Abloy PL3020 padlock cutaway

[Jaakko]

Hi again and welcome to see some pictures of Abloy PL3020 brass padlock

About a month ago I contacted Abloy via email and asked how I could/should make a cutaway from the PL3020 padlock. Little over week ago I got an email from the techinal support of Abloy and a friendly person at the Abloy was very interested about my issue and provided me with five pictures. The person said that they haven't heard of anyone making a cutaway from this type of lock, as it is riveted together at the factory, thus preventing from opening it without destroying it somehow. These pictures showed in marking how the lock could be cut to keep it intact and still provide an open view to the internals.

Naturally I got excited about the answer provided and thanked for the info Couple of days later, when visiting my parents at another city, I took a heading towards a shopping mall. From there I bought the Abloy PL3020 brass padlock with hardened steel shackle, which cost me 15.90 euros. That was the cheapest one I could find, all the other places were selling the same lock at prices ranging 18 to 25 euros.

The same day I bought the lock, I visited another el cheapo store here at Tampere and bought a nice set of needle files Six files, 100mm long each, all in a nice plastic case cost me 3.95 euros. Already at home I had a bench grinder and a Dremel-like tool, so I was more than ready to start butchering this beatiful new lock I had

Every day the past eight days I have been cutting, grinding, cursing and couple of times I almost quit the whole mess and now I'm done! Well, done as in "I have had enough" There is a few things I could have done better or could have finished off better, but as this is my first cutaway ever from this type of padlock (actually, any padlock) and all I knew was that it has a 2.5mm thick brass body and a few guesses about the orientation of the internals, I'm pretty happy with the end result Let the pictures below tell their story:

Here is an overall picture showing the 3020 model number. Also visible is the locking bar under the shackle and my addition, a little length of a chain to keep the key(s) from missing
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00004.jpg

This is a close-up from the same side as the above picture. Notice the scratch marks on the locking bar and on various spots on the inner parts.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00005.jpg

In here is visible the thickness of the locks body. It is somewhat thinner at the sides where the Abloy logos are and on top where the locking bar is located. Also notice that the locking bar is floating free, it has no kind of spring to push it up. In the second picture is visible false gates on the disks.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00008.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00010.jpg

Here is a picture from the other long side of the lock. The lock is riveted from the right side end. They put all the intenals in to the body, place an end cap and with a huge force they rivet the bodys rim a little bit over the end cap. There is one spring in this type of lock and it is located in that gap seen on right side of the picture. There is a hole drilled to the inner core and the spring is in that hole, pushing against the end cap. I can only assume that the springs function is to hold the diskpack tight so that when the lock wears, it stays operational.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00012.jpg

This is a close-up of the locking bar. As can be seen, I have left this side of the inner cylinder intact. That is because there is not much interesting under it and I didn't have the patience to cut it anymore
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00013.jpg

In this one I have started to turn the key to open the lock. This is pictured from the bottom of the lock. Visible is all the 11 disks and their notches, except the first one from the right. It is the protection against drilling, as it just spins when drilled as there is no notch to catch on anything. On the left side of the picture is visible the locking end of the shackle. The shackle has a cut in it, where the locks inner core rotates into to lock it. The end of the inner core is shaped like a letter C when viewed from the end.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00014.jpg

The key has been turned almost the needed 90 degrees to open the lock. The notches have started to line up with the cuts on the key.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00016.jpg

At the same time on the top side of the lock, all the cuts in the disks are lining up to form a groove for the locking bar to go into. In the last picture the locking bar has dropped to the groove formed by the cuts on the disks, thus disengaging the inner core from the outer body, allowing the inner core to turn to open position.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00017.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00019.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00020.jpg

The inner core has turned just enough to let the shackle free.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00021.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00023.jpg

Notice the cut on the end of the shackle. The inner cores C-like end rotates to catch on this when the lock is closed.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00024.jpg

A view from the top. Notice the disks: There appears to be false gates, but actually these are the marks I made by cutting too much of the inner sleeve They don't affect the operation of the lock, but are still unnecessary. Also the locking bar got hit too.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00026.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00028.jpg

After I made the cutaway, I took an old tootbrush, generous amounts of fluorisizing (I'm not sure about that word) toothpaste and scrubbed the lock and the keys Believe, this removes all the dark spots from the lock and it looks almost like freshly cut brass After the wash I dried the lock, attached the keys to the chain and locked the chain. The chain is from a hardware stores plumbing section, it is intended for those rubber "stoppers" or "gaskets" you use in your sink to keep the water in Yes, my knowledge of common english words sucks

And after cleaning and finishing, I put the lock in the same plastic enclosure where it came from the store Works well and keeps the dirt away. Behind the locks body shines the keycode, or actually half of it
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00029.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/einstein/lp101/Abloy-PL3020/00033.jpg

So, now you know what is inside the Abloy PL3020 brass padlock. I hope you all enjoyed and are happy with my work effort I'm happy as the HSS-cutter missed my thumb while making the cutaway

[RangerF150]

You put a serious amount of work into that , both the post and the lock !
Well done
Awesome stuff .....

[Phatphish]

Thanks Jaakko, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post! marvelous.
Leads on to the question, what's next?

[Jaakko]

Leads on to the question, what's next?

Abloy PL330 I guess, I only lack the necessary money for it

And thank you all for encouraging posts! I feel that when making these cutaways and especially these topics about them, it is very important to tell everything and to show a good amount of good pictures. That way the topic starts as interesting and probably someone from the audience catches up and tries the same

[Kaellman]

Very good coverage and awesome pics mate! Cutting a brass lock takes alot of precision and will. Looking forward to see your next cut-away

[JackNco]

Another great job there. your loving these abloy cutaways arnt you.

[raimundo]

great job and an interesting lock. the security flaw I see in it is the rivet hinge on the shackle, that would be the drill point if you had to break one of these I would guess, unless they have an anti drill pin in there somewhere.

[Jaakko]

your loving these abloy cutaways arnt you.

How so?

I'm making these for multiple reasons. One is that the Abloy is readily available here, much like a Kwikset in the states. Second is that I have seen many cutaways from pin tumblers and all that comes from China, but very few Abloys. In way you could think that I'm introducing the Abloys to the wider audience and showing what makes 'em tick

[Jaakko]

great job and an interesting lock. the security flaw I see in it is the rivet hinge on the shackle, that would be the drill point if you had to break one of these I would guess, unless they have an anti drill pin in there somewhere.

I don't know if there is any anti-drill pin in there, but drilling that rivet is going to do nothing. If you take a close look on the shackles end where you see the cut/groove and think about how the inner core locks onto it (the inner cores lip rotates into that cut), the shackle is not free to rock lengthwise. The shackles movement to the sides is restricted by the brass shoulders.

If I find a PL3020 laying around with no need, I'll cut the locking pin from the shoulder and tell you about it

[JackNco]

your loving these abloy cutaways arnt you.

How so?

I'm making these for multiple reasons. One is that the Abloy is readily available here, much like a Kwikset in the states. Second is that I have seen many cutaways from pin tumblers and all that comes from China, but very few Abloys. In way you could think that I'm introducing the Abloys to the wider audience and showing what makes 'em tick

Oh ya i love it. just that 2 in 3 days isnt it ?

[Jaakko]

just that 2 in 3 days isnt it ?

Say what? As you already know, my skills in understanding english, especially short sentences/sayings sucks

If you mean that I have done two cutaway presentations in three days, then no. It is two in four days

[JackNco]

sorry, i will try and use better grammar in future.

[Jaakko]

sorry, i will try and use better grammar in future.

Or use longer sentences I have noticed that when sentence is not grammatically correct and it is short, it is not very easy to understand. If, however, the sentence is long or there is something along the lines added, it is easier to guess from the context This time I guessed from the context

I myself hate it when I don't know some word in english. Like that rubbery thing normally found in a sink at the end of the chain Really frustrating to think "synonyms" and try to explain something to another.

Hmm...that got a little offtopic I hijacked my own thread...must be a record of somekind

[JackNco]

Or use longer sentences I have noticed that when sentence is not grammatically correct and it is short, it is not very easy to understand. If, however, the sentence is long or there is something along the lines added, it is easier to guess from the context This time I guessed from the context

If you ever have any trouble with any English translations on here or anywhere else please feel free to ask me. I know how frustrating it can be.

I myself hate it when I don't know some word in english. Like that rubbery thing normally found in a sink at the end of the chain Really frustrating to think "synonyms" and try to explain something to another.

Thats called a "Plug".

[Jaakko]

Thank you for the offer, I'll have to remember that when in need

I myself hate it when I don't know some word in english. Like that rubbery thing normally found in a sink at the end of the chain Really frustrating to think "synonyms" and try to explain something to another.

Thats called a "Plug".

Just for the record, if UWSDWF is reading this: Don't post it. Really, I have seen it