HowtoPickaLockUsingaPaperclip

TwoParts:

MakingYourTools

PickingYourLock

Haveyoueverlostakeyandbeeninadesperateneedtogetin?Aslongasyoucanfind
yourselfacouplepaperclips,youcanMacGyveryourwayin.Itmaynotbepretty,butit
usuallygetsthejobdone.Seestep1togetstarted.

Part1of2:MakingYourTools

Collectyourmaterials.Mostofwhatyouneedtopickalockwithapaperclipis
easilyaccessible.Youreallyonlyneedthreedifferentthings.Thepaperclips,one

toactaslockpick,onetoactastensionwrench,andapairofplierstoshapethe
paperclips.
Twobigpaperclips,onetoactastensionwrench,onetoactasthepick.There
isnouppersizelimit,butyouwanttomakesurethatthewidthisnotslim
enoughthatitwillfitintothelockandthattheheightistallenoughsothatyou
caninsertitintothelockwhilestillholdingontoenoughlengthtoturnthem.
Grabapairofplierstoshapethetwopaperclips.It'seasiertousepliersthan
yourhands.
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Unfoldfirstpaperclipintothelockpick.Inordertodothis,unfoldthelarge
edgeofyourpapercliptwiceuntilastraightportionjutsout.Youwillbeinserting

thestraightpartintothelocktouseasapick.[1]
Somelocksmithsalsoputatinyupwardbendintothetipofthepick.Thisisto
depressthepinsinsidethelock,butisnotstrictlynecessary.

Makeyourtensionwrench.Takeoutbothbendsinthejumbopaperclipuntilthe
paperclipistwostraightwireswithacurveattheend.Pressthecurvedenddown

withawrench.Makea90bendinthecurvedendthat'sabout1centimeter(0.4in)
long.
Alternately,youcouldunfoldanedgeofyourpaperclipuntilastraightportion
sticksoutata90angle.Thisisabasictensionwrenchthatisworkablebutnot
ideal.
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Part2of2:PickingYourLock

Inserttensionwrenchintobottomofkeyhole.Thebottomofthekeyholeis
calledtheshearline.Youwanttoapplypressurewiththetensionwrenchhere,ina

rotationalmanner(whichwaythelockturns).[2]
Itcantakesomepracticetogettherightamountofpressure.Toohardand
you'lltwistyourpaperclipoutofshape.Toolightlyandyouwon'tputenough
pressureonittopickthelock.

Turnthewrenchinthedirectionthatthelockturns.Thiscanbeabithardto
doifyou'renotsurewhichwayitturns,butit'simportanttoturnthewrenchinthe

rightway.Thereareacouplewaystotestthelockandseewhichwaythekeywould
turn.[3]
Ifyouknowwhichwaythelockturnsinordertoopen,turnthetensionwrench
inthatdirection.Ifyoudon'tknowwhatdirectionthelockopens,guesstoone
sideonthefirstshot,you'llhavea50/50chanceofopeningthelock.
Ifyouhaveasensitivetouch,youcanalsofeelwhichwaythelockopensby
turningwiththetensionwrench.Turnclockwisefirst,thencounterclockwise.
You'llfeelslightlylesspressurewhenthewrenchturnstherightdirection.

Insertpickintoupperpartofkeyholeandrake.Rakingiswhenyouinsert
yourpicktothebackofthekeyholeandremoveitquicklywhilejigglingthepick

upward.Dothisacoupletimestopotentiallysetafewpins.
Keeppressureontensionwrenchasyou'redoingthis.Ifyoudon'tthelock
pickingwon'tworkproperly.
Quicklydoesn'tmeanyankingitout,butyouwanttomovequicklyenoughthat
themotionissmooth.Againthisissomethingthatyouhavetogetafeelfor
whichiswhyfewpeopleareabletopickalockontheirfirsttry.

Locatethepinsinsidethelock.Keepingpressureonthetensionwrench,tryto
locatethepinsinsidethekeyholeusingyourpick.MostAmericanlockswillhaveat

leastfivepinsthatyou'llneedtosetinordertoopenthelock.
You'llfeelthepinsagainstyourlockpickwhenyouinsertit.Thiswilltellyou
whereyouneedtodepressthem.

Depressthepins.Besuretoapplyrotationalpressuretoyourtensionwrenchas
youdepressthepins.Youshouldfeelaslightgivewhenyousetthepinstotheir

unlockedposition,orevenaslightclickingsound.
Experiencedlockpickerscandothisinwhatlookslikeoneswiftmotion,but
inexperiencedpickerswillneedtousemoredeliberatemotionstoseteachpin.

Jigglepickuntileachpinunlocks.Applyingmoreandmorepressurewiththe
tensionwrench,jigglethepickuntileachpinunlocks.Whenyouhearasnapor

click,besuretorotatethetensionwrenchtounlockthelock.
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Giveus3minutesofknowledge!
Canyoutellusabout

Canyoutellusabout

Canyoutellusabout

Canyoutellusabout

Preparingfor
school?

Electrical
calculations?

Cuttingand
StylingBangs?

Magictricks?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Tips
Usingahairpininsteadofapapercliphelpsbecauseitsflattenedformadds
additionalpressure.
Alotoftimesyoucanonlypickthelocksofinsidedoors,dependingontheageof
thelock.

Warnings
Pickinglockscancarrycriminalchargesifyouweretodosoillegally.

SourcesandCitations
1. http://www.instructables.com/id/howtopickalockwithapaperclip/
2. http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2010/02/howtoopenalockedinteriordoor
whenyouvelostthekey/
3. http://www.marieclaire.com/celebritylifestyle/articles/howtopickalock

ArticleInfo

Categories:LocksandKeys
Inotherlanguages:
Italiano:AprireunLucchettoconunaGraffetta,Espaol:abriruncandadoconun
clip,Deutsch:MiteinerBroklammereinSchlossffnen,Franais:ouvriruncadenas
avecuntrombone,:,:,Bahasa
Indonesia:MembukaKunciDenganKlipKertas,Nederlands:Eenslotopenenmeteen
paperclip,etina:Jakvyhkovatzmekkancelskousponkou

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