Archive-name: locksmith-faq
Last-modified: 93/5/3
Version: 4.2

   This FAQ does not attempt to teach you locksmithing, just to answer
simple questions, give you some hints on getting started, and point
you to sources of information.  Also included is a glossary of common
terms.  The Appendix covers many supply places, books and tapes.

 This FAQ is posted monthly to the USENET groups
"alt.locksmithing", "alt.answers", and "news.answers" The lastest
version of the FAQ should be available from the USENET FTP archives on
"rtfm.mit.edu" in directory "/pub/usenet/alt.locksmithing".
You can also retrieve this FAQ by email; send mail
"mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" to with "send
usenet/alt.locksmithing/a.l_a_t_F_A_Q_(F).Z" contained in the BODY of
the message.

Questions Answered:

1.  Where can I get a lock pick set?
2.  How can I make my own picks and tension wrenches?
3.  Is it legal to carry lock picks?
4.  Where can I get the "MIT Guide to Picking Locks"?
5.  What books can I get on locksmithing?
6.  What are "pick guns" or "automatic pickers" and do they work?
7.  How do I open a Kryptonite lock?
8.  Can the Club be picked?  Is the Club any good?
9.  How can I get keys stamped "DO NOT DUPLICATE" duplicated?
10.  Do Skeleton Keys Exist?
11. Should I bother with high security ("pick proof") locks for my home?
12. What should I do after I read a book?
13. How do I continue learning about locksmithing?
14. How do Simplex pushbutton locks work?
15. What is the "shear line".
    Glossary
    Appendix of sources, books, videotapes.
    Credit & Thanks

1.  Where can I get a lock pick set?

  Try a locksmith supply house.  Look under "Locksmiths' Equipment &
Supplies" in the Yellow Pages.  Your State or the company may have
requirements, such as having to prove you are a locksmith or showing a
drivers license; call and find out.  Also look for mail order houses
in the Appendix.

2.  How can I make my own picks and tension wrenches?

  You can file or grind picks out of spring steel.  It is best to use
spring steel - sources include hacksaw blades, piano (music) wire,
clock springs, streetsweeper bristles (which can be found along the
street after the sweeper has passed), etc.  In a pinch safety pin
steel, or even a bobby pin (much worse) can be used.  When grinding,
keep the steel from getting so hot as to anneal (soften) it.  You may
have to re-harden/re-temper it.  (See a book on knife making,
gunsmithing, or machine shop practice for a discussion on heat
treating steel.)  Some people prefer a rigid tension wrench and just
bend a small screwdriver for this, but many prefer a slightly flexible
wrench and use spring steel.

The "MIT Guide to Picking Locks" and the "Eddie The Wire" books (see
below) cover making these tools.  There are many places you can buy
picks and tension wrenches.  See the appendix.

3.  Is it legal to carry lock picks?

  This depends on where you are.  In the U.S. the common case seems to
be that it is legal to carry potential "burglar tools" such as keys,
picks, crowbars, jacks, bricks, etc., but use of such tools to commit
a crime is a crime in itself.  Call your local library, district
attorney, or police department to be sure.

Places where it *is* illegal to carry lock picks:

The District of Columbia.

4.  Where can I get the "MIT Guide to Picking Locks"?

  Find someone who has it and photocopy it.  The guide does exist in
an (reportedly archaic) online form, but no one seems to have it.

  The guide is copyrighted, but allows reproduction for educational
purposes, so scanning it in and posting would be fine, but no one has
done so yet.

5. What books can I get on locksmithing?

An excellent encyclopedic reference:

The Complete Book of Locks & Locksmithing, 3rd Ed.
C.A. Roper and Bill Phillips   TAB Books
ISBN 0-8306-3522-X (Paper) 0-8306-?522-1 (Hard)
$18.95 (Paper) $26.95 (Hard)

also many people think highly of:

Eddie The Wire: How to Make Your Own Professional Lock Tools
"Eddie The Wire"      Loompanics Unlimited
ISBN 0-685-39143-4
4 Volumes $20

  Your local book store should be able to order these for you.  You
can find other titles under "Locksmithing" in the Books In Print
Subject Index, which any decent bookstore should have.  Also see the
Appendix.

6. What are "pick guns" or "automatic pickers" and do they work?

  A "pick gun" is a manual or powered device that uses a vibrating 
pin to try to bounce the pin tumblers so there are spaces at the shear 
line so the the plug can rotate.  They are not a panacea, aren't always
effective, and the net seems to feel that these are no substitute 
for a little skill with a pick and learning how locks work.

7. How do I open a Kryptonite lock?

    Easiest: If you registered your lock, call or write Kryptonite
    for a new key.  Or call a local locksmith, they should be able to
    pick and re-key the lock for you.

    Easy:  Get a car jack and jack it apart.  Careful, otherwise it is 
    very possible that you'll damage the bike.

    Easy:  Use a cut-off wheel in a Dremel tool to cut the lock at
    the hole in the shackle (where there is the least to cut.)

    Harder: If it doesn't have the newer brass jacket, peel back
    the plastic coating on the key end, drill out the pin that
    holds in the cylinder, remove the cylinder, open.

    Hardest: Chill the metal of the "U" with liquid Nitrogen or
    Freon, smash with hammer.  While this is a "well known" method,
    it may be an urban legend.

8.  Can the Club be picked?  Is the Club any good?

Stan Schwarz <schwarz_sm@dir.texas.gov> writes:

"I used to have a "Club", purchased on the recommendation of a coworker.  
 The first time I tried picking it, it took me approximately 30 seconds, 
 using the cap of a Papermate Flexgrip pen for tension, and a bent jumbo 
 paperclip to rake the pins.  With practice, I was able to reliably pick 
 every "Club" I encountered  in 5-30 seconds using these tools."

  However, it doesn't really matter, no car thief is going to pick it,
they are going to cut the soft plastic steering wheel with a hacksaw
or bolt cutters and slip the Club off.

  It has also been claimed that the Club can be broken if you grab it
with both hands, put your feet on the dashboard, and push with your
legs and pull with your arms as hard as you can.  Be sure to wear
gloves!

  The Club is useful as a deterrent, a car thief may pass over your
car for something easier.  But if a thief wants your car, the Club
will not stop him.  An alarm with an ignition kill and a theft
recovery system like LoJack is a better, but more expensive, option.

9.  How can I get keys stamped "DO NOT DUPLICATE" duplicated?

  Some locksmiths will take the Nike approach and "Just Do It".
Some will even stamp "DO NOT DUPLICATE" on the copy for you.
If that doesn't work, label the key by sticking some tape on
the "DO NOT DUPLICATE" stamp and try again.

10.  Do Skeleton Keys Exists?

  "Skeleton Keys" are keys ground to avoid the wards in warded locks.
There is no analog with modern pin tumbler locks.  Master keys may
open a large set of locks, but this is designed in when the locks are
installed.
        
11. Should I bother with high security ("pick proof") locks for my home?

   Why not?  If you are installing locks, the better quality ones are
not much more expensive, and are physically more secure (e.g., have
hardened inserts to protect against drilling.)  However, note that
protection against picking doesn't add a large amount to your security
since burglars almost always go the brute force route.  Regardless,
you should have a deadbolt, and check your window security.

12. What should I do after I read a book?

  After some reading, then the next thing is some experience.  Go to
K-Mart, buy a deadbolt lock for around $10, and take the entire thing
apart (you'll need tools like screwdrivers, and perhaps a pair of
pliers) to see how a pin tumbler lock works.  K-Mart carries a clone
of the Kwikset which is made to be very easy to take apart.
(Key-in-knob locksets are both more expensive and harder to take
apart.)

  You then can practice picking this lock by leaving out all but one
stack of pins.  This will be exceedingly easy to pick, and will mostly
provide experience in manipulating the pick and tension wrench.  Then
put in one more pin stack and try again - feeling when one stack is
picked and then the second one will let the cylinder move.  Keep on
adding stacks.  Try picking with the curved finger, and also raking.

13. How do I continue learning about locksmithing?

  There are several things you can do to continue learning more about
locks and locksmithing.  One, of course, is to subscribe to a
locksmithing magazine.  Some years ago I compared the National
Locksmith to the Locksmith Ledger and felt that the latter was a bit
better on technical info.  Call yourself a Student Locksmith, or
perhaps a Security Consultant (surely you have given some advice to
*somebody*!).  But all this reading won't help all that much, so you
have to continue buying various types of locks, taking them apart,
figuring out everything about them, and installing, removing,
modifying them.  Buy some key blanks, make up a master key scheme, and
file the keys to fit (assuming you don't have a key machine) - filing
may take a few minutes, but it does work.  Maybe buy a re-keying kit
(kit of different size pins, with a follower) and do some re-keying
for your family or friends (the same size pins fit, I think, the
familiar Kwikset and Schlage pin tumbler locks) so that their
deadbolts can be opened with their normal front door key.  Or buy a
deadbolt installation kit (hole saw plus template - I think that Black
and Decker makes a good one, available at better building supply
places) and put in a few deadbolts for your family and friends -
charging them only for the material plus a couple of bucks towards the
installation kit - and re-key the deadbolt for them, too.  Buy or make
a pick set, and use your practice locks to practice picking.  Do you
have a good locksmith supply catalog?  If not, give a call to a local
supplier, or perhaps to Kenco of Omaha, Nebraska (they have an 800
number) and get their catalog - they sell lots of goodies including
most everything I've been discussing.  Help people at work who have
been locked out of their desks or filing cabinets.  Desks usually have
wafer tumbler locks which are *much* easier to pick than pin tumbler
locks.  Filing cabinets are not as easy to pick, but are pickable
(actually some are very easy to pick - they vary greatly) and also can
be opened by pushing a flexible plastic ruler past the sliding drawer
- carefully inspect some working cabinets to see what I'm talking
about.

14. How do Simplex pushbutton locks work?

  They are complicated, and it takes a rather long discussion to cover
their operation and how to manipulate them.  A clear discussion is
available by anonymous ftp from the host ftp.com in 
/hobbit/flamage/mine/simplex.locks  and there may be some other
locksmithing info in hobbit's directory.

15. What is the "shear line"?

  Visualize a door lock - there is a fixed block (the lock body)
of metal with a cylindrical hole in it - the axis of this hole is
horizontal.  It is filled with a "cylinder", which is the part which
turns with your key - and something attached to the rear
of the cylinder actuates the latch/bolt when you turn the cylinder.
There are some small vertical holes drilled in both the cylinder and
the fixed block so they match up - and they are in a straight line
which is the same line as the key.  Each hole (pin chamber) is filled
with (at least) two pins (small cylindrical pieces of metal) but the
pins are of varying length, and there is a spring at the top of the
chamber so that the pins are pushed away by the spring.  The bottom
pin is short enough so that it will be pushed completely down within
the cylinder and the top pin (imagining right now there are just two
pins - extra one are only used for master keying) goes from inside the
cylinder to inside the fixed block.  Now the cylinder can't turn, 
because in each pin chamber there will be a pin blocking the "shear" 
line - the line where the pin chamber would "shear" apart when the 
cylinder turned.

  You put your key in - and the different heights on the key are
made to "complement" the different lengths of the bottom pin so
that all of the bottom pins are raised up just to the "shear line"
between the cylinder and the fixed block part of the lock.  Then
the key can turn the cylinder around its axis and actuate whatever
internal mechanisms are inside.


Glossary:

blank - A key that has not yet been cut to fit a lock.
core - A removable cylinder and plug, used in a interchangeable core
       system.
core key - A key which is used to remove a core.
cylinder - The part of the lock in which the the pins are set and
           which contains the plug.
cuts - The notches cut in the key to make it fit a lock.
key way - The slot in which the key is inserted.
master key - A key which opens a group of locks designed to match it.
pin tumblers - the pins in the lock which are moved to the shear
               line by the key
pin chamber - the tubular hole in which pins and a spring stay
plug - The part of the lock which the key is inserted and is rotated
       by the key.
wafer tumbler - used in locks which are less expensive than pin tumbler
                locks.  They behave somewhat similarly.
warded lock - A lock using wards to keep an incorrect key from
              entering the key hole and turning.

Appendix

Here are some of the things collected about locations and
availabilities (most are from alt.locksmithing).  We do not endorse
any of these, but feel that you can get information by reading.

Phoenix Systems Inc.    P.O. Box 3339, Evergreen, CO 80439
303-277-0305  [Survivalist Group, all though the "Shoot all the Commies 
for God" stuff is kept to a minimum.]

OUR LOCK PICKS ARE THE FINEST QUALITY PROFESSIONAL TOOLS AVAILABLE.
Each pick is made of hard-finished clock-spring steel, tempered to the
correct degree of hardness.  Whether the subject is wafer tumbler
locks or 6 & 7 pin tumbler locks, our picks are the best available,
and the standard of the industry.  With a few minutes of practice,
even a beginner can open most padlocks, door locks and deadbolts.
NOTE: BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL, AND STATE ORDINANCES GOVERNING
POSSESSION OF THESE TOOLS.

#604 SUPERIOR PICK SET.  Hip pocket size in top grain leather case.
Our most complete set.  32 pick, tension tools & extractors.  [Picks
seem to be from 'HPC' but I can't tell for sure.] Price: $75.00 ea.

#606 TYRO PICK SET.  An excellent choice for the beginner.  Cowhide
leather case contains 9 picks, tension wrenches & key extractor.
[Picks seem to be from 'HPC' but I can't tell for sure.] Price: $34.95
ea.

#607 WARDED PADLOCK PICK SET.  This 5 piece padlock pick set is made
of the finest blue tempered spring steel.  This set will pick open
most every warded padlock made today.  Price: $9.95 ea.

#610 DOUBLE-SIDED TUMBLER LOCK PICKS.  Set of 4 picks for use with
double-sided, disc tumbler, showcase, cam and PADLOCKS.  An excellent
addition to your other pick sets.  Price: $24.95 ea.

#617 PADLOCK SHIM PICKS.  Open padlocks in seconds!  Our new Padlock
Shim pick's unique design makes them so successful that it is
frightening!  Simply slide the shim down between the shackle and the
lock housing, twist and the lock is open. Works best on laminated type
padlocks (the most popular type) but will open ALMOST ANY TYPE OF
PADLOCK -- INCLUDING THE POPULAR 3 NUMBER COMBINATION TYPE.  Include
20 shims -- 5 each of the 4 most common shackle diameters for perfect
fit every time.  Comes with complete instructions.  Price: $39.95 set

#618 SCHLAGE WAFER PICK SET.  There are two types of Schlage wafer
locks, each needing a different base key to pick with.  This set comes
with both types of base keys and the pick.  With the proper base key
the lock is already half picked.  Very quick and easy to use.  Comes
with complete instructions.  [It looks like 2 filed down keys, and a
straight pointy piece of metal for the pick.] Price: $34.95 set

#620 PICK GUN.  Picks locks FAST.  Open locks in less than 5 seconds.
Specifically designed for tumbler locks.  Insert pick into key slot,
then just pull trigger.  Throws all pins into position at one time.
Lock is then turned with tension bar.  Used extensively by police and
other government agencies.  Gun is spring loaded, with tension
adjustment knob.  Comes with 3 needle picks and tension bar.  No
batteries necessary.  Life-time guarantee.  [The model name is
"LockAim", but I can't make out the brand name.] Price: Regular $75.00
OUR SALE PRICE $59.95 ea.

#612 THE SLIM JIM.  Car door opener.  The tool does not enter inside
the car.  Opens a car door by "feel" rather then sight.  With a little
practice, car opening will be no problem.  For GM, Ford and Chrysler
cars.  Made of clock-spring steel and is hand finished.  Price: $16.00
ea.

#613 THE SUPER JIM.  This tool will open most GM, Ford and AMC car
doors.  Opener does not enter vehicle.  Made wider and thicker, and is
bright nickel plated.  Faster openings on most domestic automobiles.
With illustrated instructions.  Price: $16.00 ea.

#614 HOUDINI CAR DOOR OPENER.  The latest and best innovations on car
door openers.  It works the same as your old Slim Jim, except it now
folds neatly to fit in pocket or toolbox without getting in the way.
ONLY 6 1/2 INCHES LONG WHEN FOLDED.  Open up and snaps into place like
a fold-up ruler, excellent stainless steel constructions with vinyl
handle for comfort.  [Looks like a cross between a slim jim and a fold
up ruler.] Price: $19.95 ea.

#615 PRO-LOK "CAR KILLER" KIT.  Over the years we have had thousands
of requests for a multi-vehicle opening kit.  We are now able to offer
the most complete kit that we have ever seen.  This kit of tools will
open over 135 automobiles, both domestic and foreign, on the road
today.  The opening procedure for each vehicle is diagrammed and
explained in the instruction manual.  Kit comes with complete
instruction manual and gas cap pick tool.  [It's 2 slim jims, a couple
of pieces of bent wire, one of which has a string on it, and a little
2 headed key.  (I assume the key is for the gas cap.)]  PRICE: $39.95
ea.

#600 TUBULAR LOCK PICK.  This tool is an easy and reliable method for
picking tubular locks, as found on commercial vending machines,
washers, dryers, etc.  This newest high tech design is much faster and
easier to use than the old type that used rubber bands to hold the
feeler picks.  Internal neoprene "O" rings together with knurled
collar provide a very simple and easy tension adjustment.  Sturdy
stainless steel construction provides for long-lasting service.  This
tool will, with a little practice, easily and quickly open any regular
center-spaced tubular lock -- the most popular type of tubular lock on
the market.  Comes with complete instructions and leather carrying
case.  [A bunch of feeler picks around a tube.] Price: $129.95 ea. [
Yipe!!! ]

Here are a few titles: (with Library of Congress Catalog Number)
- - ----------------------
Title:       Locksmithing
Author:      F.A. Steed
LC Number:   TS 520 S73 1982

Title:       All About Locks and Locksmithing
Author:      Max Alth
LC Number:   TS 520 A37 1972

Title:       Professional Locksmithing Techniques
Author:      Bill Phillips
LC Number    TS 520 P55 1991

or you can buy books from (no credit cards)

Loompanics Unlimited
Publishers & Sellers of Unusual Books
P.O. Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368

 When they say unusual, they mean it!  Everything from igloo
construction to techniques of execution.  There is now a $5 charge for
their catalog.  As far as we know they do not have a phone or fax for
orders.

#52042 B & E: A TO Z - HOW TO GET IN ANYWHERE, ANYTIME (VHS TAPE) by
Scott French, 1987.  Nearly two full hours of on-site techniques to
get in any building, beat any lock, open any safe, enter any car.
Price: $59.95

#40031 INVOLUNTARY REPOSSESSION -OR- IN THE STEAL OF THE NIGHT by John
Russell III (64pp, 1979).  Written by a private detective for auto
repossessors.  All the standard methods of entering and starting
locked, keyless automobiles are given. Price: $10.95

#52050 TECHNIQUES OF BURGLAR ALARM BYPASSING by Wayne B. Yeager
(110pp, 1990).  Alarms covered include: Magnetic Switches, Window
Foil, Sound and Heat Detectors, Photoelectric Devices, Guard Dogs,
Central Station Systems, Closed-Circuit Television, and more. Price:
$14.95

#52047 THE B & E BOOK - BURGLARY TECHNIQUES AND INVESTIGATION by Burt
Rapp (149pp, 1989).  This is an investigatory guide and practical
manual designed for the police officer in charge of a burglary
investigation and its follow-up.  Price: $14.95

#52054 TECHNIQUES OF SAFECRACKING by Wayne B. Yeager (92pp, 1990).
Chapters include: Safe Mechanics and Operations, Guessing the
Combination, Manipulation Techniques, Safe Drilling Methods, Punching
and Peeling, Torches Etc., Explosives, Miscellaneous Methods of Safe
Entry, Safe Deposit Boxes, Deterrence and Prevention, and more. Price:
$12.00

#52052 HIGH SPEED ENTRY - INSTANT OPENING TECHNIQUES (VHS TAPE - 1Hr)
1990.  Topics include: the Rabbit Tool and Hydra force door openers,
the Omni Force jam spreader, the best exothermic lance in the world,
two tools that open almost any auto in America, electronic locksmiths,
rippers and pullers, shove knives and re-lockers, and more "techie"
tools.  A complete source guide is included. Price: $39.95

#52032 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LOCK PICKING by Eddie the Wire (80pp
1981).  The very best book ever written on how to pick locks (quite
the claim).  Topics covered include: Basic Principle and General
Rules, How To Mount Practice Locks, Warded Locks, Disc Tumbler Locks,
Lever Tumbler Locks, Pin Tumbler Locks, Wafer Tumbler Locks, Lock
Modifications To Thwart Tampering And How To Overcome Them, Various
Other Ways Of Bypassing Locks And Locking Mechanisms.  Price: $14.95

#52040 HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL LOCK TOOLS (4 Volume set) by
Eddie the Wire (31pp, 1980; 50pp 1981; 44pp, 1981; 55pp, 1986).
Basically this set describes how to make all the tools mentioned the
above book along with mass production techniques, carrying cases,
using a PC to generate pick profiles, making "soft" break-ins, how to
"case" a subdivision, and more.  Price: $20.00

#52044 PERSONAL PICKS (VHS TAPE - 72min) by Eddie the Wire, 1988.
Demonstrates the step-by-step process of making lock tools in the home
workshop.  Price: $29.95

#52051 EXPERT LOCK PICKING (VHS TAPE - 60min) by Ron Reed, 1990.  The
author has won the California Locksmiths Association lock-picking
championship (I guess that's good).  Uses specially designed cutaway,
see-through locks, so you can view the inside mechanisms of working
locks as they respond to picking techniques.  Price: $59.95

#52048 ADVANCED LOCK PICKING by Steven M. Hampton (50pp, 1989).
Describes the inner workings of the new high-security locks and
includes templates for making custom tools.  Schematic diagrams for
portable electronic picks to open magnetic key and card locks.  Tips
on enhancing finger sensitivity, concentration power, constructing
practice lock boxes, and more.  Price: $10.00

#52045 CIA FIELD-EXPEDIENT KEY CASTING MANUAL (48pp, 1988).  How to
make a duplicate key when you can keep the original only a short time.
Price: $8.00

#52043 HOW I STEAL CARS - A REPO MAN'S GUIDE TO CAR THIEVES' SECRETS
(VHS TAPE - 45min) by Pierre Smith, 1988.  How to open and enter
practically any modern automobile and how to start them without the
key.  Price: $49.95

#52016 HOW TO FIT KEYS BY IMPRESSIONING by Desert Publications (26pp,
1975).  Subjects covered include: Fitting bit keys, Fitting flat steel
keys, Fitting lever tumbler keys, Fitting disc tumbler keys, Necessary
tools, Techniques of obtaining impressions, and more.  Price: $7.00

Wheeler-Tanner Escapes
3024 E. 35th 
Spokane, WA 99223 
509 448 8457.

Mainly Magic/Escape Artist supplies, but that includes lots of
locksmithing equipment and books.  If you need more info, jusk ask.
(Catalog is $2, refundable w/ 1st order).

Credit & Thanks

   The alt.locksmithing FAQ was put together from postings by
spike@world.std.com (Joe "Spike" Ilacqua), and hes@ncsu.edu (Henry
Schaffer), with a major data collection effort by sanguish@digifix.com
(Scott Anguish).  Edited by hes.  Translated to English by
eliz@world.std.com (Elizabeth Lear).  Send comments, criticisms, and
complements to "alt-locksmithing-faq@world.std.com".

The following have contributed to this FAQ:

Scott Anguish <sanguish@digifix.com>
Chris Boyd <clb@oc.com>
Robert Bruce Findler <rf27+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Hobbit <hobbit@ftp.com>
J. James (Jim) Belonis II <manager@dirac.phys.washington.edu>
Larry Margolis <margoli@watson.ibm.com>
Andy McFadden <fadden@uts.amdahl.com>
Stan Schwarz <schwarz_sm@dir.texas.gov>
Thomas E Zerucha <zerucha@shell.portal.com>
