Lock classes
Every mechanical lock in this guide is built around the same idea — a moving part that blocks a plug from rotating until the correct input aligns it. What differs is the mechanism.
Intermediate
Pin-Tumbler Door Lock
Spring-loaded pin stacks aligned at a shear line.
Read guide→Advanced
Spool / Security-Pin Padlock
Pin-tumbler with security pins that cause false sets.
Read guide→Advanced
Dimple Lock
Pins read dimples milled into a flat key, not edge cuts.
Read guide→Beginner
Wafer Lock
Flat wafers in place of pin stacks.
Read guide→Intermediate
Tubular Lock
Pins arranged in a ring around a central post.
Read guide→Advanced
Disc-Detainer / Abloy
Rotating discs plus a sidebar — no springs.
Read guide→