This document discusses lock picking and how locks work. It contains the following information: 1) Pin-and-tumbler locks work by having pin pairs that prevent the lock cylinder from turning unless lifted to the correct height by the key's ridges. 2) Lock picking tools like torsion wrenches, half-diamond picks, hook picks, ball picks, and rake picks are used to apply tension and lift pin pairs to unlock the cylinder. 3) The document describes pin tumbler locks and wafer tumbler locks, the most common lock types, explaining their mechanisms using pins or wafers to prevent opening without the correct key.

1. LOCK PICKING
DAVID AYUSO RUBIO

2. HOW A LOCK WORKS
Understand how your lock
works. The pin-and-tumbler lock
consists of a cylinder that can
rotate within its housing. When
locked, the cylinder is kept in
place by several pairs of pins. The
top pin of each pair protrudes
into both the cylinder and the
housing, thus preventing the
cylinder from turning. When the
correct key is inserted, it pushes
the pairs of pins up so that the
top pins no longer enter the
cylinder. When this happens, the
cylinder can be turned and the
lock will open.

3. HOW A LOCK WORKS
Note the five pairs of pins. The blue pins enter When the key is inserted, the grooves and ridges
both the cylinder and the (green) housing on the key push the pins up to the correct
around it, thus preventing the cylinder from heights so that all the blue pins are completely
turning. The springs provide resistance to keep out of the cylinder, thus allowing the cylinder to
the pins in place. turn and the lock to open.

4. TOOLS USED TO PICK
LOCKS
Torsion wrench
The torsion wrench, is used to apply
torsion to the inner cylinder of a lock, in
order to hold any picked pins in place
Half-diamond pick
Perhaps the most basic and common
pick, it is mainly used for picking
individual pins.
Hook pick
The hook pick is similar to the half
diamond pick, but has a hook shaped tip
rather than a half diamond shape.
Ball pick
The ball pick is similar to the half-
diamond pick, except the end of the pick
has a circular shape.
Rake picks
These picks, such as the common snake
rake, are designed to 'rake' pins by rapidly
sliding the pick past all the pins

5. TYPES OF LOCKS
The pin tumbler lock, sometimes called the Yale lock A wafer tumbler lock is a type of lock that uses a set
(see Yale (company)), is a lock mechanism that uses of flat wafers to prevent the lock from opening
pins of varying lengths to prevent the lock from unless the correct key is inserted. This type of lock is
opening without the correct key. Pin tumblers are similar to the pin tumbler lock and works on a
most commonly employed in cylinder locks, but similar principle. However, unlike the pin tumbler
may also be found in tubular pin tumbler locks (also lock, the wafer is a single piece. The wafer tumbler
known as radial locks). lock is often incorrectly referred to as a disc tumbler
lock, which uses an entirely different mechanism