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Michael Buebl's Locksmith Tips

Michael Buebl's Locksmith Tips

Never locked out - Master Guide

The ultimative Locksmith Guide

How to professional unlocking locks and doors

Author: Michael Buebl (Bübl) – Master Locksmith

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All rights, including those of translations in foreign languages, filming, earlier or later editions, public lectures, as well as those on radio and television, are reserved by the publisher. Every republication, including excerpts, as well as computer reproductions, requires the agreement of the publisher.

Michael Buebl's Locksmith Tips

Never locked out - Master Guide

www.buebl.com

Email: michael@buebl.com

The naming of tools and products or their illustrations in this book occur without mention of product signs, symbols, or patents. The lack of such acknowledgements which are not allowed to be disclosed have been referred to by a brand, tool or brand name which is public domain. We are not liable for the lack of such acknowledgments.

Translation: Corinne Stevens (NY USA)

German original title: Geheimwissen Schlüsseldienst

About the Author

Michael Buebl (Bübl)

He is also known as “the man with the golden hands” and has worked as a locksmith since 1986. He worked for fitting and installation companies with security locks, safety doors, and mainly for locksmiths. In addition to working, he furthered his education and completed three Master craftsman certificates (master locksmith, master smith, and master mechanic). With his education, he opened his own locksmith company in 1990. During this time, he unlocked everything that can possibly be locked. Everything from A to Z, Cash boxes, coin machines, old cars, new cars, safes, and closets, but above all apartments and houses. Whisker locks to magnet locks. He researched steadfastly, in order to improve and expand his knowledge of locks and improved and invented the many tools used by locksmiths. He also deals with technical criminal investigations of locks. Meanwhile he is the leading specialist in the technical aspects of locks and security systems. For many years, he wrote down descriptions and has now published them in various books.

Michael Buebl (Bübl) writes columns and short essays for various magazines and publications.

He is an activist and supporter of many Animal welfare agencies.

He also works as a security advisor.

Disclaimer

Before you read or put to use any of the information in this book, read the following disclaimer. You must understand and agree with the conditions of this disclaimer in order to be allowed to use the information of this book.

You are responsible for your own actions. The author, publisher, and editor accept no responsibility or liability for the misuse of the knowledge in this book, nor do they encourage the perpetration of felonies or illegal activities. The author, publisher, and editor hereby explicitly distance themselves from illegal activities and do not approve of such conduct.

This book wasn’t written to incite someone to commit an illegal offence!

Some methods in this book can and will cause damage to material. Should you choose one of these destructive methods, it is your choice, and you do this at your own risk.

Great pains were taken to make sure the information in this book was correct, and properly given. In light of this, the author, publisher, and editor deny all claims for damages incurred such as destruction of property, injury, or similar occurrences as a result of the usage of methods found within this book.

Although the greatest attention was given to the accuracy and integrity of the information in this book, the author, publisher and editor make no guarantees that the illustrated methods will always bring success.

Warning

All attempts to misuse this information are punishable. Do not open a lock which you are not allowed to, and do not break into another person’s property. It is wrong and illegal. You will become a criminal through such an act, and must pay fines and damage fees, and could possibly go to jail. The people against whom you have committed the act will make you unhappy. And it is dishonest!

Breaking open locks is a wonderful thing and the knowledge of how to do so need not be put to use for criminal activity. To unlock doors is fun and you can, if your want to, make a living from it. Many people will be willing to pay for you to open their cars or apartments when they have forgotten or lost the correct key. For a criminal, it would only be possible to “earn” a fraction of the amount that a successful locksmith could.

If you like to unlock cars, than you could work for a breakdown service or for a towing company, or offer such a company a partnership and work independently. Don’t be shy about asking caretaking companies, sentries, or other institutions. These companies are always hiring part-time or even full-time employees.

The large department stores also mostly offer an auto unlocking service for customers who have been locked out of their cars as part of their safety forces. Many locksmiths or lock and key services look for holiday or evening employees for their companies. That is just a small fraction of the possibilities that are available with such an education. Legal work has no disadvantages, as opposed to illegal.

A successful locksmith is awarded much prestige from society and the public. They are a member of a chamber of craftsmen and the most are well-liked. As a criminal, you will be ostracized and shunned. If you commit a crime, you will be persecuted, fined, and have slim chances of finding a job in the professional workplace. You have complicated your own life, especially when you possess the same qualities as a respectable specialist.

Stealing often causes graver consequences than one even realizes. In every item there is work time which the owner had invested in order to make the money to purchase it. Time is very expensive, and can never be recovered. Therefore, with every theft, you take life time away, and that is unethical. In order to compensate for the stolen item, the victim must give up other plans that were likely underway.

This sum will likely be taken from funds used for food, retirement, or children’s education.

Therefore is crime inexcusable and deserving of strict punishment.

Important Hints

Before reading on or beginning to practice, read this section. This chapter contains important information that will save you time and damage. One can avoid many mistakes when one is aware of the pitfalls and thinks ahead.

Make it a habit to check and make sure you have your key every time you leave your apartment or car. A look in your hand to see if what you have is really your key costs no money or time. A quick feel in your bag for insurance can save you a load of unpleasantness. Handle yourself sensibly, not senselessly, as you leave. Better to check one too many times as one too few.

Despite all caution, it sometimes happens that you are locked out and stand before a locked door. It is most important in such a situation to remain composed. Hectic and hysterical behavior will not help the situation, and likely make it even worse. Go around the house and check every door and cellar entrance. Look for open windows. Look in every bag and all possible places. Sometimes one forgets they have an extra key in a flowerpot or under a rock. Perhaps you can get an extra key from your workplace or a friend. Despite the fact that it is difficult to concentrate under stress, it is important to keep things in perspective. It’s not embarrassing when you are locked out, and therefore you should feel no shame in asking the caretaker or cleaning service for assistance. Some property managers hold an extra key for their residents. In many cases, it is also reasonable to inform your partner and wait until he/she comes home.

To unlock one’s car is often a small thing that driver clubs offer as emergency service for their members. Most insurances which offer policies containing a towing clause cover the costs for a locksmith, though you may have to pay then and be reimbursed later. Many car manufacturers also have a mobility guarantee, under which locksmith’s services are often covered.

Work through all possibilities before beginning to manually unlock a lock. A lock is destroyed quicker than you can imagine. A taxi ride to pick up a key costs less money and time than repairing or replacing a lock.

It is only intelligent to open a lock with tools rather than the correct key when you are certain that you are in a real emergency without any other option.

Your success with opening locks or with bypassing the mechanics depends on different factors, of which the most important is your skill in this field. The majority of methods illustrated in this book are simple to understand, but you must also be able to diagnose the lock and door to determine which technique to apply. It is easier to explain the steps on paper than it is to successfully execute them in a real-life situation. It is essential that you practice first in peace and calm in order to be level-headed and successful in an emergency situation. There are always unforeseen obstacles which you must work through in order to learn from. You can’t get the feeling for the knack of locks or their specific characteristics just by reading the theory behind them. A short look through this book won’t make anyone a lock-master. A specialist is only formed by a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

It is sometimes necessary to move a tool in a tight work spot, between a door and frame, for example, or in a similar place. Sometimes it happens that the tool will jam or grind. In such a situation, it is necessary to use tool helpers to keep the tools in good condition or to make opening altogether possible. One of these tool helpers is oil, or WD-40, to reduce friction, or perhaps a wooden wedge to force into the door crack in order to get more space to work. It requires strength and guts to physically force the door in, but when there is no threat of breaking something, do it! (With feeling, however)

Regarding the lock, however, you may not use any strength. You don’t need to stress the lock any more than it is used to. One should be particularly careful with the opening of vehicles to avoid twisting the lock gears or disconnecting the wires, because that will impact the lock’s ability to function.

Only use proper tools of the highest possible quality while working. That has a direct effect on your chances of success. Consider the different possibilities of opening the door, taking your experience into consideration, then select a method and employ the corresponding tools. With bad or rusting tools, you risk doing damage. This doesn’t mean however, that you must buy expensive equipment. With some handiwork skill, one can create one’s own tools, even with things that one can find in that time and place or easily create.

The hardest job is to find the correct way; the wrong choice of method is most frequently responsible for failure.

Every problem has its special answer. When you know more than one possibility of opening the lock, you must decide for the best; incorrect handling of the lock could destroy it without opening it.

Locks were created to keep unauthorized people out of an area, therefore one can understand why the manufacturers created something which, when met with a crowbar or too much strength, has an inner part which breaks and blocks the mechanism allowing entry. The problem will only become worse with brutal methods. The movable part of a lock must always remain movable.

Stay intuitive while working and pay attention to how the lock reacts. When you think you won’t accomplish anything more doing something, change your approach – this will at best avoid damages, and it could increase your chances for success.

The majority of the techniques described here were tested through many years of trial and error by the author, himself an experienced locksmith. They do not claim to be foolproof or a complete collection of the methods of opening every type of lock. Remain open to your own ideas or suggestions from other sources; use the knowledge in this book as inspiration. Do not hold inflexibly to the recommendations posed here; perhaps you could modify some ideas or combine them with your own methods. Success demands flexibility in order to be effective.

Every person who has, for example, tried to pull open a door which had a sign “PUSH” on it can understand why a wrong way can lead to failure. In order to avoid such mistakes, prepare yourself mentally with ingenuity, skill, and intuition before beginning to work. Examine the big picture, go over all the tools at your disposal, (in emergency those which you have jury-rigged) and go through all your thoughts in your head before beginning in peace and with clarity of mind. Consider it a challenge.

Many people are afraid of doing things that they can’t do, or they are quickly frustrated. The quality that makes one a professional is that of a higher threshold of frustration. Avoid rushing when trying to open locks. If you succeed in less than 5 minutes, that’s wonderful; during your beginner phase you will likely need more time and should accept this. Only experienced locksmiths will be able to unlock almost every door quickly, something which lies in the exact familiarity with the material and many years of daily practice. There is, however, dear reader, no need to rush to unlock your door or vehicle. The important thing is to get back into your house or car without causing damage, not in the shortest amount of time. Never put yourself under time pressure; it is not a race.

Despite the many possible ways to open a door, it is not a given that every method will work on every door. Sometimes there appears to be a small detail, like a very tight workspace, which acts as a real barrier and forces you to change your thinking.

You will also find that you won’t succeed the first time, but rather by the tenth. Patience and perseverance are qualities that every locksmith must have. Make a note of every failed attempt and why it failed in order to learn from your mistakes and not make them in the future. With time, you will get more experience as well as a better feel for lock opening. As with so many parts of daily life, the mental state counts as well. If you think you can succeed, then you will.

Don’t brag about your skills with unlocking locks. Don’t show anyone what you can do – that is the best way to bring yourself difficulties. If you wish to unlock your own house or apartment, you only need to decide which method to use, and it doesn’t matter whether it works on the first try or the fourth. When you have an observer, it is a very different situation. People don’t realize the difficulties that you must battle, and when the door doesn’t open after a few minutes, they immediately think that you are inept and don’t know what you’re doing. This misunderstanding affects you more than you realize. You will break under pressure, become nervous, and rather than “fighting” against the door, you will be trying to save your honor. Your chances of success will sink to practically none.

Be careful with time estimates for unlocking locks. Tell your audience that you can accomplish your task in half the time if you are aware of the exact type of door and lock construction. However, there are factors which make it impossible to give an exact time guarantee. A small area between lock and door frame or feeble wire can bring the sweat to your brow and cause the time to fly. When you decide to budge the door in order to enlarge the work space, you might even see the opening mechanism. As a rule, however, that is not good. When you aren’t 100% certain of the type of door or lock, carefully try other possibilities, perhaps moving the level or latch. Correct estimations will help you greatly. You will notice very quickly which way is incorrect.

Even with very easy doors which can be opened in seconds, there are often complications which require time.

Clarify to people exactly what you will do before you do it. Tell them of the problems which could possibly appear. They will understand and not be angered or annoyed by them. This will establish a good climate for working, which is no disadvantage.

There will also be people who simply will not stop nagging and criticizing. If you encounter such a person, and cannot convince them to have the proper respect, then don’t be shy about sending them away. Tell them that you work better alone, when no one is watching, and that you require time because the first priority isn’t speed, but the safe unlocking of the apartment or car without damage. It also doesn’t interest you if this annoyance knows someone that can open every door in the world in one minute, except that perhaps you could learn a new technique from this magician.

When you’ve had success with a method and opened the door with it, don’t push your luck by showing all your tricks. Of course there are many ways to unlock a car, but one way is always the best. You could bring yourself unnecessary difficulties with your bragging, in that you could be careless and break a tool or jam it. That is certainly not desirable.

Don’t tell everyone!

It’s not good if to many people know about your skills. Some people suffer from persecution complexes, or are made easily nervous. Such people will create stories about you and think only about the criminal possibilities. Understandably, the story will be elaborated to appear believable and they will even possibly report you to the police. Such false accusations can really cause you difficulties. Never forget: People gossip! When you show someone a lock trick, they will be impressed and tell of this “hot news” to another. In this way, everyone in the neighborhood will hear of you, but in a changed form. By the third or fourth gossiper, they can swear that they saw you break in. A game of “Telephone”.

The conjecture that you will make it impossible for others to use your skill against you is quickly said, but not necessarily advantageous to your reputation. Through all these circumstances, your reputation will suffer and certain neighbors will make a bad image of you. You will be the first they think of when someone is a victim of a break-in in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, there are criminals in our society. These people get wind of your skills the fastest and try to contact you. Never get involved with these people and avoid their company unless you want to land in jail. It is forbidden to plan an illegal activity, or to have knowledge of one!

In some countries, it is illegally to own locksmith’s tools. Inform yourself of the specific laws in your country. It is also not necessary to own specific “break-in tools” in order to unlock doors. In this book, there is an entire chapter devoted to the explanation of self-made tools. In smaller emergencies, you often need nothing other than a small piece of wire and pliers. With a little luck, you’ll find some usable utensils in your environment.

Practice Makes Perfect

Start out with a dry run. You should begin practicing on an open door with a simple lock. If you can have a friend in the apartment to open the door in case of emergency, you will certainly appreciate it. Go step by step, and begin only when you have read and understood everything. To learn as efficiently as possible, pay attention and note what you feel. When you reach an impasse, take a break and continue later or the next day. Be persistent, but not bull-headed. It doesn’t accomplish anything if you use the same trick over and over and it doesn’t want to work. You can cheat a little and remove some of the larger obstacles if you feel that it doesn’t deny you the overall success. You should only move to more complicated locks after succeeding with the simpler ones. Look for a door with a large space between lock and door frame and begin on this for your first attempt. Simply try to snap this door open.

Please don’t despair if it doesn’t work the first time – that is only evidence that your lock is doing what it’s supposed to!

It’s always a good feeling to open a locked door. That is the evidence that one understood the entire puzzle and found the correct method, as well as cleared all obstacles out of the way. However, there are situations which appear, for reasons that are unclear, which have no method which will lead to success. Consider the chosen method once more, check over the tools (if uncertain, begin anew), attempt to call to mind an earlier problem that was similar, and use your experience. Often it is something small which makes the difference, and it will work if you simply lay the safety catch wire from above, rather from under, the door crack.

Fundamentally, one must differentiate between “Picking” and “Bypass” methods. Bypass refers to all methods which skip over the lock and move directly to the locking mechanism. These techniques are simpler and easier to learn, and are very effective.

It is a little different with Picking. You will quickly understand how it functions, but without regular practice, you will find it impossible to succeed with.

It is also not important to be able to open every type of lock or vehicle. It is enough to be able to open the doors to your own apartment and vehicle, unless you wish to make a career of this, because there are simply too many types of locks to be able to open them all.

As soon as the door is open, put your foot in the door and grab your key.

Nothing is more terrible than having to unlock the same door twice simply because it closed over again due to carelessness. This happens much more often than you would think. When this happens, you must begin all over from the beginning, with a large load of frustration, which you likely have no interest in doing again. Whether it will work once again is questionable. As your next step, see whether or not the lock will lock once again, but while leaving the door open, so that if you are successful, you will not be left standing outside your apartment.

It is possible that your apartment is so safe that you are simply not in the position to open the door without a key. That is not an indicator of your handy skills, but rather a gauge of a safe door.

In this case, you must either be particularly careful, or give an extra key to a friend. Another option is to find a good hiding place. But remember: A hiding place is only effective when no one knows about it. Extra keys must be deposited so that they are easily accessible. A note in your glove compartment reminding you of the location of your extra key is absolutely pointless.

After the possible usage of this extra key, return it immediately to its place. Attach a keychain to it with the words “Extra” or “Return to place” on it; this will help you immensely to then actually do this.

If nothing works and you are still locked out, then don’t hesitate to call a professional locksmith. Tell the specialist what you have already attempted and ask whether you have damaged the lock. You don’t need to feel embarrassed, but it makes the specialist’s work easier.

If you become a good locksmith, you will be able to open many doors, but you are not allowed to do so. Don’t use this skill without the right to do so and remain honest!

A Short Look at History

The wish to keep unauthorized people out of certain rooms has existed since the beginning of human thought. The Egyptians used the first locks 7000 years ago. In terms of their function, they were astoundingly similar to our cylinder keys of today. The locks were likely made out of wood, though this remains unconfirmed. At any rate, the few examples we possess today weren’t made out of anything else. The keys were also made out of wood, or out of bones.

With Egyptian locks, the entire mechanism was attached to the outside of the door.

The first metal locks appeared 4500 years ago, in the Age of Bronze. This metal lock was attached on the inner side of the door, and allowed itself to be unlocked through a hole, “the keyhole”, by a bronze key.

Invention continued with the Greek lock, which appeared in 500 B.C. For the first time, the key had to be turned in order to free the bolt.

The Romans created a metal lock out of brass and bronze over 2100 years ago. This model was the first use of the flat spring, which allowed the locking bolt to move. This was the first real mechanic system.

The next important step was the discovery of the self-activating “snap lock” in the early Middle Ages, around 1000-1200 A.D. Various types of keys, like the Cross key, were also discovered.

The locksmith’s craft, and thereby exactness, steadily improved over the next centuries. The locks became more and more beautifully decorated; the various smithy’s and iron-workers embossed keys and locks of the various epochs.

The mechanics remained the same, however, until the discovery of the “Chubb Lock” in the year 1818.

The largest innovation was in 1860, when Linus Yale invented the cylinder lock.

The cylinder lock was improved in countless ways over the following decades, until finally an anti – break-in, magnetically coded example was brought onto the market. These new cylinder locks also operate without springs to be even more secure. In combination with increases in quality and manufacturing skills, this has made these locks nearly immune to technical difficulties.

At the end of this chain of discovery is currently electronics, which have taken the lead of importance since the 1990’s. Card and keypad locks have arisen, as well as touch-free electronic gates, as one sees on ski lifts, for example.

The Cylinder Lock

The cylinder lock has been, and still is today, the most commonly used lock, since its discovery by Linus Yale in 1860, whose son followed in his footsteps. The reasons for this are the clear advantages that this system offers. The enormous number of locking possibilities makes this overall one of the safest systems. It was the first lock which separated the spring bolt construction from the locking system. The brought the large advantage of no longer needing a key which would move the heavy bolt itself, allowing it to become smaller and lighter. For the first time, heavy iron wasn’t needed to be the material. Also, a variant which was until that point unknown was discovered as well – the locking system.

We have also benefited from standardization in that we can now use parts from various manufacturers in combination with one another. New installations as well as replacements have become easier without affecting security. Modern cylinder locks are superior to almost every other locking system. Another clear factor adding to the cylinder lock’s popularity was the ability to mass produce them inexpensively.

There are different types of cylinder locks, of which the cylinder lock with pin tumblers is the most popular. Almost 90% of cylinder locks have pins. One can find them practically everywhere. Other tumbler forms are discs or panes.

How does a cylinder lock work?

Be curious and research!

It will be some time before you understand all the relationships and workings within a cylinder lock. It will help you get a picture if you can obtain a cylinder lock and examine how each individual part works with one another. Because many of the springs and pins stand under pressure, you may cause these small parts to spring and lose them. You can avoid this by completing this work in a see-through plastic bag. It is also possible for you to purchase a “practice cylinder”. This is a fully-functioning cylinder which is sliced open on one side, allowing you to see its inner workings.

That is the best way to get to know all the different parts.

The method of function is simple but ingenious and the ground principle is the same in every model. Within a small pipe (casing), there is a core (cylinder) which turns. This is then built up into a lock by various pins and springs. When exactly examined, one sees small drilled holes in the cylinder and in the pipe. These lie exactly opposite one another and will be named the pin canals. The upper pin lies in the core and the lower pin in the casing. When there is no key in the lock, the casing pin is pushed from under into the pin canal of the cylinder. In this way, the cylinder is blocked. Only when the correct key is used are all the pins returned to the correct position and the cylinder wall (shear point) is free. The lock can turn.

Exact Assembly:

Keyhole or key passage is the opening on the front side of the lock in which the key will be stuck.

The protrusions left and right in the key hole are called profiles. These must match the grooves of the key. Through this qualification, the majority of keys are rendered inappropriate. An important initial elimination is thereby achieved.

The inner core turns and is called the cylinder. The lock is named for this part.

The outer part is fixed in place and doesn’t move. It is called the casing and the cylinder turns inside of it.

The pin canal is the hole in which a spring, an upper pin and a lower pin (taken out by the locking system) work. The pin canal is set up in such a way that the drilled hole in the cylinder and that of the casing pin lie nearly exactly opposite one another. But just nearly. Through this minute difference, it is possible to lock the door repeatedly.

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