Got no keys? If you lose your key and need quick access to your home or open the lock, the best solution is to call a professional locksmith. Though it is ideal to get professional assistance, there are people who want to know how to pick a lock. Here’s a quick guide to picking locks.
Warning: If you are going to pick a lock, make sure that you do it in your own property only. Picking locks or any type of locksmithing on others’ property is covered by strict laws and mostly illegal, unless you have the locksmith license and the permission of the property owner. Check your local laws governing locksmith trade. You have been warned.
If you want to gain immediate access without any locksmith assistance, you can pick the lock. Picking locks is no rocket science, but rather an art that is honed through practice. Learn to experiment with locks and you might become proficient enough to work as a locksmith too!
1) Get the Tool
Locksmiths carry specialized tools for opening locks. If you are looking to master the craft, you can get yourself a locksmith toolkit. However, it is unlikely for common person to have the locksmith toolkit when they really want to pick their lock in the hour of need. If you are locked out of your house or apartment, get some strong metal pins for lock picking. Straightened paper clips can be used if strong enough.
2) Know the Lock Mechanism
If you don’t know how locks function, you are unlikely to pick it open. Most mechanical locks have a pin cylinder mechanism. An array of pins are arranged in a fashion that keep its cylinder locked. Each pin has to be pushed to certain level to make the cylinder turn. If you have noticed the grooves on keys, you know how much each pin has to be pushed. Picking locks involves pushing each pin to the exact right level to unlock it.
3) Start Raking
Professional locksmiths have mastered the art of lock picking and can pick locks with delicate maneuvers. For novice, cracking a lock means taking a more drastic approach called “raking”. Instead of trying to put each lock pins into place with calculated precision, raking involves the hit and trial method, or the brute force method. With speed, force and luck, you can manage to unlock the door.
For raking, you need two tools. One strong, straight wire (one of your straightened paperclips) to use as “tension wrench.” Another strong wire with one end fashioned into a squiggle, or a zig-zag like your key grooves. These two tools will now help you try your luck.
4) Use Brute Force
Lock cylinder turn because you apply force to move it in the right direction using the key. When you have no key, you need to arrange for the force to turn the cylinder. Insert the tension wrench into the bottom of the keyhole and apply force in the direction your lock turns to open. Make sure that your keyhole is mostly unobstructed by your tension wrench.
Now take your improvised key or rake, push it inside the keyhole and quickly slide it back and forth to move the pins. You will have to repeat the process, or raking, with practically all movements that you can think of before getting lucky.
After raking, quickly take the rake out of the keyhole while simultaneously trying to turn the lock cylinder with your tension wrench. If each pin has has been pushed right enough, the lock would open. Repeat the process till you succeed.
Call for Professional Help
Don’t spend the entire night locked out and trying to pick a lock. Concede defeat after you have tried enough. Call a local, licensed locksmith if you have their contacts. Else, ask your friend for some reference for good locksmiths. Always hire a licensed locksmith if your state regulates locksmiths.
If you are locked out in San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee or Escondido, don’t fret. Busy Bees Locks & Keys is among the premier locksmiths in these locations.
We have been serving San Diego County since 2005. Give us a call for all types of residential, commercial and automotive locksmith. Still keen to learn the locksmith trade? Why not walk into any of our stores to explore apprenticeship! Check if we are looking to hire. You might get lucky.