can you suggest a no labor cleaning method

[jgencinc]

I have a bunch of BEST padlocks, they were used outside for years. Most of them have not been opened in years. The brass bodies are oxidized, as are the shackles. Any suggestion on ways to clean them without having to scrub them?

[darksidedsam2]

you lazy person..

ok get a bowl ..

squirt almost a whole bottle of ketchup in ..

mix with vinegar

leave for 16 hours or more..

then wash and they be shiny as new

[darksidedsam2]

i forgot to say put the padlocks in after filling and mixing with vinegar lol

[VashTSPD]

...does that work?

[VashTSPD]

and what is the proportion of ketsup to vinegar?

[Temple]

Yes it "should" work ketsup is made from tomatoes which are acidic and vinager is also acidic so they will eat away at the oxidation.

I would also suggest rinsing in very hot water to get all the ketsup out of the insides and treat with a light weight oil.

[Shrub]

If you have a look around for a post i made in one of the other recent threads on how to clean brass and locks up etc i said how the antique dealers do it, they mix some anomia with water and washing up liquid in a bucket, put the parts in over night and they are spotless in the morning,

You wil have to do some searchign to find the thread for the mix quantaties as i cant remember them,

[LockNewbie21]

Omg, can someone teach me to wipe my @$$ without moving?


Get Keroseen, and put the lock in.

This will clean it, search for this topic, many threads with good pictures showing results will appear.

How ever, you will have to dissaseble the lock (work)

Remove pins and put in keroseen remove when clean (work)

Replace springs as needed(work,money)

Then the plug (work)

Reassmble (work)


Heres a fast way to get into stuff as well.. simply disreag the title. Not everyone can see this ya know.. but it will kelp.

http://www.flashplayer.com/music/doyoul ... php#bottom

[p1ckf1sh]

Get Keroseen, and put the lock in.

Not everyone can get kerosene that easily. In a lot of euro contries solvents are voluntarily controlled (i.e. not by some law but by a voluntary agreement of the industry and retailers themselves. Even getting stuff like pure xylene or toluene is tricky here, while it is sold by the drum to anyone who wants it in the US.

That has reasons, but this is not the place to get into that.

So, if anyone is having trouble sourcing good cleaning stuff, you can just as well use some paint thinner from a hardware store. It will not do a lot about the oxidation problems, but it will remove all the gunked-up oil residues, graphite, etc. An old toothbrush, maybe slight cut to shape, is helpful to clean the plug bore. So are pipe cleaners (littls wires with fuzzy hairs on them), you can use those to clean out the pin chambers nicely.

[LockNewbie21]

Ugg... nobody taught me the hands free butt whiping method

[Temple]

Hands free is dragging your butt across the floor like a beagle with worms.

[p1ckf1sh]

Hands free is dragging your butt across the floor like a beagle with worms.

Q: What does an elephant use to wipe his bum?
A: peehs A

(Answer is spelled backwards...)

[mrdan]

I have a bunch of BEST padlocks, they were used outside for years. Most of them have not been opened in years. The brass bodies are oxidized, as are the shackles. Any suggestion on ways to clean them without having to scrub them?

Well, I was watching this episode of Mythbusters where they were "cleaning" out a cement truck. It involved high explosives but the labor was minimal.

[Squelchtone]

If you have a look around for a post i made in one of the other recent threads on how to clean brass and locks up etc i said how the antique dealers do it, they mix some anomia with water and washing up liquid in a bucket, put the parts in over night and they are spotless in the morning,

You wil have to do some searchign to find the thread for the mix quantaties as i cant remember them,

I'm not sure if they sell it where you live but have you ever heard of Brasso? I've heard it's really good, but haven't tried it myself.

Squelchtone

[LockNewbie21]

I'll clean um for oyu.. the cost is one cylinder per cleam