Forcing BEST Locks to Control

[xeo]

Sitting here picking cores for the past 2 hours, I just discovered another tactic you can use with these locks. When you pick it to operating and the plug turns, feel the keypins with your pick. You can feel the bitting. If you feel a cut that is deeper than the rest put your pick on it and apply force while the plug is still turned. Manually turn the plug back very slowly with the tensioner while keeping that force applied. Turn the plug back until you're able to lift that pin. Right when it sneaks up apply regular tension. Forcefully set that pin. It should set. Chances are you won't have dropped all the pins and you can very quickly test new bitting codes with this method. I'm finding this is way faster than doing a full reset.

[Oldfast]

Man, you're really getting a good grip on these!

I look forward to trying that when I get back to picking. Thanks Xeo!

[Alaphablue]

Awesome these tips have lead to real core removal of some of my nasty 6 and 7 pin sfic Thanks for sharing your observations they are dead on the money .

[Slimpickens]

I just bought 5 best cores for 20$, haven't budged one yet lol....

[xeo]

I just bought 5 best cores for 20$, haven't budged one yet lol....

There is a learning curve to this method, which is not high, but it is not low either... somewhere slightly above the middle. All I can say is: practice.

[madsamurai]

There is a learning curve to this method, which is not high, but it is not low either... somewhere slightly above the middle. All I can say is: practice.

You're not kiddin... I've been working on the two Best SFICs I have now for days. Have found many ways to get to operator shear (on one, at least... the other is much tougher in general), but still can't find control. This is the first time I've experienced disappointment/frustration when a lock turns open

[tumbl3r]

I've really struggled with this. I've still not managed a control AND operating pick on the same BEST core. The handful that I have tried all have a favored sheer line, and nothing but nothing seems to get them to change their minds about it, LOL. More practice is clearly required.

[madsamurai]

For a change of pace, I decided to take a shot at a Corbin 6-pin IC core I hadn't picked yet... Picked it to control right away, then to operator, then 6 more times to control. Seemed ironic, somehow. The Corbin isn't in a cylinder casing, so picking it to control doesn't really get me anything (except a warm & fuzzy feeling), however the Best cores are both locked in mortice cylinders, and I need to pick them to control to be able to do anything with them...