Copper Wire Door Unlocking Tool

Slide this tool under most doors to grab the handle on the other side and open it.

One of my friends at MIT is very involved in the hacker culture there. He described a tool hackers there use to open doors that slides under a door and pulls on the handle on the other side. This makes loads of sense as most doors are only locked from one side; you want to keep people out, not in. He didn't give any details at all other than that the tool slides under the door. I was interested, and left this project on the back burner for a few months.

Fast forward. I'm at Carnege Mellon now, and all the noob freshman are locking themselves out. They have to wait for about an hour for the Campus Police to come open their door. Now, at MSSM I had a special secret keycard that allowed me to open room doors for the nubcake first years who locked themselves out. here, I don't have that luxury. I was reminded of the MIT hackers' solution.

I originally posted this on my blog. I love it when people read my stuff.

Step 1 Choosing material: It's harder than it looks

For such a simple device, the actual design of it is increasingly complicated. Originally I had planned to use a rigid piece of metal that would enter on the far side of the door from the handle, turn and force the handle down like a lever. An hour's worth of wandering around Home Depot proved that this was unrealistic as nothing would be stiff enough to not bend when pushing down on the handle. Instead I found some 6 gauge copper wire.

6 gauge copper wire is perfect for this problem for two reasons. Number 1, it is stiff enough to maintain a shape once bent despite a reasonable amount of pressure applied to it. Number 2, it is bendy enough that you don't ruin your soft typing fingers on it. 4 gauge: too hard. 8 gauge: too soft. 6 gauge: just right.

Comments

[aplauche]

thats pwn

[Squid Tamer]

I will now use the dead-bolt and the little chainey thing while at hotels. I may also use a good door stop, or a chair.

[mikesty]

Nice. Unfortunately, Virginia Tech has knobs. Well ... fortunately, as well, maybe.

[theRIAA]

isn't that not ADAA compliant? how would fingerless people open a door?

[RobbGodshaw]

round doorknobs aren't ADA compliant. you're right, but chances are, either are the dorms.

[joemonkey]

what does the riaa stand for? the retarded imbicles of america association? right-handed iguana assosiation of art?

[mikesty]

The same way they hold the key to unlock it.

[big dawg]

that looks awesome, but how does the knob get pulled down? does the wire have be pulled outwards for the knob to move?

[StrangeRover]

Great hack - but really hard to follow as all the photos are WAY too dark. Can you fix that? Thanks

[Cleodolinda]

I didn't see the handle dip down...how did it open?

[GorillazMiko]

Cool Instructable, sadly I do not have a doorknob with the key thing.. but still, good job.