wear and tear

[nosey1]

A wipe on and then off with a cloth of your picks with a light oil is acceptable but NEVER put oil in the lock itself

This goes for all locks, oil may appear to improve things in the short term, but over time oil binds with dust and any other loose particles and will stop the pins from moving freely. That's as bad for picking as for regular use with a key.
OIL+LOCK=PROBLEMS

Use graphite powder (if you haven't any,you can make your own by finely grinding the lead of a pencil with a sharpener, just be careful not to include any wood shavings! You don't need much)

[ObiWonShinobi]

Master #1 and Master #3 both pick quickly on the first day.
But after that they get gunked up pretty quick.

I've heard SEVERAL locksmiths say NEVER use graphite.
Some even swear by WD-40.

But I understand the 'grit sticking to oil' argument
(and I've heard it just as much)

Now I gotta go buy two IDENTICAL locks and
abuse the &*$#@%& out of both of them.
Treat one with WD and one with graphite.
ohh shucks, maybe I'll even buy the good stuff.

Dont ask me tomorrow what my results were,
Im gonna push the abuse on for a little while.

[mercurial]

A wipe on and then off with a cloth of your picks with a light oil is acceptable but NEVER put oil in the lock itself

This goes for all locks, oil may appear to improve things in the short term, but over time oil binds with dust and any other loose particles and will stop the pins from moving freely. That's as bad for picking as for regular use with a key.
OIL+LOCK=PROBLEMS

Use graphite powder (if you haven't any,you can make your own by finely grinding the lead of a pencil with a sharpener, just be careful not to include any wood shavings! You don't need much)

I would not advise using graphite from pencils. You are quite correct that the 'lead' in todays pencils does is in fact graphite, but there is also a substantial amount of clay in it, to serve as a hardener. This also allows for the different hardness pencils, by changing the ratio of graphite to clay. Clay is abrasive - and abrasives do not belong inside locks.

It shouldn't be too hard to find real graphite powder. Any hardware store should have it in little 'puffer' bottles/tubes. Places which offer key-cutting services often sell it too. Artist supply shops should also sell pure graphite 'sticks' or crayons. That would be a much safer than pencils for those who cannot simply buy pure graphite powder.

There does seem to be some controversy with respect to using graphite in locks - some lockies swear by it, others advise against using it.

If you are going to use graphite, you only need apply TINY amount. I am sure some problems with graphite result from people simply using too much.

Another problem which can arise is when graphite comes into contact with a lock already lubricated with something else (specifically greases & oils) - the graphite plus the oil makes a nice mud to gum up the lock.

If you flush out and clean a lock thoroughly, to remove any other lubricants/greases/oils(brake cleaner would be a good start), and then apply a little graphite you will have no problems.

As far as WD40 goes, it is NOT to be used as a lock lubricant. It can be useful to free up a really jammed up lock, but it is then essential to flush out any residual WD40, followed by applying a suitable lubricant.

My own preference in most situations is tri-flow or other silicon lubes.

...Mark

[lockpick1968]

I personally do not recommend to use wd-40 ect to lube locks because it is like others has said, it will cause the lock to gather and goop up dirt,dust, ect and gum the lock up badly after a short period of time.

There are several types of graphite powder and some does consist of clay ingredients, stay away from it as well. There is a graphite powder that is safe to use, just have to read them.

[Picklocking]

Ok, about those cheapie locks.
Cheap locks in my experience can be a) incredibly easy to pick or b) extremely hard to pick if you dont have the exact tools.

First of all if you bought cheap locks they are propably small? Small locks means small keyways wich leads us to small tools. If the tensiontool takes ½ the space of the plug it meens that when you enter the pick its impossible to manipulate the pins without disturbing its neighbours, or neather if you trye to rake such lock it just pushes the pins too high.

This was my problem with my veryfirst locks I bought. Even I can pick now much more sefisticated locks I still need to use a paperclip to pick those chinalocks just because of the lack of space

[maintenanceguy]

I've read that graphite was the only lubricant for a lock too. I agree that oils will capture dirt and eventually clog things up.

but graphite is so messy, it's just not worth it in my opinion. Without fail, some lady in a white dress will be the next to use the lock and rub her key all over the dress when she's done.

WD40 is my lube of choice for locks. It's thin enough to not gum up as much as heavier oils and if one ever does gum up. The only time we lube locks at all is if they start to bind. If a WD lubed lock does ever gum up (I maintain thousands of locks and can't say for sure that I've ever seen this) , you can easlily flush it with a spray of WD again.

One of the reasons I like WD is that it's thin ehough that it leaves almost no oil in the lock.

[Einzee]

WD-40 is a solvent based product which is why it penetrates so well. The solvents in WD-40 also work well to clean out locks. IMO, I would never use WD-40 for cleaning a lock..... only to free up a stuck part. Brake Cleaner is the best choice because it leaves no residue.

[lockeymoto]

Brake cleaner does work great, especially with removing paint on vehicles...