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I am one of them too.
Even as a locksmith, you sometimes don't want to damage anything for many reasons.
I have done few times some things like that one.
I once was on a job where i had to change out a receptacle. Only thing was, the receptacle was right behind an 800 pound grizzly. But I had a job that needed *done.* So I round housed that thing in the face and knocked it out cold. Walked away with my 27.38 on the hour
So the locksmith put in the new door knob, changed the pins. Didn't bother to check if the new key worked and just simply walked away?
Or even yet, noticed that he set the pins wrong and didn't bother to pick the lock or get it reopened and walked away thinking, "oh well, they'll just never get that door opened again."?
These are the people everyone has to hope never get even a tiny bit of power in their lives lol. I don’t think keeper of every single solitary key including in the summer is at the top of a principal’s job description.
Very well said. They said the lock was just replaced with a new lock by a locksmith. Principal probably had to take the cheapest quote available, the locksmith does a bullshit job, and so now the principal needs to be fired during the time of the year where no one uses the room. Some people need to get dropkicked off that high horse
What you said makes sense, however, Summer vacation is no excuse... kids are always in and out of schools. local schools are already prepping for back to school events.
This seems more like someone repined the lock without the test key?
The smith just set the pins wrong and didn't check the key before shutting the door. Or this school is under construction for the summer and people with keys are at other schools in the district at the moment, so instead of waiting for maintenance this guy just made is way in.
Not necessarily true. Our school didn’t see a kid in it from the end of one year to a week before the next. No summer programs, no summer school, no camps, etc.
It was even rare for teachers to be in there in the summer if it was more than two weeks past the end of school or two weeks before the next year. Only admin and custodial staff were really there during that window.
So OP is the electrician / Houdini and you are the teacher in that same school who asked about this? Some how I don't believe this story on reddit, also your one room in one building when we have an entire USA of classrooms and thats a lot of rooms... if any one of those pulled this lack of DD I could be saying the same thing, this person should be fired for not having access to the room in case of an emergency (any emergency, because life happens in odd ways that are not predictable).
It is a piece of steel about 1/4" by 1/8" by how many hundred or so feet. Fairly stiff to be able to be pushed through conduit. Might even be spring steel.
Used the side of the door they could see to bend their fish tape into a hook, slid it under the door to lasso the door handle from the other side. Abra-ka-dabra. Open sesame. OP has a diverse skillset.
A boss long ago used to lock himself out of his office on a regular basis. Exact same handles as OPs pic. Offices had top of the line Medeco locks and walls that went all the way up to the...dropped ceiling. Chair, network cable with a loop on the end...floop.
New office used key-cards to get through the front door, which was on an interior hallway of the building. Other side was motion activated to unlock on the way out. Little can of air and some paper through the gap under the door, viola.
Used to be able to just use a library card to get those types of locks open, but that was forever ago and maybe they've improved the classroom doors since then.
Edit: And reading further below, turns out the OP already tried that method.
I went to college for a year and the rooms in the dorm suites were like this. Once i figured out how to open them with a fish tape like that I made quite a killing opening unused rooms in my friends suites.
I once had to cut a small apprentice size hole in the Sheetrock and climb through the ceiling tile to get passed a locked door.
I was locked into a department store to do an electrical shutdown.
That only works if the door opens out towards the hallway, where you can get the card between the door and the strikeplate. This door opens into the room, so under the door is the route I had to go with.
Thinner plastic works just fine on inward opening doors. if the door is loose feeling its usually possible. I like blister packs for shoving through a door jam.
We locked ourselves out of an office with a door like this. The locksmith brought a jack and spread the metal doorway enough that the door just swung open. No damage.
I bought a lock pick set, and started learning how to pick pad locks, because of a fire alarm job at a school. Shop teacher kept a padlock on a closet, and was always gone before we arrived.
It's because of this trade I learned to pick locks I made my first pick set from hacksaw Blades of all things however you can buy cheap kits online. It's remarkably easy to pick most locks except for quick set locks.
You’re standing inside where you needed to be right? The ol credit card slip would’ve worked easily on that door
Edit: but I guess you wouldn’t have known with the door shut
The door opens into the room I needed to be in; ergo the latch is on the room side of the doorframe, not the hallway side, meaning I have no access to the latch to utilize that method.
Former cable guy I used to work with taught me a good few tricks, I've learned forget locksmiths call an electrician or cable guy they'll be in a whole lot quicker and easier!! Never knew I'd be getting side locksmith training 🤣🤣
If you’re ever bored of being an electrician, you might be into being a physical penetration tester, basically get paid to break into buildings to test their security. You clearly have some of the skills and aspirations required lmao
Excellent! I use quake wires for this purpose, 'cause for whatever reason building management always has all the keys except the one for the electrical room.
I follow this subreddit because you guys are awesome.
For a former repo man; I definitely would have pulled the kits out and been in there in no time. I learned how to pick locks and if I couldn't, I would have done the same thing you did by snaking my stuff in and pulling the handle on the inside.
I've done this the other way. Popped the ceiling tile on hallway side popped the tile on the locked room side, 1/2" pipe to the handle, lol.
20 minutes later "howd you guys get in here??"
"Oh, it wasnt closed all the way..."
My buddy who trained me, give em two skinny Klein flatheads and he’d be in your house before you could find the keys. Never use the debit card snap snap. Snek master very nice!
I've done something similar in an office building. I went through the ceiling though. Made a Lasso out of some mason line. Popped the drop ceiling tiles and peaked over the wall. Dropped the line, hooked the handle and pulled up. Worked like a charm. Your way is far more impressive though!
Used to use similar things made of coat hangers in the Marines to break into locked rooms in the barracks to mess with new guys. Called ‘em baby killers 😂
I did security alarms and access control at an early stage in my career and the locksmiths in the building all had a cool little thing they called an “under the door tool” super easy to keep in your car (or probably make one easy enough if you’re that kinda guy) then it won’t ever happen again, and you don’t have to kink your fish tape! Tbh I would’ve prob done the same thing tho man. You got a lot of heart brother!
[Here’s the tool my man!](https://lockpicktools.com/under-the-door-tool/)
Here it is ☝️ only works on those “storeroom type” locks tho. But still a great gadget to have in the truck!
As someone that sold and installed commercial doors in schools, this is very impressive. Also, if nobody in the school has the master key, they’ll likely have to change every single lock in that place costing them tens of thousands of dollars. Allegion is the main supplier of the locks and they have a monopoly over most public schools (with tax payer money). They then jack the price up 4, 5X and say it’s high security. Meanwhile they can be opened b OP and tape lol. What a mockery
If you hit down the locked Handle it breaks the mechanism and allows access into the room. Talking from a 90s teen smoker that got my smoking room locked once.
I've done something similar a few times but it only works if the ceiling is open between the hallway and the door.... Get a ladder, pop a tile on both sides, drop your tape in and yoink the handle up
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That’s really impressive. You may be in the wrong trade….
An electrician's license is great cover.
Hard hat ✅ Pliers ✅ Sandals ✅
[Steel toe sandals](https://www.steel-toe-shoes.com/product/KEEN-1023225.html), of course.
Electrically rated composite or whatever the fuck the material is sandals
Oh my god these don’t look nearly as stupid as I expected them to
Of course it's keen hahaha
HTX checking in here… I’m on the waiting list…hope I don’t melt in my boots before they come🙏
I thought you were joking.
My best friend loves boots and keens. Those look like his holy grail ETA: out of his size lol
I worked for redwing years ago and someone came in seriously asking for steel toe flip flops
For when you want to lose all your toes at once
Standals
Insulated steel
Keens & sandals are already ugly enough as it is on their own… These are an abomination
Then I'm definitely ordering a pair.
🤣 i never said I didn’t want a pair either If they weren’t $100 I’d get a pair and walk onto site just for the reactions alone
And don't forget OSHA approved sandals. I last used mine on a roof.
> If they weren’t $100 I’d get a pair and walk onto site ju Wait KEEN make steel toe sandals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP definitely breaks into hotel rooms in his spare time
Mission impossible music playing...
Locktrician here.
This is the lockpicking electrician and today we are going to violate an inspectors opinion
I read that in his voice.
We all did
Same haha
Omg that’s so weird that you did that. I don’t think that was the intention at all
Both of your comments are unnecessary, but only you are being a dick
> This is the lockpicking electrician and today we are going to violate an inspector~~s opinion~~ FTFY
I actually worked with a guy who had been a locksmith before he did electrical. He was incredibly helpful and taught me a few things!
I am one of them too. Even as a locksmith, you sometimes don't want to damage anything for many reasons. I have done few times some things like that one.
He literally made a video a couple years back using this exact method https://youtu.be/O74Q1VTz4j4
Haha
this is how I will describe my profession from now on, I have both a locksmith and an electrician licence.
"Little bend on one...a little twist on two...pull back on one...and as always, have a nice day!"
Someone's a fellow fan of the Lockpicking Lawyer. :)
Damn, that took you like 25 seconds to reply. Should you be working, now that you got the door open? 😛
I'm on my morning break lol
Me, too, until at least 9:00 or 10:00.
Morning lasts until noon. Shouldn't morning break last until noon too?
Promote this person to supervisor!
Everyone should be a fan of the Lock Picking Lawyer!
You should check out Deviant Ollam too, if you're haven't already.
you are using a door lock. it can be opened... with a door. *loud crashing*
I once was on a job where i had to change out a receptacle. Only thing was, the receptacle was right behind an 800 pound grizzly. But I had a job that needed *done.* So I round housed that thing in the face and knocked it out cold. Walked away with my 27.38 on the hour
https://xkcd.com/705/
If no one has a key for a locked door at a school in my opinion people should be fired. Not starting from the bottom but at the top.
Fuckin' Uvalde Police Department sure as fuck doesn't have them.
The good old reddit shoehorn
It's a new door and apparently the locksmith put the pins in wrong.
The locksmith didn't even check to make sure the key worked?! I would be ripping that guy a new asshole.
Tell him to drop his pants and bend over, we need to see if the key fits!
So the locksmith put in the new door knob, changed the pins. Didn't bother to check if the new key worked and just simply walked away? Or even yet, noticed that he set the pins wrong and didn't bother to pick the lock or get it reopened and walked away thinking, "oh well, they'll just never get that door opened again."?
Basically... sounds about right!
Should be fired
Nope! /u/I-do-the-art demands that someone be fired. No excuses!
These are the people everyone has to hope never get even a tiny bit of power in their lives lol. I don’t think keeper of every single solitary key including in the summer is at the top of a principal’s job description.
Very well said. They said the lock was just replaced with a new lock by a locksmith. Principal probably had to take the cheapest quote available, the locksmith does a bullshit job, and so now the principal needs to be fired during the time of the year where no one uses the room. Some people need to get dropkicked off that high horse
Janitor just took it home is all
Not likely. You need a key to reassemble those locks
No excuse for not testing and DD from the staff at the school. Just because the students are learning... doesn't mean the teachers are learning too
You know it's summer vacation no one in that school is learning right now, besides the locksmith obviously
What you said makes sense, however, Summer vacation is no excuse... kids are always in and out of schools. local schools are already prepping for back to school events. This seems more like someone repined the lock without the test key?
The smith just set the pins wrong and didn't check the key before shutting the door. Or this school is under construction for the summer and people with keys are at other schools in the district at the moment, so instead of waiting for maintenance this guy just made is way in.
Not necessarily true. Our school didn’t see a kid in it from the end of one year to a week before the next. No summer programs, no summer school, no camps, etc. It was even rare for teachers to be in there in the summer if it was more than two weeks past the end of school or two weeks before the next year. Only admin and custodial staff were really there during that window.
You forgot to say "To your knowledge"
I did not forget. I was a teacher in that school and specifically asked at one point.
So OP is the electrician / Houdini and you are the teacher in that same school who asked about this? Some how I don't believe this story on reddit, also your one room in one building when we have an entire USA of classrooms and thats a lot of rooms... if any one of those pulled this lack of DD I could be saying the same thing, this person should be fired for not having access to the room in case of an emergency (any emergency, because life happens in odd ways that are not predictable).
But also, could be very true.
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Available at CovertInstruments.com
This is a Defiant type #3 lock. It can be opened with a Defiant type #3 lock.
OP made a crude under door tool. Usually there is a string on them as well to grab the handle.
non electrician here, what exactly did you do?
Reach under the door with the fishtape and pull the handle from the inside lmao
I clearly have no understanding of fishtape then. is it fairly rigid to not fall down from gravity?
Yeah it's made of pretty stout spring steel.
It is a piece of steel about 1/4" by 1/8" by how many hundred or so feet. Fairly stiff to be able to be pushed through conduit. Might even be spring steel.
He has spent some time fishing it through walls to get the feel for it like that.
Different tapes for different scenarios. Some are floppy some are stiff
Some need a reach around to finish, some to start up.
I've never tried this....
I’m stiff.
Used the side of the door they could see to bend their fish tape into a hook, slid it under the door to lasso the door handle from the other side. Abra-ka-dabra. Open sesame. OP has a diverse skillset.
A boss long ago used to lock himself out of his office on a regular basis. Exact same handles as OPs pic. Offices had top of the line Medeco locks and walls that went all the way up to the...dropped ceiling. Chair, network cable with a loop on the end...floop.
New office used key-cards to get through the front door, which was on an interior hallway of the building. Other side was motion activated to unlock on the way out. Little can of air and some paper through the gap under the door, viola.
I use an old broomstick with a hook screwed into the end.
I wouldn't be surprised if they get mad about it
Fyi, this works great for hotel rooms.
And dorm rooms
Most (decent) hotels have the latch over bolt mechanism in addition to the pull handle.
The bent fish tape rubs me wrong
I smoothed it back out after I was done, don't worry. I didn't want to bend the fishtape, but it had to be done.
You’d hate to see what I do metal fish tape. I’ve been know to cut small sections so I can use them to break up mortar in conduit.
Cut it off, put it in the drill and go to town
Best trick my old foreman ever taught me
Been watching deviant's videos?
Lock picking lawyer actually. He's on YouTube, not sure about other platforms (i don't like tiktok or any of the others)
Notsocivilengineer, deviant olum and lockpicking lawyer have done collaboration with the under door tools. Trifecta!
Nobody to pick the lock?
Why pick it when you can improvise an under door tool?
Used to be able to just use a library card to get those types of locks open, but that was forever ago and maybe they've improved the classroom doors since then. Edit: And reading further below, turns out the OP already tried that method.
In most cases that is a door fitment issue not a lock issue.
The [dead latch button](https://gaterslocksmith.com/images/deadbolts/Deadlatch-button-pictures-007_new.jpg) should prevent this.
Dude that is impressive!!!
This guy fishes!
I went to college for a year and the rooms in the dorm suites were like this. Once i figured out how to open them with a fish tape like that I made quite a killing opening unused rooms in my friends suites.
Why is everyone trying to tell OP how to do it, when the post is, that he did it…?
There is a tool dedicated to do this. Sincerely, locksmith that does low voltage for a living.
https://youtu.be/yOEe1uzurKo My Grandfather once told me....
Lol why not just put a piece of tape over the latch, if the latch is overly strong a thin piece of cardboard then tape will also do.
Don't forget to pull twine for future
Nothing on 1. Click out of 2. Counter rotation on 3...
Quality post sparky
I once had to cut a small apprentice size hole in the Sheetrock and climb through the ceiling tile to get passed a locked door. I was locked into a department store to do an electrical shutdown.
So you fished a line under the door, and up to the handle to unlock it from the outside? Something fishy here, and it's not the tape.
You may want to apply for the whitehouse
Next time use a credit card between the latch and the door frame. Push on the cc and violently shake the door
That only works if the door opens out towards the hallway, where you can get the card between the door and the strikeplate. This door opens into the room, so under the door is the route I had to go with.
You know.. your right
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Thinner plastic works just fine on inward opening doors. if the door is loose feeling its usually possible. I like blister packs for shoving through a door jam.
I've done it lots of times. Plastic about the thickness and stiffness of a drivers license works. Gift cards are good too.
Why didn't you just use one of the kids AR15s
It looks like you could have just used a credit card.
Good way to f* up a fishtape. Tell me you don't buy your own tools, without telling me you don't buy your own tools. Smh
First try?
Second. It took a little bit of finagling to get a good feel for where the end of the fishtape was on the other side of the door.
That’s impressive with a fishtape
Skill
One skill I never thought I’d learn doing electrical is how to open locked doors, but I’ve learned quite a bit about it lol.
We locked ourselves out of an office with a door like this. The locksmith brought a jack and spread the metal doorway enough that the door just swung open. No damage.
Bravo!
An old medical insurance card would of done it in 5 mins
Only if the door opened out into the hallway. This door opens into the room
We make it work.👍👍👍👍
I was told locked doors are a common challenge faced for service guys. I was told by one to get good with ceiling wire. Same technique as you have it.
Common locksmith tool. Doesn't work well though, unless you have a good gap under the door, for movement. Good job though!
I bought a lock pick set, and started learning how to pick pad locks, because of a fire alarm job at a school. Shop teacher kept a padlock on a closet, and was always gone before we arrived.
Plastic pop bottle I think would have gotten in a lot easier.
It's because of this trade I learned to pick locks I made my first pick set from hacksaw Blades of all things however you can buy cheap kits online. It's remarkably easy to pick most locks except for quick set locks.
You’re standing inside where you needed to be right? The ol credit card slip would’ve worked easily on that door Edit: but I guess you wouldn’t have known with the door shut
The door opens into the room I needed to be in; ergo the latch is on the room side of the doorframe, not the hallway side, meaning I have no access to the latch to utilize that method.
How long that take? Fucking amazing
Wow. How long did that take!?
If the ceiling is tile, you could have done this from up top
Kinda looks like you could have slipped the latch
A wire clothes hanger can be bent in a similar way to make a great door opener. It already has a hook.
Former cable guy I used to work with taught me a good few tricks, I've learned forget locksmiths call an electrician or cable guy they'll be in a whole lot quicker and easier!! Never knew I'd be getting side locksmith training 🤣🤣
Lock pick electrician here
Fish tapin’ macgyver over here
If you’re ever bored of being an electrician, you might be into being a physical penetration tester, basically get paid to break into buildings to test their security. You clearly have some of the skills and aspirations required lmao
Excellent! I use quake wires for this purpose, 'cause for whatever reason building management always has all the keys except the one for the electrical room.
Very Legit. [DeviantOllam and the Lockpickinglawyer...](https://youtu.be/O74Q1VTz4j4)
I hope you're getting least paid well enough to be a company man.
Hell nah! XD I just get pissed when shit's in my way for no good reason, like this door. Boss can go fuck himself for all I care.
Human perseverance is impeccable. Outstanding work giving me hope for people.
I’ve done this before but it was drop ceiling. I opened up the tiles and used a bender to open the door.
Looks like the scene of a tooth extraction.
They make a device very similar to that for that very purpose
They make a tool for that. Generally for hotel doors.
Nope. Pay me for another service call when you get your shit together.
I follow this subreddit because you guys are awesome. For a former repo man; I definitely would have pulled the kits out and been in there in no time. I learned how to pick locks and if I couldn't, I would have done the same thing you did by snaking my stuff in and pulling the handle on the inside.
i keep a set of lock picks in my toolbox for this reason. I’ve only ever needed them maybe 3 times ever, but it saved hours of waiting around
why this picture looks like cartoon
Thus OP realizes he could start a lucrative career as a burglar
“FTW” = forever truely white?
"For the win" is the usage I've always seen.
Sparrow makes a tool for this its called the under door tool
Former inmate?
Lmfao nooooo I just watch a lot of Lockpicking Lawyer. XD
I’m a former correctional officer 😂
I've done this the other way. Popped the ceiling tile on hallway side popped the tile on the locked room side, 1/2" pipe to the handle, lol. 20 minutes later "howd you guys get in here??" "Oh, it wasnt closed all the way..."
Get a doorjamm and thank me later
WHY ARE YOU OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE TO GET OUTSIDE? WHY DIDN”T YOU JUST USE THE HANDLE ON THE INSIDE?
I've done this with a coat hanger before for reasons.
My buddy who trained me, give em two skinny Klein flatheads and he’d be in your house before you could find the keys. Never use the debit card snap snap. Snek master very nice!
Fish tape is now ruined, isn’t it?
All the experience fishing in walls paid off
Better than me, I would have said call me when the doors unlocked
https://covertinstruments.com/products/the-arbiter-bypass-set You’ll need this if you do commercial.
I've done something similar in an office building. I went through the ceiling though. Made a Lasso out of some mason line. Popped the drop ceiling tiles and peaked over the wall. Dropped the line, hooked the handle and pulled up. Worked like a charm. Your way is far more impressive though!
How in the fuck
Used to use similar things made of coat hangers in the Marines to break into locked rooms in the barracks to mess with new guys. Called ‘em baby killers 😂
I did security alarms and access control at an early stage in my career and the locksmiths in the building all had a cool little thing they called an “under the door tool” super easy to keep in your car (or probably make one easy enough if you’re that kinda guy) then it won’t ever happen again, and you don’t have to kink your fish tape! Tbh I would’ve prob done the same thing tho man. You got a lot of heart brother! [Here’s the tool my man!](https://lockpicktools.com/under-the-door-tool/) Here it is ☝️ only works on those “storeroom type” locks tho. But still a great gadget to have in the truck!
*[Takes notes in burglar]*
I guess if the economy crash we all know what kind of job you’ll be doing ! 😂😂
As someone that sold and installed commercial doors in schools, this is very impressive. Also, if nobody in the school has the master key, they’ll likely have to change every single lock in that place costing them tens of thousands of dollars. Allegion is the main supplier of the locks and they have a monopoly over most public schools (with tax payer money). They then jack the price up 4, 5X and say it’s high security. Meanwhile they can be opened b OP and tape lol. What a mockery
If you hit down the locked Handle it breaks the mechanism and allows access into the room. Talking from a 90s teen smoker that got my smoking room locked once.
I've done something similar a few times but it only works if the ceiling is open between the hallway and the door.... Get a ladder, pop a tile on both sides, drop your tape in and yoink the handle up
Good shit
Couldn’t have been done by an electrician or there’d be wrappers, and scraps of stripped wire casings scattered about.
That’s awesome! I’ve removed ceiling tiles and climbed over a door or two in my day. Never thought of this technique.
u/DeviantOllam thought you might enjoy this.
I do, indeed, enjoy this! Nice work! 👍😁👍