How to Pick a Lock with a Soda Can

Co-authored by Trevor Maclise

Last Updated: December 26, 2022 References

So you forgot the combination to your lock and desperately want to get into your locker. No worries; this method will help you pick your lock using just a soda can.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a shim

1
Cut out a square from the side of the soda can. Make sure the edges are straight.^{[1]
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Research source} A soda can is very thin, and you can cut a piece of aluminium out of it to create a shim.
2
Draw lines on the shim. Use a marker to draw one vertical line down the middle of the shim. Halfway between the vertical line and the right edge, draw another, parallel line. From the center of the vertical line, draw a horizontal line extending to the left, cutting the shim in half horizontally.^{[2]
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3
Turn the shim ninety degrees, so that the two longer lines are on the top. Then draw two small vertical lines, parallel to the last line you drew, about a centimeter to either side. Use your pinky to get a better idea of the spacing.
4
Draw a 'U'. Between the last two lines you drew, draw a slightly less pointed 'V.' This should start at the top corners of the last two lines you drew, and the point of the U should be the bottom of the center vertical line.
5
Cut the shim along the U. Be careful not to cut into the shim or to hurt yourself on the sharp piece of metal. Cut the shim along the U so that the U forms a protrusion from the center of the shim.^{[3]
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6
Fold the top half of the shim down to the center horizontal line. Its edge should rest along the top of the U.
- Fold the legs up. These should be the parts outside and not connected to the U. Fold them up and then wrap them around the folded top half.
7
Wrap the legs to make sure everything is nice and smooth.
8
Smooth the shim. Rub it around the outside of a sharpie or marker to help smooth the shim down and make it more effective as a lock-picking device.^{[4]
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- Make sure it's smooth enough to wrapped around the lock you are using it for.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Picking the lock

1
Wrap your shim around the loop of the lock. Wrap it around the vertical end of the loop, on the side where the lock opens. Make sure that the U of your shim is pointing downwards.^{[5]
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2
Push the shim down and then pull the lock up. You want to slide it into the gap where the loop goes into the lock. Then agitate it a little bit, slide it around, back and forth. This may take some tries to get a feel for it and adjust the shim to the lock. It's possible that you may rip off or break your shim. If this happens, simply make another one and try again.^{[6]
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