Why the Combination Lock?
AUG 2026
Until taking this lock apart, I hadn't used a combination lock in years. Maybe since high school? But I'll never forget the series of steps to unlock it. I remember always turning it countless times just to be sure I had reset it. And sometimes forgetting to turn past the first number during the unlocking. And thanks to this teardown, now I know why both of those steps are necessary, not just recommendations!
How Do You Open the Lock?
Let's review the steps to open the lock, in case you've forgotten. And here's your combination. Don't forget it!
18
39
23
STEP 1
Turn the dial Clockwise 3 times
Stop on the first number,
18
STEP 2
Turn Counterclockwise, past
18
stopping at
39
STEP 3
Turn the dial Clockwise to
23
Open the lock!
Let's See What's Iniside!
Let's take the assembly apart to see what's going on.
There are two main sub-assemblies inside the lock: the Shackle Assembly and the Cam Assembly. They work together, but they each deserve their own sections.
Let's Look at the Shackle Assembly First
Inside the Shackle Assembly is the locking mechanism.
Let's look at the critical parts of the Shackle Assembly and understand how they move within the system.
Now let's put the whole system together and open up the lock!
What happens if we try to open up the lock with the wrong combination?
Now that we understand how the Shackle system pulls up, and doesn't, we're ready to decipher the Cam system.
Let's Now Look At The Cam Assembly
Open up the Cam Assembly to see what's going on.
To remove the Shackle and unlock the lock, we need to align the notches on each of the three Cams. Each Cam has pins that will help us align those notches. Let's understand how these interact with each other.
Let's Unlock the Lock!
Before you enter your combination, you need to turn the lock 3 times to reset it.
Okay now that it's reset, let's continue on and enter our combination.
What happens if you don't turn past the 1st number?
