How to Make Lock Picks

The art of lock picking is something for those who desire to obtain access to information or items that belong to others. There are those however, that consider this a trade. Your local locksmith needs to be able to pick a lock when you have lost your keys or locked them inside your home or vehicle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Grinder
• Hack saw blade
• Allen key
• Straight pin or high tensile strength thin wire

1. Design the shape of the lock pick tool that you need to make. This will be determined by the type of locks that you intend to pick. Some locks have only a single row of pins that keep the lock closed or release it to open. More complex locks have pins on both the upper and lower side of the lock mechanism, are harder to pick and will require more than the basic pick and wrench.
2. Use an indelible marker to draw the shape of the tool on a hack saw blade. The hack saw blade is serving as your blank for the tool. Use the flat non-teethed side of the blade as the upper edge of the tool.
3. Begin to cut away the blank material from the tool, using a grinder. Remember to use gloves and safety goggles to avoid eye injury from metal filings that come off during the grinding process. The piece you are working on will get very hot as you continue to grind and it is advisable to keep a bucket of cool water close by to dip the piece in periodically during the process. Don't try and remove more than a little material with each pass of the grinder. The blade is high tensile strength steel and may require a diamond grinding wheel to achieve a well-formed tool.
4. Clean all the edges of the tool using a hand held fine file, before trying to use it on a lock. Small amounts of material left on the tool may flake off during use and damage the lock.