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How a key works (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by DolphinRider

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[–]kallekilponen 156 points157 points ago

How a key works in a pin tumbler lock.

Here's how a disc tumbler lock works.

And here's how an old fashioned mortice key works.

[–]habitats 25 points26 points ago

But those are not gifs! I want gifs!

[–]redo_drew 18 points19 points ago

the second link is very thorough and informative, thanks!

[–]helluhbrah 9 points10 points ago

shit or get off the pot is what I was thinking.

[–]drunkenviking 3 points4 points ago

The disc one is how it's done in Splinter Cell: Double Agent. I didn't know that was real....

[–]kallekilponen 0 points1 point ago

That's the most common type here in Finland.

[–]Hefeweize -5 points-4 points ago

You find a lot of tumblers in car locks. I like mortice best.n pin tumbler way to ez to pick

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]sme00 94 points95 points ago

Lockpicking. this also helps to understand the concept.

[–]tacobell243 31 points32 points ago

Sooo, how do the blue things stay up after you put them up? I really don't know anything about locks.

[–]PhilSushi 28 points29 points ago

You turn the lock slightly using the tension wrench (the thing on the bottom) making a little lip that the pins can catch on.

[–]available_nickname 2 points3 points ago

In the animation, they demonstrate it as only one pin being able to catch at a time. Is it real ? It is possible that no pin catches ever at all ? Or multiple ones ? Sorry, maybe I should head to /r/lockpicking.

[–]NilRecurring 2 points3 points ago

Usually it is. The holes for the pins aren't perfectly aligned due to slight manufacturing inaccuracies. They might not be visible to the eye but they play an important role in lockpicking. If you apply tension via the tension wrench (the black thing at the bottom of the gif) all the tension will rest on one pin - that is the pin in the hole with the strongest deviation from the norm. You need to find this pin and push it up. One this is done the cylinder will snap to the pin with the next stronges deviation and so on.

I hope this was somewhat intelligable.

[–]available_nickname 0 points1 point ago

It very much is, thank you !

[–]filthgrinder 7 points8 points ago

pressure, the bottom "pick" is ensuring continuous pressure to the side.

[–]razorbeamz 17 points18 points ago

Maybe now I'll finally be able to do this correctly in Oblivion (but I doubt it).

[–]mancubuss 10 points11 points ago

so are they to be done in a specific order?

[–]sme00 8 points9 points ago

yes. the pins are staying up because turning/rotation pressure is being put on the bottom "pick" in order to keep the blue part of the pins up once they have been picked.

[–]habitats 7 points8 points ago

TIL oblivion lockpicking is pretty authentic.

[–]KICKERMAN360 3 points4 points ago

If you're too lazy to pick locks, make a bump key. This guy unlocks four locks in less than a minute. I read being in possession of one (unless you're a locksmith) can get you into trouble too.

[–]RedditorforMordor 0 points1 point ago

Whoa Dark Souls masterkey? Side note: are these as effective as the video shows they are?

[–]grgathegoose 0 points1 point ago

I love this gif. I was just on my way in here to post it. Thank you for putting it up.

[–]Jibbletoad 0 points1 point ago

Oh man, reminds me of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

[–]spansky -2 points-1 points ago

TIL

[–]ICommentOnReddit 45 points46 points ago

fun fact: keys are designed such that the key itself will break before breaking the pins that are sliding vertically.

[–]seabass86 5 points6 points ago

Found this out the hard way once.

[–]Dontbeaplumtree 56 points57 points ago

All those years spent playing fallout, skyrim, oblivion, etc. definitely paid off on learning how to pick a lock

[–]SickBoy88 21 points22 points ago

That explains why I'm so bad at it, I've been doing it Morrowind-style.

[–]Beatcrushers -1 points0 points ago

All you youngins and your new fangled games. Hillsfar mother fuckers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7KXf6q5oPA

[–]sirkablaam 5 points6 points ago

Wow, what a cheap rip off AVGN.

[–]IGetDrunkAndPlayN64 1 point2 points ago

That looks hilariously bad.

[–]Bazofwaz 5 points6 points ago

I was about to say. Oblivion was first to teach me how locks work.

[–]TCromps 70 points71 points ago

This answers so many questions

[–]lovelydayfora 4 points5 points ago

What ones other than "how does a key work?"

[–]TCromps 1 point2 points ago

....let me have this.

[–]Merc403 204 points205 points ago

This is way too intersting

[–]kingtrewq 41 points42 points ago

This is the most interesting subreddit for me....

[–]free_to_try 25 points26 points ago

Then we're doing it wrong.

It should only be mildly interesting.

[–]IGetDrunkAndPlayN64 -1 points0 points ago

I enjoy it like this though

[–]jakenice1 7 points8 points ago

Not if you were into Splinter Cell. Then it is most certainly only a mild interest level.

[–]JimboMonkey1234 0 points1 point ago

I agree. Does this mean I should downvote?

[–]m0use44 1 point2 points ago

This comment never gets old.

[–]wakanooms 15 points16 points ago

My lock requires a lot more brute force and wiggling.

[–]jackel2rule 7 points8 points ago

I learned this from oblivion not skyrim

[–]exscape 2 points3 points ago

Skyrim doesn't have "realistic" lockpicking like this, so that's no surprise.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]IGetDrunkAndPlayN64 8 points9 points ago

ok

[–]NotSoGreatDane 7 points8 points ago

How did I get this old and not know how this works?

[–]asacopoo 4 points5 points ago

how does a master key work?

[–]quincy_taylor 6 points7 points ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI3XxLcaiFs

[–]frasconator 1 point2 points ago

Well I'm assuming you aim it at the lock and pull the trigger.

[–]Roboticide 9 points10 points ago

I watched that for way too long.

[–]Marken4 7 points8 points ago

I could never have thought of something like this ._.

[–]moosaveenya 2 points3 points ago

I'm pretty mesmerized by this

[–]Arguecatt 2 points3 points ago

This is more than mildly interesting

[–]Suzy_Sweetheart 0 points1 point ago

I stared at that for way longer than was necessary. MESMERIZING

[–]NinjaCranberry 2 points3 points ago

Original image that op reposted: http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1667jg/how_locks_works/

[–]greenashes 2 points3 points ago

It's that simple!? Fuck me I always assumed they used magic or some variation thereof.

[–]Disma 0 points1 point ago

This. This is sexual.

[–]Bipolarruledout 0 points1 point ago

So how many possible key combinations does this present?

[–]outer_isolation 4 points5 points ago

For six pins it's around 1,000,000.

[–]Dardove 1 point2 points ago

Depends on how many pins and different increments there are for a given lock.

[–]cosmoboy 4 points5 points ago

On top of that you can put it more pins creating multiple shear lines. Probably covered in the master key vid somebody linked.

[–]Easy_p -1 points0 points ago

How're the pins able to break away? Are they magnetized to the top part attached to the spring?

[–]fahadsadah -1 points0 points ago

Gravity.

[–]2kan 0 points1 point ago

This comment explains it the best.

[–]real_life_corgi -1 points0 points ago

/r/lockpicking for more info!

[–]Fourhand_451 -1 points0 points ago

The cool mechanics of this momentarily distracted me from the fact that the objects are floating.

[–]OopsieDoodle -1 points0 points ago

Once when I was in third grade a locksmith came to my moms office to change all the locks on a day I was hanging out there after school. I was so interested that he finally let me help and taught me how to change all the locks. It was the coolest day of my young life.

[–]ConfusedMoose 0 points1 point ago

Learned this from JonTron and that's all I can ever think of when I see this gif.

[–]lesslucid[!] -1 points0 points ago

The seventh pin does nothing!

[–]turkoizdog -1 points0 points ago

Now I understand lock picking in Oblivion.

[–]SirVoteALot -1 points0 points ago

Oblivion has teached me this.

[–]AsianArts -1 points0 points ago

How is the key moving by itself is my question.

[–]SneakyLeprechaun 0 points1 point ago

Mildly aroused.

[–]oshaCaller -1 points0 points ago

I've replaced the locks and ignition cylinders in a lot of cars. My parts guy can look at the keys and write a key code down for all the correct tumblers. If he's not around I've used trial and error before.

[–]cosmoboy 2 points3 points ago

Took a class once. The old locksmith running the class was making keys with pliers and a file. He taught us how to do it too. It took me about 30 minutes. He was able to do it in under 2.

[–]Pons_Asinorum -4 points-3 points ago

Mildly interesting?

[–]SkyPumpkins -2 points-1 points ago

This could be great in Explainlikeimfive and answers

[–]qwarthon -2 points-1 points ago

before i read where it was from i thought it was from r/rhino. Good rendering.

[–]jacobbatz -2 points-1 points ago

I have the strangest erection right now.

[–]sour_candy -2 points-1 points ago

almost fap material.

[–]DC503 -2 points-1 points ago

Woah

[–]Shempt -3 points-2 points ago

sleeping dogs bro.

[–]sdk16420 -4 points-3 points ago

What a fucking faggot you are. It's people like you that ruin Reddit for many others. Go to to 9gag or facebook and repost it there. Or at least stay in /r/funny. I try to avoid your kind of people everywhere and everywhere this keeps popping up like cancer.

No cross-posting.

No reposts. (Use K͟a͟r͟m͟a͟ ͟D͟e͟c͟a͟y͟)1

Photographs and pictures must be original content (if you didn't create it, don't post it).

Where are mods when you need them.

Ranting feels good

[–]2kan -1 points0 points ago

This post isn't exactly /r/funny material.