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drilling locks......would appreciate some tips.


kai1836

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I am starting to drill out a few older machines I have to clean them off of some racks. Is it best to just drill straight down into the center or should I try from the side where the lock fits into the top.......also do you need to make a large hole in order to disengage it or will a small one do? Thanks. These are all nw 60's.....

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The standard key style locks drill out really fast and easy however the tubular locks may be a bit harder. I always start with a small bit and then go up to a larger one after drilling the first hole. On the round tube locks take a punch or whatever you have available and tap a small ding right dead center in the middle of the lock. This will make sure your bit doesn't slip and slide and not go straight down the middle. Take your first small bit, smaller the better as long as it isn't so small it breaks, and start drilling. Most locks you should probably drill down about an inch. Look at the lock you're drilling and some common sense will tell you not to drill deeper than the lock. This small bit will break easier than the larger bit so be careful and position yourself so if the bit should break you don't come down on your body with the drill. I've broken a few doing this but still way easier to drill a small hole than a big one to start. Next take a larger bit using that common sense we talked about again. I've used different size bits and it won't really be critical if you're not using the exact precise bit. Hey, you're destroying the lock anyway so whats to worry about? So now drill down through the same hole with the bigger bit about an inch as well. You should at the right moment feel that the lock has loosened and can be turned or lifted out. The steel in these locks isn't the same quality so don't be surprised if one lock drills out really fast and easy and the next one ruins your drill bit and wears you out trying to drill through it. Buy high quality bits if you expect to use them again and again as the cheap ones can get ruined before you finish the first lock.

They make special drill bits for drilling out round locks but are fairly expensive. I also have purchased a set of lock picks and a different set of tubular lock picks. The tube locks pretty much require special picks which are round with 6 and 7 pins depending on the lock you are wanting to pick. I got a DVD on how to do it and with practice even I can do it but my wife is better at it. Kinda fun to pick those locks. We try not to be practicing this when the neighbors come over though. lol

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Drilling is not needed. Pound in a heavy duty flat bladed square-shank screw driver into the lock. Then use a crescent wrench as a lever on the screwdriver shaft to turn it. This will shear off the tabs in the lock and will let you unscrew it. Simple. No mess, no fuss.  I've done this several times on machines I've purchased used.

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I have had to drill out a bunch of machines that i got really cheap because the guy lost the keys. the best way i found was to get quality drills, and start with a small pilot hole and then increase the drill size until it breaks loose. this way it will make it a lot easier and less messy

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I didn't care about saving or re-using the lid....I simply wanted the lock off so I could remove the machine from the rack.  It worked so..........I did use a drill however at one point did consider switching to a chainsaw!!

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I bought mine tubular lock picks off the internet. Think it was www.lockpick.com and they were maybe $84 or $87 or something like that. You'll need two because if you buy a 6 pin and the lock you want to open is a 7 pin your in trouble. Also ordered the CD on picking locks with a section on tube locks. Figure in the long run it's a good investment compared to time drilling them out, etc.

nam

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