lock.

The Chicago Ace lock is a product of the Chicago Lock
Company of Chicago, Illinois. It is an effective security
device and is used on vending machines, coin boxes, and
burglar alarms. A larger, more complex version of it is
used on bank doors and electronic teller machines. The
key is of tubular shape with the cuts arranged in a circle
around the key.

The pick used for this lock is the tubular cylinder pick,
or you may use a straight pin or your homemade safety
pin pick. The one-pronged end of the tension wrench is
a little more specialized and is used for rim cylinder locks.
It must be .062 inches square for best results. Any square
steel stock is acceptable, as long as it fits snugly into the
groove of the tubular cylinder plug.

This type of lock is a burglar's nightmare because it
takes so long to pick. You have to pick it three or four
times to accomplish the unlocking radius of 120 to 180
degrees. And the cylinder locks after each time you pick
it-every one-seventh of a turn.

If you leave the lock only partly picked, the key will
not be able to open it, so you must pick it back into the
locked position after opening it-another three or four
picking sessions. In all, to unlock and lock the cylinder,
you have to pick it up to eight times-quite a chore if you
don't have the right tools or time.

These locks almost always pick in the clockwise direc-
tion. Make certain that the tension wrench fits snugly into
the groove on the cylinder. Very slowly push the first pin
down until it clicks, maintaining a definite clockwise
pressure on the tension wrench. Once the tumbler has
broken, do not push any further and proceed to the next
one, and so on. As you reach the last tumbler, the ten-
sion wrench will feel more slack and give way if the lock
were properly picked.

There are special keyhole saws for these locks in which
you drill out the tumblers and turn the cylinder. Also there
is a special tool used by locksmiths to open rim cylinder
locks.


MUSHROOM AND SPOOL PIN TUMBLER LOCKS


High-security pin tumbler locks may contain specially
made pins to make picking them more challenging. The
pins are machined so as to make picking them quite dif-
ficult. When picking these locks, the pins give the impres-
sion that they have broken, when in fact they could be
a long way from breaking. You can tell whether or not
you are picking a pin tumbler lock that has these pins by
the fact that the pins seem to align so easily with a louder
than normal click. The cylinder seems eager to open but
to no avail.

The picking procedure relies on a well-yielding tension
wrench. The tension wrench has to be lightly spring-loaded
so that the pins can bypass their false breaking points.
You also have to "rake" (seesaw in and out) the pins with
your pick. The feather-touch tension wrench is ideal for
the job. Use light pressure with it, and it will let you in.

(Note: A feather-touch tension wrench is not necessarily required.  A normal
tension wrench will work fine with an extremely light tension on it.  The 
weight of just your index finger alone should be enough in most cases.)

The mushroom and spool pins are used in locks for
high-security purposes such as bank doors. The American
Lock Company uses them in some of their padlocks.



MAGNETIC LOCKS



Magnetic locks are fascinating. I almost hate to open
them because I feel that I have breached their uniqueness.
In reality, you do not pick them, but "confuse" them. They
generally work on the principle that like magnetic
polarities repel each other. The key is a set of small
magnets arranged in a certain order to repel other magnets
in the lock, thereby allowing the spring-loaded bolt or cam
to open the lock.

By using a pulsating electromagnetic field, you can
cause the magnets in the lock to vibrate violently at thirty
vibrations per second, thereby allowing it to be opened
by intermittent tugging of the bolt or turning of the door
knob.

This method may also ruin the small magnets in the
lock by changing their magnetic status or properties. So,
if you have to perform an emergency break-in with these
locks, do not relock the door. The card or key will not
operate the lock.

The magnetic pick can be used on padlocks by strok-
ing it across the place where the key is placed. It is also
designed to fit into the doorknob and is used by stroking
one pole in and out or by using the other pole the same
way.

If you have had little or no training and experience
building something like this, please have a friend who is
familiar with basic electronics do it for you. Do not take
the chance of electrocuting yourself. Make sure that the
coil is also completely covered with electrician's tape after
you have wound the 34 gauge wire. Also make sure that
the steel core has at least three layers of tape over it. Do
not leave the unit plugged in for more than two to three
minutes at any one time as this may cause overheating
which could cause it to burn out or start a fire. It is safe
to use if constructed properly and not left plugged in
unattended. Opening magnetic locks requires only 30 to
60 seconds anyway, so don't leave the unit plugged in for
longer.

For magnetic padlocks, use a back-and-forth stroking
action along the length of the keyway. For magnetic door
locks, use a stroking in-and-out action in the slot of the
knob alternating from one side (pole) of the pick to the
other.

The "key" for a magnetic door lock is a metal or plastic
card containing an array of magnetic domains or regions
coded in a specific order to allow entry. The magnetic pick
bypasses that.


                       (See fig-08.GIF)


DISK TUMBLER LOCKS


Combination or "puzzle" locks were invented to fur-
ther improve security and the protection of valuables. The
older safes and lockboxes were good security devices when
they came into the market, but some people became
curious and realized that these safe locks had inherent
weaknesses. One of the main problems was that the disk
tumblers were not mechanically isolated from the bolt that
unlocks the safe door. In other words, you could feel and
hear the tumblers while turning the dial by applying
pressure on the handle of the bolt.

When that problem was recognized and solved, thieves
started drilling through strategic places in the lock itself
to open it. Knocking off hinges was an all-time favorite
tactic as well. Then came punching out the dial shaft,
blowtorching, and just plain blowing the door with ex-
plosives. Greed can breed great creativity.

The first problem, that of manipulating the tumblers
open, was rectified by making use of the dial to operate
the bolt upon completion of the dialing of the correct com-
bination. This made it nearly impossible to feel or hear
the tumblers. Drilling was deterred by laminating the safe
door with hard steel and beryllium-copper plates. The
beryllium-copper plates pull heat away from the drill tip
quickly, and the bit just spins without effect; drilling can-
not take place without the generation of heat at the bit's
cutting edges. Knocking off hinges was discouraged by
using three or more bolts operated by a main linkage net-
work. Punching out the dial shaft to let the tumblers fall
out of the way of the bolt was corrected by beveling the
shaft into the wall of the safe door.

Presently, safe locks are quite sophisticated. Picking
them would require supernatural power. The older safes,
however, are much easier and even fun to pick. Picking
combination padlocks is a good way to start learning how
to open safes, and we will get to them shortly. But first,
let us discuss some basic prmciples of disk tumbler locks.

Disk tumbler locks work by the use of flat, round disks
of metal or plastic with a notch and a peg on each disk.
The notch is called the tumbler gate. The gate of each
tumbler has to be lined up with the pawl of the bolt
mechanism by usage of the linking capabilities of the pegs.

The first tumbler of the disk tumbler lock (also the last
combination number dialed) is mechanically connected
to the dial through the safe door. When the dial is turned,
the first tumbler picks up the middle tumbler when their
pegs connect. The middle tumbler in turn picks up the
last tumbler for one more complete turn and the tumblers
have been "cleared"-you are ready to dial the first com-
bination number by aligning the last tumbler's gate to the
pawl. After you have reached this number or position,
rotate the dial in the opposite direction one complete turn
(for three tumbler locks; two turns for four tumbler locks)
to engage the middle tumbler and drive it to the second
combination mlmber. By rotating the dial back into the
opposite direction to the last combination number, the
bolt can be operated to open the lock, or as in the case
of newer safes, the dial will operate the bolt by turning
it once again in the opposite direction.

One of the innovations that developed to deter sensual
manipulation of combination locks was the use of ser-
rated front tumblers (last combination number dialed).
These were designed to foil listening and feeling of the
tumblers' gates by burglars.

When the bolt encountered any one of these shallow
gates, the safecracker could never be sure whether or not
a tumbler was actually aligned with the pawl-bolt
mechanism. Some burglars solved this problem by attach-
ing high-speed drills to the dial knob to rotate and wear
down the first tumbler's shallow false gates against the
bolt, thereby eliminating them altogether, or at least
minimizing their effects. Still, today the serrated tumbler
is used as an effective deterrent to manipulation in com-
bination padlocks where space is a factor.

Let us move on to combination padlocks. The most
common and difficult to open of these small disk tumbler
locks are the Master combination padlocks, and they are
quite popular. I have had good luck in opening these locks
with a wooden mallet or soft-faced hammer. The manip-
ulation of Master combination padlocks is quite easy-I
have done it thousands of times, and you can learn it, too.
The newer the lock is, though, the more difficult it will
be to open at first. If the lock has had a lot of use, such
as that on a locker-room door where the shackle gets
pulled down and encounters the tumblers while the com-
bination is being dialed, the serrated front tumblers will
become smoothed down, allowing easier sensing of the
tumblers. So, until you have become good at opening these
locks, practice extensively on an old one. Let's try to open
one:

OPENING A COMBINATION PADLOCK

STEP ONE

First, clear the tumblers by engaging all of them. This
is done by turning the dial clockwise (sometimes these
locks open more easily starting in the opposite direction)
three to four times. Now bring your ear close to the lock
and gently press the bottom back edge to the bony area
just forward of your ear canal opening so that vibrations
can be heard and felt. Slowly turn the dial in the opposite
direction. As you turn, you will hear a very light click as
each tumbler is picked up by the previous tumbler. This
is the sound of the pickup pegs on each disk as they engage
each other. Clear the tumblers again in a clockwise man-
ner and proceed to step two.

STEP TWO

After you have cleared the tumblers, apply an upward
pressure on the shackle of the padlock. Keeping your ear
on the lock, try to hear the tumblers as they rub across
the pawl; keep the dial rotating in a clockwise direction.

You will hear two types of clicks, each with a subtle
difference in pitch. The shallow, higher pitched clicks are
the sound of the false gates on the first disk tumbler. Do
not let them fool you-the real gates sound hollow and
empty, almost nonexistent.

When you feel a greater than normal relief in the shackle
once every full turn, this is the gate of the first tumbler
(last number dialed). This tumbler is connected directly
to the dial as mentioned earlier. Ignore that sound for now.
When you have aligned the other two tumblers, the last
tumbler's sound will be drowned out by the sound of the
shackle popping open.

STEP THREE

While continuing in a clockwise direction with the dial,
listen carefully for the slight hollow sound of either one
of the first two tumblers. Note on the dial face where these
sounds are by either memorizing them or writing them
down. Make certain that you do not take note of the driv-
ing tumbler (last number dialed). If you hear and feel only
one hollow click (sounds like "dumpf"), chances are that
the first number could be the same as the last one.

You should have two numbers now. Let us say one of
them is 12 and the other is 26. Clear the tumblers again
just to be safe and stop at the number 12. Go
counterclockwise one complete turn from 12. Continue
until there is another "dumpf" sound. After the complete
turn pass 12, if you feel and hear a louder than normal
sound of a tumbler rubbing on the pawl, the first tumbler
is properly aligned and the second tumbler is taking the
brunt of the force from the shackle-you are on the right
track. When the second tumbler has aligned in this case,
you will feel a definite resistance with the last turn of the
dial going clockwise. The final turn will automatically
open the shackle of the lock. If none of these symptoms
are evident, try starting with the number of the combina-
tion, 26, in the same way.

STEP FOUR

If the lock still does not open, don't give up. Try search-
ing for a different first number. Give it a good thirty- or
forty-minute try. If you play with it long enough, it will
eventually open. The more practice you have under your
belt, the quicker you will be able to open these padlocks
in the future.