Whoa, mind blown
How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
31–40 of 81 posts
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#32I have been brought up picking since I was in secondary school (Both Father and older Brother are locksmiths). It's very interesting stuff and once you see the in's and out's of peoples daily "security" you realise it's just about a game of not being the lowest common denominator. If a thief wants in, they aren't going to spend there time picking (or even bumping) they go straight for the snapper, or simply put the window through.
Apologies on the video music, you might want to turn it down but this is the first Video I come across of snapping a euro cylinder on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVeij3jffCM
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#33[deleted]
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#34Old but still relevant. I learnt about locks here.
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#35Locks are a relatively simple a fun mechanism to play with. Lock picking can be explained similarly. It's essentially simulating that key by popping the pins up to the shear line (the horizontal plane) and applying tension via your tension/torsion tool so the pin doesn't fall down. Then move onto the next one. If you get all pins to the shear line, the lock opens. It's also a pretty cheap hobby to get into. Though th…
It also comes in handy more often than you'd think. Picking real-world residential locks is usually a Bad Idea even if you're allowed to, but with a little practice anyone can learn to open cheap wafer locks (like you find on desk drawers) or padlocks in seconds with nothing more than a couple of bobby pins. Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...
> Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...
If my mailbox key was locked inside my mailbox, I would just wait for the postal person to show up. They have keys that open the entire wall of mailboxes. Just wait in the distance until they open the wall and then go get the mail out of your box. Just act like you don't see anything wrong with grabbing your mail and they probably won't question you.[1] As a backup, have a photo id with your address on it. :)
1: I've done this myself because it was easier than using my key. The postal guy saw me and we exchanged a few pleasantries.
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#36It makes me wonder how strong the cylinders are. They look quite small, so it seems like with a tool shaped like a "T" with a wide top you'd be able to force a lock open.
Pretty sure they are stonger than any key you could make, so the key would snap before the cylinders do.
Plus, you need to be able to allow the entire mechanism to turn in order to disengage the lock, which the broken cylinders would interfere with.
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
It also comes in handy more often than you'd think. Picking real-world residential locks is usually a Bad Idea even if you're allowed to, but with a little practice anyone can learn to open cheap wafer locks (like you find on desk drawers) or padlocks in seconds with nothing more than a couple of bobby pins. Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...
> Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key... If my mailbox key was locked inside my mailbox, I would just wait for the postal person to show up. They have keys that open the entire wall of mailboxes. Just wait in the distance until they open the wall and then go get the mail out of your box. Just act like you don't see anything wrong with grabbing your mail and…
Depends on the type of mailbox; some styles have a drop-slot for delivery that doesn't allow retrieval.
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#38One cut more to every drum and it would explain master keys
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#39Locks are a relatively simple a fun mechanism to play with. Lock picking can be explained similarly. It's essentially simulating that key by popping the pins up to the shear line (the horizontal plane) and applying tension via your tension/torsion tool so the pin doesn't fall down. Then move onto the next one. If you get all pins to the shear line, the lock opens. It's also a pretty cheap hobby to get into. Though th…
A few years ago I went and bought myself the cheapest Yale type lock I could find in order to teach myself to pick it. After repeatedly failing I took it apart and discovered some of the pins had recesses that were designed to defeat this kind of attack (I think they're called "spool pins"). I never managed to put it back together again, and that was the end of my lock picking career.
Here's a video with more info about these anti-picking mechanisms and how to defeat them:
Re: How do keys work? Explained in one Gif
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
It also comes in handy more often than you'd think. Picking real-world residential locks is usually a Bad Idea even if you're allowed to, but with a little practice anyone can learn to open cheap wafer locks (like you find on desk drawers) or padlocks in seconds with nothing more than a couple of bobby pins. Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...
> Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key... If my mailbox key was locked inside my mailbox, I would just wait for the postal person to show up. They have keys that open the entire wall of mailboxes. Just wait in the distance until they open the wall and then go get the mail out of your box. Just act like you don't see anything wrong with grabbing your mail and…
That did occur to me, but I realized I have no idea when our mailman actually shows up at our building, since our schedules have never crossed. I decided I would feel too silly staking out our building all day :P
Although now I realize that I could have done a binary search over the course of the week by checking if mail was there or not...