028 How to make your own notched decoder to open combination locks
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- In this episode I'll be taking you through a detailed tutorial so that you can make your own notched decoder to open combination locks.
This bypass tool will allow you to decode many of the commercially available combination locks and key safes and, given how expensive and fragile the commercially available models are, it could well save you some money and frustration over time!
Hi Andy. Instead of using feeler gauges try searching Shim stock. Normally supplied in packs of 10 @ 300mm x 12 X Thickness required. Exactly same material but more of it for the price. 👍😎
Ooh nice tip - thanks Jeff 🙌
What thickness is required?
Oh, thanks to you I have stuff to do for a lots of weekends
Haha glad to hear it - have fun 😉
12pc broken key extractor kit online for a few bucks does the job very well. Slight modification to one or two of them and you now have a full set with varying gauges down to 0.15mm.
Gosh your videos are so professional, and you have a great speaking voice. I felt like I was watching a high quality training video! Also super helpful tips to make our own decoders. Thank you for showing!
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback 🙌
@@fishpicks4531agree on his comment. Perhaps being an English teacher has good transferable skills and knowledge.
Wow, so much time to do so little. Another guy said just take a soda can, cut it and make a shim from that. I think a store brand might work better than a name brand as the aluminum may be thinner.
Cut a strip about 3" to 4" long. The trick then is to cut it narrow enough to fit inside the left side of the wheel. You don't even have to notch it, just make it a strip. Simple enough. And forget about needing to make a handle.
Insert to the left side of the wheel, a slight resistance pushing down as you turn the wheel one number at a time. When it hits that sweet spot, the shim drops. You can confirm that by backing up the number and the shim should move up.
Move on to the next wheel and so forth until each wheel drops under the shim. Now try to unlock it. It probably won't unlock because you have the right combination but not the right numbers on the top. Move each number as a set one at a time. If it was 1,2, 3, 4, move it to 2,3,4,5. Doing this three times usually works and unlocks it.
You don't need an expensive tool. You don't need any training at all. I have a rotten contractor who has used this lock. They thought they were smart by putting the keys in it and switching the combination so I couldn't keep them out because they have some very shady workers.
Guess what? Making a shim from an empty soda can with a pair of scissors, finding each sweet spot and unlocking it took around five minutes. Oh, the video took me longer to view than actually opening it.
All you need is to cut that soda can, make a flat shim, trim it narrow enough to fit inside beside the left side of the wheel, push it in, push down a bit until you feel resistance, and then move the wheel until that shim drops about a 1/4 inch. Repeat on each wheel until you have the right combination. If it doesn't open, rotate each wheel in the sequence 1 to usually 3 times and it opens.
Having a construction company put this on your door is not only like having the keys hanging on a nail outside, it's like hanging a sign that says "come and get it" to a trained thief. I'm not trained and not a thief but figured it out in about 12 minutes including watching the video (er, not this video).
Impressive 🐠! I'm sure you'll refine the tool to your liking. Always an enjoyable morning watching your newest video!
Cheers Lawrence - appreciate that 🙌
Fish, you did it for me, thank you. I've been trying to open a 4 wheel lockbox for more than a week now (not continuously), then I saw your video and ... make a "decoder" out of a feeler gauge! Well, I have a feeler gauge. So I found one that fit, not snugly, but not loosely - 13mm (15mm was just a bit snug). I put the feeler gauge in at the left side of the first wheel - then just marked the gauge (along the top of the wheel). Moved it one to make sure that 0 wasn't the first digit.
3 wheels later and ... no. I got the number (and wrote it down the SECOND time), but the box wouldn't open! So I started decrementing all 4 wheels by 1, trying, decrement by another 1, try ... eventually it opened. (I have no idea why I chose the number I did.
Now it's set to 0000, until I need it again. So thank you.
Excellent step by step instructions.
Cheers Des 🙌
I am really glad I found your channel and this is yet another really well done video. I can't help but point out that your conversion from 0.20mm and 0.15mm to fraction of an inch needs the decimal point moved to the left. I can tell you put a superhuman amount of effort into your videos and am glad to see that you are human like the rest of us.
Ah good point! Apologies - guess that’s why I teach English rather than Math! 🤣
Yep I realised that too late (guess that’s why I teach English rather than Maths) 😂
Fantastic video mate. Very impressive and informative. I use a thin broken key extractor to pull up on the bar with heavy force and it makes it extremely easy to decode them in a few seconds. 👍🤘🖖🍻
Ah that’s a good idea - particularly if it is a nice thin pick or filed down a little to fit between the wheels of combo s with good tolerances. Hope the market is going well - need to catch up on your releases this weekend 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 yeah it works great I did do two videes using it to open a combination key safes. I've stopped the market during winter as no one goes out in the rain. And don't want my equipment getting wet. But it was doing well. Thanks for asking. 👍🤘🖖🍻
@@DarkArtsLockPicking glad to hear it - maybe it’s worth building a website during the rainy season? If you do, I’d recommend Squarespace which includes e-commerce options and is super easy to maintain 😉
You have inspired me once again I have been making wooden pick handles lately I think it’s time to make a custom decoder great video as always
Go for it Mike - I’d love to see the results 🙌
I really enjoy your videos. Thank you.
Thank you. I had to figure this out myself based on LPL video. It's almost like he was trying to hide how he did it. I kept having to pause it to see what he did. I don't see how he has so many followers. Smart people follow you. The masses who want a magic show and want to make degrading comments about locks to make them feel big without learning anything, follow LPL.
I appreciate the support Keith - let me know how you get in if you make your own 🙌
LPL isn't making tutorials. That isn't the point of his channel. Your comment is the equivalent of wondering why people go to McDonald's when "smart people" know Pizza Hut makes better pizza.
@@jeremiahsouthworth5112 You just stay at Chuck E. Cheese and everything will be ok.
Thank you for your help I made one out of a scroll saw blade and it worked beautifully
I took one of my deep hook picks and ground each side until it was thin enough to fit between the Dial's. Works awesome for me
Excellent video. Yes! Excellent detailed instructional video. Ooh a mini lathe. Handcrafted security pins and tools, pick handles. 👍 Nice handcrafted decoder. Take care Andy.
Yeah, another great content video, learned a lot, looking forward to the mini lathe review too, thanks Fish Picks
It’s coming in a couple of weeks Martin - thanks 🙌
That’s exactly what happened to me - it got mangled the first time I tried to use it 😭 Thank you for making this!
Haha glad to hear it wasn’t just me! You’re very welcome 😉
Wonderful to see this. Many first-time pickers or pickers on a budget will benefit. I've found Noob's zip tie handles to be a good solution. Glad you've showcased them. I agree that LPL's decoder is too thin for most pickers so .19 does sound like a good compromise. Nice work. Hope to see more ideas here.
Will do my best to keep them coming - thanks for your support 🙌
What's LPL
@@kenney1050 CZcams lockpicker The Lock Picking Lawyer. He has a store that sells picking tools for sport lockpickers, locksmiths and emergency service personnel.
Nicely done sir! I've wanted to make one of these for months now, but was unsure how to create the notch... I am now enlightened, and feel a bit thick! Such a simple way of going about it!
An excellently produced and concise video as always, thanks for sharing 👍
My pleasure mate - it was just trial and lots of error rather than inspired thinking but I appreciate the comment 🙌
I’ve made several of these using zip tie handles and they work very well. Excellent job on the video👍🦊
Thanks Jack -yes, even though that was the simpler method, I think it worked better than the mould in many ways 😉
Your great 👍🏻 showing everyone how to get the key to peoples front doors 🚪
Thanks. To get a better grip on the bar I made the farthest part of the notch flatter and slightly deeper so it doesn’t slip off the bar as you pull
THIS! This is exactly something I've been wanting to do, but I didn't have examples on hands or anything. I hope to give this a go sometime in the nearish future-thanks for providing so many details!
My pleasure mate - let me know how you get on 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 Will do, definitely!
Top quality video as always! If possible, would like to see a review on the mini lathe in a future video.
I’ll be working on it soon John - thanks for the feedback 🙌
Another quality production thank you for producing this
Simon
Thanks Simon - my pleasure 🙏🙌
Amazing as always, great work fish.
Cheers Ray - sorry I missed this when you first posted the comment 🙌
Great demo. I have made one before, and I used a 3D printer to make my scales.
I also knacked my shiny decoder within minutes of first playing. I am very heavy handed 🤣
Stay safe and have a great weekend buddy 😎🤘
I must see if I can get hold of a 3D printer to have a play sometime - that’s definitely the way to go I think. 🙌
The world's your oyster with a 3D printer 🤣 Hell you can even print keys 😲
Nice work again Fish Picks. Both on the video and the decoders you made. The handles look very practical.
Cheers - it was a fun project 😉
Great video Fish! And a brill intro to making pick handles too.
Cheers mate - they are a little bit of a botch job but as a first effort, I think they’re not bad 😉
@@fishpicks4531 Looks good to me!
Great tutorial. Very clever making a mold. The tool turned out really well. Thanks for sharing cheers
Glad you liked it 🙌
Great video, and decoding mate. Take it easy.
Cheers mate - you too- enjoy the weekend 🙌
hi, I have got a little tip for you. Instead of using feeler gage, you could also use the springs simular like the ones in the pullback and let go toy cars. The smaller the cars the thinner and less wide the springs are. Greetings from The Netherlands aka Holland.
Nice - I’ll have to look into that. Thanks - always great to have these kinds of alternative solutions in the knowledge bank 🙌
You can use a pair of round end jewelers pliers to repair them when they get kinked. I'm a jeweler on the side, and can confirm that it does work to fix thin metal.
Thanks - another sub mentioned that technique too - very helpful tip 🙌
Looking forward to the review of the mini lathe
I’ll see if I can release that in the next week or so - I am finding it really useful so far.
Very well done mate and a cool homebrew tool 👌🏼
Thanks mate - not pretty but functional. 😉
I have the sparrows one, but I've also made some out of stainless-steel cable ties/zip ties. They don't have the notch but the tip on the ones I had were pretty much already formed. I folded the end over a couple times to stiffen the handle and slid it into a Southord rubber pick grip.
I've had them laying roung for ages, thanks i'll do similar,
Excellent vid mate 👍🔑
Much appreciated 🙏
Very neat and well put together. Thanks for making this video.
Thanks mate - sorry I missed this when you first posted it 🙌
Excellent job, but you should invest in stainless steel shim stock. Of what ever thickness you want. I’d also suggest using micro machining these to shape. Easily done and inexpensive.
Great tools!!!
Wonderful how to video!!!
Stay safe my friend!!!
🐈⬛🐾🐈🐾😷🇬🇧👏👏👏👏👏
Much appreciated Chris - hope all is well with you and your purrfect companion 😉🙌
@@fishpicks4531 we good here😃
Awesome and informative, I am not keen on yhe import taxes they have in the UK, as far as decoding combos itnlooks easy and yet haven't even tried it as of yet. I have a decoder in the covert companion that I have had probably a little ober 2.weeks and yet put it together and not really used it. I am glad to see you progress through many variations of locks and seem to be excelling quite well. I guess hand made custom picks i see you making will be in your future as well as some incredible challenge locks! That mini lathe looks very sweet! Gotta look into getting one of those! Stay safe and well!
The lathe is great - will review it soon. As for custom picks and CLs - I hope so 😉 hope all is well mate 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 i found one on Amazon, which will make life much easier when making my own security pins. For the price and what I plan on using it for, it will be perfect!
🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆 Congratulations on your first 1,000 subscribers! 🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆
Came here from Lock Noob. Subscribed. Thanks for the channel. 🙂👍
Those shim decoders are way overpriced, if you try to buy them from the USA. Your versions are a pretty useful substitute. Looking forward to the lathe review.
Awesome to have you on board - thanks for the sub 🙌
Brilliant video mate, I really like order of operations you did so you got two tools out of one piece of feeler gauge. That mini lathe looks awesome also👍🇦🇺😊
Do you use JB weld for all your pick making ?
@@TheButchersbLock thanks mate - this is the first tool I’ve made so I’m 1 for 1 with JB weld - seemed to do the trick, even though it all got a bit messy!
@@fishpicks4531brilliant job for the first tool. most 2 part adhesives do expand a little bit after you clamp them. When I glue stuff I always do it on paper because it gets everywhere
Never knew they sold this black stuff really cool. But sense I dint know it forced me to think about another way so I came up with mixing baking soda and super glue sense it then hardens super hard. I got this idea from a friend who said he use this for airplane repairs lol
I make a few little indentations along the edge that goes in the handle. It helps the JB Weld grip better. I prefer the simple zip tie version. Thank you.
I use the spring from pull back and release toy cars. Often the smaller the cars the thinner the steel from the spring.
You could put notches along the shank allowing it to key itself into the handle. Going to make one of these 😄
Have you considered using one of the tubular scalpel blade holders, and using the part of the scalpel blade the fits into the handle as a template? That would also have the advantage of easy tip replacement.
That’s a great idea Niq - not something I considered but I suspect that would work really well. 🙌
Very nice
Sorry but I fell asleep around the three minutes mark.
Nice one mate I have a few decoders but none with a notch will definitely have a go at this 👍🏻
I think the notch is model specific but it makes sense to add it to the tool so that you have that option. Glad you liked it 🙌
Stellar work!
Thanks Johnny 🙏
I wonder how many of these kinds of lock did you try this technique on because I show the same llock being pick the same way except the last step where you line the 4 even side the same place and this step where you all said differently, one said turn 5 times, one said 3 times and you said one thing, so how many times is correct or every individual are different? We viewers are confused????
I don't know about the U.S but I still can't pick locks well I managed some small ones but I bought a lock pick set at a flea market where they cut keys.
amazing
great vid I would 3d print mine
cheers Raffles many oap,s are now less safer !!!
Great job. Will you be doing a review of mini lathe soon ? I’d like to see if it’s worth buying.
Just started editing it now - there are two episodes already lined up so it will come out in three weeks time 😉
@@fishpicks4531 really looking forward to them, keep up the great work!
What size is the hole you have drilled?
is the 2.4mm hole critical? I am using a 2.5mm bit. how far from the end is the hole?
No I don’t think so - you’ll have some wiggle room with notch sizing
Just a thought? Could you not cut them out of canned food lids?
How strange, I had to crack open one of these key safes, the combination had all seized, with 2 tools I cracked it open in 4seconds, keys retrieved 👍🏻
I didnt see the part where you showed us how to make a notch decoder??🤔
Всё подробно и познавательно,жаль у нас в стране многое из материалов не найти.Вам большой лайк.
can a lock that is locked but clasp open be decoded?
Honestly been trying to get into this exact lock - brought a cheap kit as I cant seem to find one in the UK that has a decoder with the notch in it other than a $15+$20 shipping but the kit seems to thick to get into either side of the keys might have to try making my own - I don't suppose you sell these notched decoders at all?
Is there a voice -over at 3:10? Just curious. Something sounded different ... Some company should make a replaceable blade for these. I have seen several people with damaged tools. Luckily, I'm too broke (hard to get a job after prison) and I make most of my own stuff.
I don't see how far back the notch/ hole is. Funny this was on my to do list today and this video popped up. I think I might forgo handles on one and try your profile vs sparrows on each end. I have done zip tie and heat shrink handles and love them
Let me know how you get on - my notch begins about 4mm in from the tip 😉
Great work! Can you tell us the distance from the tip to the notch?
Hello 👋
I have one question .
What kind of machine you have ?!
What kind of brand it machine..?
When I can to pay it machine like your ...???
Maybe you can to help me with this " problem"...!?)
Thanks for your Video !!!
I never can't pick it lock but i want to do that.
Good luck 🤞🤞😃
Now that it's been a couple months, have you found yourself favouring one or the other?
Also, an interesting challenge video might be to see if you could make your own tool on the fly from a soft drink can and a Swiss army knife
An interesting idea 😉 while I haven’t used either very much - my focus has been on impressionist and SPP - I think the zip tie handle is my preference. I think it gives better tactile feedback.
Could you not just secure the shim inside the plastic granules instead of making two halves and then bonding them? Would be a lot thinner. However, I’ve never tried this so forgive me if this is very apparent why it can’t be done that way.
Yep I think you probably could but I wasn’t sure whether it would be strong enough but will give that a try another time 🙌
I made one of these using a nail file.
Nice video as always Fish. Have you thought of using popsicle sticks for decoder or pick handles? I haven’t tried it myself. But it seems that would be some easy to obtain and work material.
I haven’t but I have heard that they can work well - will put it on my ‘to do’ list for the future 😉🙏
Do you sell these?
_Buying_ a decoder has always been a bit of a bad idea in my opinion because of how expensive they are. Even Sparrows, who's known for quality at a reasonable price, charges $15 for one while charging less than half that for actual picks. I always buy a set of feeler gauges for $5 and have plenty to make a set of 0.05, 10, 15, and 20 decoders and still have plenty left to make other tools. These things have to be costing them rounds about $2 to produce.
This is your opportunity to make and sell them. Bump keys are massively overpriced also
Why put up information to assist thieves?
Im pretty sure the covert instruments are jjust rebranded chinese products
les go
Those Master locks are useless especially the ‘key safe’ type-a downwards blow with a small hammer will pop them open!
Why do people need to reinvent the wheel? Hot glue sticks are the best scales, and also double as emergency hot glue. End of.
All a bit ott. I Just cut a coke can to form a tool. Novice, Picked in 5min.
I think the success or failure of that approach is really dependent on the lock in question but if that’s working for you, go for it 😉🙌
I would rather pay the 25 bucks than go through all that! I don't find the Covert Instruments version to be as flimsy as you make it out to be. With a little finesse I have opened dozens of locks with both Sparrows, and Covert Instrument's picks with little to no damage to the blades. Besides, you can easily straighten these blades out with a pair of round nose pliers. You can get these pliers from Amazon for about 5 bucks.
Thanks for the comment -it doesn’t align with my experience but I’m glad you have found the tool more resilient. For the record ‘going through all that’ was fun - again, we all have different values and levels of interest in creating/appropriating tools.
Mate I’m sure you mean we’ll, but I’m a housing officer - lots of very vulnerable pensioners get robbed in their own homes by people cracking their key safe…..they’re pretty much always in alone too… please take this one down pal 🙏
This should not be shown.
Do you sell these by any chance?