@Jerb322 There used to be a website called "wheelpost.com" that had a lot of older S&G manuals. Seems you may be able to still access it via Archive.com:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191112002128/http://www.wheelpost.com/
Might be able to find parts manual and instructions there. Patent number in your picture may also help:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2575674A/en
Looks like some fun๐โ
@pineapplelover Seems you already have some rakes around so as to be exposed to their use. I wouldn't add any then till you want to try more with them๐โ
"...itโs more of a luck based tool and doesnโt require that much skill..."
Biggest mistake I made early on was believing that raking was easy and luck. Picking the right rake and using a tension tool that has a chance of working with it is a skill. Knowing to move on to a different rake if you don't get an open rather than just burnishing pins down. I've locks that I've never been able to open SPP'ing but will fall to a rake attack in seconds. I'd rather be able to SPP it but just knowing the lock can be opened is valuable to my psyche๐โ
@pineapplelover If you're new to this go slow. As you progress you'll take a liking to certain picks, techniques and then wonder why you bought some items you don't like or use๐โ
That said... ssdev hooks and TOK type tension tools are very handy to have on hand. That looks like a decent selection of items for a good start. Though you don't have any Rakes in your mix. Some skill is needed to use a rake well but it is much easier than SPP'ing. Keep something like the Rakers set in mind too, maybe for a future order. Even just a single Bogota (Triple Rake) style rake would be good. I also like their Worm Rake. Both are in this set:
https://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/products/rakers-lock-pick-set
@pineapplelover @Greenish Not sure where you're located... but you can get practice locks like this:
https://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/collections/cut-away-practice-locks
and get the Reload kit so you can change pins around yourself.
@Hux In looking at the keys via AZ you'll notice the "notch" in the key changes positions by small amounts and sometimes to the opposite side. This is to work with different warding. It prevents the key from working in all the locks it might fit into๐โ
@Hux The key in the image appears to be for a warded lock. You can buy blank keys similar to that. For instance:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=blank+hollow+key
You may be able to remove some warding (could be necessary on either side of the key) and get a key to work.
Look up Skeleton Key Warding to learn more about this.
@pezhore @ilovecheese Might want to post some images, showing the problem and/or the Name+Model for the lock in question.
There are quite a few different size tubular locks and not all of them can be tensioned in the same way.
If you know the name/model... you could also try searching youtube with it and see if anyone else has opened it and what they used๐โ