Rusty locks may be restored to pickable condition with the application of a suitable lubricant, like WD40.
You can use household items as substitutes for picking tools, like a bobby pin or a paperclip. You may need to go to a specialty store, like a spy store or a locksmith, or an online seller to buy a lock picking set. Although owning a lock picking set is legal in most regions, if caught by police with these tools on you, there may be laws that require you to prove you weren’t intending on committing a crime.
A tension wrench. Also called a torque wrench, this tool is a thin piece of metal with flared ends. It is L-shaped or Z-shaped, where the diagonal line of the Z is straight. It is inserted into the plug (the part of the lock that turns) to apply pressure to it. A lock pick. These generally have a handle that narrows to a thin, pointed piece of metal that curves slightly at its end. The pick manipulates the inner parts (pins) of the lock mechanism. A rake. These are picks with many ridges. Some rakes may have a triangular point on the end or be rounded. These are scraped across the inside of the lock mechanism (pins) to disengage it. [5] X Research source
You won’t be able to see inside the lock when picking it, so having a firm mental image of the mechanism is vital. The number of pins varies from lock to lock. Padlocks often have 3 or 4, while door locks generally have 5 to 8. Some locks, especially those in Europe, are situated with the pins at the bottom of the keyway instead of the top.
Many kinds of lock lubricant have simple spray applicators that allow you to direct lubricant into the keyway. [7] X Research source
It’s easy to apply too much force to tension wrenches. While getting the feel for picking locks, you may want to only use a single finger to apply tension to the wrench. [8] X Research source
Try to hold the image of the pins in your mind. Doing so can help you keep track of solved pin positions should you have to reset the lock and begin picking afresh. By applying increasing pressure to a single pin, you can test the resistance of the pin springs. Some may be stiffer than others and require more pressure. Generally, the inner workings of locks are relatively delicate. Always err on the side of too little force to prevent accidental lock or pick breaking.
Your goal, at this point, is to get a sense of the tightness of the plug and to feel for the position where the pins bind in the lock mechanism, freezing it and stopping the plug from turning.
When you identify the binding pin, maintain steady pressure on your tension wrench. Too much pressure will cause the lock to freeze, too little and the pins will reset. [11] X Research source
In many common locks, pins will set either front-to-back or back-to-front. However, keep in mind that this is not always the case. Lifting a pin slowly will allow it to set more easily. With practice this motion can become significantly more rapid, especially when paired with the later described raking technique. Applying too much torque to your tension wrench at any point could cause the lock to freeze. In this case, you’ll likely have to relieve pressure on the wrench to reset the pins and start again. [12] X Research source
Though the raking technique is generally faster for knowledgeable lock pickers, it operates on the principles of picking a single pin at a time, and will be easiest for those with some experience picking pins one by one.
When drawing your rake-tool out of the keyway, the pressure applied by the tool should be on its tip only. Your pick should be long enough so that it comes in contact with every pin in the lock while raking. [14] X Research source
When most of the pins are set, you may need to increase the pressure on your tension wrench and lightly intensify scrubbing.
