A personal diary is almost a part of the soul, as it collects the person's most intimate secrets and thoughts. It can also have important dates, plans and names that can have world importance if we're talking about monarchs, celebrities and politicians. Even though you may not be a member of parliament, your thoughts are no less important to you. What to do if you've lost a key to your diary and desperately want to unlock it? If you face this trouble, the article below might be helpful for you and you won't have to call emergency locksmith services. It can also be useful if you've found an ancient diary of your ancestors and want to know the family stories. However, use the methods reasonably. We assume you won't be applying them to read other people's secrets. If your answer is “I won't,” we welcome you to read the article below.
How do diary locks work
Before unlocking diary locks, it's important to know how they work, as the opening process greatly depends on that. Most diaries have padlocks of different styles with simplified warded locking mechanisms. Only a few have combination locks, picking which requires a safe-like treatment. Here we'll discuss how to open a padlock on the diary.
What is their working principle? Usually, they require rotation pressure applied inside the lock body, so a person doesn't need to pick the entire key, only its tip. In other words, you don't have to be a professional locksmith and have special knowledge to unlock the diary lock.
How secure are diary locks
We probably won't surprise you if we say that diary locks offer more privacy than security. Anyone who wants to unlock it will be able to do it, so if you relied much on the diary lock to keep your thoughts locked like in a safe, you might be disappointed at this point. The only recommendation might be in this situation is to hide the diary from prying eyes so that other people wouldn't have a temptation to unlock it one day.
If you're ready to move to the hacks, we invite you to keep reading.
How to pick a diary lock with a bobby pin
Of course, the easiest way to open a diary is to cut the lock. However, picking may become a better option if you plan to use it again. Take the following steps if you want to unlock the diary with a bobby pin.
Step 1. Get a bobby pin and insert its round corner into the keyhole until you feel it touches the back of the lock.
Step 2. Apply a little pressure and twist the bobby pin clockwise (to the right) until the lock is opened.
That's pretty much it!
How to pick a diary lock with a paperclip
If you don't have a bobby pin at hand, you can get rid of the diary lock with a paperclip. Unlike the previous method, you will have to do a couple of bends here.
Step 1. Take a paperclip and straighten out the middle bend so that you have two hooks at the opposite sides: a smaller and a bigger one.
Step 2. Get pliers and crimp the fat end so that it looks like a round bobby pin's end and is slender enough to fit into the keyhole.
Step 3. Stick the crimped end into the keyway all the way until it meets the end of the lock inside.
Step 4. Turn it clockwise, applying some pressure until you feel the lock is open.
How to pick a diary lock with a shim
If you don't have bobby pins or a paperclip at hand but have a piece of metal called a shim, you will also be able to unlock the diary. Here is the third trick for picking a diary lock using handy materials. However, this tool requires a little bit more patience.
Step 1. Take a shim, a pair of tweezers and a small flat screwdriver.
Step 2/b>. Insert tweezers into the gap between the tumbler and the keyway and gently move it to the side.
Step 3/b>. Stick a shim to the same hole and push it until it reaches the tumbler.
Step 4/b>. Apply a screwdriver to press against the shim carefully and twist it clockwise until you feel like it touched something inside. This should unlock the diary lock.
Summing up
A lost diary key is not the end of the world and this article is a clear sign in favor of that. You can pick the faulty lock without prior experience and special knowledge, with the help of at-hand materials. However, if you feel someone else may get access to your secrets, consider storing the diary in a hidden place.
