I have been interested in lock manipulation for quite a few years now, and when I started out, I was very disappointed at the high prices that were being charged for cutaway practice locks.

To keep the cost of my hobby down, I decided that I would have a go at making a cutaway lock myself.

I started by choosing the right type of lock to cut on my machine, and added different types as I got better at picking them!

I soon realised that the machine I had bought was not big enough to handle the amount of work I was doing, so I invested in two different, better quality machines.

Before long I had my own purpose built workshop with all my machines ready to machine whatever lock I wanted to cut!

Some people want to miss out on   the easier to open locks, and go straight for one of my Ultimate Challenge Euro locks, with the six security pins fitted.

When they have spent a few hours trying (and failing) to open the lock, they give up on the hobby for good.

I always suggest to anyone just starting out to buy one of the easier locks to start with, as they will then get the feel of how a pin "sets", and also the diference of the "false set" on the security pins in the locks with them fitted.

 I will soon be adding a 5 lever mortice lock to my list of Practice locks for sale.

This will be a fully functional 5 Lever dead lock fitted with a clear acrylic cover, to enable you to see the levers move as you try and pick the lock.