The Small end of the Cue

If you tried to rotate the plug of such a lock without a key in the keyway, the top pin segment of each pin stack would block the plug at exactly the same number of degrees of rotation; each pin stack would contribute equally to preventing the plug from turning. Another style of torque tool has two "prongs" that fit in the top and bottom of the keyway, with a cutout between them for the pick. Other names for the torque tool are turning tool, torque wrench, torsion wrench, what is billiards and tension wrench. Two tools -- one for each function -- are used simultaneously when picking a lock. For most of the picking methods discussed here, in which tumblers are manipulated one by one, a "hook"-style pick is generally used. This pick is a Peterson "Hook" with a plastic handle. There is a tradeoff, of course, since a longer handle may be difficult to maneuver around obstacles. And, of course, electronic locks have at their root software whose size and complexity grows as they become more sophisticated (and as they are networked into centralized control systems). In practice, of course, locks aren't perfect: the pin holes in the plug are slightly out of alignment with respect to the shell and the pins and pin holes are each of a slightly different diameter.

The basic algorithm for picking locks is remarkably simple: - Apply a small amount of torque to the plug. It's hard to learn these skills all at once on off-the-shelf commercial locks, but that's what many people who try to learn lock picking end up doing (before giving up in frustration). 16 mm) black Play field 16 mm MDF with black PVC laminate Side Aprons 15 mm x 150 mm MDF black End Aprons 15 mm x 150 mm MDF black Cloth Blue, Red Legs 15 mm MDF black Pocket vinyl & Drop Pocket Bumpers "L" Style bumper, Pool Cues 2 each (142 cm two-piece cues), chalk, triangle, balls. There are a lot of reasons for which the pattern benefits the player striking the red balls that I'm not going to analyse in depth. A total of fifteen red balls, as well as one each of yellow, brown, blue, pink, black, and green, were used. Pin tumbler lock picking consists of raising the cuts on each pin stack to the shear line, one by one, until the plug turns freely. If this pin stack is slowly pushed up with torque applied to the plug, eventually its cut will reach the shear line and the plug will turn a bit more.

Repeat until lock turns: - Locate the pin stack that's being pinched at the shear line (it resists slightly when pushed up) - Continue to push that pin stack up until its cut reaches the shear line and the plug turns slightly. The top pin of that pin stack will be trapped above the shear line, the bottom pin will fall freely, and now a new pin stack (the next most misaligned one) prevents further rotation. The top pin of the most misaligned pin stack becomes "pinched" at the shear line between the plug and the shell. Now apply heavy torque, with the aim of pinching all the bottom pins at the shear line. It is usually possible to insert the torque tool at either the top or bottom part of the keyway. A correctly keyed wafer is flush with the plug on the top and the bottom and allows rotation.

Picking tools are designed to perform one of two basic functions: manipulating pins and turning the plug. The goal is the strike one ball and bounce it off the sides, hitting the other two on the rebound. This shot immediately follows the previous one (fancy that, eh?) and is, according to me, the wrong shot. The proper pick and torque tool selection depend on the shape of the keyway, the features of the lock, the picking technique, and the individual preferences of the user. Both the pick and the torque tool also amplify and transmit feedback about the state of the lock back to their user. In general, the torque tool should be as thick as possible while still fitting in the keyway, and of a width sufficient to provide good control but without interfering with the picking tool's access to the pins. The selection of the torque tool is just as important as that of the pick, but, again, commercial pick kits often fail to include a sufficient range of sizes and designs to allow good control and feel across the range of common locks. Good tools are important, to be sure, but once a few basic tools are available the student of lock picking is usually better off investing in new locks on which to practice rather than in new picking tools.