McLinda wrote:You're right nite0wl, they were completely stuck. I am not adept at dissembling padlocks but I felt no movement and I always pick each pin as raking is usually what I find myself doing out of frustration.
Unless you have one of the handful of 'rekeyable' or otherwise serviceable discus padlocks these locks are usually not able to be disassembled (at least in a way that allows them to be reassembled).
McLinda wrote:You brought up a subject though that I am curious about; do you really put WD40 in locks?? Because I have a couple tubes of graphite powder that I usually start with, and while it does end up leaving a mess, black smudges on my face and all, it seems to work perfect for old stiff pins. I love that stuff, I don't even know what it's real purpose is suppose to be for, other than lubeing locks.
I have been tempted to use wd40 but I am a very messy girl and there is no way I will be able to avoid slipping around on it, dropping my picks and wrenches, etc. Do you use it for cleaning purposes only, or as a picking aide as well?
Powder (of flake) graphite is used as a 'dry' lubricant on many types of mechanical devices where a 'wet' lubricant like grease or oil would be likely to attract or trap debris which could damage the mechanism. Locks are probably the most common use for graphite (at least in consumer-facing applications) especially as 'self-lubricating' materials have become common in manufacturing. The downside to using graphite is that if there are other lubricants present (grease or oil) or if the lock gets damp for some reason, the graphite can clump and cause obstructions. I personally prefer to use a PTFE lubricant specifically sold for use on locks (Master Lock and Abus both sell their own version and the same basic product can be found with more generic brands) it comes in both large aerosol-cans and small pen-sized applicator tubes, over this lubricant dries into a fine film which lubricates things nicely.
Before using a chemical cleaning process simply banging the lock on a table or hard surface (preferably trying to line the lock up so that the pin stacks are aligned with your axis of motion) can dislodge stuck pins and free up some of the debris which may be causing the pins to stick. Be careful about doing this with master-keyed locks as smaller mastering pins and wafers may slip or flip under this type of shock.
I primarily use WD40 as a cleaner when dust, grease, and debris have jammed up a lock (although every American Lock padlock I own gets this treatment as soon as I get it because of the factory applied grease they use). The process is messy so I usually do this in a sink or bucket. To start, find a small container large enough to fit the lock and get plenty of WD40. Put the lock into the container and use the small straw that comes with the WD40 to spray into the keyway, keep spraying even when foam comes out of the keyway and WD40 runs out of the drain holes. Hopefully you will see some of the WD40 that is running out of the back of the lock is now turning dark brown or black, this is good as the discoloration is the old grease and dirt being dissolved and carried away. I like to let the WD40 soak into the lock for a little while before trying to use a rake to work the WD40 into the harder to reach spaces of the pin stacks (just a standard raking motion with no tension while holding the lock pins-down). Do this a couple of times until the WD40 that comes out is no longer noticeably discolored (and hopefully the pins have begun to move again). After this I will usually use rubbing alcohol, turpentine or acetone to remove the WD40 (the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors forum has a useful thread on this
http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?53515-Removing-WD40-remains-from-a-clock-movement-using-Thinners-like-Turpentine-Spirits) and then flush the lock thoroughly with water before leaving it to dry (if the lock can't be disassembled leave the lock in a warm, dry place and periodically work the pins with a rake and the plug and shackle/tail with tension tools or your fingers as appropriate; this process can take a while). Ideally when you finish washing and rinsing the lock there so be no noticeable smell of any of the cleaning chemicals or WD40 (if there is, keep washing and rinsing until it is gone), and the pins should be moving again. Once you are sure that the lock is completely dry you can return to applying you normal lubricant of choice.
If even after this the pins are still stuck tight it is likely that the defect is being caused by severe wear or physical damage to the mechanism. This can only be corrected by full dis-assembly of the lock cylinder to inspect and remove damaged parts or exceptionally large non-soluble (stuff that won't dissolve, like broken springs and metal spall) debris.
I know this was a bit long winded but I hope it helps.
