Yale 500+ Picking Tips

Picking tips for the Yale 500 Plus. The flat top core can cause the spools to bind up the lock, which can be pretty confusing for newer pickers. It was for me. I use a 0.025" TOOOL/CI flat hook, since the Genesis set is one of the more common kits that a newer picker might have. One thing that I didn't go over in this video but managed to accomplish in my pick & gut was setting the pins in a way to avoid the deep false set, which allows you to avoid the need for the spool manipulation. I think what I show here is a more consistent technique though.
00:00 Comparison to original Yale 500
00:56 The cutaway lock
01:44 Using 0.025" pick
02:13 Start of picking
02:50 Moving from floor to shelf
04:14 Binding hard in the gap
05:43 Deep false set on last spool
06:50 Zero tension-Why isn't it moving?
07:06 Lift and twist
09:20 Open
09:27 Unranked, but how difficult?
09:47 Additional notes
Notes:
- I want to reiterate that a cutaway will often increase the depth of a false set. Your lock may not bind to this extent.
- I forgot to mention to also release tension to get the spool out of the gap at 4:14 (before the really deep false set). Only increasing pick force isn't the best technique.
- The lock is unranked so would only count for white currently but is under review. I expect it will get either a green or blue ranking.

[@PocketWomen]

Excellent tutorial on how to pick this type of lock. Great explanations very easy to understand and the accompting graphics were useful. Thanks for doing this video, cheers

[@Marson440]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I've learned so much from others, so it's nice to be able to share some of the things I've discovered. I wish I had recorded back when I first got it open. I might have gotten a "first public" on it.

[@wolfganggrojcig2528]

Thanks for making this video. I haven't picked any of these in my collection. Let it be the normal Yale 500 or the Yale 500 Plus. I bought the Yale 100 and the 250 to try and ease into picking these. I should really figure out how to make these cutaways. Right now tapered pins and barrel pins are giving me a hard time.

[@Marson440]

This is a PDF of my Cutaway Quest submission for black belt, if it helps at all: drive.google.com/file/d/1fN1Q4UEODXnlHlDQzhJK9-jTsUT4fTaV/view?usp=drive_link I go into details about this one and the Abus E50, which has more photos as I was making it specifically for the quest. I made both with only hand tools other than some touch-up on the 500 with a rotary. I wouldn't recommend going quite to the extent I did with the E50 though as it was almost a failure.

[@Marson440]

BTW, I would love to hear from folks if their 500 Plus binds up in a deep false set or not. I'd like to figure out how common this is or if it's been a fluke for me. My cutaway isn't a good example and my unmodified half only does it sometimes.

[@Loose-Shirt6551]

Very nice! If you ever make an analysis of a standard GEGE, please make me aware. I've picked may challenge locks in GEGE format, but a stock one is murder. 😁

[@Marson440]

Will do! I only have a pExtra. That took a bit of work to learn though, so it would be a good candidate. I do mention a few tips in my pick & gut but don't go into much detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGrOXoN3hb99oJI

[@Marson440]

HEADS UP - I still have the box for my 500+ and noticed it doesn't say "Plus" anywhere on it. It says "500 Series". It looks like it should have an original in it but doesn't. Georgia Jim just bought a 500+ to help rank it, and the box actually says "Yale 500PLUS Series", but it had an original 500 in the box. Buyer beware! It's impossible to know what you might get, especially on Amazon. That's where we both got ours.

[@Marson440]

HEADS UP - I still have the box for my 500+ and noticed it doesn't say "Plus" anywhere on it. It says "500 Series". It looks like it should have an original in it but doesn't. Georgia Jim just bought a 500+ to help rank it, and the box actually says "Yale 500PLUS Series", but it had an original 500 in the box. Buyer beware! It's impossible to know what you might get, especially on Amazon. That's where we both got ours.