Today lady and gents, I'm writing a tutorial on the physical hack that is lock picking.
The set I use is a simple, eleven piece set that i got for about 40 bucks on the greatness that is the internet. However, you could also use the clip of a pen or a small screw driver as the tension wrench, and a bobby pin or a safety pin as your pick. ( I did for a great while much to the annoyance of anyone with a lock) please note that if you are making your own make-shift set, screw drivers do not work well on pad locks because, surprise, it moves! If you don't understand how this affects its efficiency, keep reading.
The first thing you need to know is that there are two important tools when it comes to picking.
-The Tension Wrench
Usually in the shape of an L, it's wide, but not thick.
-The Pick
The pick could be a number of shapes for different techniques, but the simplest (and easiest) have a small upward turn. If you are using a safety pin for this use a pair of pliers to snip off the point, otherwise it could get in between the pins and then you'd have a broken lock.
So you've got a lock (I'm assuming it takes a key and not a combination) and some picks, now what?
1: First find out what way the key turns to open the lock.
This is pretty simple, if you don't already know what way it turns, put your tension wrench in the keyhole, and see which way has more give. Most keys turn clock wise so if you can't tell, it's your best bet.
2: Put tension on your tension wrench.
No duh, right? What you're doing is turning the cylinder of the lock until the pins stop it, putting pressure on the pins. That way, when you push a pin up, it stays up and the cylinder turns a bit more each time. The thing to note here is not to put too much pressure on your wrench or you'll be stopping the pins from moving and hurting the lock. Keep steady pressure, and don't let go. (Never let go, jack)
3: Start picking.
There are a few ways to do this, but none of them should be using brute force. You can A: Scrub it
B: Go pin by pin
Scrubbing is the quick and dirty way, but it doesn't always work. To scrub, stick your pick in the back of the lock and literally scrub it across the pins (Like you're brushing teeth) all the while keeping tension on your wrench. Again, this doesn't always work, but it is a good starting point for harder locks. Just be semi-gentle.
Going pin by pin is the way I prefer. It's quieter, it turns it into more of a puzzle, and with some locks there are pins you're not suppose to hit. (You shouldn't run into many of these unless you're really into trouble.) Put your pick in, start at the back and gently lift pin by pin. You may have to bounce it a few times, adjust your pressure on the wrench, but it gets the job done. This way requires you to rely on a lot on you're hearing and touch. You should be able to tell when a pin drops back by a small click, you should know when you're almost done because the cylinder has moved a bit.
4: The turn
Did I mention to keep pressure on that wrench? Good. keep turning it, till the lock is disengaged. it can be very disappointing to be working on a lock for five minutes, only to find you didn't turn it all the way and re-lock it.
Additional notes:
Take your time at first. Just above I mentioned five minutes, and I was serious. Take your time at first or something will get broken. You can always get faster later.
(Also, I had images, but they will be added to this tutorial when i am on my own computer. i am currently at school.)
(Working on a video tutorial but am currently working on setting up a miniature/mock door for my collection of locks)
