard what our German friends told me, I've simulated the shape for the top sliders using a bobby pin (works nicely) from the key. If this was going to be done using an unknown lock then they COULD be picked but if the sliders are not kept in place when the plug is turned then you can find yourself ceasing the lock up because they'll slip into little gaps in the plug housing! Believe me, I know. So therefore the best solution here would be to read them like you would read a wafer lock and then make a simulated copy. However, with the MCS key that I'm looking at (and every other one I've ever seen) the sliders on the top and bottom are in the same place (alternating left/right starting on the right as you look into the lock). Our German friends also say this is the case with every one that they have seen too. If this is right then the same simulated bit could be used for every lock.
Ok, so the sliders are in the right place along the top. The 1st thing to bind is the ball bearing and so push this down and then the sliders on the bottom will stick. As there are only 3 along the bottom you can get away with picking these into place. What I said earlier about them getting stuck in the housing without being anchored depends which way you turn the lock. So if the top sliders are ok and anchored then turning the plug clockwise should be ok (this might not be quite correct though). If this is wrong then a 2nd simulated slider 'pick' can be easily made for the bottom sliders.
Now the plug will turn one hell of a lot. Maybe 20 degrees! At this point the rotor sidebars will lock. This large amount of rotation is because the legs of the sidebar push into the discs and even if they are not in the right place they tilt, giving a little more room to give. However, it still isn't quite enough to allow the plug to turn but it is VERY close. I believe that at this point a destructive attack could be implemented simply by applying a moderate amount of turning force to the plug. If anyone wants to try this and kill their MCS then by all means let me know!!
The trouble is that once you are at this point with the rotors tilted they block any radial movement via manipulation with a magnet (not that I have the 'proper' magnets yet). Releasing tension a little will free up the rotors but I'm still experimenting with how much tension you need to let off so that one will bind but not be stuck. I am sure that a middle ground exists. If so then telling which one is binding is tough. If the rotor sticks then the magnet manipulating it will also 'stick' (well, return to the same place if turned) but with the magnets I'm currently using this is virtually impossible to tell. So until the proper magnets arrive I'm experimenting with a 'magnetic rake'. 4 magnets glued to a very thin strip of metal that are used to jiggle the rotors around randomly. I am hoping to use this to find the perfect 'binding point'
Pics to follow...