pick locks

has thought it would be cool to be able to do that.

MIT Guide to lockpicking is awesome. This is so worth doing and not too hard as long as you know how the lock works.

this seems like a really sweet goal. when i learn how to do this i wont have to worry about getting locked out of my car or house if i lock myself out haha.

The method I would recommend to start picking locks is to get yourself a padlock(I started out on a Master lock – a simple one from Wal-mart). I made my own pick from grinding down a hacksaw blade into a hook pick (There is a video online which can explain this process if you search for it, made by a guy named Pyro, I believe). For a tension wrench I took a bobby pin and bent the top 2cm or so 90 degrees. Then just go to work(Read the MIT guide for the specific skills).
The key is to not apply too much torque to the keyhole, be patient, and don’t just jam your pick around in there, try and understand what is going on.

I went to the lockpicking skillshare and learned the basics. Now I need supplies.

During my university days I had a part-time job at the facilities maintenance shop. I worked for the locksmiths and I started by going on calls with them and eventually I was able to do minor repair jobs myself.

It all depends on the number of pins in the cylinder. File cabinets are a breeze because they have only a few pins (three or less). They take virtually no time at all to open, but you need to apply VERY light pressure on the tension wrench. “Torque wrench” is definitely the wrong term to use as it gives you a mental image of applying a great deal of force. Just the opposite is needed, in fact. But back to the subject of pins. Your typical house lock has six pins, and that is going to be impossible for an amateur. Sure, you can get lucky and get one where the key code required pins of similar height, but the chances of that are slim. For the Weekend Lockpicker, forget about breaking into your house if you’ve left your keys inside!

For fun I recommend going to a locksmith and paying him a few bucks to key up six old cylinders. In the first cylinder he should place one pin. In the second, two pins. Three in the third, etc. This would be a great game for you and your friends to practice your skill. How fast can you get through the set, or how far can you get in the set? Three pins? Four? Remember: the secret is VERY light pressure on the tension wrench and LOTS of patience with the rake (the tool that makes the pins go up and down). Have fun!

P.S. The tension wrenches are the metal tools that are bent at both ends in the upper left of the picture. The rakes are the flat-handled tools in the right side of the picture.

P.P.S. Make sure any time you try picking a lock you squirt a healthy dose of WD-40 in the keyway. This will IMMENSELY simplify your problems. The smoother the mechanics of the lock are, the easier your job becomes.

I always wanted to have a superpower or something that I could do that was useful. So lockpicking was it. I made my own lockpick by filing down a huge nail and I flattened a small one for a torque wrench. I used the MIT guide to lockpicking. I haven’t used it to get anywhere that I’m not supposed to, but if I ever need it, I keep the pick on me at all times. I’m still not the best at it. I can get a lock open in about 5-10 minutes, but nothing like in the movies.

Here’s the url for the MIT guide: http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html
It will tell you everything.