How blogspam works. This is blogspam upon blogspam. I dare not say that this link<p><a href="http://delima.soup.io/post/295576131/how-keys-work" rel="nofollow">http://delima.soup.io/post/295576131/how-keys-work</a><p>is the original link, but it's at least two links closer to the original source than the link submitted here to HN.<p>AFTER EDIT: Many thanks to the HN reader who found the original source, which deserves traffic much more than blogspam. I flag blogspam relentlessly since another HN user asked about the issue.<p><a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4583307" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4583307</a>
Locks are a relatively simple a fun mechanism to play with. Lock picking can be explained similarly. It's essentially simulating that key by popping the pins up to the shear line (the horizontal plane) and applying tension via your tension/torsion tool so the pin doesn't fall down. Then move onto the next one. If you get all pins to the shear line, the lock opens.<p>It's also a pretty cheap hobby to get into. Though the legality varies by country/state so do check into that first if interested.
Old but still relevant. I learnt about locks here.<p><a href="http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/MITLockGuide.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/MITLockGuide.pdf</a>
As a kid, I learned how keyed locks work by playing the video game ZZT. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZZT" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZZT</a> In "Town of ZZT", one of the built-in worlds, there is a board where you have to move what are effectively tumblers to clear a path through which a column can move freely.<p>Ah, here's a screenshot of the board! <a href="http://tf2tags.com/dr_dos/img/zzt/town/zzt_036.png" rel="nofollow">http://tf2tags.com/dr_dos/img/zzt/town/zzt_036.png</a><p>This board is show as a whole, but in the game the board was "dark" and so you could only see what was within about 5-6 blocks from your character.
Seen a similar image a while back. Locks suddenly made a lot of sense then.<p>Perhaps make another one about how walker keys work with locks like these? If I remember correctly, they were keys with filed down teeth. You had to put the key all but one tooth into the lock and then nudge it all the way in while turning, which would knock the top half of the metal rods up, allowing the lock to open.
I have been brought up picking since I was in secondary school (Both Father and older Brother are locksmiths). It's very interesting stuff and once you see the in's and out's of peoples daily "security" you realise it's just about a game of not being the lowest common denominator. If a thief wants in, they aren't going to spend there time picking (or even bumping) they go straight for the snapper, or simply put the window through.<p>Apologies on the video music, you might want to turn it down but this is the first Video I come across of snapping a euro cylinder on youtube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVeij3jffCM" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVeij3jffCM</a>
This design is a good visual for why lock bumping is fairly easy on most residential locks.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_bumping" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_bumping</a>
Did anyone follow that blog post, back to Gizmodo, back to the source it originally came from? (Soup) What a weird site, showing all manner of strange things. The internet is a weird place sometimes.
This page seems to have debug.phonegap.com script tag included, means anyone can see everyone else viewing the page (and execute javascript in their browser)... <a href="http://debug.phonegap.com/client/#ultralinx" rel="nofollow">http://debug.phonegap.com/client/#ultralinx</a>
I recommend "Practical Lock Picking" by Deviant Ollam for those whose interest was piqued by this. Besides all the technical goodies, it contains some interesting moral views on locks and lock picking that apply to the digital world as well.
That's a great way to explain it.<p>However, can anyone explain how lock picking works, that GIF makes it seem like it would be very difficult. On TV at least they do it in a matter of moments.
This is how the most common lock works, but it doesn't cover side-bar locks, Medeco's, or other slightly more advanced setups. Still, good reference point for a basic understanding.
It makes me wonder how strong the cylinders are. They look quite small, so it seems like with a tool shaped like a "T" with a wide top you'd be able to force a lock open.
I remember seeing this explained on Mr. Wizard as a kid :) He used a giant cardboard key and a poster with moveable tumblers attached to demonstrate it.
What about Mul-T-Lock double-sided keys? Is there any .gif or YouTube video showing how they work?<p>They seem to be much much harder to lockpick. My key-guy can lockpick garage doors and cars and whatnots but if I forget my Mult-T-Lock double-sided keys he needs to drill through the hole and destroy the entire system to be able to open the door, which then needs a new mechanism.<p>One of my neighbour got robbed and the thiefs did the same: they drilled through the Mult-T-Lock hole.<p>Can these be lockpicked? If they can, it seems to be way harder than regular keys or than typical double-sided keys.