lock picking?


  #1  
Old 09-15-19, 11:52 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,503
Received 350 Upvotes on 293 Posts
lock picking?

We salvaged my wife's jewelry cabinet after our house fire. Unfortunately, we don't have the key. I would like to open the cabinet without damaging the case. I have no problem with damaging the lock except I am limited for tools. All my tools were lost in the fire.

I'm sure the cylinder extends straight down and the door latches with a simple tab. Any way to get this open non destructively?
 
Attached Images   
  #2  
Old 09-15-19, 12:55 PM
Norm201's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 10,956
Received 721 Upvotes on 640 Posts
bring it to the local high school. Just kidding. I'm sure using you tube and some patience you'll get it.
 
  #3  
Old 09-15-19, 01:09 PM
Tolyn Ironhand's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 14,319
Received 874 Upvotes on 737 Posts
If you drill out the center you should be able to turn the lock.

To pick a lock you need to insert a small tool to put a little pressure on the cylinder. Then you take another tool to move the pins to line up with the slot.

Otherwise. if you can find a key that fits you could make a bump key and bump the lock.
 
  #4  
Old 09-15-19, 05:20 PM
F
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 514
Upvotes: 0
Received 49 Upvotes on 37 Posts
Video explaining lock bumping here.
 
  #5  
Old 09-15-19, 08:45 PM
R
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,378
Received 45 Upvotes on 42 Posts
Don't destroy it....it's a simple wafer cam lock. Any locksmith can pick it in seconds. And nowadays, with the price of labor vs. parts, it's probably cheaper to replace it than to make a new key.

If you have a collection of small desk/cabinet keys, you might try them out, wiggle and turn sort of thing.....usually 1/2 dozen to a dozen trial keys, one will open the lock....they're pretty flimsy.
 
  #6  
Old 09-16-19, 04:21 AM
B
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: New England
Posts: 9,460
Received 47 Upvotes on 43 Posts
Certainly worth a few minutes trying to pick it. I use a medium screw driver in the area away from the pins to apply that pressure Tolyn mentioned and then keep wiping the pins with a small probe. Once pushed down each pin may catch coming up due to the pressure applied.

Drilling is also easy and since you don't have a key the lock will need to ultimately be replaced.

Bud
 
  #7  
Old 09-16-19, 06:58 AM
N
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,511
Received 21 Upvotes on 18 Posts
I second rstripe's recommendations, followed by last resort of drilling it out.
you only need it open once to then remove it and replace it with a lock you have the key for.
Drilling it out can damage the chest. I have seen where you start getting in the soft metal, then catch or bind on a tumber and force the entire lock to spin, damaging the cabinet.
 
  #8  
Old 09-16-19, 12:19 PM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,503
Received 350 Upvotes on 293 Posts
Well I spent nearly half an hour trying to pick the lock with a couple of paper clips. No joy! Frustrated, I went for my new drill to drill the lock. In the 5 minutes while I was gone my wife picked the lock with a bent tine on a fork and a paper clip.

The key was inside.
 
Bud9051 voted this post useful.
  #9  
Old 09-16-19, 01:34 PM
N
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,511
Received 21 Upvotes on 18 Posts
Well I spent nearly half an hour trying to pick the lock with a couple of paper clips. No joy! Frustrated, I went for my new drill to drill the lock. In the 5 minutes while I was gone my wife picked the lock with a bent tine on a fork and a paper clip.

The key was inside.
Never fails....
Question, How did the chest get locked if the keys where inside?
Or did your wife have a spare key, let you sweat it out then pull it out when you weren't looking?
 
  #10  
Old 09-16-19, 04:13 PM
Tolyn Ironhand's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 14,319
Received 874 Upvotes on 737 Posts
In the 5 minutes while I was gone my wife picked the lock with a bent tine on a fork and a paper clip.
Wow! That's impressive! Makes you wonder a little.
 
  #11  
Old 09-17-19, 08:56 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,503
Received 350 Upvotes on 293 Posts
Mystery solved. I talked to the guys that secured the house immediately after the fire. They locked the jewelry box using their keys. It is SOP for them to secure valuables until the owner can claim them. My daughter removed the jewelry box from the house (with our permission) while we were on vacation without letting them know so there was a disconnect between us and the fire mitigation guys.
 
  #12  
Old 09-17-19, 09:04 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,503
Received 350 Upvotes on 293 Posts
"40,000 people die in auto accidents per year in the US. We should ban cars."

More people die every year from personal weapons (feet, hands fists etc.) attacks than from long guns such as rifles and shotguns. We should ban fists, feet and hands. 2017 numbers 667 from long guns, 692 from personal weapons. My source - FBI UCR (crime stats. )
 
  #13  
Old 09-17-19, 01:04 PM
R
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,378
Received 45 Upvotes on 42 Posts
Lock picking is 90% skill, and 10% luck. We'll just say your wife got lucky...
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: