< Back to Projection | Up to MIT Guide to Lockpicking | Forward to How Far To Turn >
Which Way to Turn
It can be very
frustrating to
spend a long time picking a
lock and then
discover that you turned the
plug the wrong way. If you turn a
plug the
wrong way it will rotate freely until it hits a
stop, or until it
rotates
180 degrees and the
drivers enter the
keyway. When the plug is turned in the correct
direction, you should feel an extra
resistance when the plug cam engages the
bolt spring.
The direction to turn the
plug depends on the
bolt mechanism, not on the lock, but here are some general
rules. Cheap
padlocks will open if the plug is turned in either
direction, so you can chose the
directionh which is best for the
torque wrench. All
padlocks made by the
Master company can be opened in either
direction. Padlocks made by
Yale will only open if the plug is turned
clockwise. The double
plug Yale cylinder locks generally open by turning the
bottom of the
keyway (i.e., the flat edge of the key) away from the nearest doorframe. Single
plug cylinder locks also follow this rule. Locks built in to the
doorknob usually open
clockwise. Desk and
filing cabinet locks also tend to open
clockwise.
When you
encounter a new kind of
lock mechanism, try turning the plug in both
directions. In the correct direction, the plug will be stopped by the pins, so the stop will feel
mushy when you use heavy
torque. In the wrong
direction the plug will be stopped by a metal
tab, so the stop will feel [solid[.