DIY Security Systems
Have you locked yourself out of your own home? Don’t worry. There are ways to unlock your doors by picking on them. This article will teach you how to pick a door knob lock. You will learn how to pick a locked door starting off with the different kinds of doorknobs, the different locksmith tools, and the three different ways to unlock your doorknob. Curious? Read on.
The Kinds of Doorknobs
Before you learn how to pick a door lock, you need to consider first what kind of doorknob you are unlocking. You will also learn some of the general ways of picking these doorknobs before we go into details. Here are three kinds of doorknobs you need to know about:
Traditional Doorknob Lock
This traditional doorknob lock uses a threaded lock mechanism, which is usually difficult to bypass or pick at. When you lock yourself out and forget your keys, you can open this with debit or credit cards, preferably those old cards, or remove the doorknob.
Turning Doorknob Lock
The turning doorknob lock is the one used for interior doors. It has a hole at the center. Use a hairpin to unlock this when you misplace your keys.
Push Button Doorknob Lock
The push-button doorknob lock is the most common doorknob used for interior doors like the turning doorknob lock. The interior knob will have a button to lock the door, and the exterior knob either is smooth or have a small hole. You can use a hairpin and insert it in the small hole. If there’s no hole, you can check the stem of the knob—the hole is usually there.
Is Lock-Picking Legal?
There are misconceptions that only licensed locksmith can legally own lock-picking tools. However, most states allow anyone to own lock-picking tools as long as you do not use it for illegal purposes, like trespassing into someone else’s house.
Just be careful, though, some states consider owning these tools as evidence of criminal intentions. Always check first if your state allows owning lock-picking tools.
The Locksmith’s Tools
There are four essential lock-picking tools that professional locksmiths use. These are the hook pick, the ball pick, the diamond pick, and the rake pick. You will learn how to use them in detail and how to lockpick a door. Get to know more about these tools:
Hook Pick
This pick is the most fundamental tool out of the four. As its name suggests, it has a hooked tip, called a feeler, and has a design that allows you to explore the tumblers inside the lock.
Ball Pick
This pick comes in two forms, single ballpoint and double ballpoint. These picks have flat and rounded tips allowing easier two-direction picking.
Diamond Pick
This pick is the most versatile and far-reaching tool, according to locksmiths. Its purpose is to feel for individual pins that activate the tumblers inside the lock.
Rake Pick
This pick has the most variety of tip shapes, they can come in “C” pick, “S” pick, “L” pick, or “W” pick. These tools are great for emergencies.
The Three Ways to Pick a Doorknob
Now that you know the basics of lock-picking, it is time to learn how to pick a door knob lock. Here are three ways or methods in picking your doorknob, especially when you have locked yourself out and misplaced your keys.
Hairpins
Hairpins are just daily little things with limited use, but did you know you can use them to unlock your doors? Here is a guide on how to pick a lock using hairpins:
- Bend one of the hairpins open to a 90-degree angle or an “L” shape. Make sure you do not break the pin in two. Do not forget to remove the plastic ends.
- Insert one end into the lock and bend it 45-degrees to the side. Bend the other end over itself to have a “V” shape handle.
- Get another hairpin and bend the top 70 degrees using pliers. This hairpin will serve as your lever to turn the lock. Insert it into the keyhole.
- Turn your hairpin lever in the direction when you open with your key. Feel the pressure of the pins.
- Insert the first hairpin you have into the keyhole just above the lever. Feel the pins using and up and down movement. These pins will move up, when they do, push your hairpin further until you hear a click.
- Turn the lever so that you can open the lock!
Debit or Credit Cards
First of all, do not use this method if the lock is a deadbolt. Using debit or credit cards on how to pick a door knob lock only works on traditional doorknob locks. Here is a guide on how to pick a lock with a card:
- Find an old credit or debit card. Make sure you do not use this anymore.
- Bend 1/4 end of the card. Insert this bent end between the door and the door frame.
- Move the card up and down. Be sure that you are pushing firmly.
- Find the latch and push the smooth side of it. Keep on turning the doorknob. This turn will open the door, especially when the card pushes through the latch.
Lock-Picking Tools
Now let us go learn how to pick a keyed lock using professional tools. It depends on you which pick you will use,the hook, the rake, the diamond, or the ball pick. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on picking the door lock:
- Insert the tension wrench on the keyhole, like the hairpin lever in the first method.
- Insert which pick you choose just above the tension wrench.
- Move up and down and feel for the pins. Push further as you unlock each tumbler.
- Turn the tension wrench to the side once you hear a click.
- You have now unlocked the door!
Conclusion
Now you know how to pick a door knob lock in three different ways! All that is left is applying the things you have learned, from the types of doorknobs to the different tools of locksmiths in case you have misplaced your keys and locked yourself outside your house.
While there are other ways to pick a lock, make sure you familiarize yourself with the three methods of picking a door lock as these are the basics and proven effective ones. Just be sure that you’re lock-picking your own home in case of mergencies.
These can be very handy and helpful for you. It may seem so simple to do, but you must be patient once you are doing it. Here’s how to learn more about Doorknob Locks.