Lock lubricant a blessing and a curse

[gademsky]

I mentioned previously that I am very new to locks and so far mostly interested in picking them, how they work and simple hobby play. I can see where a lock smith career is one of those professions that can offer life time learning opportunities...and where there are many different facets to this as a career. Things like cars, safes, doors, restoration.....

anyway what are the names of the most widely read professional journals and is there one for a beginner like me? I have a serious career already and this is just a fun diversion.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Not sure if any are available to the general public aside from the Locksmith Ledger but you also have Keynotes, The National Locksmith, The Independent Locksmith Journal.

Stick around and apply to the restricted forums when you meet the requirements. I plan to start sharing my articles on there in the next few months.

[sleepyrz]

for the gummed up locks i generally use wd40 and run a key blank in an out of it until it frees up follow it up with brake cleaner and do the same

wash rinse and repeat for luxurious hair

[Tyler J. Thomas]

for the gummed up locks i generally use wd40 and run a key blank in an out of it until it frees up follow it up with brake cleaner and do the same

wash rinse and repeat for luxurious hair

Kind of overkill, mate. I mean, I get the debate over the best lubricant but this kind of....is pointless?

As I've stated, WD-40 is not the best lubricant because it contains very little lubricating oil by weight. But brake cleaners are usually nothing more than proprietary solvents. Brakleen is about 90-95% tetrachloroethylene, which is an organic solvent. 3M Brake Cleaner is primarily acetone (solvent) and naphtha (solvent). Both have virtually no lubricating properties.

It would be better to first use a brake cleaner and then follow it up with WD40 if you only had these two products.

[sleepyrz]

well it depends on what you are working on doesnt it?

if it frees up with some wd40 stop......

if it doesnt then hit it with the brake cleaner to dissolve the heavy crud

wait for that to flash off and add back a little lube/solvent aka wd40

i have run into some pretty gooey stuff man

especially some old automotive stuff where the grease has turned into this hardened shmoo

its not for lubricating purposes here its for the initial part where you are just trying to get stuff to be able to move at all

[Tyler J. Thomas]

So, again, why not go straight to the solvent?

[gademsky]

Thanks for the leads on the journal....I will need to think of a few comments to make during the next couple months so I can have access to more of this forum.

I have a few more questions and next few days I will post those. As I search for lock picking practice padlocks, its amazing how many locks are sitting in my friends basements and garages for many years.....not much high security, but lots of old master locks and looks like slay maker must have sold a lot of locks in the Buffalo, NY area as they are turning up.

Thanks for the answer on cleaning locks....

I decided to go to the lock show in Lancaster, PA on 7/16/16.....figure that will expand my knowledge and be something new and interesting for me.

[nine4t4]

Lubing locks.... If graphite isn't the answer the lock needs to be repaired

To those that think lubricant is a good idea, I have a question for you. With all the advances in metallurgy over the years why is most of a lock brass? Sure there is the occasional spring,C-clip, or anti-drill part that is steel: But, even the high-end locks use brass!! Why?

Brass on Brass is very low friction. It doesn't really need lubrication. Once in a while graphite does help but adding anything oil based to a lock is just a temporary fix that will hold dust and debris in the lock. I know some guys think silicone doesn't count, but over time it will affect the lock negatively.

Unless the brass is in contact with dissimilar metals, galvanic corrosion isn't a problem. When it does corrode, it pits. But, because it's malleable the pitting (the zinc being removed) can be worked back to smooth. It's kinda self-repairing.

If you can fix a sticky lock with lubricant, it's likely because someone before you put lubricant in the lock Subsequent applications of Boeshield or wd-40 are merely acting as a solvent to help dissolve the old lube and dust mixture. They only work short term and eventually the lock needs to be cleaned properly.