Some kits to get started
To get started it is better to know your equipment, here is a presentation of some kits to get an idea: First of all, the “tensors”.
Yet present in each kit they are never enough, but they are very important!
Also called “tensioners” or “tensors”, they allow to apply a rotational movement on the rotor of the cylinders.
They are as important as picks because they detect which pins get stuck during picking and return information about the correct (or wrong) placement of these.
The important thing is to know how to dose the pressure you apply. Too light, the feeling is not enough and the pins go up. Too strong, everything gets stuck and we force uselessly on the “picks”.
It is sometimes said that the average pressure to be applied is the force it takes to operate a house switch. Some talk about the force it would take to immobilize a ladybug without crushing it. This pressure may vary slightly during picking and depending on the cylinder.
The padlocks always open clockwise, and include a return spring that will force the hooker to force the tensor a little more to compensate.
Various forms exist, the photo below shows you some examples:
1- round section folded and flattened (can be made in a hammered bicycle spoke)
2- the same as the previous one but with an additional elbow
3- folded in a wiper spring blade, one side long, one side short
4- Notched dish ideal for training from the bottom
5- flat model, called in Z
6- other trainer in thicker Z
7- Y-tensor for glitter locks
8- rotary and even torque in this case
Having a few of these models makes it possible to cope with all the most advanced situations and forms of key entries. Well positioned, it will work without play while leaving room for the passage of picking tools.
Here we see 4 tensors placed, either at the top or bottom of the eve. In sports crocheting, their length or orientation does not matter. For a locksmith in the field, the door handle or frame can hinder their movement.
On these examples, it is clear that anything that constitutes a grip on the rotor is good to take. Sometimes a channel on the front of the rotor makes it possible to drive it without obstructing the eve.
Radial cylinders are usually easy to drive because their inlets are wide.
Glitter cylinders or car cylinders sometimes need to be hooked both at the bottom and at the top. A dust curtain often comes in front of the key entrance. A specific tensor in Y makes it possible to overcome these constraints.
Finally, the rotary trainer is widely used for pick-gun openings. Almost universal, it can also be equipped with a torque damping to finely dose the tension. On the other hand, it is mediocre for manual picking.
Unlike “picks” that require good steels and a little technique to be made by yourself, trainers are easy to make. As a result, it is easy to modify or make an express one for a specific cylinder model.
And for the most inventive, other improvements are possible, such as spring tensors, adjustable, counterweight, adhesives, etc …
The little “+”.
It doesn’t take much to start, besides a kit, a mini-vice to maintain your toy is an inexpensive and durable multi-purpose investment over time; In addition, they all give the same guarantee of satisfaction. If the padlocks can also be fixed in a vice they do not necessarily need one, purists do very well without, and if you have trouble with the grip of small models you still have the trick of wrapping elastics around the body of the latter:
Or use a vice clip…
Kits.
To make a good starter kit here is a good combination:
-1 “five-moutains” and 1 “double wave snake”
-2 probes, one with a tighter angle than the other
-1 “half diamond”
-1 “deforest”
-1 “half ball”
-in addition to a variety of tensioners of different lengths and widths…
->But much more than a good kit it is a good skill and application that you will need!
->Most kits have the basic minimum but if some are frankly not recommended know that a “good kit” will not necessarily make a “good crocheter”!
Here are some kits on the test bench:
Goso Kit 24 pieces:
The best thing about this kit is still its pouch, not that the tools are unusable but they are not the best. The gripper-like trainer is supposed to keep the dust cover apart at the same time as it is used to drive the rotor, but it is still necessary to be able to put it in place… The design is proportional to the price and if some tools are not well enough designed, this kit nevertheless includes the minimum necessary. The thickness of the “picks” allows the beginner to limit the breakage, he will find in this kit what to try the practice of the thin opening.
Propick kit 14 pieces DIAM Nasa :
This kit contains all the most used tools in the field of picking.
Made of a particularly strong spring-effect steel, they are finished with a thin layer of black-oxidized and have reinforced single-sided handles.
They are light tools and one body which gives them a very good feeling of actions on the pins. They are easy to rework and resistant to deformation.
As for the handle, we like or we do not like, but it is a kit for experienced users as beginners wishing to progress because durable over time.
Klom Navigator 32 pieces kit :
Asian-made kit with the same characteristics as their copies, or even their copies of copies: heaps of poorly designed tools made of vulgar scrap, of a thickness limiting quite quickly access to interesting eves and a finish really not at the rendezvous. The tensors are quite correct, although intended for the radial cylinders, but the handles of the “picks” are much too imposing which absorbs the sensations.
No need for so many tools to get started, better a suitable and adjusted kit.
Hummingbird Kit:
Minimalist kit, but adjusted for the shot, with its “picks” with a thickness of 0.4 mm which is ideal, used especially for small padlocks and small locks. Their small size would not necessarily make them made to start but the steel that comes out of them allows them to resume their initial position if they are twisted moderately.
The tensor would benefit from being even thinner, but once rid of their machining oil they allow to collect openings easily and quickly.
Kit 15 pieces :
Initially designed for American eves , this kit frankly deserves to be resized. If the vast majority of kits would benefit from having the edges of their picks softened with sandpaper, it must be reworked in depth because some picks pass with difficulty or rub with the rotor, distorting the sensations transmitted by the tool. The Y trainer is welcome but we would replace the broken key extractor by a “deforest” or a probe with a more closed angle as here where they were refined by hand:
Ghost Pro Tactical Entry Set Kit:
We have a kit that inspires confidence and solidity, the stainless steel is polished by hand and very well finished with an original design. The thickness of the tools of 0.6 mm means that they withstand very well the stresses without bending, the trainers are of good quality and allow adequate control of the rotation, the grip is correct and the sensations transmitted are good, the edges are soft and do not mark the hand during long picking sessions.
The price of the kit is justified with regard to the good quality of the product, however it takes about 5 weeks of delay to receive it.
Secure Pro Kit 9 pieces :
Very incomplete kit consisting exclusively of probes with the exception of the radial scraper, which is not very logical… Made of cheap metal, the coating of the “pick” comes off, the handle does not even sheathe the tool completely and is not properly molded:
Southord C801 Kit :
Made in the United States but especially for the European cylinder market, it includes the essentials for picking, all in a small simple and effective leather pouch. Already ready to use, it requires no or little retouching, the quality is at the rendezvous and the feeling is well restored by the metal handles. The two tensors fit well in the eves although to practice a small return with a clamp increases the field of possibilities. A very good investment to start without having to change the kit during learning.
Conclusion.
This article is not intended to be exhaustive because there are many other kits on the market, but it aims to help future buyers who embark on this passion. In short, it is better to invest in a suitable kit without being fooled by a price that seems advantageous, the price is forgotten while the quality remains. Now you know better what to base your choice on and what criteria you will retain.
We hope this article has been useful to you and now, it’s up to you!
Thanks to: Thierry, SC, Ronald, Sorroww and amoa for their contribution.
