4 Easy Ways on How to Pick a Door Lock | Know the Details

Having a little one at home sometimes brings us to certain situations that we definitely don’t want to come across. For example, when the kiddo locks him or herself in the bathroom. That’s scary! Well, sometimes your kid does not need to be a trouble maker. You can get into such a locked scenario as well, which is pretty accidental with nobody having control over it.

But what you can control is the after results. If you care enough to know how to pick a door lock, such settings can be less bothering. Today let’s talk about four out of many ways that you can utilize for winning against a locked door.

Let’s Know How to Pick a Door Lock Through Detailed Discussion

Since I’m talking about picking, you may believe I’ll end up praising about some professional thief motive inspired mechanism. Well, absolutely not. I’ll be including methods where you can use regular and readily available household items. In case someone is here to know about a more technical method, first, we’ll go through the picking tool way. Let’s get into it…

How to Pick a Door Lock with Lock Picking Tool?

To proceed with this first method, you need a store-bought professionally designed lock picking toolset. Now, these are not dedicated to people who want it for theft motives. It’s simply for good reasons since some folks learn this way to rescue people out and many more positive intentions. There are various lock picking tools to use with different lock picking techniques for opening a variety of locks. Let’s dive into the main discussion.

Having Clear Goals About the Process

You will use the tension wrench here for applying a very slight amount of pressure to keyway. By using the pick, you’ll carefully push pins up inside that keyway. The tension will help you only when pin is lifted enough. This will cause the wrench to avoid pin from falling. So that the next pin can be set. With all pins being set through this process, you’ll have the lock unlocked. This is the main concept and your goal for process.

You Need to be Aware of Key Turning Direction

Onto the keyway’s top or bottom, carefully insert tension wrench. You need to apply some tension to the plug. So simply turn the wrench very gently. This will make the plug turn to one way slightly more than others. That’s the key turning direction you’ll be following for this process.

Now keep in mind, here applying too much pressure is very possible. And we don’t want that. So, you can simply use a trick. Just go with one finger to apply torque. You’ll be able to grasp the picking lock’s turning feel even this way.

Checking the Pins

You need to insert your pick through the keyway. Use the pick to feel pin’s outline, very gently. You want to separately recognize one out of these. This needs to be easy enough for accessing. Then you need to apply pressure very lightly, which eventually increases. This way you will be able to feel the spring of a pin. Once you do so, get the pick out.

Now try visualizing the pin’s image inside your head. This will help to keep a track of solutions to proper pin positioning. So that resetting lock isn’t that hard the next time you try afresh. Also, testing the pin spring’s resistance can be done through such strategical pressure. You apply gentle pressure that keeps increasing eventually. The stiffer ones will need more pressure. However, too much force can be harmful to delicately designed inner parts of a lock.

The Gentle Pressure Test & Identifying Binding Pin

Onto the top or bottom of keyway, gently insert tension wrench. You want to turn it very gently. You should be feeling plug shifts. Let go of pressure on the wrench. Keep on doing this a few times until you understand the plug’s tightness and pin binding position. This is the spot where pin freeze and declines plug turning.

Now use your tension wrench for applying light pressure to plug once again. Let a pick get inside keyway. While applying pressure, you want the pick to gently touch pins. Let the wrench have released tension on it.

Repeat the process a few times. And you should identify the binding pin at some point. Once you do, maintain a very consistent force on the wrench. It can’t be too much to cause the lock to freeze. Also, if you end up with too little pressure, pins will reset.

One at a time When Setting Pins

You need to focus on lifting the first binding pin. Pick it gradually while applying consistent pressure using your tension wrench. This will make the plug turn, but very lightly. And the first pin should be set. Then using your pick, go for the next pin that seems to bind more than existing pins. You want to lift and set it the same way. keep on repeating the process for all pins. A pin can be set in two ways. Back to the front or vice versa. Also, when you lift the pin, let it be as slow as possible for a better result.

As soon as the last pin sets, it should help in disengaging lock. You may need to apply a bit more pressure for opening the lock. Just make sure you don’t jostle any pins. Also, pay attention to not causing harm to pick. The lock should be open eventually.

How to Pick a Door Lock with a Card?

First of all, you need to look for a suitable card for this purpose. The cards that are made of plastic are stiff enough and at same time quite flexible. So, these are your ideal bet. Also, you surely want to avoid using your actual debit or credit card.

During this process, if the card gets damaged for some reason, you’ll have another serious problem to deal with. There is a loyalty card the grocery shops provide. Go for those. A laminated library card will also work. If you have a business card at hand, that can work as well.

You should be able to see a gap between the doorjamb and door. This is where you need to slide the card into. Start from the door handle above and let it slide downwards. Don’t hesitate to wiggle the card a bit. In some cases, you may find the card pressing against latch assembly. This will allow the door to open without any delay. This method works great with regular key-locks. Even with deadbolts, it can work.

With a few doors, you’ll be capable to open it within a few minutes. While some may need more than little effort. You can be experimental with different types of cards as well as various angles. This method is just useful for circumventing locks. However, there’s no surety that it will unlock the door. If the door closes by mistake, you’ll be stuck once again.

How to Pick a Door Lock with a Bobby Pin?

By using bobby pins you can easily make yourself a lock-pick. It’s the most suitable one out of all household items that can work well for such circumstances.

Opening & Bending the Bobby Pins

Start off by opening the bobby pin out. So that a square shape is formed. It needs to be straight enough. Then focus on the very last 1/8 inch of this pin. You need to bend it to make a 20-degree angle. Some hairpins come with plastic dipped end’s you need to get rid of this before proceeding. Simply use a pair of pliers to scrape the plastic off. You can also use the ground to do this.

Now you need to bring another bobby pin that is folded into half. Then bend this one as well into an L-like shape. Make sure the tension wrench is firmly durable enough. If you don’t have a tension wrench then go with a screwdriver in its place. The one that comes with a tiny flathead will work best here. Any similar item that will fit inside the keyhole’s bottom would work.

Picking the Lock

Insert your wrench inside the lock’s bottom part. Then you need to turn it maintain the direction of the key for unlocking. So that enough tension is applied to lock. Throughout the whole process, you must maintain tension consistently.

Using a very light-handed up and down motion, then you need to slightly wiggle onto lock’s top part with a pick. There must be pins out the locks that lift due to this. And you should be able to hear clicking sounds. At one point your tension wrench will suddenly turn freely. This means all the pins have successfully lifted up. And the lock should be open.

This method needs practice and patience. You may get frustrated really quickly with such a method. This helps to unlock padlocks and deadbolts mostly.

How to Pick a Door Lock with a Paperclip?

For this process, you need to gather all your tools to begin afresh. The interior doors often come with an open button lock. For example, your bedroom or bathroom doors. There’s a button with a doorknob that basically needs some pushing for lock engaging properly.

Using a few items, you can open the push-button locks from the outside as well. And the most ideal ones are something long and straight enough. Something that will fit inside the hole of doorknob’s center. The first thing that comes to my mind is a paperclip.

The hole of pushbutton locks should be a tiny one that goes right onto doorknob’s center. If you cannot visibly see it, then have a look at knob’s stem area. Also, you should see the area where door connects to knob. These are spots you are more likely to find that tiny hole in.

Then simply insert a paperclip inside your found hole. Make sure to gently push with it. Do so until there’s a catch you can feel. By applying consistent force, you need to make the pins go forward. Pay attention to a click sound that should be heard. And at some point, you’ll hear the sound that would make the lock pop open.

Check out the Detailed Guide Here: How to Pick a Lock with Paperclip

Things to Keep in Mind

Make sure to not use anything that can break. For example, a toothpick. The wood snapping inside your lock will cause a calamity for sure. And that can result in a need of removing the entire door.

If there’s some privacy doorknob in your house, get a suitable item to keep on the doorjamb. So that in a need of emergency, you can sort out things pretty quickly. Scrambling during the rough times can be a gamble you don’t want to play.

If you are willing to open a simpler mechanism included locks such as the ones for desk drawers or cash boxes, then there’s hardly any need for typical picking tools. A flat metal piece will get you through the problem. Insert it onto all way towards lock’s back. And simply turn the thing clockwise. At the same time, wiggle it up and down.

If you have time, try to give your picks sanding sessions. This will make the process even smoother and you’ll get better maneuvering of the tool into the keyway.

Wrap Up

And that was all about how to pick a door lock, often a need and sometimes a skill that can save lives. Just a few tools at hand and a bit of patience are what you need for handling a locked door situation. Also, not to forget to research more on this topic to know well about various types of locks. Nowadays there are various types of smart door locks available in the market and these locks are almost impossible to pick! So First, make sure the locks type before trying to pick them.

Make sure you never apply too much force, no matter how durable your lock is. Not just for avoiding damage to lock but also because sometimes too much pressure is a reason for not getting the door unlocked any time sooner.

However, there’s no complete assurance that your lock will absolutely not be damaged. Such trials that are done by not-expert folks are risky, you and I can do nothing about it. And if such risks are not what you’d like to take even slightly, there’s always an option of hiring an expert for the task.

Related Guide You May Check:

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• How To Pick A Garage Door Lock
• How To Pick a Car Door Lock
• How To Pick a File Cabinet Lock
• How To Open a Hotel Door Lock