Bill, We used to make keys for these Yale padlocks ( when the keys were lost ) back when I was an apprentice 60 odd years ago. Here's how it was done. Firstly the tiny brass keyway spinner plate is removed - if it's done carefully and you're lucky, it can be replaced, although not technically necessary.This has to be removed to allow two tools to enter the keyway. Using a "T" shaped warded padlock "skeleton" pick, tension is applied to the locking bolt down the rear of the padlock. Using a shallow curved pin tumbler pick, and pressing on the 5 levers from BOTH sides, the lock can be picked open - there are no false gates, and is easier than you think. Once open the levers are now solid due to the locking bolt in their gates. The key can now be impressioned by turning towards the locking direction as the levers become solid wards. Unless this procedure is followed, it's virtually impossible to impression a key, as you are impressioning five movable levers. Regards, Brian.
Oh wow, thats some excellent insight there! It's a shame thinner skeleton picks weren't available then to negate you having to remove the spinner plate. I'm guessing it had to be replaced with a spring clip, or else the now snipped or weakened spinner plate would have been prone to buckling. The one on mine is a very thin hardened brass.
Brian, it's been quite some time since I've seen your presence in the lock sport comments. What a pleasure to see one of your comment today. I've enjoyed your insights and experiences for years over on Harry's channel. I was sorry to hear of the horrific fires in Oz, I hope you are safe and well, best wishes.
I have two similar locks without keys......thanks for sacrifice one, so I could see how it looks inside. But a little part of me died today, with that millingmachine.
Thanks Bill. This one had been in my naughty bucket for a while. Between your video here and LockNoob's "2 Picks = 1 Key: Yale Warded Lever Padlock Picked", I was able to open in a few seconds, disassemble, clean, and make a key. I'd assumed it was a simple warded lock!
Yes, but MAN, I am so appreciative of the sacrifice, as I have a very similar lock that has been smugly laughing at me for the last two years. Now I know why!
I shed a tear at that beautiful body being milled away but I think it was worth it to learn of the beauty therein contained. Thanks Bill! Any thoughts on making a polycarbonate body for the guts? Now that would make a nice display!
Hello Bosnianbill, it was a nice lock but no great loss as Yale made millions of these locks from 1" up 3" wide from the early 1900s to the mid 1970s My father had a hardware store and sold many of these locks. Yale also made pin tumbler locks similar to these called the 800 series His store closed in the mid 1970s but I still have some of these locks & some old Yale catalogs from his store, Thanks for showing the inside of these locks
We had a hdw store too...dozens of Yale locks left when we closed, but only 2 of these - no keys, of course! I took the larger one & my sister took the smaller one; we use them as paperweights!
So cool to see, thank you! It’s a shame it’s gone but it’s all documented. You are at your best when you are in professor mode Bill. I’ve learned so much from your channel and website.
Just found this identical lock passed down Generations locally.. This is much appreciated, I also had NO key and NO context as to what I am dealing with! Thanks friend!
Thanks for this bill. I have a very similar yale bronze lock and I think it might have the same lever type mechanism. However, mine has two locking palls next to each other on the one locking side. It also locked just by pushing it locked (which I foolishly clicked shut before examining it closer!) but then like this one here, once it's locked, the locking palls are fixed. Seeing inside of this goes a long way to explain why I've only thus far been able to pick one of the palls. Mine seems to have an actuator nib right at the back of the lock behind a blocking plate, so it's possible your friend was trying to make a tool to fit behind that plate to unlock it, and also like me, thought that bypassing the gated wards would get it open. At least I know now that I need to pick the levers while pulling on the shackle like I have been (but on both sides - I thought I was picking leaf springs) and whilst maintaing shackle tension, take that tool out and manipulate the two actuator nibs at the back to get an open. ...which is annoyingly tricky because the locking palls at this point act like little hooks pulling down on the shackle and locking at least one of those locking palls again - resetting the levers on that side. It is truly a VERY frustrating lock to pick and way ahead of the technology of locks when it was made (at a guess around 1930 or so - though the outer style looks 1880's -probably either tradition or to fool people). The lock body on mine is about 2inch square and has a clubs sign on one face and callipers on the other. Again, thankyou and you friend so much for clearing up some of the mystery of its inner workings.
Although I was sad to see that lock destroyed I am glad to see what was inside so I can start figuring out how to open mine non-destructively. Thanks Bill.
I have a Yale like this one. Was wondering why the warded picks didn't work. Shame it had to be reduced to its components, but you have shed some light on how i may be able to pick it. So thank you for that.
...also bill, I think the 'spring for the shackle' holds up a pin in the shackle hole that blocks the locking pall, holding it in the gates, and stops it from locking before you've closed the shackle. A very intricate design that must have had many iterations and additions until the design got perfected.
Im back, looking at this again. I can see now that it is possible to pick this by using a thin screwdriver to tension the sprung pall and then use a warded lockpick to click each wafer in place. Im not sure of the internals of the one i have, but it definately has two pall teeth on the one side, so maybe thats an update on the one you have here. Youve done a great service by showing us whats inside
I don't know but if it was me I would have punched out the bronze pins first and then tried to take it apart . Oh well you did what the owner told you to do , it did look to be a very good padlock.
I got one of those, also with no key. Managed to open it though, and cut a new key for it, using a Ford blank, to match the existing wards. Badly worn, but what do you expect from a century old lock, but still a nice lock. just had to replace the pin I drilled out with a piece of brazing rod, riveted into the hole to finish it off. Not quite the same mechanism though, but very similar.
I will bet the key itself was made of bronze too, it wan't included because this old lock had been so used/abused and warn that the key just stopped working itself. Sad to see it go, but probably was at end of life anyway!
Those old Yales are a favorite of mine. There are 4 levers (not 5). You'll see that the levers alternate (left/right/left/right) so when you make a key and want it to open with the key going in either way, you need to have the correct cuts on both sides (a 1 way key would be easier). To pick, put in a blank with the lever area filed at lowest height to get tension at the end (like your other videos). Then sneak a pick into that gap and tickle the levers on each side and it will open. The blank helps keep the pick flat to do the tickling. Pop two pins and it comes apart. Better - if they have the letter codes on the lock, you can look up the key in the old code book and cut a key by code (although the format is crazy complex!).
I was hoping that he was gonna try to cut it in a way that it opened up like a clamshell. Heck, drilling out the locking pall and then all the construction pins would have been less destructive. At least he could have made a new locking pall and then threaded all the pin holes so that it could be dismantled again. But yeah, I agree that it would be nice to see him make a new outer body for this. At least most of its inner secrets are still undamaged.
With that large keyway you could easily have used a small drill to attack the thing that was jammed in there, probably broken it enough to get it out. Would have saved the beautiful lock.
Extremely interesting -- I learned something new and never realized that these locks were Lever Locks. I thought I knew Yale Locks, but I see I've a lot more to learn, especially from Brian Hignett's & Pen Fold 's comments. GREAT VIDEO - Thanks for Sharing. (& yes, of course, hated to see such an nice example destroyed "in the name of science")
That was painful to watch... But very educational, especially as I received one of these (without a key) as a Christmas gift. Looks like someone was trying to impression a key... Or maybe thought they could crank hard and force it open.
Easy to make a key though, just get a Ford blank for a Sierra, and grind it down to the right profile to fit the entry, and then apply some marking blue to it, and gradually file away at the wards till you get it open.
I would have cut open the front bezel of the keyway. Seems, because it's hollow, you could see all the way up to the levers. The odd thing is the levers work from both sides rather than from one side. Would be interesting to see what the key looks like.
Sorry Bill, but as mechanical engineer with 40+ years as toolmaker and CNC, CAD/CAM, have my opinion. Those red springs are phosphor bronze. Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper with 0.5-11% of tin and 0.01-0.35% phosphorus. Used in high corrosive environments, such marine.
A complete novice question. I thought I would have a go at picking a lock, I used a lock from some switchgear at work.I think they are marked as safety locks. Well after a while I thought I'd done it, the core turned completely around but the lock never opened. Then even when using the original key, the key just turned round and around like it was connected to nothing complete free movement. The lock was no good after that. Any idea what happened? I'm baffled. Mark
I think gutted is not a strong enough term, destroyed would be a more suitable description. LOL...LOL...LOL... Definitely has a craftsmen's touch. Is it possible to disassemble and reassemble without destroying it?
It would be fun to make a key for this lock now, just to see what it would look like. The flat side of the "D" in the wafers alternates between wafers and the notches in the end are cut at different positions. So the key would have to have different depth notches that alternate from side to side too. Plus the top of the key is what retracts the locking paw so it needs to be a specific shape too.
![[640] Get the Most From Your Disc Detainer Pick](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oiNNoHlA4Vc/mqdefault.jpg)
Bill, We used to make keys for these Yale padlocks ( when the keys were lost ) back when I was an apprentice 60 odd years ago. Here's how it was done. Firstly the tiny brass keyway spinner plate is removed - if it's done carefully and you're lucky, it can be replaced, although not technically necessary.This has to be removed to allow two tools to enter the keyway. Using a "T" shaped warded padlock "skeleton" pick, tension is applied to the locking bolt down the rear of the padlock. Using a shallow curved pin tumbler pick, and pressing on the 5 levers from BOTH sides, the lock can be picked open - there are no false gates, and is easier than you think. Once open the levers are now solid due to the locking bolt in their gates. The key can now be impressioned by turning towards the locking direction as the levers become solid wards. Unless this procedure is followed, it's virtually impossible to impression a key, as you are impressioning five movable levers. Regards, Brian.
Very cool to hear the procedure! Thanks for sharing that Brian!
Thanks for sharing! That's awesome you were in the business that long ago. Salute you for the wisdom, sir.
Oh wow, thats some excellent insight there! It's a shame thinner skeleton picks weren't available then to negate you having to remove the spinner plate. I'm guessing it had to be replaced with a spring clip, or else the now snipped or weakened spinner plate would have been prone to buckling. The one on mine is a very thin hardened brass.
Brian, it's been quite some time since I've seen your presence in the lock sport comments. What a pleasure to see one of your comment today. I've enjoyed your insights and experiences for years over on Harry's channel. I was sorry to hear of the horrific fires in Oz, I hope you are safe and well, best wishes.
Marvelous! Very Cool to know. Thanks! A shame ESP, Mental Telepathy or Remote viewing wasn't used to open Lock. = )
I have two similar locks without keys......thanks for sacrifice one, so I could see how it looks inside. But a little part of me died today, with that millingmachine.
Thanks Bill. This one had been in my naughty bucket for a while. Between your video here and LockNoob's "2 Picks = 1 Key: Yale Warded Lever Padlock Picked", I was able to open in a few seconds, disassemble, clean, and make a key. I'd assumed it was a simple warded lock!
I think we all died a little on the inside.
It sounds like Bill died a little on the inside too.
Im fully erect
Yes, but MAN, I am so appreciative of the sacrifice, as I have a very similar lock that has been smugly laughing at me for the last two years. Now I know why!
Oh man...
This breaks my heart. Neat to see what’s inside... but still.... very sad.
I shed a tear at that beautiful body being milled away but I think it was worth it to learn of the beauty therein contained. Thanks Bill!
Any thoughts on making a polycarbonate body for the guts? Now that would make a nice display!
Hello Bosnianbill, it was a nice lock but no great loss as Yale made millions of these locks from 1" up 3" wide from the early 1900s to the mid 1970s My father had a hardware store and sold many of these locks. Yale also made pin tumbler locks similar to these called the 800 series His store closed in the mid 1970s but I still have some of these locks & some old Yale catalogs from his store, Thanks for showing the inside of these locks
We had a hdw store too...dozens of Yale locks left when we closed, but only 2 of these - no keys, of course! I took the larger one & my sister took the smaller one; we use them as paperweights!
So cool to see, thank you! It’s a shame it’s gone but it’s all documented.
You are at your best when you are in professor mode Bill. I’ve learned so much from your channel and website.
I absolutely agree with timbober1. The most I've ever learned is when you get stymied, and then figure it out. Great, great lock. Thanks Bill.
A real shame but cool to see the autopsy results. Very interesting.✌😎
Very cool mechanism. Thanks for doing the teardown and sharing.
surely the patent would tell us what we need to know! Gotta follow the instructions of the donor though
Awesome old lock
Just found this identical lock passed down Generations locally.. This is much appreciated, I also had NO key and NO context as to what I am dealing with! Thanks friend!
It's such a rare opportunity to do destructive testing on pieces like this. I'm glad that you documented it so thoroughly
Sometimes the sacrifice is necessary for the benefit of the greater good! Appreciate you giving us an in depth look Bill!
Someone was trying to make them a key I'd guess. Very cool lock. Thanks Greg for the schooling & Bill as well.
Gutted??? Yeah right....Destroyed was more like it, also could be viewed as a Training Lock looking at it that way. LOL!!!!!!!
So nice having a milling machine on hand.
Thanks for this bill. I have a very similar yale bronze lock and I think it might have the same lever type mechanism. However, mine has two locking palls next to each other on the one locking side. It also locked just by pushing it locked (which I foolishly clicked shut before examining it closer!) but then like this one here, once it's locked, the locking palls are fixed. Seeing inside of this goes a long way to explain why I've only thus far been able to pick one of the palls. Mine seems to have an actuator nib right at the back of the lock behind a blocking plate, so it's possible your friend was trying to make a tool to fit behind that plate to unlock it, and also like me, thought that bypassing the gated wards would get it open. At least I know now that I need to pick the levers while pulling on the shackle like I have been (but on both sides - I thought I was picking leaf springs) and whilst maintaing shackle tension, take that tool out and manipulate the two actuator nibs at the back to get an open. ...which is annoyingly tricky because the locking palls at this point act like little hooks pulling down on the shackle and locking at least one of those locking palls again - resetting the levers on that side. It is truly a VERY frustrating lock to pick and way ahead of the technology of locks when it was made (at a guess around 1930 or so - though the outer style looks 1880's -probably either tradition or to fool people). The lock body on mine is about 2inch square and has a clubs sign on one face and callipers on the other. Again, thankyou and you friend so much for clearing up some of the mystery of its inner workings.
Although I was sad to see that lock destroyed I am glad to see what was inside so I can start figuring out how to open mine non-destructively. Thanks Bill.
What a cool lock seems to be handmade
Its always useful to see how one of those old locks is put together.
What an interesting design. Very cool!
I have a Yale like this one. Was wondering why the warded picks didn't work. Shame it had to be reduced to its components, but you have shed some light on how i may be able to pick it. So thank you for that.
...also bill, I think the 'spring for the shackle' holds up a pin in the shackle hole that blocks the locking pall, holding it in the gates, and stops it from locking before you've closed the shackle. A very intricate design that must have had many iterations and additions until the design got perfected.
Really cool. I just got an old Yale super tumbler. I have not been able to pick it yet. Thanks Bill
Very interesting for a old lock .
Awesome dissection!
Im back, looking at this again. I can see now that it is possible to pick this by using a thin screwdriver to tension the sprung pall and then use a warded lockpick to click each wafer in place. Im not sure of the internals of the one i have, but it definately has two pall teeth on the one side, so maybe thats an update on the one you have here. Youve done a great service by showing us whats inside
I don't know but if it was me I would have punched out the bronze pins first and then tried to take it apart . Oh well you did what the owner told you to do , it did look to be a very good padlock.
I got one of those, also with no key. Managed to open it though, and cut a new key for it, using a Ford blank, to match the existing wards. Badly worn, but what do you expect from a century old lock, but still a nice lock. just had to replace the pin I drilled out with a piece of brazing rod, riveted into the hole to finish it off. Not quite the same mechanism though, but very similar.
I will bet the key itself was made of bronze too, it wan't included because this old lock had been so used/abused and warn that the key just stopped working itself. Sad to see it go, but probably was at end of life anyway!
Wow! A very well made lock from back in the day!
This is a great great great example of quality over quantity.
I understand this feeling, I recently had to destroy my favorite lock, an old Corbin because I did something stupid. I shed a tear 😢
Those old Yales are a favorite of mine. There are 4 levers (not 5). You'll see that the levers alternate (left/right/left/right) so when you make a key and want it to open with the key going in either way, you need to have the correct cuts on both sides (a 1 way key would be easier). To pick, put in a blank with the lever area filed at lowest height to get tension at the end (like your other videos). Then sneak a pick into that gap and tickle the levers on each side and it will open. The blank helps keep the pick flat to do the tickling. Pop two pins and it comes apart. Better - if they have the letter codes on the lock, you can look up the key in the old code book and cut a key by code (although the format is crazy complex!).
Thanks Bill
A single tear rolled down my cheek when that mill started it's first pass 😪
I was hoping that he was gonna try to cut it in a way that it opened up like a clamshell. Heck, drilling out the locking pall and then all the construction pins would have been less destructive. At least he could have made a new locking pall and then threaded all the pin holes so that it could be dismantled again. But yeah, I agree that it would be nice to see him make a new outer body for this. At least most of its inner secrets are still undamaged.
I like old locks as much as the next guy. But sometimes they break. Then you take them apart. Get over it.
We learned a lot about those locks.
The last time I was this early this lock wasn’t an antique .
With that large keyway you could easily have used a small drill to attack the thing that was jammed in there, probably broken it enough to get it out. Would have saved the beautiful lock.
This Yale padlock looks remarkably like a miniature five lever mortice door lock in it's design.
Extremely interesting -- I learned something new and never realized that these locks were Lever Locks. I thought I knew Yale Locks, but I see I've a lot more to learn, especially from
Brian Hignett's & Pen Fold
's comments. GREAT VIDEO - Thanks for Sharing. (& yes, of course, hated to see such an nice example destroyed "in the name of science")
RIP that lock. beautiful.. rest in pieces.
Oh my god the poor lock! I still had to watch it to the end. Great vid as always Bill!
Fantastic old lock, but a BIG keyway
I wonder what the key would look like what it be around key. Or Square key.
Look at the keyway. It would be a flat key with slots on both sides
I found one of these years ago..now I have a chance of opening it.
I have this lock with no key too. This video helps me understand it a bit more. Still have not been able to pick it (thou I'm complete n00b)
I had one that looked like that back in the 70s, it was brass looking and wasn't punched with the naval thing.
Can you show how to pick one of these?
awesome lock.
That was painful to watch... But very educational, especially as I received one of these (without a key) as a Christmas gift. Looks like someone was trying to impression a key... Or maybe thought they could crank hard and force it open.
Easy to make a key though, just get a Ford blank for a Sierra, and grind it down to the right profile to fit the entry, and then apply some marking blue to it, and gradually file away at the wards till you get it open.
that hit me right in the actuator.
How would one successfully pick a lock like this one?
This is one of those situations where it hurts so good. The knowledge and beauty of the internals was worth the sacrifice of the body.
That hurt to watch! I haven't seen one of those beaut's in a LONGTIME!
Very cool lock
Poor poor lock... Great vid!
so, can anyone figure out a model number? or year of construction? I'll bet the yale collectors out there likely have the old patent drawings?
At least you have some value in the scrap material
Sad to see it go..
So much for a lot of time and money I’m sure you would have been able to properly remove that your the best at this
"There's SOMETHING jamming this lock"??? I'm guessing ... Greg knew exactly what was broken off in there, LOL.
As Bill machined the lock I thought I heard a gun salute followed by 'The last post'.
Man, what a shame to have to destroy that beautiful piece of engineering.
Try and get another one to pick and show us bill pls.
Great job my friend.
i know its too late, but why didn't you drilled the keyhole and used pliers to take the metal thing out?
I would have cut open the front bezel of the keyway. Seems, because it's hollow, you could see all the way up to the levers.
The odd thing is the levers work from both sides rather than from one side. Would be interesting to see what the key looks like.
Thank you for the fair warning, but it was still heart wrenching to see the milling footage
Morning guys coffee work and bill a great friday ahead
Sorry Bill, but as mechanical engineer with 40+ years as toolmaker and CNC, CAD/CAM, have my opinion. Those red springs are phosphor bronze. Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper with 0.5-11% of tin and 0.01-0.35% phosphorus. Used in high corrosive environments, such marine.
Id like to see what the key would look like
What would the key have looked like?
I was not expecting to be hurt by the destruction of this lock...
What a beautiful piece of workmanship. How old is it?
Couldn't mill open the key way - remove the obstruction, and then disassemble ?
This was the most painful video you have ever posted... a part of me died
Ouch that hurt and was so cool at the same time. Thank you bill for making us cringe happily
I know it was a distraction of a beautiful lock but it was nice to see the guts.
Another sacrifice in the name of science.
Found an old "Mail" lock on shore...corroded...but still has initials on it...how old would this b?
A complete novice question. I thought I would have a go at picking a lock, I used a lock from some switchgear at work.I think they are marked as safety locks. Well after a while I thought I'd done it, the core turned completely around but the lock never opened. Then even when using the original key, the key just turned round and around like it was connected to nothing complete free movement. The lock was no good after that. Any idea what happened? I'm baffled. Mark
If the lock hadn't been jammed/unknown would you have been able to pick it or not.
that was fun. bill gutted that lock like a fish
I think gutted is not a strong enough term, destroyed would be a more suitable description. LOL...LOL...LOL... Definitely has a craftsmen's touch. Is it possible to disassemble and reassemble without destroying it?
You may have been able to Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM) the steel strap out. A shop might do the work in exchange for a good word.
Ouch......I could have gotten it out for you.
A sad end to a beautiful unusual lock. Naval bronze. You don't see that very often.
Curses upon the person that stuck that garbage into the lock.
That thing that was in there, was that a hacksaw blade?
Jasper Janssen looked like it didn’t it I was thinking the same thing.
@@ghostedshadow9282 Yes, me as well...
Yea, until now we have that Old yale.
Bill made my eyes bleed.😱😱😱
Alien (technology) autopsy!
Quality!
A moment of silence for our fallen lock.. haha
I snatched my hat off my head and clutched it to my heart. I hate to see an old soldier go down.
Isn't that what we all would like to do to a lock once we've picked it to death? Thank you for sharing!
Why?!!
It would be fun to make a key for this lock now, just to see what it would look like. The flat side of the "D" in the wafers alternates between wafers and the notches in the end are cut at different positions. So the key would have to have different depth notches that alternate from side to side too. Plus the top of the key is what retracts the locking paw so it needs to be a specific shape too.
Nooooooooo!
I had to close one eye!