Losing or misplacing keys is a common occurrence, and the usual solution is to call a Boulder handyman for help. Typically, locksmiths deal with people that have pin tumbler locks, which is the most common type of lock that you can find and is constructed with two main parts; namely, a bible and a plug. The plug consists of key pins that vary in height, while the bible is made up of components known as driver pins, all five of which are of the same length and are placed on a spring.

When you turn your key, it lifts the key pins in the plug, which in turn presses on the spring that contains the bible’s driver pins. This domino effect process ends with both the driver pins and the key pins getting to the shear line, which is a hole in-between the bible and the plug that when open allows the door to open as well.

However, when you don’t have a key, the handyman Boulder will likely try one of the three following methods to open your door:

Picking

The two main tools you’ll need for lock picking is a rake and a tension wrench, both of which are common tools that you can purchase anywhere, even online. Once you have these two tools, you’ll be on track to having a proper lock picking collection. However, it is important to first consult with the lockpick laws in your state before purchasing them, as it is illegal to own lock picking tools without a license in most states. And if you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting a license to buy these tools, you can improvise and use paper clips instead, but keep in mind that they take longer to get the same job done.

Once your lock picking tools are in place, you can start by popping the tension wrench into your keyhole in the same way that you would with a key. Next, you rotate the wrench to gauge which direction is easier to turn the key in and turn it in that direction to open your door. Now, use the rake to scrape up the lock, making sure that it’s placed across the area where the key’s teeth would be.

So, what you’re essentially doing is gently pressing onto the wrench without bending it, while simultaneously using the rake to scrape. You might have to maneuver the rake a bit to ensure that it goes in the accurate direction. When you do this right, the pins will successfully get to the shear line and mimic your key in winding the tension wrench, which will, in turn, open your lock. While it might take you a bit of time to open your lock through picking, you’ll find that it gets easier and faster over time.

Bumping

The next widely used method to opening locks is known as bumping, and it is called bumping because it uses a ‘bump key’ instead of the lock picking tools mentioned above. You can make a bump key using a file, a key blank and the original key of the lock you want to open. The process of creating a bump key starts with measuring the depth of the key, and the distance between each groove. Next, you file the bump key according to your measurements of the grooves in the original key and refine it until it goes from looking like a saw blade and more like the original, with teeth that are at a 90-degree angle.

Lastly, you’ll have to insert the bumper key into the lock and hit it with a rubber hammer before turning it. Just be sure to check if the key is in the right direction while doing this, as it might take a while if it isn’t.

Drilling

For this method, you’ll need a drill along with a few different sized drill bits. It’s a pretty straightforward process that involves placing the drill in the lock where the teeth of the key would be, and rotating the lock using a flat screwdriver while gradually increasing the drill bit size until the door opens.