How to Create Improvised Lock Picking Tools
The Canadian economy seems to be in a recession and times are tough. Until they lower interest rates, things might get even worse before they get any better. So when you are locked out and don’t want to call for a licensed Professional Locksmith, you should try everything you can before spending your hard earned money. Depending on what you have lying around you, you may be able to create improvised tools to help you gain entry.
This is not the Anarchist’s Cookbook or a how-to guide to commit crime. Just a simple guide to help those that are in need. As always, when things go sour and you actually do need a Downtown Vancouver Locksmith, you can call or text me at 604-363-2760 or email me at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. You can also drop by our Downtown Vancouver Key Store located at 555 West Hastings St right by Gastown. We are located on the bottom floor of the SFU/Harbour Centre near the Food Court area. Our store hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm while we are open for Mobile Locksmithing Services 8am to midnight.
Pro Tip #1: Don’t make things worse
Before we get into some of the interesting tools you can make with everyday items, garbage, or scrap, we should cover the most important tool of them all. The thing that lies in between your ears – aka the Human Brain.
In an emergency, your emotions and wallet will try to lead you astray and down the path of destruction. It’s our instinct to force our way of problems using violence and force. So it’s very important to use your common sense, keep calm, and not make things any worse.
For example, it is almost never worth kicking down your down to save money on a locksmith. The cost of a new door will exceed the cost of a Professional Locksmith in Vancouver. I have been called to sites where clients took the nearby Fire Axe and cut their way into their unit. They sure regretted spending $10K+ on a new door. The solid core exterior doors on your home are most likely more expensive to replace or repair than you realize. So don’t make things worse.
Plus, I have encountered plenty of people and law enforcement officers who have hurt themselves trying to kick down a door. Saving a couple of hundred dollars is not worth a broken foot and torn ligaments.
Another example of not making things worse is where clients decide it would be a good idea to take a power drill and start drilling wherever they feel like. Just like a Surgeon knows where to cut, a Downtown Vancouver Locksmith will know where to drill to maximize effectiveness and minimize or prevent any damage to the door. So, if things are that bad, put the power tool away and give us a call.
Pro Tip #2: Making improvised lock picks
As a master level Locksmith with years of experience, I feel Hollywood has misrepresented the Art of Lockpicking. So has various YouTube influencers such as the Lock Picking Lawyer. It takes years of practice and training to be good at picking locks. Not only are the correct tools required, it also requires an extensive knowledge of locks and a deft touch.
In other words, even with a set of professional grade lock picks, real world success rates are not that high even for Professional Locksmiths – depending on the lock brand and lock type.
Personally, I have a 80 to 90% success rate lock picking non-SmartKey Weiser Deadbolts and Cylinders. This goes up to 90 to 95% success rates for Weiser knock-offs. It’s similar for other non-warded key cylinders.
For warded key cylinders, my lock picking success rates are lower, but I’m finding even great difficulty these days picking open Residential Grade Schlage locks from Home Depot. These are like $50 locks and should be easy to pick open, but are no longer.
This trend started happening about 5 years ago with the newer versions of the locks. Turns out that companies like Schlage began filling their cylinders with security pins like T-pins, mushroom pins, etc. Probably cost the manufacturer five cents more per lock, but even Professional Locksmiths will have a hard time picking open cylinders with 5 or 6 security pins – especially under pressure with the client looking over their shoulders
So what does this mean for you with an improvised lock pick? Have a low expectation of success and be pleasantly surprised if you are successful. If it doesn’t work, it’s probably a better use of your time and effort to give me a call or text.
Making Lock Picks with Wiper Inserts
Yes, the best material to make improvised lock picks is with windshield wiper inserts. Hollywood probably made you think of bobby pins and paper clips as your first choice. First, bobby pins are too thick for most modern keyways. You might get the pin stuck inside the cylinder and make things worse. On the other hand, paper clips are generally too fragile. Breaking off a paper clip inside the keyhole would be another fine example of making things worse. So don’t do it.
I like to use wiper inserts because:
- There is always a car around with windshield wipers. (Of course, you should use your own car’s wiper inserts.)
- Inserts usually come in pairs and you only need one of the pairs. The other can be left alone to operate the wiper if needed.
- Inserts are thin but strong enough for the work. They are also malleable so they can be bent without breaking.
- Inserts can be cut with a decent pair of scissors or by repeated bending/metal fatigue.
- Inserts often come with a cutout on one end that can act as a pin manipulator.
So take one of your inserts and cut or break off two 3 to 4 inch pieces. One will be your torsion wrench so bend one of the ends to 90 degrees. The lip should be about 3/16” to ½”.
The other 3 to 4 inch piece will be your lock pick. This should be the end of the insert with the slight cutout to lock the wiper into place.
Now that you have your improvised rake and tension wrench, apply light tension and rake the pins back and forth. If you need guidance, just watch a video on raking lock cylinders on any video streaming site.
If you have a lubricant like WD40, it will be of great help. If you only have household cooking oil, use your common sense and don’t use it. Olive oil belongs on salads and breads, not inside your lock.
After 10 minutes or so of raking, you will be either 1) still locked out and ready to call a Locksmith or 2) raked the lock cylinder open.
Pro Tip #3: Use a 4L Milk Jug to create a loiding tool
If you are not dealing with a deadbolt and facing a knob/lever, you may be able to “loid” your lock latch to gain entry. This is the so-called “credit card attack” you sometimes see in movies and TV shows.
If you have never tried this before, you need to remember the following:
- Loiding only works on either improperly installed locks or on spring latches
- Loiding will never work on properly installed locks with deadlatches
Basically, deadlatches have an extra security feature to prevent loiding or latch slipping attacks. Latches with the deadlatch platform usually have an independent circular mechanism along the flat edge. When installed correctly, this mechanism will be depressed and bar the latch from moving.
Making loiding tools with a 4L Milk Jug
Unless you have an expired credit card in your wallet, you will want to find yourself a 4L Milk Jug of something similar. You will want to take a knife or scissor and cut yourself a rectangular piece of plastic about the size of your hands.
Insert the tool into the space in between the latch and the door frame. Using a pushing or pulling motion, you are trying to force the latch back to gain entry. For the actual technique, you can see the various videos available online.
If plastic milk jugs are not available, you can use any plastic-like material with the rigidity and strength. When in a pinch, I have used things like a laminated flyer/paper, aluminum soda can (don’t cut yourself), a child’s drink box.
Normal household plastic can work. The Professional Downtown Vancouver Locksmith version has fibers embed into the plastic which gives it more rigidity.
After 5 to 10 minutes, you will be tired and sweaty from the exertion 1) inside your home or 2) still locked outside your home. If the latter, you will probably be ready to call for a Locksmith like myself.
Pro Tip #4: Sometimes force is the only answer
Unlike in the movies, Lock Picking does not work all the time. I wished it did for two reasons:
- It would make my job a lot easier as I would never need to drill a lock cylinder.
- It would make all non-high security locks redundant and force clients to use higher quality locks.
Since life is not like a TV episode, sometimes I am forced to drill a lock open. Other times, it’s simply the only option even with cheap locks like Weiser Smartkeys which are very difficult to pick open but extremely easy to drill open.
Most of the time, Locksmiths will drill open a lock because the cost in time and labour to pick open a lock is greater than the cost to drill it open and install a new one.
Likewise, depending on your situation, it may be better for you to use a destructive entry method rather than waiting for a locksmith. Here are a couple of examples:
- Child or pet trapped in a hot car – a $300 glass deductible to ICBC is not worth the harm or death of a loved one
- Lock is on a flimsy hollow interior door – after you kick the door down, you can buy a new door replacement at Home Depot for a decent price
Basically, if a life is in danger, you should force your way in. To illustrate, once in a while I receive entry requests from family members seeking to perform a wellness check on a loved one. For example, they may hear the TV on but the person has not answered their phone in a few days.
In such a situation, I highly recommend you call Emergency Services and let the Police for Fire Departments handle it. One of the primary reasons is that a Professional Locksmith needs the verbal or written permission of the legal occupant to effect an entry. Otherwise, we are committing breaking-and-entering and can be held legally liable.
Once Emergency Services have done their thing, we will get called in to repair the damages etc to the door, door frame, and locks.
If your home has those brown aluminum single pane glass windows and patio doors, I do not suggest forcing your way in. These items no longer meet BC Building Code standards and replacements can be hard to find. If at all possible, you are better off not breaking these. In fact, do not break glass unless it’s an emergency. I have seen too many people cut themselves badly on glass shards.
Conclusion
My final Pro Tip is to just call a Locksmith. You can save some money by doing it all on your own but sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle.
This ties back into the first point of not making things worth. If everything you do fails or even if you did succeed, you may face higher costs as the Locksmith may need to repair the damages you caused as well. So don’t make things worse.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or text me a 604-363-2750 or email me at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. You can also drop by our Downtown Vancouver Key Store located at 555 West Hastings St right by Gastown. We are located on the bottom floor of the SFU/Harbour Centre near the Food Court area.
