Hello I am the lock piking lawyer and today we have a very unique pedlock made by the good people at Alec's workshop , and I am going to be honest with you all , if I look hard enough , the lock would open on its own. But to give a fair chance I will do it blind folded .
I miss the billion part series but these are fun to watch too. Plenty of things you could do. Can you include some of the processes like milling and mistakes, that was something i loved about your channel was the honesty and the chatting while you got on with work.
A blacksmith makes a lever lock, a machinist makes a pin and tumbler lock. You should recreate some medieval lever locks bc they were made by blacksmiths and there is some decent info. Would be awesome to see a modern blacksmith take on an ancient role.
I like that alec often blends blacksmithing and machining, but it would def be really cool to see him make a lever lock. I would love to make a lever lock myself lmao
Much as I admire the items that have been made from scratch on the channel over the past while, I do miss the series builds on some proper weapons. The attention to detail that Alec puts into them is fantastic.
he tries to do thing he hasn't before to keep the content fresh he doesn't do weapons as much anymore because it's basically the same thing repeated, that being said I love watching his Damascus builds
He's in "Great" Britain. They'd throw him in prison if he made a sword, or even a double edge boot knife. I'm afraid that weapons will have to wait until he, someday, returns to the U.S.
With all the projects you've taken on recently with small intricate parts, I think it would be fun to see you try and make a fractal vice or something with a bunch of moving parts and eventually try and tackle a pocket watch maybe.
@@jaxblonk5127 It would also potentially mean getting to see more fails and trial and error like older videos. But something like a pocket watch would be like a distant future series after getting more practice on complex and intricate projects.
LPL needs to help our across the pond blacksmith, and give Alec pointers on how to make it better and what they parts are. I mean or ask a ... locksmith?
LPL would be fun. I can't see Alec making something that's a real challenge for LPL, but they could certainly do a collab with LPL explaining things like you said, including the design flaws. He could maybe even give Alec a design to forge the right tool to pick it.
As a locksmith this is going to be a really fun project to watch! The brass parts are called levers, and the stump (the protruding bit on the bit of brass that locks the shackle into place that sits inside the hole in the levers) has to pass through the gates (the narrow bit in the hole in the levers) when the key lifts them to the right heights to unlock. In terms of picking these levers are very simple as they have no 'false gates' - i.e. notches in the levers for the stump to fall into but not pass through. Also not all locks will unlock/lock in a certain direction, on your door for instance the direction you turn to lock the door will depend on which side of the door you are on - and some locks like nightlatches can sometimes be turned either way to unlock.
Hey @alecsteele I watched your reaction video on the katana series as it came out, and you guys kinda hit it on the head… I personally love these make it yourself series, because they bring us back in time. And I’m really enjoying that. You’re just building something different but the daily struggle is displayed so well and the way you react motivates a lot of people to never give up. Well done. Ps: please build another sword again
Being a locksmith myself and still learning everyday I go to work, seeing that as a MasterLock lever lock. Lever locks aren't really used nowadays and the keys made to operate such locks are of steel to withstand the torque and not be worn down by the brass "gates" that are inside, which is perfect for you for obvious reasons haha. I do love seeing you make common items from scratch cause it's almost similar to replacing or fixing all types of locks that come into my shop to give them a second chance instead of just flat out replacing them. Keep up the amazing work Alec.
@Alec Steele you should make some old style handcuffs! They work with a screw style locking mechanism and the key is designed to fit around the head of the screw to turn it
Nice to see you making a lock. I think I have suggested that every time you ask for suggestions. After you make this one, try an older style one with forged parts like they would have been before the industrial revolution. That's where the fun begins.
It’s an old English padlock. Typically 4 levers. This particular padlock style is very low security. So a very trivial pick. As there is next to nothing in the way of anti-pick notch’s in the levers or the stump. The small rectangular piece that slides inside the lever pockets. The small gap the stump passes through we call the gate. The cut out in the sliding plat/bolt at the base that the key interacts with and pulls and pushes the bolt work is called the talon. These are a great lock to learn lever picking. I have a few vids of locks being opened including this style of padlock. This is an enjoyable episode/series you are making. Making the key will be interesting in its self also. Especially if you make the 3 components yourself and silver solder them. Hats off to you Alec. Would love to see a Damascus version. Many hand made padlocks that are intricately made and etched and patterned are highly collectable.
I would've loved to see damascus integrated and a custom key made for this. It's probably stripped down cuz of time constraints. I'm still gonna enjoy the heck out of this project!!
Hey Alec, Awesome to see a mix of my two hobbies. The springy brass bit is called a 'lever'. What you are making is a 'lever lock' padlock. The steel bit is the shackle. The main bit is called the body. The cuts in the lever is called a 'gate' The bit that passes through the gate is called the stump. The area that the stump rests in is called a 'pocket'. The bit that holds the shackle in place is called a 'bolt'. Defs a lot of blacksmithing history in locks. Would love to see some older ones made as well!
Hey Alec! Love watching your videos, and it seems you've touched on one of my hobbies. This kind of padlock is called a "lever lock" because it uses multiple levers (the brass flat pieces) that interface with the key and ensure only the key cut with the right bitting (the different heights cut into the key head) will successfully engage/disengage locking lug. You can find videos online on how these are manipulated on RU-vid. I'd recommend either LockPickingLawyer or BosnianBill. They do oftentimes require specialized tools to do so - significantly different from your standard lockpicking tools for pin-tumbler locks, making them more difficult to bypass, so long as you're not just brute-forcing you're way through the lock. Hope this was helpful!
The wonderful world of locks, one of the blacksmiths skills in days of yore. Some lovely early plate padlocks with brass escutchion plates and engraved key doors. Made a Bramha lock many years ago. Theres only one place to go after locks add C. great work.
Score another challenge series! Besides the LPL comments, I'll join in with the end plates should be pattern welded crowd. Interesting lathe choice for the standoffs. Looking forward to the rest of the build.
Ok so this is pretty cool I’m liking your “can I make this” series If you need ideas, I’d love to watch you make tongue and groove pliers or channel locks or whatever you call them over there
Hey Alec, can you let us know when we are going to get a series on a really nice sword or something of the ilk? We all miss your longer series videos, and we all know you have a life outside of RU-vid to so I don't mind waiting 👍
Jamie got it, I got it, and then Alec got it. Shouldered rivets. Pretty neat method for making the casing of the lock. Years ago, my dad showed me how to make a rivet from a nail. Still use that bit of knowledge on occasion.
I love nail rivets, a very handy trick. If you are American another trick you can use nails for (specifically the duplex nail with it's double head) is field expedient firing pins.
Loved watching you make this. Totally awesome project. With your lathe issue, have you ever tried making an emergency collet? Joe Pi has a goos video about it. Extremely helpful in a pinch.
Weapon/sword builds op. Seein GB the creation of anything is great but I feel like when Alec makes swords it just hits differently. P.S.- Watching the forging process is probably my favorite part
I would love to see you making a vice series, like first a leg vice, that have more forge than machining, then a bench vice, that are mostly equaly forge and machining, and at last, if you dare, a fractal vice for the mill, that is most liquelly be mostly machining.
It's a wafer style locking mechanism. The wafers match the notches of the key to allow the mechanism to move the part that locks the hoop into the lock. Sometimes it is called warded lock.
I enjoyed this, but I would really like to see such a project with demonstration of how to make templates, jigs, and processes to be able to mass or serial produce these items.
I liked this episode Alec. It looked like you were having fun, and just being chill. It's nice to see you just relaxing and making things and getting into the creative flow. Very nice. :)
I wonder if you could do an educationnal video on machining. You're talking about "milling machine", "lathe" but I don't know the difference between all the machining type ^^ The only one I know is "décolletage" because it was invented where I live. It's a bar turning machine where the bar is fed through the clamp that leads in the part of the machine where the tools are (and the tools are stationnary, you can only push the bar on them)
I remember seeing an old lock from I want to say India (🤷🏻♂️) that had really cool designs on it, like the keyhole was the mouth of a monster or something. I think it was meant to be like a gargoyle on a castle, like it wards away evil that may want to open whatever it is you’ve locked. Point is, I’d love to see Alec make an ornate Damascus steel padlock once he gets the basics down.
Dude, totally going to have to try that with my drill press. Just need to figure out how to put a live center straight up out of the table. Just as good as an HF lathe I bet.
I highly recommend watching pask makes and his padlock in comparison. There you see structured craftsmanship. Over here is Chaos, madness and fun. Both worth watching...
In you're 'review of the katana series' you were talking about how you are more efficient with your videos now. But checking out your site, it looks like all the top viewed videos are ones where you are forging and blacksmithing. Personally I've always liked the ones where you spend a lot of time failing/learning and talking through the challenge and how you think you can solve the problem. And I think your core audience comes from your blacksmithing days. Personally - I think you should get back into the Stelter vs Steele style videos - those were a ton (tonne) of fun!
Lever locks are the most British thing outside of tea or something something scones. Pin tumbler locks are a fair bit more internally complicated, at least at the scales they are usually made.
i thought about how you could make it more pickresistant. you have two mechanisms: 1. a slider that opens the lock 2. a number of blocks that stop the sliding when the key does not push them aside to the right position. what about changing the sliding mechanism into a turning one? you could then group 3, maybe 4 blocking mechanisms in a circle that would be pushed aside with a 3 or 4 sided key.
Alec, now that you’ve mastered the Master look, I invite/challenge you to make a visit to the V&A museum in London. Take a look at the ancient padlock display and make a custom one of your own design. All the best
The proper name of the flat bits with the H-shaped holes in them is "levers". They are what make this a _lever-tumbler lock_ as opposed to a pin-tumbler, wafer, warded, or disk-detainer lock.
I watched your katana reaction video and I understand your comments about the time taken to make damascus, but watching this video made me think: could you do one really detailed video on the process of making Damascus and make a bunch of billets and then use them as stock for a series of these kinds of projects?
I always love the videos and I'm super sorry to have to do this but... nope, gotta go back and do this all again. You gotta make it your own! You can't just copy it! Make it damascus, modify the brass plate to use a custom cut key, maybe some inlay work on the casing? Creativity!
A lock is one of the traditional pieces a smith must build to demonstrate his mastery of the craft; his "masterpiece". It's about damned time Alec. (Just don't forget to harden all the critical bits.)
Suspenseful ending! I just saw this channel and I'm interested in these types of experiments like Mattais Krantz who rearranges pianos. New subscriber here
The attention to detail that Alec puts into his projects is fantastic but I recon it would have been made Beter if he had made it out of Damascus steel instead just steel just think of the patten the lock could have hade like when he made the socket wrench unlike the crescent wrench, he made was so plane looking.
The lathe could have done the pins, and the way to do that is to wrap it up in wire, until the diameter is large enough to be tightly held in the chuck. Just a helpful tip from a machinist
Hey Alec, I really like those videos but maybe you could make one of these mass produced things as fancy as possible (from damascus) I'd love too see that
Oh wow! Alec found a use for a masterlock padlock that WASN'T a paperweight! That's pure creativity folks! And if you're thinking they were designed for locking things then you probably just missed the fine print on the package that declares them as being "for novelty purposes only." 😂
Lever lock. The bottom brass plate, would be the equivalent of a lock pawl on a more modern lock. The stacked plates (levers) the pins. The key bidding, matches the windows height (warding) in those levers. This is where different key profiles would matter, lifting the levers to those different heights Good luck, have fun, make it Damascus. Lol
Oh hell yeah I really hope this is a 14 part "Damascus lock body gold inlay intricate engraving" series based on the comments on his old video reaction video
Wow that's looking real good so far. Can't wait to see more videos soon my friends. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld on. Keep Making. God bless.
as a former locksmith.....no.....not every lock turns clockwise to lock. most do, but most is not all. like just for one example, "automatic sliding doors" the lock can be installed on either of the pair of doors, and as such the direction you turn it to lock is dependent on the door its installed on.
Kinda wish you woulda forged this or even used damascus.. I think the old Medieval look with the hammer marks in the unfinished steel would have looked awesome. But it's still a cool project and maybe you can make one another time.
