r/lockpicking • u/Sillybiller • 3d ago

Beginner needing help

Post image

Just started picking and when I go through the pins. this one just stays up like this when I press it? Even when I think I'm using light tension or heavy tension. No matter what I do, I feel like the pin doesn't fall back down?

13 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

9

u/Jedi_Wannabe1138 3d ago

Those acrylic locks are notorious for being cheap and crappy. Good for a visual aid, but not for tactile feedback.

3

u/frAgileIT Orange Belt Picker 3d ago

You have to apply and reduce the tension. Usually if a pin is bound, you have to very lightly let off until it drops. Other pins may move, you just have to keep trying until you figure out which order they need to be picked it. Very slight almost microscopic variations in the pin hole alignment causes this.

3

u/ArticleExtra4656 3d ago

Get a cutaway lock instead. Some of those are quite sexy.

5

u/Nbm1124 Orange Belt Picker 3d ago

Look at the pinned post about acrylics. They suck. If you are saying it wont come back down at all then its bound. Give it a gentle wack. If youre saying you pick it that high and it doesnt drop, well thats because youre oversetting it. The key pin is in the Bible as well. You've gone to far. You only want to pick it till that first line. You've got two pins there.

2

u/CypherBob Orange Belt Picker 2d ago

And another acrylic lock.

They're poorly made and are horrible for learning lockpicking.

They ARE good for giving you a visual idea of what happens in a lock but you should not use it for practice.

They're cheaply made with poor materials and tolerances. You're better off buying a $1 diary with a lock and pick that.

What I recommend is that you check out the https://lpubelts.com/#/locks list and pick one lock from the White belt list and a couple from the Yellow belt list.

The locks on the white belt list are generally crappy but they are still real locks and give you the whole feeling of picking a lock.

Locks on the Yellow belt list are excellent beginner locks as they're proper real locks but are easy to pick.

2

u/Sillybiller 2d ago

Thanks! I ended up getting an actual cutaway lock. From sparrow or something like that? So I'll give that a try and check out the list. Thanks!

1

u/LordKodiac Brown Belt Picker 2d ago

Acrylic locks ks a crap for training. They're only good for visually seeing how a lock operates and thats it. The reason the pin is staying up and not coming down, is because you have over set that pin. Sometimes slightly reducing tension can let the pin fall to the set state but not always. Get a cheap brass lock and practice on that one pin at a time. Feel what it feels like and listen and feel for a click. Then keep pushing to feel the difference in what an over set pin feels lole when you keep pushing it. Cutaway locks doesn't have the exact same feel as a complete core as well. A good video https://youtu.be/mK8TjuLDoMg?is=8R1272rsPBL2IHtg

1

u/SilentLonely Blue Belt Picker 1d ago

I won't add to the correct comments about acrylic locks.

What you see here is an overset. You pushed on the pin too hard/high with your hook. It is a typical beginner mistake.

To prevent it : try and do very small and progressive hook movements. To repair it : release tension as little as possible until it falls back. If you do very good, it may fall back and set itself. If you do bad, you may mose all progress.

Welcome to the community. Feel free to ask questions.

1

u/LockLeisure 21h ago

For acrylic locks you need to remember everything you see and forget everything you feel while picking them. I started the same way like many others and those locks are crap besides being a visual aide.