Author Topic: Pick lock or call locksmith?  (Read 8298 times)

mrsggrowsveg

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Pick lock or call locksmith?
« on: April 21, 2014, 10:16:36 AM »
This morning, as I was leaving the house I turned the lock on the knob and closed the door.  We live in a very rural area and were not even given any keys to our house because the previous owners never locked it.  Is it easy to pick a lock on the knob or should I suck it up and call a locksmith?

amha

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2014, 10:31:26 AM »
Pick it! It's surprisingly easy. You might need to buy a small set of lockpicks, but they're cheap online, and a worthwhile investment. I think mine were $15-20? (Well, that might not work if you need to get back into your house tonight, but...)

Everything you need to know about lockpicking you can learn from the MIT Guide to Lock Picking: http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/MITLockGuide.pdf

Frankies Girl

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2014, 10:33:49 AM »
If you can, pick it. We had a window in our house growing up that was really easy to open from the outside, just had to take off the screen. My dad never fixed it so you couldn't get in as we were constantly locking ourselves out of the house...

Russ

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2014, 10:34:36 AM »
There's no other way in?

If you can't pick it nicely, you can always drill it out. You'd have to replace the doorknob assembly, but it would still probably be cheaper than calling the locksmith. Also, picking the locks still doesn't get you a key.

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2014, 10:41:28 AM »
No other way in and windows are locked shut. I can't order any lock picking tools because I need in tonight. Can I use a hair pin or paper clip?

Davin

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2014, 11:46:13 AM »
You could try raking the pins with a paperclip. Bend the clip a little at the end, lube the keyhole and poke the clip in and out rapidly while using something like a penknife or nail file in the base of the keyhole to put tension on the cylinder in the direction that you would turn the key. Good luck! It may take a while to get it right.

GuitarStv

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2014, 12:09:19 PM »
I'd drill it out.  You need something that you can lock/unlock, so the knob you have has to go regardless.

dragoncar

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2014, 02:21:19 PM »
You may not need to "pick" it, you can try to "jimmy" it - like the old movie credit card trick, but don't use a credit card use a letter opener or something like that.

Although I'm pretty surprised there's no other way in.  I've gotten locked out of my share of places and I can always figure out a way to get back in.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2014, 03:33:11 PM »
If you've got the type of glass panes that are caulked in, then you could use a knife to peel off the caulking and pull out the glass to get a door or window open. Or worst case, break it. I know how to put glass back in the older type of window frames (wouldn't even attempt if it's the newer type of windows tho!)

If you have the right type of sliding latches on a window, you can also use a thin piece of metal or plastic (but not a credit card - don't want to bust off one of those in there) to open them by sliding up between the window frames. But again, this only works on older and probably wood framed windows.


BlueMR2

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2014, 06:38:33 PM »
Based on my experience when I did lock keying/repair (untrained, just picked it up from helping the boss, he offloaded onto me whatever I could manage to do) for a local company back nearly 20 years ago now:

2 bent paper clips and about 10 minutes for an old lock.  15 minutes if it's a newer 5 pin.  6 pin, call a real locksmith or use a brick through a window (I never did manage to pop any of the 6 pin locks that customers had lost keys to).  :-)

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2014, 07:47:24 PM »
I am in the house. A window was unlocked and I took out the screen. I will be installing new locks ASAP. Thanks for all the feedback.

Hackstache

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2014, 09:48:47 AM »
Happy you resolved your problem.

Since we're talking picking. There is a danger of breaking the lock when you pick it, so always keep that in mind when deciding to pick. You can make a good handy pick using the flat metal inside an old windshield wiper blade. Just take it to a grinding wheel to get the shape you want, then clean it up with a file.

MsPeacock

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2015, 06:05:51 AM »
This is a rental? Hopefully the landlord will install the new locks and give you keys. Sort of a standard thing to expect in your housing - a lock, running water, working furnace, etc. Or if you do it, hopefully you deduct the cost from the rent.

sokoloff

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2017, 01:10:17 AM »
You need to call a [link removed]
You need to stop spamming old threads with a low-content first post with a link to your (or your customer's) site.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2017, 06:33:26 AM by FrugalToque »

lthenderson

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2017, 08:02:52 AM »
In the future, I hide a key outside and not under the flowerpot next to the front door. One of my favorite places is to put a key in a plastic bag and bury it somewhere. You don't have to worry about it accidentally being discovered. I've had to dig mine up once when we had a power outage while away so couldn't get in through the garage keypad. It was the middle of winter and the ground was frozen (I hadn't thought of that) but was able to chip it out with a tire iron in a few minutes.

Mgmny

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2017, 11:06:11 AM »
Old thread, but i second hiding a key outside. I've seen some pretty creative ideas on where to hide the key (google for some great ideas!).

Honestly, if I hadn't hid the key outside, I probably would have been locked out like 5-6 times in the last year. I'm used to having a keypad on my garage door, and leaving the door from the garage unlocked. I don't have the keypad anymore, so leaving without a key (exercise, going outside in general) usually lands me locked out!

dragoncar

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #16 on: March 02, 2017, 12:40:06 PM »
Old thread, but i second hiding a key outside. I've seen some pretty creative ideas on where to hide the key (google for some great ideas!).

Honestly, if I hadn't hid the key outside, I probably would have been locked out like 5-6 times in the last year. I'm used to having a keypad on my garage door, and leaving the door from the garage unlocked. I don't have the keypad anymore, so leaving without a key (exercise, going outside in general) usually lands me locked out!

That reminds me I need to hide a key outside.  I always figure with a decent hiding place a robber is more likely to just break a window than spend a long time searching for your hidden key.  The locks mostly just keep honest people out.  The exception might be if it's too obvious and someone can watch you get the key from the street (put it in the back yard somewhere?)

Mgmny

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2017, 01:25:06 PM »
Old thread, but i second hiding a key outside. I've seen some pretty creative ideas on where to hide the key (google for some great ideas!).

Honestly, if I hadn't hid the key outside, I probably would have been locked out like 5-6 times in the last year. I'm used to having a keypad on my garage door, and leaving the door from the garage unlocked. I don't have the keypad anymore, so leaving without a key (exercise, going outside in general) usually lands me locked out!

That reminds me I need to hide a key outside.  I always figure with a decent hiding place a robber is more likely to just break a window than spend a long time searching for your hidden key.  The locks mostly just keep honest people out.  The exception might be if it's too obvious and someone can watch you get the key from the street (put it in the back yard somewhere?)

Yeah, i'd almost rather have them find the key than break in. If someone wants to get in, they easily can to any house. Just one brick in a window away! One more thing to fix if you ask me. You don't want it to end up being a crime of opportunity, but i wouldn't make it so hard for them that they end up destroying a lot of my property.

Just Joe

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Re: Pick lock or call locksmith?
« Reply #18 on: March 07, 2017, 11:06:27 AM »
Anyone needing a flat metal something to slide between two panes - try a putty knife.