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- From: hes@indra.com (Henry E Schaffer)
- Newsgroups: alt.locksmithing,alt.answers,news.answers
- Subject: alt.locksmithing answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
- Supersedes: <locksmith-faq_995634952@indra.com>
- Followup-To: alt.locksmithing
- Date: 31 Dec 2001 09:42:40 -0700
- Organization: Indra's Net - Public Internet Access
- Message-ID: <locksmith-faq_1009816957@indra.com>
- Expires: 1 February 2002 00:00:01 GMT
- Reply-To: alt-locksmithing-faq@indra.com
- Summary: This post gives answers to many of the common questions
- asked. It is strongly recommended that it be read before posting
- to this group.
- X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com
- Lines: 1941
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.locksmithing:55801 alt.answers:59691 news.answers:221989
-
- Archive-name: locksmith-faq
- Posting-Frequency: monthly (mid-month)
- Last-modified: 01/12/31
- Version: 6.51
- [1]alt.locksmithing answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- 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 [2]"alt.locksmithing",
- [3]"alt.answers", and [4]"news.answers". The latest version of the FAQ
- should be available from the USENET FTP archives on "rtfm.mit.edu" in
- directory "/pub/usenet/alt.locksmithing" and can be read at
- http://www.faqs.org/ (You'll have to click on the "alt" Hierarchy, and
- then select this faq by clicking. You can also retrieve this FAQ by
- email; send mail to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with "send
- usenet/alt.locksmithing/*" contained in the BODY of the message.
-
- A hypertext version of this FAQ may be accessed at indra.com on the
- World Wide Web using
- "http://www.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/".
- Version 6.51 Last changed 12/31/01
-
- Questions Answered:
-
- 0. [5]Will people on this newsgroup give me information about picking
- locks, etc.?
- 1. [6]Where can I get a lock pick set?
- 2. [7]How can I make my own picks and tension wrenches?
- 3. [8]Is it legal to carry lock picks?
- 4. [9]Where can I get the "MIT Guide to Picking Locks"?
- + [10]I can't print the Guide!
- 5. [11]What books can I get on locksmithing?
- 6. [12]What are "pick guns" or "automatic pickers" and do they work?
- 7. [13]How do I open a Kryptonite lock?
- 8. [14]Can the Club be picked? Is the Club any good?
- 9. [15]How can I get keys stamped "DO NOT DUPLICATE" duplicated?
- 10. [16]Do Skeleton Keys Exist?
- 11. [17]Should I bother with high security ("pick proof") locks and
- other security enhancements for my home?
- 12. [18]What should I do after I read a book?
- 13. [19]How do I continue learning about locksmithing?
- 14. [20]How do I learn the locksmithing trade?
- 15. [21]How do I learn more about Master Keying?
- 16. [22]How do Simplex pushbutton locks work?
- 17. [23]Is there a formula that can find the combination of a Master
- Lock?
- 18. [24]Can the combination of a Master Lock be found though
- manipulation?
- 19. [25]What is the "shear line".
- 20. [26]What is "impressioning"?
- 21. [27]What is a code? What is a codebook?
- 22. [28]How do I open a car with a Slim Jim?
- 23. [29]What is a jiggler key?
- 24. [30]Is there an ethical dimension to locksmithing?
- 25. [31]I have a safe without the combination - how do I open it?
- 26. [32]How do I change the combination of a safe?
- 27. [33]How do I disassemble a Kwikset key in knob entry set?
- 28. [34]Why are posts of binaries (pictures) against the consensus
- rules of this news.group?
- 29. [35]Should my business be a shop or a mobile unit (truck)?
- + [36]Other online locksmithing related resources
- + [37]Glossary
- + [38]Appendix of sources, books, videotapes.
- + [39]Information for collectors.
- + [40]Workshop contents.
- + [41]Credit & Thanks
-
- 0. Will people on this newsgroup give me information about picking locks,
- etc.?
- Yes and No. These is a serious debate, based on serious
- principles. Most experienced people here are quite willing to
- discuss the basics of lock construction and operation. Few (if
- any) are willing to give specific answers regarding opening a
- particular lock or safe - without knowing the asker or having
- other evidence that the inquiry is legitimate.
- Another balancing act regards the general effect of information.
- As Joe K. put it succinctly, "On one side there are the idealists
- who believe that even weak security should not be further
- compromised without good reason; on the other there are those who
- believe that weak locks should be forced out of the market.
- There's never going to be agreement here... can we just agree that
- reasonable people can disagree, and have done with it?"
- People have contrasted locksmithing "security by obscurity" with
- practice in the software arena (in which it has generally been
- considered to be misguided and therefore be bad for society.)
- Exposing flaws as a social good breaks down when there are
- hundreds of thousands of current owners of the product who don't
- know that the flaw has been exposed. Even if they find out, there
- is another big difference. This is the cost of correcting the flaw
- (upgrading.) Installing the patches on your copy of software takes
- a bit of effort, but you don't have to throw out and purchase a
- new physical product (such as a lock.) The manufacturer of the
- lock is pretty certain not to make it available for free.
- Basically you have to buy a new item and have it replaced, and
- this adversly impacts users, many of whom do not have the budget
- to correct the flaw. Therefore publishing the security flaw costs
- users *much* more for a lock than for a piece of software.
- And the fact is that a nominally flawed product _does_ provide
- adequate security against the unmotivated and ignorant who are the
- primary folks attacking physical security systems (as opposed to
- the motivated and clueful who attack electronic security and can
- do it from a distance without physical presence).
-
- 1. Where can I get a lock pick set?
- Try a locksmith supply house. Look under "Locksmiths' Equipment &
- Supplies" in the Yellow Pages. Your locality, 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. Look for mail
- order houses in the Appendix. You can also check on the Web for
- suppliers.
-
- 2. How can I make my own picks and tension wrenches?
- You can file or (more easily) grind picks out of spring steel. It
- is best to use spring steel - sources include hacksaw blades,
- piano (music) wire, clock springs, street sweeper bristles (which
- can be found along the street after the sweeper has passed), metal
- from a plumbers "snake", 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. Spring steel is hardened and then tempered/drawn
- so as to retain some hardness and to get quite a bit of
- flexibility.) 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.
- Steve Haehnichen <steve@vigra.com> maintained an archive of GIF
- and JPEG images of picks located at
- [42]ftp://ftp.vigra.com/steve/locks/ which are useful guides for
- those making their own picks. But this link isn't working right
- now - this is being checked.
- Another [43]archive has some pickes illustrated, but does not show
- the rake pick.
-
- 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, police department, or your own attorney to be
- sure. Possession of potential "burglar tools" can be be used as
- evidence against you if you are found in incriminating
- circumstances. An example of a state law can be found in the
- Viginia State Code: Section 18.2-94 _Possession of burglarious
- tools, etc._ "If any person have in his possession any tools,
- implements or outfit, with intent to commit burglary, robbery or
- larceny, upon conviction thereof he shall be guilty of a Class 5
- felony."
- Note that the prosecution has to prove "intent". However, the law
- continues: "The possession of such burglarious tools, implements
- or outfit by any person other than a licensed dealer, shall be
- prima facie evidence of an intent to commit burglary, robbery or
- larceny." This means that the possessor can have a bit of an
- uphill battle and has to convince the jury that this 'prima facie
- evidence' is misleading.
- Places where it *is* illegal to carry lock picks:
- The District of Columbia, New York State and Illinois. New Jersey
- law appears to make these illegal if they can work motor vehicle
- locks. There may be many other places as well (such as Canada,
- Maryland and California.) It can be hard to tell since the
- relevant laws can be dealing with burglary, motor vehicles or
- locksmith regulation, etc. This emphasizes the importance of
- finding out for *your* area - and determining the applicability to
- *your* circumstances (e.g., locksmith, full or part-time), repo
- worker, building maintenance worker, ...
-
- 4. Where can I get the [44]"MIT Guide to Picking Locks"?
- The author of the [45]"MIT Guide to Picking Locks", "Ted the
- Tool", has posted a PostScript(TM) version of the Guide which can
- be retrieved via ftp from:
-
- ftp.indra.com:/archives/alt-locksmithing/MITGtLP/MITLockGuide.ps.Z
-
- You will need a PostScript printer or previewer to view this file.
- Dave Ferret <ferret@works.uucp> scanned/typed in a version of the
- Guide, it is a file of the text of the Guide and a collection of
- GIFs of the diagrams. This can be found in ZIP and tar format in:
- A Web version can be found at [46]The Document Which Was Formerly
- Called the MIT Guide
- ftp.indra.com:/archives/alt-locksmithing/MITGtLP/unofficial
- Mattias Wingstedt <wing@lysator.liu.se> has converted the Guide to
- HTML and made it available on the Web at
- [47]http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html.
- Ken Waldron <kwaldron@idirect.com> has converted the Guide to MS
- Word format and it can be retrieved via ftp from:
- ftp.indra.com:/archives/alt-locksmithing/mitguideMSW.zip
- Since this is a zipped file, you will need to set ftp to binary
- mode and then unzip it after retrieving it. You may want to start
- by retrieving the small mitguideMSE.README file first.
-
- 4b. I can't print the Guide!
- Try deleting the two lines that read:
- statusdict /lettertray known {statusdict begin lettertray end} if
-
- 5. What books can I get on locksmithing?
- Bill Phillips has written a number of locksmithing books. For the
- beginning or aspiring locksmith here is an excellent and practical
- introduction and overview:
- Locksmithing
- McGraw-Hill 2000 ISBN 0-07-134436-5
- paperbound 7 1/2" x 9", 550 pages, $34.95
- An excellent encyclopedic reference:
- The Complete Book of Locks & Locksmithing, 4th ed.
- McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1995 ISBN 0-07-049866-0 $24.95 (Paper) USA
- and another one:
- Professional Locksmithing Techniques, 2nd Edition
- TAB Books/McGraw-Hill 1996
- ISBN 0-07-049867-9 (Paper) $36.95 (Paper)
- 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 that the plug can rotate. Some kind of turning
- pressure is also needed - either during or a split second after
- the click. The MIT Guide has some discussion of this. Pick guns
- are not a panacea, and aren't always effective although some
- people find them to work extremely well. The net seems to feel
- that these are no substitute for a little skill with a pick and
- learning how locks work. The electrically powered ones are
- considerably more expensive, and many question whether they are
- worth the cost. Pick guns should not be used on wafer tumbler
- locks as they will not pick the lock and can damage the wafers and
- springs.
- The following "ascii art" may make this easier to understand:
-
- \
- / <-- Spring, pushes pins down.
- \
- |-|
- ------- | | ------- <-- Shear line, where the
- |_| plug meets the cylinder.
- |-|
- | |
- |_|
-
- ^ <-- Keyway
- |
- |
- Pick gun delivers
- sharp blow to bottom
- pin.
-
- With luck, right after the gun delivers its blow:
-
- \
- /
- \
- |-|
- | | <-- Top pin thrown up by blow.
- |_|
-
- -------------------- <-- Shear line, where the
- plug meets the cylinder.
- |-|
- | | <-- Bottom pin stays in place.
- |_|
-
- Three "pick gun" type implements described in _PICK GUNS Lock Picking
- for Spies, Cops and Locksmiths_ by John Minnery:
-
- The simple clicker, made from a metal clothes hanger:
-
- Thumb presses here,
- then releases with a snap.
- |
- v
- _______________________
- / _____ | |
- / / \ | |
- | | | | | <--- Pins go here, where
- \ \-----/---------------|--------------- they will receive
- \_____/ \ / ^ the force of the
- \_/ | "click".
- ^ |
- | ^ Flatten needle with hammer,
- | | shorten height with file.
- Wrap around something | This part goes into
- like a broom handle. | the lock under the pins.
- |
- This part imparts
- force to the needle
- which imparts force
- to the pins.
-
- Clothespin Clicker:
- ____________________________________
- \ _ --------------| <-- Thin strip of metal placed
- -----------/-\___/ \_| in groove cut in top of
- -----\-/ \_/ | clothespin.
- /_______________/
-
- ^
- |
- Lower part shortened to make operation easier.
- Finger pulls up here, and then releases. Force
- is transfered to needle, and then pins.
-
- Spring Pick Gun:
-
- ____________________ __
- / \ / \
- | | / |
- | | | |
- | | | |
- \__ | | | Needle. This part
- \ __________ | | _______________ <-- transfers force to
- | / | | | pins. Hammer thin,
- | | \_| _/ and file down height.
- | | |
- | | | <-- Trigger. Forefinger pulls here, and
- | | | releases with a snap.
- | | \
- | |
- | __ |
- | / \ |
- |\ || <-- Wrap around something
- \_\___/| like a broom handle.
- \___/
-
- 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 <stan@cosmo.pasadena.ca.us> 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. Many
- locksmiths aren't 'fooled' by the tape, but many key-cutting clerks
- don't care.
-
- 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
- 'pinned' with master pins.
-
- 11. Should I bother with high security ("pick proof") locks and other
- security enhancements 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.
-
- An excellent project is to do a security survey of your own
- premises. Look at the entire problem - consider lighting and visibility,
- as well as the locks, doors and windows. Ask your insurance agent, you
- may be eligible for a premium reduction if you make a few changes in
- your home such as a) adding deadbolt locks, and b) installing smoke
- detectors and fire extinguishers.
-
- 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 deadbolt 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 the plug rotates minutely - so little that it is felt rather
- than seen. Then when the second one is picked that will let the plug
- move, unlocking the lock. Keep on adding stacks. Try picking with the
- curved finger (or feeler) pick, and also raking.
-
- As you get involved in doing some elementary locksmithing, also learn
- about the quality of hardware and how to pick appropriate hardware for
- the projected use. There is a quality grade based on testing by ANSI
- (the American National Standards Institute) which give an indication of
- the resistance of a lockset to wear and unauthorized entry.
-
- + Grade 1 - commercial quality for heavy use
- + Grade 2 - heavier residential use and light commercial use
- + Grade 3 - light residential use (widely used for residential
- use where cost is the primary consideration, most locksmiths
- would recommend Grade 2 as a minimum.
-
- There are also many people on the net who are willing to help in
- various areas. Posting a question on alt.locksmithing can help find
- someone. One person who is willing to offer free advice about
- old doors and door locks is Dr. Dorlock (keyl@airmail.net) who tells us,
- "My only interest is saving old doors from "butchery" by professionals
- who do not know new solutions to old problems." Write him or check his
- [48]web page.
- (Don't write to him about lockpicking.)
-
- 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*!). Also read The Complete Book of Locks & Locksmithing, 4th
- ed. by Bill Phillips which was mentioned above.
-
- Lock companies are starting to use the Internet to distribute
- information. See the on-line resources section below for many lock
- related web sites.
-
- But all this reading can help only so 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 yet) - filing may
- take a few minutes, but it does work. Maybe buy a re-keying kit
- (kit of different size pins, with a plug 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.
- (Hint - when disassembling a lock you may want to do it inside a
- transparent plastic bag. Then the small pieces and springs will be
- trapped and won't go flying across the room, leaving you with a sad look
- on your face.) (A follower is used to push the plug out, when the pins
- are at the shear line, therefore keeping the top pins and springs in
- place. Then the rekeyed plug is used to push out the follower, again
- keeping the top pins and springs in place. Similarly the follower can
- be used when loading new springs and top pins, keeping the loaded ones
- in place.)
-
- Or buy a deadbolt installation kit (hole saw plus template - I
- think that Black and Decker makes a good inexpensive one, available
- at better building supply places) and put in a few deadbolts for
- your family and friends - charging them only for the materials 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. 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 between the
- side of the sliding drawer and the cabinet body - carefully inspect some
- working cabinets to see what I'm talking about.
-
- 13a. How do I learn the locksmithing trade?
-
- Joe Kesselman posted this advice:
-
- The mail-order courses will teach you the very basics -- but that's
- just a starting point. Their main value is in teaching you what
- questions to ask and some terminology so you can go on to learn
- more from other sources. You _can_ get started this way, but it
- takes determination and considerable additional effort. As with any
- trade, there's a lot of detail to learn and skills that come only
- with practice.
-
- If you're planning to apprentice to an established locksmith (not
- at all a bad idea) you might want to start by asking around and
- determining whether the folks in your area would be more likely to
- give you a chance after you've taken one of these courses. Some
- consider the course a helpful bootstrap, some don't. In my area,
- shops seem to be looking for folks who are willing to take on the
- automotive work so the principals can spend their time doing more
- interesting (and lucrative) stuff, and I'm not convinced the
- learn-at-home classes teach much that's useful about this corner of
- the field.
-
- Joe also points out that locksmithing associations, shows and
- journals are valuable sources of continuing education.
-
- The National Locksmith (a monthly trade journal) requires some form of
- affiliation with the locksmithing/security industry for subscription or
- for purchase of their training manuals - here's the contact info:
-
- The National Locksmith Magazine
- Marc Goldberg, Publisher
- NATLLOCK@aol.com
- http://www.TheNationalLocksmith.com/
- They also sell a variety of books and software.
- 1533 Burgundy Pky
- Streamwood, IL 60107
- 630-837-2044
-
- Jay Hennigan added:
-
- ... However, the best way to really learn the trade is by working
- in a real lock shop for a period of time. There are "tricks of the
- trade" that can only be learned in such an environment, and this
- trade tends to be more secretive than most, due to the (IMHO
- misguided) belief in "security through obscurity".
-
- Foley-Belsaw, and perhaps other correspondence schools, will often send
- out a series of offers with lower and lower prices if you wait after you
- first ask and get their initial (highest) price. People report that the
- F-B price eventually goes down to $499, and one person has said $399.
-
- 6301 Equitable Rd.,Kansas City,MO,64120
- 800-821-3452,816-483-4200,Fax:,816-483-5010
-
- Another mass market correspondence school is NRI Schools 4401
- Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008-2323, 1-800-321-4634 Ext.
- 3650 202-244-1600 Fax:202-244-2047
-
- Some more schools - (Res. means a residential program, Cor. means
- correspondence) Thanks to Marc
- Goldberg of THE NATIONAL LOCKSMITH for compiling this list. (See
- elsewhere in this FAQ for his Web site, etc.)
-
- Acme School of Locksmithing 11350 S. Harlem,Worth,IL,60482
- 708-361-3750 Fax:,708-448-9306(Res.)
-
- California Institute of Locksmithing 14721 Oxnard St. Van Nuys,CA,91411
-
- [49] College of Security Technology & Management
- 12800 South U.S. 71,Grandview,MO,60430 816-765-5551 Fax:816-765-1777
-
- Colorado Lks. College Inc. 4991 W. 80th Ave. Unit 103A,Westminster,CO,80030
-
- Golden Gate School of Lock Technology 3722 San Pablo Ave.,Oakland,CA,94608
-
- [50] Granton Institute of Technology
- 263 Adelaide St. West,Toronto Ont.,CANADA,M5H1Y3
- 416-977-3929 Fax:416-977-5612 INFO@GRANTONINSTITUTE.COM
-
- Locksmith School (Res.) 3901 S. Meridian St.,Indianapolis,IN,46217
- 317-632-3979 Fax:17-784-2945
-
- Locksmithing Institute of America 226 Fairfield Rd.,Fairfield,NJ,07004
- (not at that address - probably defunct)
-
- [51] LTC Training Center (Cor.) P.O. Box 3583,Davenport,IA,52808-3583
- 800-358-9393 319-322-6669 Fax:319-324-7938
-
- Messick Vo/Tech Center (Res.) 703 South Greer,Memphis,TN,38111
- 901-325-4840 Fax:901-325-4843
-
- North Bennett Street School 39 North Bennett St.,Boston,MA,02113-1998
- 617-227-0155 Fax:617-227-9292
-
- [52] Pine Technical College (Res.,Web) 1000 4th St.,Pine City,MN,55063
- 800-521-7463 320-629-6764 320-629-7603 HECKMAN@PTC.TEC.MN.US
-
- Professional Career Development Institute 3957 Parkway Lane,Norcross,GA,30092
-
- Red Deer College Box 5005,Red Deer AB,Canada,T4N 5H5
- 403-342-3450 Fax:403-342-3576 SHAUN.LOVELL@RDC.AB.CA
-
- [53] School of Lock Technology (Res.) 1049 Island Ave.,San Diego,CA,92101
- 619-234-4512619-234-5937 GRAH@GRAHSECURITY.COM
-
- School of Lock Technology - Orange (Res.) 302 W. Katella Ave.,Orange,CA,92667
- 714-633-1366 Fax: 714-633-0199
-
- School of Lock Technology-Austin 509 Rio Grande St.,Austin,TX,78701
- 888-511-8874 512-473-8874 Fax:512-472-4838 OCOTHRON@AOL.COM
-
- Southern Locksmith Training Institute 1387 Airline Drive,Bossier City,LA,71112
- 318-227-9458 318-746-1734
-
- The Academy of Locksmithing 2220 Midland Ave. Unit 106,Scarborough
- Ont.,Canada,M1P 3E6 888-272-8265 416-321-2220 Fax:416-321-5115 TAOL@PW.CA
-
- Universal School of Master Locksmithing (Res., Cor.)
- 3201 Fulton Ave.,Sacramento,CA,95821 916-482-4216 Fax:916-485-9385
-
- [54]Sully Tools, Inc. auto entry tools
- and Automotive Lock Institute car entry seminars
-
- A list of [55]"Locksmithing
- schools around the world" is at a site giving many locksmith links.
-
- There is a general feeling that most of the correspondence courses give
- limited and dated information which isn't sufficient to become a
- locksmith, and that taking such a course may not even be an advantage in
- getting a job in a real lock shop. However there are some courses (both
- residential and correspondence) which have better reputations. One such
- school is:
-
- [56]Lockmasters
- 5058 Danville Rd. Nicholasville, KY 40356
-
- (606) 885-6041 800-654-0637 Fax:606-887-0810 EDUCATION@LOCKMASTERS.COM
-
- [57]American Security Distribution
- has a Certified Locksmith Training Program.
-
- [58]Tech-Train Productions
- Tools and Instruction for Professional Locksmiths
-
- [59]National Auto Lock Service auto
- locksmithing books and
- [60]software
-
- Some (not all) states in the US have licensing requirements. The
- [61]California Dept. of Consumer Affairs lists the requirements and licenses
- locksmiths. CA requires not only the locksmith license (issued by the Bureau
- of Security and Investigative Services, but also a Contractors License
- (unless you only do small jobs,) category C-28 Locks and Security
- Hardware - with tests on trade skills and law/business required.
-
- The ALOA provides information on [62]Getting Started in Locksmithing
-
- Someone starting up may have trouble in judging the time various tasks
- take, and hence in quoting a price. A "Flat Rate Manual", even a simple
- one, can be a big help. Joe points out, "It's a good tool for
- understanding the tradeoffs in your price structure." It can be used as
- a starting point, and then you can adjust prices as you see fit.
-
- 13b. How do I learn more about Master Keying?
-
- Here are some references:
-
- The Manual of Master Keying, by G.L. Finch available from The National
- Locksmith and from his son.
-
- Gerry Finch was highly regarded as a technical writer on locksmithing.
-
- Info, Sales & Support: glfinch@ix.netcom.com
-
- Fundamentals of Master Keying, by Jerome Andrews available from ALOA
-
- Master Keying by the Numbers, by Billy Edwards available from Security
- Resources
-
- 14. How do Simplex pushbutton locks work?
-
- Hobbit has written an excellent discussion on workings of
- Simplex locks. Hobbit left FTP Software and his FTP archive is
- currently unavailable. However we have [63]a copy available.
-
- 15. Is there a formula that can find the combination of a Master Lock?
-
- Not as far as anyone knows. I.e., the combination is not derived
- from the serial number. You can buy code books with which
- will tell you the combination for a given serial number, but these are
- big rather expensive books that list (nearly) every lock.
-
- However it may be possible to obtain the combination from [64]Master Lock.
-
- Additionally, John F. Bousquet <bousquet@crl.com>writes:
-
- There is another way. There is a shirt picket sized formula book.
- From the serial number you determine which of several progressions
- were used by the factory. Then a guide number is found from the
- table to divide into the serial number and a remainder is found.
- This is referenced on a page in the guide. The last digit is
- manipulated and that narrows it down to about 5 possibilities. I
- bought one of these 20 page pocket Try out combination finders and
- never wound up using it. Now I just call it up on notebook computer.
-
- An [65]inside view of a Master-type lock shows how it works.
-
- 16. Can the combination of a Master Lock be found though manipulation?
-
- Recently a method of finding the combination of a Master Lock has been
- presented on alt.locksmithing. It seems there is a formula that
- relates the numbers in a combination to each other. The first and
- last digit of any combination will both have the same remainder when
- divided by 4, and the second digit's remainder when divided by 4 will
- be - or + 2 from the first and third's remainder. For example, if you
- knew the last digit of the combination was 5, the first digit could be
- any digit that had a remainder of 1 when divided by 4 and the second
- number any digit with a remainder of 3 when divided by 4. This means
- given one number in the combination, there are only ten numbers that
- can be in each of the other two positions, and thus only 100 possible
- combinations given one number in the combination.
-
- This "modulus 4" constraint does not appear to apply to "current"
- production locks (1999?-).
-
- And it turns out there is an easy way to find the last digit of the
- combination. On older Master Locks, ones where the arrow at the top
- is raised, simply pull on the shackle and turn the dial until it
- catches, that's the third number in the combination. On news locks
- with the recessed arrow, there are twelve places the dial will catch
- if you turn it while pulling on the shackle. Seven of these will
- catch between two numbers, ignore these, and find the the five that
- catch on a number. Four of these will end in the same digit, i.e, 1,
- 11, 21, and 31, the fifth end with a different digit, and the is the
- third number in the combination.
-
- This means that given the knowledge, time, and patience, anyone can
- find the combination and open your lock. But then so can anyone with
- a pair of bolt cutters, a hacksaw, or maybe even a hammer. These are
- three (US) dollar locks. They have many useful applications, but they
- are not high security locks. Plan your usage accordingly.
-
- _PLEASE_ don't post a question on alt.locksmithing
- giving a serial number and asking for the combination for that
- lock. Yes - there are books relating the two - but very few people
- will take you at your word that it is your own lock. Instead the
- most likely result is the start of a flame war!
-
- 17. What is the "shear line"?
-
- Visualize a door lock - there is a fixed block (the lock body or
- cylinder) of metal with a cylindrical hole in it - the axis of this
- hole is horizontal. It is filled with a "plug" which is the part
- which turns with your key - and something attached to the rear of
- the plug actuates the latch/bolt when you turn the plug with the
- key. There are some small vertical holes drilled in both the plug
- 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 - except that the portion of the bottom pin which touches
- the key is pointed) 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 plug and the top pin (imagining
- right now there are just two pins - extra ones are only used for
- master keying) goes from inside the top block to inside the plug.
- Now the plug 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 plug 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 plug and the fixed block part of the lock. Then
- the key can turn the plug around its axis and actuate whatever
- internal mechanisms are inside.
-
- [66]Picking a lock is a matter of raising the pins to the shear line, but
- without the key.
-
- 18. What is "impressioning"?
-
- Impressioning is a technique for opening a lock by making a key out of
- a key blank for the lock. The blank is filed to fit; the place and
- amount of filing depends upon small marks left on the key blank by the
- pin tumblers. The procedure starts with smoothing the key blank with
- fine abrasive paper or a very fine file to remove any marks or
- scratches and to leave a surface which will show the marks. The key
- blank is then inserted into the lock and the blank twisted from side to
- side and rocked up and down. The blank is removed and inspected for
- marks and a shallow cut made with a file on the mark closest to the tip
- of the blank, or on the most prominent mark. (There are several systems
- for determining which mark should be cut and for the correct way to
- twist and rock.)
-
- Repeat this for the same position until the tumbler doesn't leave any
- mark on the blank and then move to the next pin. When the last cut is
- made the lock should open with the newly cut key - assuming that the
- interpretation of the marks and the cutting has been done right.
-
- The advantage of impressioning for opening a lock is that it creates a
- key for that lock. But the process is slow and requires a fair amount
- of skill. With expert skill levels, the process is considerably
- faster. There are a number of special pliers made to hold the blank
- and make it easier to give the proper twist with rocking that will mark
- the blank. The marks on the blank are difficult to see and you must
- start with a blank that fits the lock. (Or several blanks, as this
- doesn't always work the first time.) Impressioning may not be as quick
- and easy as picking the lock. Picking a lock often leaves tell-tale
- scratches on the tumblers and plug that won't happen with
- impressioning.
-
- A manual on impressioning by Mark Wanlass is available in the ftp archives
- of indra.com - ftp.indra.com:/archives/alt-locksmithing/impressioning
- A web version is available at:
- http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/impress.html
-
- 19. What is a code? What is a codebook?
-
- Ever see a lock on a desk, filling cabinet, or a key with a number
- stamped on it like FR332, 2H5212, or 61624? Those are called codes.
- They tell locksmiths exactly how to cut a key to fit the lock. There
- are three types of codes.
-
- There are direct digit codes. Each digit corresponds to each cut on
- the key, the value of each digit tell how deep to make the cut.
- Schlage prints the code for the key directly on the key. These codes
- are usually long, each pin needs its own digit.
-
- The second type in which each digit does not directly correspond to
- the depth, but there is a pattern between the code and the key. Often
- mathematical tricks are used (for example you must subtract 435 from the
- code, then cut the key).
-
- The last type require a locksmith to have a codebook. There is no
- pattern to the cuts on the keys. The Reed Codebooks are one of the
- most common. There are 14 general volumes (cars, cabinet, suit
- cases, door locks) and 5 padlock volumes. Each volume is about 600
- pages long. Several manufactures now selling computer programs that
- contain all this information. The software is often copy-protected.
-
- Here's information on several products - all have demo disks. Note that
- features differ, and so different programs may appeal to different users.
- + Blackhawk Products: DOS version $399, Windows version $479,
- copy-protected by use of a hardware key.
- o Blackhawk has a full [67]code program on the Internet.
- Passwords are provided by subscription. There is a
- fully-working demo, and some other information.
- + HPC: DOS version phased out; Windows version now being sold.
- Suggested list price $695. Disk-based copy protection on the
- DOS version. (Windows version - ?)
- + Locksmith Ledger: DOS version only, $699.95. No copy
- protection.
- + Genericode - "Reeds Codes" on disk.
- + Treskat: DOS version only, $498 or less. Disk-based copy
- protection. (There have been many complaints on the net about
- Treskat's customer service, especially when a customer calls
- about problems with the copy protection.)
-
- 20. How do I open a car door with a Slim Jim?
-
- Besides picking the lock, one can open a car door with a wire coat
- hanger. Open the coat hanger by unbending the wire, leaving a
- small loop at one end. Insert the looped end of the wire hanger
- between the rubber weather stripping and a side window. Hook the
- looped end of the wire around the button of the door lock and pull
- it up to the open position. Many lock buttons are without a lip,
- an anti-theft measure, so that the wire coat hanger slides off
- without lifting it. One can also try to snag the door handle and
- pull it open.
-
- The Slim Jim, a thin strip of metal with a notch cut at the bottom
- side, slides down the passenger window into the door. The notch
- tries to catch a rod running inside the door that connects the lock
- and the lock buttons. Pulling on this rod pops the lock into the
- open position. Many modern cars have the rod shielded from this
- access. Most cars today have many wires running through
- the doors to control such things as power windows, power locks,
- heated side view mirrors, lighted key ways, and burglar alarms.
- Some newer cars have airbags in the doors - setting them off is a very
- dangerous and expensive mistake! The Slim Jim can snag one of these,
- or a mechanical part and cause damage. Most locksmiths advise against
- using a Slim Jim except on old cars. The pros often use wedges,
- lights and manuals of parts locations to avoid damage and increase
- their success rate.
-
- 21. What is a jiggler key?
-
- A thin piece of metal cut in the general shape of a key, the jiggler
- slips into the keyway of many locks and most car locks. The jigglers
- in the set come with a variety of general cuts that vaguely resemble
- cuts on keys. A jiggler is slipped into the lock and moved around,
- much as using a rake type pick, until the lock opens. If one jiggler
- does not work then the next one in the set is tried. Probability of
- success depends on the skill of the user and on luck.
-
- 22. Is there an ethical dimension to locksmithing?
-
- Yes. Locksmithing is an old craft, and there is a strong tradition of
- ethical responsibility. A trainee (apprentice) learned about locks
- and security, and was supposed to have the personal integrity to
- avoid abusing that knowledge. This "do no harm" concept has been
- incorporated into the 'hacker ethic' which is found at MIT (in the
- "hacking community") and elsewhere.
-
- 23. I have a safe without the combination - how do I open it?
-
- "Either throw the safe away, or pay a safe expert to open it, or
- perhaps work out a trade with the safeman: he opens it, you get the
- contents, and he gets the safe. Please try and use a tiny bit of
- common sense: if anyone could get a quick and easy way to open your
- safe by posting to alt.locksmithing, your safe wouldn't be worth a damn,
- would it?"
-
- A safe expert (which usually means a member of SAVTA) usually can open a
- safe by either "manipulation" or drilling to access the lock's internals
- and then working the lock.
- [68]Drilling can be repaired and leave the safe in excellent condition.
-
- 23a. How do I change the combination of a safe?
-
- The better safe locks can be changed to a new combination.
- This involves insertion of a "change key" into the back of the
- combination lock, and dialling the new combination. Usually the new
- combination is dialled using a "change index" rather than the usual
- "opening index" (usually located at 12 o'clock.) There are restrictions
- on choice of the numbers - so be sure to find out the details before
- doing this yourself. Carefully review the instruction sheet for the lock
- [69](example)
- before doing this.
-
- WARNING: It is hard to open a safe which has been set to an unknown
- combination or one which doesn't work. So be sure to exercise the new
- combination several times with the door open before closing the door and
- locking the safe.
-
- 24. How do I disassemble a Kwikset key-in-knob entry set?
-
- 0) Open the door. (If you can't, call a locksmith!)
-
- 1) Dismount outer knob from door (the screws are on the indoor side.)
-
- 2) Depress spring retainer and remove spindle.
-
- 3) Reach in through spindle opening and gently release spring.
- retainers by pushing towards center. This can be done -- VERY
- awkwardly -- with a pair of narrow screwdrivers. Or you can get a
- Kwikset Removal Tool (inexpensive), which is just a short piece of
- sheet steel of the correct width with a "U" chomped into the end.
- The points of the U engage the tips of the retainers and move them
- automagically. (see drawing and measurements below)
- 4) Cylinder will pop out of knob. Rekey normally.
-
- 5) When done, snap everything back together and reinstall.
-
- Kwikset cylinder removal tool - cut from a piece of metal
-
- _____________________________________
- \ |
- /____________________________________|
-
-
- Sheet-metal stock thickness: approx 1/16th inch.
-
- Width (top to bottom in illustration): approx 7/16ths inch
-
- Length (left to right in illustration): Whatever works;
- official version is about 6 inches
-
- Cutout end _broadens_ slightly, to approx 15/32nds inch
-
- Notch in end is somewhere between semicircular and V (parabolic?)
- and about 1/8 inch deep from points to bottom of curve.
- Corners wind up being at about 40 degrees between
- outside and inside edge, maybe a bit less.
-
-
- Not very critical. The important thing is that there be two points
- at about the right spacing, with about the right inward slope, to
- engage and move the retainers towards the center.
-
-
- If you need more detail than that, you should probably leave this
- task to someone who has done it before, or at least get them to
- give you a hands-on lesson. The only part that isn't Trivially
- Obvious is the operation of the retainers, and the above should
- be sufficient info for you to figure that out.
-
- 25. Why are posts of binaries (pictures) against the consensus rules of this
- news.group?
-
- This has been discussed a number of times in the past. The consensus of
- this news.group agrees with usenet Nettiquette (note that
- alt.locksmithing is part of usenet) that the disadvantages of
- including binaries in a text news.group outweigh the advantages.
-
- Some of the disadvantages are:
- + A huge post causes other posts to expire faster on the
- servers.
- + A huge post seriously impacts download time for those of us
- who do bulk-downloads to minimize our connect-time costs.
- + A huge post impacts those of us (and there still are some)
- whose connect costs are by-the-byte.
-
- The "Nettiquette" docs are easily found in news.announce.newusers and
- among those there is one titled: "How to find the right place to post
- (FAQ)" which has a section "Binaries (images, executables, sounds,
- etc.)" dealing with this exact question. It says that there are
- "binaries" news.group and they "are the only places where you should
- ever post a file that is not directly human-readable, such as pictures,
- software, or even Microsoft Word files (which are not readable unless you
- have a copy of Microsoft Word on your computer.)"
-
- The alternative which has met with the most approval is to put a
- picture on a Web page and post the URL in your alt.locksmithing post.
- [70]PhotoPoint is a site which offers
- free service for this purpose. Another alternative is to post the binary
- to alt.pictures or some other binary news.group and mention that.
-
- 26. Should my business be a shop or a mobile unit (truck)?
-
- When you reach the point of opening your own locksmith business (after you
- have the locksmithing skills and business skills) this is an important decision.
-
- There are some kinds of merchandise - safes, high-end
- architectural locksets, and so on - where a customer really wants to
- come in and "kick the tires" for a while. There are others which are
- "impulse sale" items - stuff you wouldn't carry on a service call but
- which they'd be interested in if they saw it on a display rack - or
- which are just too big to haul around. And there are some items, and
- accounts, where the customer really wants to know that you have a _Fixed
- Address_, for various reasons; like it or not, a mobile shop is often
- thought of as a transient rather than a Trustworthy Member of The Local
- Business Community.
-
-
- If you open a shop and just sell the same products and services you
- would out of your trunk, it probably won't pay. If you can use it to
- make a substantial amout of sales you wouldn't otherwise get, it
- probably will.
-
-
- Think about your local market, think about your possible shop locations,
- think about whether you can get that leverage and whether you're willing
- to make the investment in time, stock and personnel to make it pay off.
-
- Other online locksmithing related resources:
-
- + [71]Graham Pulford's "Catalogue of High Security Locks"
- + [72]"MIT Guide to Picking Locks" Web page.
- + [73]"MIT Guide to Picking Locks" in Postscript.
- + [74]Hobbit's Simplex lock description
- + [75]Steve Haehnichen's pick images ftp://ftp.vigra.com/steve/locks/
- + [76]Medeco High Security Locks, Inc.
- + [77]Loompanics Unlimited Book Catalog
- + [78]Paladin Press catalog
- + [79]The National Locksmith trade magazine.
- + [80]South Carolina Locksmith Association
- + [81]Gardall Safe Corporation
- + [82]California state law regulating locksmiths - select "Business
- and Professions Code" and put "locksmith" in the search box.
- + [83]Greater Philadelphia Locksmith Association
- + [84]New York Association of In-house Locksmiths, Inc. also
- has Job Listings
- + [85]Locksmith Publishing Corp. Locksmith Ledger, a trade magazine
- + [86]Lock-Man Locksmith
- + [87]The Keyless Lock Store
- + [88]Locksmith Business Community
- + [89]Various locksmithing information. The picking.tools
- Directory includes images of pages from the Septon catalog.
- + [90]HPC, Inc.Designer and manufacturer of Locksmithing Equipment.
- + [91]Mas-Hamilton Group
- + [92]Institutional Locksmiths' Association
- + [93]BiLock high security locking systems
- + [94]Westthorn House software for the professional locksmith
- + [95]Locksoft software
- + [96]Master Lock Co.
- + [97]Ilco Unican A major manufacturer of locking products, etc.
- + [98]A French language site with a section on [99]Picard locks
- + [100]UNE PETITE HISTOIRE DES CLEFS & DES SERRURES A SMALL
- HISTORY OF KEYS & LOCKS
- + [101]JB's Locksmith Central with many links.
- + [102]Gil-Ray Tools Inc. Key Machine Cutter Sharpening & Sales Center
- + [103]Lockpicking Infopaedia
- + [104]Safe and Lock Technicians Safe & Vault Opening and Servicing
- + Scott Berg's [105]Vault Door Photos
- + [106]V.A.F. Verband fur Aufsperrtechnik und Fahrzeugoffnung
- e. V. i. G. - a German language site for an association for
- lock-picking and car-opening techniques
- + [107]On-line shop in German
- + [108]Forum and Newsletter in German
- + [109]Sportenthusiasts of Lockpicking - Germany
- + [110]Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik Deutschland e.V. - Germany
- + [111]Internet Security Reference
- + [112]Dafor Oy company
- + [113]Tann Canada high quality safes
- + [114]Gunnebo AB An international group of companies "focused
- on security and safety". Includes Tann Canada, Rosengrens,
- Fichet-Bauche, etc.
- + [115]specialty locksmith supply Curtis Clippers new and used,
- and much more (for locksmiths and security professionals only)
- + [116]Framon Manufacturing key machines and locksmithing tools
- + [117]Locksmith, Lee Dobbs Locksmith, Security Store Homeinfo
- on auto transponder keys
- + [118]Paper Locksmith (paper models of 3 locks! - a bicycle
- chain combination lock, a warded lock, and a disk tumbler
- lock with two tumblers)
- + [119]A-1 Lock and Safe, Knoxville, TN security, safes, locks,
- alarm systems
- + [120]IAHSSP Home Safety and Security.
- + [121]Accu-Lock, Inc. offers re-conditioned KEYCARD locks, and
- repairs Ilco locks.
- + [122]BEST Access Systems
- + [123]Security Solutions Manufacturer of U-Change rekayables
- and supplier for Detex and others.
- + [124]Tolkey Products Auto related locksmithing - incl. tryout keys
- + [125]Evva - security locks
- + [126]Sargent and Greenleaf Lock Manufacturer
- + [127]AMSEC Manufacturer of Safes
- + [128]Abloy
- + [129]iHerculeez Safes wholesale to locksmiths
- + [130]High Tech Tools Car opening tools for the locksmith.
- + [131]Lock Picking links
- + [132]Used Safes buy/sell
- + [133]Lockcollectors Review
- + [134]A Bank Vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- + [135]Lock codes for GM 2000 models and Master combination
- padlock series 900001-921500 - restricted
- + [136]Blackhawk Products "Software that Works for Locksmiths"
- + [137]Lock-Picks.com "a full line of locksmith tools and lock
- picking tools"
- + [138]Highpower Security Products Electromagnetic Lock and
- Access Controls
- + [139]AltSecurityAlarms electronic security
- + [140]Lock Shop Software SuperKey 2000 - masterkeying
- + [141]Auto Transponders and Security
- + [142]Blue Dot Locks by WebLockSmith and Dallas Semiconductor
-
- Locksmith fora
-
- + [143]Clearstar Security Network By subscription only,
- currently $30/yr. Requires user name/password which can be
- requested from the site.
- + [144]The National Locksmith No fee. Requires user
- name/password which can be requested from the site.
- + [145]The Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) Oriented to
- ALOA members, with some information for the public and for
- prospective members.
- + [146]Locksmith.com No fee. Requires user name/password which
- can be requested from the site.
- + [147]Security Information Management Online Network (SIMON)
- No fee. Open forum.
- + [148]Security Safe New and Used Safes, Service (northern Calif.)
- + [149]Sieveking Products Company Locksmith tools and books
- + [150]Lockpicking Infopaedia
- + [151]Electromagnetic Locks and Strikes
- + [152]Jet Hardware - keys, etc.
- + [153]Marray Enterprises Electrified lock sets, power transfer
- hinges, etc.
- + [154]Georgia Safe and Lock Companyesp. see the FAQ
-
- Glossary:
-
- There is also a [155]Dictionary for
- Locksmiths being developed by the LIST Council which can be seen at
- the Greater Philadelphia Locksmith Association Web site. The LIST
- Council's latest draft of a [156]Glossary is part of
- their Dictionary for Locksmiths.
-
- 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 (sometimes control 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.
-
- follower (plug follower)
- This is a cylindrical object of the same outer diameter
- as the plug (there are various diameters, often about
- 1/2") which is used to push out or follow the plug when
- the plug is to be removed. This retains the top pins and
- springs in the lock body.
-
- key way
- (short answer) The slot into which the key is inserted.
- (long answer) Refers to (a) the size and shape of the
- (cross-section of the) key, and (b) the opening in the
- lock which is shaped to admit the key and to keep out
- most keys of different sizes and shapes. Whether the
- keyway can be patented by the lock manufacturer as a way
- to prevent others from manufacturing compatible key
- blanks and therefore to restrict access is open to
- dispute. Recent court cases make it doubtful that the
- simple design is patentable, but a keyway design which is
- involved in the patented method of operation of a lock
- may have patent protection.
-
- 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.
-
- sidebar
- A lock part located at the 'side' of the plug and fitting
- into longitudinal grooves in both the plug and the lock
- body. This keeps the plug from turning until the sidebar
- is retracted into the plug. Retraction is blocked until
- the correct key (or picking) moves the pins or other
- tumblers to positions which cease to block the retraction
- or produce some other action allowing the retraction. A
- sidebar can add additional positioning beyond the usual
- "shear line" and so can make picking more difficult. A
- number of locks use a sidebar to increase security.
-
- VATS
- GM's Vehicle Anti-Theft System which uses a resistor in
- the key shank in addition to the cuts on 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. As of this
- writing Septon and Paolo are the only suppliers we know of that will sell
- to overseas customers.
-
- Septon, Inc. P.O. Box 9, Malden-on-Hudson, NY 12453
-
- (800) 537-8752 voice (914) 246-3416 fax (914) 246-0638 outside North America
-
- Will sell to overseas customers, but requires credit cards and a U.S. $100
- minimum order on such sales.
-
- Call for Catalog.
-
- Steve Arnold's Gunroom (URL http://www.cyber-core.com/gunroom/) sells a
- variety of pick sets, pick guns, and a small number of books. They will
- handle foreign orders which are paid for by an international money order
- in US currency.
-
- Steve Arnold's Gun Room
- PO Box 68
- Dept. Net
- Dexter,OR 97431
- 541 726-6360
- possible e-mail amooooo@aol.com
-
- [157]Paolos.com (altlocksmithing@paolos.com)
- carries auto entry tools, lockpick sets, lockpicking tools and various other
- non-locksmithing items. Visa/MC, 30-day satisfaction, low-price guarantee.
-
- Phoenix Systems Inc. P.O. Box 3339, Evergreen, CO 80439
-
- 303-277-0305 [Survivalist Group, although the "Shoot all the Commies
- for God" stuff is kept to a minimum.]
-
- Call for Catalog.
-
- 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
-
- See Question 5 for some more book citations. A source of locksmithing
- and general security books is:
-
- IAHSSP Books
- P. O. Box 2044
- Erie, PA 16512-2044
- Ph: (814) 868-0650
-
- Their catalog is free; they stock lots of professional and
- hard-to-find material; will sell to overseas customers.
-
- See their [158]Web site.
-
- You can buy books on many topics from
- Loompanics Unlimited
- Publishers & Sellers of Unusual Books
- P.O. Box 1197
- Port Townsend, WA 98368
- 800 380 2230 (for North America only)
- (they ship internationally call 360 385 2230)
- Fax 360 385 7785
-
- When they say unusual, they mean it! Everything from igloo
- construction to techniques of execution. There is a $5 charge for their
- catalog. ("no longer carried?" means I couldn't find it in their current
- catalog)
-
- # 52058 HOW TO CIRCUMVENT A SECURITY ALARM IN 10 SECONDS OR LESS
- An Insider's Guide to How It's Done and How To Prevent It
- by B. Andy 1994 88p. This revealing book explains in nontechnical detail how
- anyone can bypass a security alarm system in seconds, leaving you and
- your loved ones vulnerable to burglary or worse. Industry insider B.
- Andy points out the glaring weaknesses of such popular devices as
- contact switches, motion detectors, pressure pads and glass-break
- sensors, as well as the "ultimate circumvention technique" that will
- render even the most sophisticated systems useless. He also gives you a
- shocking look inside the security business - how the alarms are
- installed, how they're paid for, how they're monitored and how they're
- responded to. You may not like what you read. $12.00
-
- #52056 HOW TO OPEN HANDCUFFS WITHOUT KEYS by Desert Publications
- (1979 48 pp) This book covers a selection of handcuffs in popular use
- today and discusses some of the features with which you should become
- familiar. Chapters include: Background on Handcuffs: Identification of
- Handcuffs; Materials, Tools & Equipment; Construction of Handcuff
- Picks & Shims; Lockpicking Techniques; Handcuff Keys; And more.
- $9.95
-
- #52019 COMBINATION LOCK PRINCIPLES (1974, 25 pp)
- by Desert Publications These subjects are covered: The construction and
- names of parts; How to determine the combination by using code books;
- Reading an open lock; Drilling; Opening using a special fully explained
- method of manipulation; and more. $8.95
-
- #52046 PICK GUNS Lock Picking for Spies, Cops and Locksmiths
- by John Minnery (1989, 128 pp.) This book gives an overview of the
- mechanical principles of pick guns, how they work and how to use them,
- and traces the development of the pick gun from its inception to today's
- revolutionary devices. Included are the original patents by Epstein,
- Segal, Moore, Cooke and others, as well as info on pick guns used by the
- FBI and intelligence agencies. Photos depict improvised pick guns
- designed by the author out of coat hangers and clothespins. $14.00
-
- #52020 KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING TUBULAR LOCKS by Desert Publications
- (1974, 42pp) Subjects covered include: Internal construction; How to
- disassemble and rekey; How to open by drilling; How to open by picking;
- How to open by impressioning; How to make some of the necessary tools;
- and more. $9.95
-
- #52057 EXPEDIENT B & E Tactics and Techniques for Bypassing Alarms
- and Defeating Locks by Carl Hammer (1992, 216 pp) An
- examination of the various types of locks and alarms, instructions for
- improvising lock picking tools, plus techniques for breaking into cars,
- opening file cabinets and desk drawers, cracking safes and circumventing
- various types of alarms and sensors. $20.00
-
- #52055 SECURITY SYSTEMS SIMPLIFIED
- Protecting Your Home, Business, and Car with State-of-the-Art Burglar
- Alarms by Steve Hampton (1992, 128 pp) $14.00
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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: $16.95
-
- #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: $12.95
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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
-
- #52059 HOME WORKSHOP PROFESSIONAL LOCK TOOLS, by Eddie the Wire, $21.95
- In step-by-step illustrated detail, eddie the wire tells you where
- to get the best materials to use for making your own professional
- lock picks - with no questions asked! Everything you need to know
- to make lifter picks, diamond picks, snake picks, tension wrenches,
- and more is revealed! How to make the best handles and carrying
- cases for your picks. Mass production techniques. Impressioning
- tools. Simulators. Using a computer to generate pick profiles.
- How to "case" a subdivision. And much more!
- 1996, 8 1/2 x 11, 128pp, 80 illustrations, soft cover. Paperback
- Published by Loompanics Unlimited January 1996 ISBN: 1559501367
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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 (May not be
- carried?)
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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: $10.00
-
- #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 (may not be carried?)
-
- #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: $7.95
- (may not be carried?)
-
- Paladin Press
- P.O. Box 1307, Boulder, Colorado 80306
- You might get the idea of what they sell (somewhat comparable to
- Loompanics) by their own slogan "HOME OF THE ACTION LIBRARY"
- 800) 392-2400 Retail Credit Card Orders Only
- (303) 443-7250 Wholesale Orders and Customer Service
- (303) 442-8741 FAX
- service@paladin-press.com -- Customer Service and Orders
- sales@paladin-press.com -- Dealer Inquiries
- editorial@paladin-press.com -- Editorial Queries
-
- Here's a list of the locksmithing related books in their catalog:
-
- COMPLETE GUIDE TO LOCK PICKING by Eddie the Wire
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, 60 illus., 80 pp. $14.95
-
- HOME WORKSHOP PROFESSIONAL LOCK TOOLS by Eddie the Wire
- 128 pp. $21.95
-
- HOW TO CIRCUMVENT A SECURITY ALARM IN 10 SECONDS OR LESS
- An Insider's Guide to How It's Done and How to Prevent It by B. Andy
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 88 pp.
- ISBN 0-87364-777-7....................$12.00
-
- INVOLUNTARY REPOSSESSION or IN THE STEAL OF THE NIGHT by John Russell III
- 64 pp. ISBN 0-87364-233-3....................$10.95
-
- LOCK PICKING SIMPLIFIED
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 20 pp. $8.50
-
- LOCKS, PICKS, AND CLICKS
- 70 pp. ISBN 0-87364-040-3....................$10.00
-
- PICK GUNS
- Lock Picking for Spies, Cops and Locksmiths by John Minnery
- 128 pp. ISBN 0-87364-510-3....................$14.00
-
- SECRETS OF LOCK PICKING by Steven Hampton
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 72 pp.
- ISBN 0-87364-423-9....................$17.00
-
- SECURITY SYSTEMS SIMPLIFIED
- Protecting Your Home, Business, and Car with State-of-the-Art Burglar Alarms
- by Steven Hampton
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 128 pp. ISBN 0-87364-654-1 $14.00
-
- EXPEDIENT B & E
- Tactics and Techniques for Bypassing Alarms and Defeating Locks by Carl Hammer
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 216 pp. ISBN 0-87364-688-6 $20.00
-
- TECHNIQUES OF SAFECRACKING
- by Wayne B. Yeager
- 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 96 pp. $12.95
-
- They also have half a dozen videos listed.
-
- 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).
-
- There is a book [159]The Visual
- Guide to Locksmithing has a heavily illustrated approach.
-
- Information for collectors.?
-
- Lock Museum of America
- 130 Main St.
- Terryville, CT
- This museum also sponsors a lock collectors show.
-
- The Padlock Collector 6th edition 1996
- Franklin M. Arlall (isbn 0-914638-05-x)
- The Collector
- PO Box 253
- Claremont, CA 91711
- This book has descriptions of over 2800 locks.
-
- [160]The First Internet Lock Museum
- by Billy B. Edwards Jr., CML
-
- Workshop Contents
-
- In no particular order (the first person in some items is from the
- original poster(s)):
-
- WORKBENCH. must be solid enough to support a cheap key machine
-
- HAMMERS. 1 claw, one 2 pounder, a couple of ball peens down to 6 ounces
-
- SCREWDRIVERS various sizes, slot and phillips. nothing fancy-a good
- pocket screwdriver for ms lock set screws
-
- DRILL a cheap 3/8" is good for a beginner but should be reversible.
- 14.4V cordless w/extra battery. Variable speed pays for itself.
-
- SQUARE. necessity when prepping doors
-
- TAPE MEASURE
-
- WRENCHES. decent small sized crescent, channel, needlenose, and a
- couple of combo wrenches. Also some specialty types from the MFG. I keep
- several different spanners like the one that comes with a SCH D80 Orbit, as
- well as a Unican spanner. Also, a castle nut wrench like those supplied
- with SCH heavy duty levers
-
- ALLEN WRENCHES. A good hex key set is invaluable in addition to some
- longer ones supplied by the MFG. Yale & Corbin use long ones for
- convenience, but LORI deadbolts require them. The lori wrenches also
- work for some old MS locks and DormaGlass bottom rail locks.
-
- BITS. ordinary high speed steel will do for anything the newbie would
- encounter. Should also have augers or paddle bits up to 1-1/4"unibit"
- and a good rasp
-
- HOLE SAW. 2-1/8 for sure, other sizes optional 1" for metal frames, 1 1/4
- for mortise cyl, and one approp for cheaper deadbolts such as SCH B-160
-
- CHISELS. nothing fancy but if you can find a 1-1/8 for mortising face
- plates, great. good 1" and good 1/2". Keep an old one handy for beating.
-
- FILES. I find the Nicholson 1/8" round chainsaw file to be really
- handy and cheap for impressioning. A cheap set of needle files from Radio shack
- is good too. I grind down one edge of the triangle file to supplement the
- round file. Also should have a large mill bastard. Pippins are expensive and
- I don't find them any more useful than the above. I use a 6" #2 swiss
- and a 6"/10" warding bastard.
-
- HACKSAW. Go with quality here, especially with blades. Even the best
- blades are a low ticket item so no sense buying off-brands
-
- DREMEL or equivelant. Even a newbie... ESPECIALLY a newbie should have
- one for fabricating hard to find or one-off items. Get lots of the thin
- cutoff wheels and a mandrel to hold them
-
- GOGGLES. protect those eyes. Not much work for a blind locksmith.
-
- DIAL CALIPER. much handier than a micrometer. I think the Pocket
- Decoder by HPC is an excellent item to have on hand. I havn't touched my
- micrometer in years.
-
- VISE GRIPS assorted
-
- CYLINDER SHIMS If he or she is new, better get a ton ;-)
-
- FEELER GUAGE SET gives you lots of different thicknesses of shim stock
- for padlock shimming, tool making, or spacing
-
- PLUG FOLLOWERS can be home made. Nobody will notice Don't let them see
- you using your keedex pin dumping follower, you'll never teach them that
- it's cheating. Also, you'd need various types, unless you like driving
- out roll pins. Accompany these tools with a real set of pin tweezers.
- Maybe some eyebrow tweezers for when you keep them in the shop for 2 months
- cutting keys and get shavings in their socks ;-)
-
- VISE
-
- HEMOSTATS lots of them. They can be modified into a number of useful
- tools like snap ring pliers and pin tweezers. They can be bent, ground,
- whatever, and economically discarded if you mess them up
-
- MAGNIFYING GLASS
-
- BASIC PICK SET no need for the big Crayola 64 color set. A beginner
- usually has time to make anything in this category anyway. A couple of
- extractors and a plug spinner.
-
- VARIOUS TURNING TOOLS other than regular old tension wrenches. A
- feather touch can be handy when raking or reverse picking spool equipped
- locks, and I really like two-prong style tools for general picking.
-
- CHEAP SET OF TUBULAR PICKS like the HPC "Peanut" or equivelant. I
- hate the peanut. I use a good one with adjustable tension.
-
- LUBRICANT
-
- MAGIC MARKER
-
- ELECTRICAL TAPE great aid in holding hinge shims, as well as more advanced
- stuff not outfitted for here
-
- STEP LADDER
-
- TOOL BAG/POUCH the "Gator Mouth" tool bag is getting very popular now
-
- VACUUM dirt devil or the like for cleaning up after drilling doors.
- Also an old tarp for collecting the majority of shavings.
-
- LUGGAGE CART great for hauling tools & supplies, and if you're in a lobby
- in a commercial property--they're less likely to bitch at you than if you
- had a cart or hand truck. Also, luggage carts fold up and store neatly on
- the truck.
-
- SUBSCRIPTION to one of the trade rags. Pref. TNL. NPC has a horrible
- reputation for customer service, plus they no longer publish most of
- their most valuable books. (the books are still advertised by ALOA though)
- NPC is crap, again my personal opinion.
-
- BOOKS. all you can afford, but starting with a couple of basic texts by
- Roper or Phillips. Knowledge is more valuable than any physical tool.
- A collection of back issues no longer needed by an established smith is
- good, too. More specific books should reflect particular areas of interest
- or specialization, like AUTO-SMART etc and should be bought fairly early
- on.
-
- BASIC SET OF CAR TOOLS True, you can easily make most of the standard
- wire tools, but good to have a "store-bought" set of the more popular ones
- to copy.
-
- COMPUTER AND INTERNET CONNECTION This is becoming very nearly a necessity,
- and once a beginner is "in the circle", he has the benefit of the sum total
- experience and knowledge of a widely varied group of locksmiths as well as
- access to reference works he can't afford yet, like up-to-date codes.
-
- PIN TRAY can be made from a piece or corrugated rubber mat
-
- PLUG HOLDER can be made from an old mortise cylinder
-
- C-CLAMPS
-
- ASSORTED BLANKS
-
- FLASHLIGHT I like a mini mag-light myself. The mini-mini mag is -50
- dia, and can be used as an emergency follower. It's lighted too.
-
- CAR OPENING LIGHT AND WEDGES
-
- CODE BOOKS if a fairly up to date used set can be had cheaply. The expense
- of code software is a good one to put off for a year or so if the newbie
- has friends with books or software, unless he finds himself cutting by
- code at least once a day.
-
- KEY MACHINE I am gonna go out on a limb here and get controversial. I
- think a used FB machine is a decent first machine for a budget minded utter
- beginner with a low work load. The stock machine has micrometer depth
- adjustment, and they make an add-on micrometer spacing attachment. Cutting
- by the numbers therefore is do-able on the same machine the newbie
- duplicates on. Yeah its a pretty cheesy little machine, but good training
- for the beginner since it enforces the wise practice of checking adjustments
- daily on the primary machine. These machines regularly go used for under a
- hundred bucks, and a brand new spacing attachment is only $49.95 and
- direct reading digital for a hundred bucks more. As for using the factory
- supplied spacing keys, forget it. The hassle, versus the low cost of a spacing
- attachment is just not worth it. I have done it both ways and the
- micrometer add-on wins hands down.
-
- Did I forget anything? Oh yeah a SERVICE VEHICLE. The family station wagon
- or a pickup with a topper will do until a real van is financially do-able.
-
- PISTOL. Only half joking, especially when doing night calls. I would rather
- feel stupid for carrying it and never needing it, than to feel stupid for
- ever needing it but not having it. ALTERNATIVELY, in more left-wing
- liberal areas where only the bad guys are allowed to have guns, a can of
- pepper spray.
-
- ONE MORE THING... DIGITAL CAMERA. Great for archiving locks encountered on
- jobs, especially safe locks and boltworks, and for reference pics when
- asking old-timers for advice. Another possible use... taking pics of
- customers without ID or taking pics of their drivers license. This is
- kinda optional, but if you always wanted an excuse to get one anyway......
-
- Credit & Thanks
-
- The alt.locksmithing FAQ was put together from postings by
- [161]spike@indra.com spike@indra.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
- compliments to "alt-locksmithing-faq@indra.com".
-
- The following have contributed to this FAQ:
- Scott Anguish <sanguish@digifix.com>
- J. James (Jim) Belonis II <manager@dirac.phys.washington.edu>
- Stephen J Berch <sberch@world.std.com>
- John F. Bousquet <bousquet@crl.com>
- Chris Boyd <clb@oc.com>
- Robert Bruce Findler <rf27+@andrew.cmu.edu>
- Hobbit <hobbit@>(looking for current address);
- Marcus Jenkins <marcus@marcusjenkins.com>
- Larry Margolis <margoli@watson.ibm.com>
- Andy McFadden <fadden@uts.amdahl.com>
- William A Moyes <wmoyes@cs.byu.edu>
- Stan Schwarz <stan@cosmo.pasadena.ca.us>
- Thomas E Zerucha <zerucha@shell.portal.com>
- Daniel Hagan <dhagan@vt.edu>
- Joe Kesselman <keshlam@alum.mit.edu>
- Roger Weitzenkamp <roger@blackhawk7.com>
- Jay Hennigan <jay@west.net>
- Billy B. Edwards Jr. <BMP1@concentric.net>
- <aa-2@deltanet.com>
- Robert Stahr <Robert.Stahr@sophia.inria.fr>
- Marc Goldberg <natllock@aol.com>
- Tom Pettigrew <gnx@pacbell.net>
- Robinson <rc@crusoe.org>
- Andru Luvisi <luvisi@andru.sonoma.edu>
-
- Thanks to:
- Indra's Net -- Internet Access with an Attitude
- Email: info@indra.com URL: http://www.indra.com
- Modem: (303) 786-7405 Voice: (303) 546-9151
- for providing host facilities.
-
- References
- 1. news:alt.locksmithing
- 2. news:alt.locksmithing
- 3. news:alt.answers
- 4. news:news.answers
- 5. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q0
- 6. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q1
- 7. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q2
- 8. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q3
- 9. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q4
- 10. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q4b
- 11. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q5
- 12. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q6
- 13. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q7
- 14. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q8
- 15. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q9
- 16. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q10
- 17. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q11
- 18. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q12
- 19. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q13
- 20. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q13a
- 21. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q13b
- 22. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q14
- 23. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q15
- 24. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q16
- 25. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q17
- 26. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q18
- 27. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q19
- 28. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q20
- 29. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q21
- 30. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q22
- 31. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q23
- 32. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q23A
- 33. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q24
- 34. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q25
- 35. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#q26
- 36. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#online
- 37. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#glossary
- 38. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#appendix
- 39. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#collect
- 40. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#workshop
- 41. file://localhost/home/guest/hes/index.html#credit
- 42. ftp://ftp.vigra.com/steve/locks/
- 43. http://www.eunet.sk/stefan/docs/lock/lock2/
- 44. ftp://ftp.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/MITGtLP/MITLockGuide.ps.Z
- 45. ftp://ftp.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/MITGtLP/MITLockGuide.ps.Z
- 46. http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~akira/home/lockpick/
- 47. http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html
- 48. http://web2.airmail.net/keyl/drd.html
- 49. http://www.MARKETLYNX.COM/CSTM
- 50. http://www.GRANTONINSTITUTE.COM/
- 51. http://www.LRC-INC.COM/
- 52. http://www.PTC.TEC.MN.US/
- 53. http://www.GRAHSECURITY.COM/
- 54. http://www.sullytools.com/
- 55. http://www.jfbdtp.com/locksmithlinks.html#BUSINESS
- 56. http://lockmasters.com/
- 57. http://amsecurity.com/
- 58. http://www.techtrainproductions.com/
- 59. http://www.laserkey.com/
- 60. http://www.autosmartadvisor.com/
- 61. http://www.dca.ca.gov/bsis/bsislock.htm
- 62. http://www.aloa.org/industry/gettingstarted.cfm
- 63. http://www.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/hobbit.html
- 64. http://www.masterlock.com/key.htm
- 65. http://www.howstuffworks.com/inside-lock.htm
- 66. http://www.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm
- 67. http://www.lockcodes.com/
- 68. http://archimedes.galilei.com/rhearn/nodrill.html
- 69. http://members.aol.com/leedobbs/horizon/combo.html
- 70. http://www.photopoint.com/
- 71. ftp://ftp.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/hiseclox.ps.Z
- 72. http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/mit-guide.html
- 73. ftp://ftp.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/MITGtLP/MITLockGuide.ps.Z
- 74. http://www.indra.com/archives/alt-locksmithing/hobbit.html
- 75. ftp://ftp.vigra.com/steve/locks/
- 76. http://www.medeco.com/
- 77. http://www.loompanics.com/
- 78. http://www.paladin-press.com/
- 79. http://www.TheNationalLocksmith.com/
- 80. http://members.aol.com/scribblerg/scla.htm
- 81. http://www.gardall.com/
- 82. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/
- 83. http://www.gpla.org/
- 84. http://www.locksmith.org/
- 85. http://www.lpc.simon-net.com/map.html
- 86. http://www.lock-man.com/
- 87. http://www.nokey.com/
- 88. http://Security-Pro.com/
- 89. ftp://ftp.std.com/archives/alt.locksmithing/
- 90. http://www.hpcworld.com/
- 91. http://www.mas-hamilton.com/
- 92. http://www.mindspring.com/~inhouse/startila.htm
- 93. http://www.bilock.com/
- 94. http://www.whsoftware.com/
- 95. http://www.locksoft.com/
- 96. http://www.masterlock.com/
- 97. http://www.IlcoUnican.com/
- 98. http://www.serrurerie-on-line.com/
- 99. http://www.serrurerie-on-line.com/installateurs/paris15securite/serrures.html
- 100. http://www.chez.com/montmartre
- 101. http://www.ultranet.com/~jbouris/lc.html
- 102. http://www.angelfire.com/biz/GilRayToolsInc/
- 103. http://www.wilton.force9.co.uk/lock/
- 104. http://www.alphalink.com.au/~tag/Safe.htm
- 105. http://www.execpc.com/~bergsa/
- 106. http://www.aufsperrtechnik.de/
- 107. http://www.sperrwerkzeuge.de/
- 108. http://www.ecircle.de/forum/aufsperrtechnik
- 109. http://www.lockpicking.org/
- 110. http://www.lockpicking.de/
- 111. http://www.dtlgc.com/isrtst/
- 112. http://www.locks.ru/
- 113. http://www.johntann.com/
- 114. http://www.gunnebo.se/eng/index.asp
- 115. http://www.hawleylock.com/
- 116. http://www.framon.com/
- 117. http://www.leedobbs.com/
- 118. http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/Pages/papl.htm
- 119. http://a-1locksafes.com/
- 120. http://www.iahssp.org/
- 121. http://www.acculock.com/
- 122. http://www.bestaccess.com/
- 123. http://www.securitysolutions-usa.com/
- 124. http://www.tolkey.com/
- 125. http://www.evva.com/WelcomeE.htm
- 126. http://www.sglocks.com/
- 127. http://www.amsecusa.com/
- 128. http://www.abloy.com/products.htm
- 129. http://www.herculeezsafes.com/
- 130. http://www.hightechtools.com/
- 131. http://www.2-unlock.com/lock_picking.htm
- 132. http://www.safes4less.com/Merchant/usedsafebbs.html
- 133. http://www.lockcollectors.com/
- 134. http://www.clev.frb.org/bicenten/
- 135. http://www.lockcodes.com/
- 136. http://www.blackhawk7.com/
- 137. http://lock-picks.com/
- 138. http://www.highpowersecurity.com/
- 139. http://www.AltSecurityAlarms.com/
- 140. http://www.lockshopsoftware.com/
- 141. http://www.transponders.com/
- 142. http://www.weblocksmith.com/"
- 143. http://www.clearstar.com/
- 144. http://www.thenationallocksmith.com/
- 145. http://www.aloa.org/
- 146. http://www.locksmith.com/
- 147. http://www.simon-net.com/
- 148. http://www.securitysafeusa.com/
- 149. http://www.sievekingprodco.com/
- 150. http://www.lockpicking.co.uk/
- 151. http://www.rofu.com/
- 152. http://www.jetkeys.com/
- 153. http://www.marray.com/
- 154. http://www.geocities.com/ghardigree/
- 155. http://www.gpla.org/list.html
- 156. http://www.locksoft.com/gloscopy.htm
- 157. http://www.paolos.com/
- 158. http://www.iahssp.org/
- 159. http://www.standardpublications.com/
- 160. http://www.thelockman.com/
- 161. http://www.indra.com/homepages/spike
-