How To Pick A Lock Using Hairpins - Interesting Engineering

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While lockpicking is often a task attributed to thieves and burglars, it can actually be a really useful skill to learn for situations like getting locked out of your house, or maybe your safe. Once you start to understand how a lock works, you can begin to learn how to break into one. All you will need to pick a lock is a few hairpins or bobby pins, which you will modify slightly. If you don’t have any of these lying around you could pick yourself up a lock pick set off Amazon for pretty cheap here. The video below will go into a lot more detail on how to pick a lock, so be sure to check it out.

The concept that this method is based off is that of applying constant rotational pressure to the tumbler, so that as you pick one pin, it will stay in the unlocked position. All you have to do is simply go down the line of pins and push up on the one that is currently stuck. You will be able to tell by how much force it takes to lift a pin, which one to push up on next. Once a pin is picked, you will hear a clicking noise signaling for you to move to another pin. Be sure to keep constant rotational pressure on the lock, because if you don’t, then the pins will spring back down and you will have to start over again.

[Image Source: Night Hawk In Light]

I tried doing this myself, and without a practice see-through lock, it took a lot of work, but I finally got a door open. It would be much easier to learn how to do this on the demonstration lock shown in the video, but it can be done with a little bit of patience. Don’t go getting yourself in trouble, though.

SEE ALSO: Smart fingerprint padlock dispenses the use of keys

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Trevor is a civil engineer (B.S.) by trade and an accomplished writer with a passion for inspiring everyone with new and exciting technologies. He is also a published children’s book author and the producer for the YouTube channel Concerning Reality.

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