american lock

[biggar101]

Hey i just found this lock in the ground its a american lock xex series L50 it looks very old and its all durty how should i clean this lock and pick it?



P.S i cant see any of the pins they might be stuck from all the dirt thanks

[triman247]

You could polish and cleen the outside with a rag, but inside the lock... I might try wsing some compressed air that you use to clean camera lenses. I'm pretty sure that it might get some dirt out of the keyway. I'm not sure if this will do the whole job. I think it might help a little.

[Chucklz]

I would probably get a can of wd40. Not a spray bottle, but an actual can of the fluid and soak the lock in that for a few days. I would probably change the fluid after I felt most of the dirt came out. You might also wish to try turpentine, but do be careful in whatever solvent you use to cover the container andkeep it outside. Flammable vapors are bad.

[sonic]

Since it is dirt and not grease, you might consider soap and water followed with a good dose of compressed air. This has worked for me in the past.

After you get everything working well, and get it dried back out, you will need to put some lubricant in it to prevent rust. I am NOT a WD40 fan since it gets gummy over time. I generally us LPS or another penetrating oil that does not get gummy over time.

Will the plug turn at all or is it frozen up as well?

[Chucklz]

I also dont like WD40 for lubrication, but I find it cleans fairly well. I've never tried soapy water, it just seems like a bad idea, but it looks like I will have to add it to my bag o tricks.

[biggar101]

thanks guys i think i got most of the durt off in the inside but now it dosent have pins but the flat things like in cabnitlocks on both sides like up and down

[quickpicks]

It sounds like someone put the pins in wrong The pins could just be really worn down.

[biggar101]

ok i just cleaned it and now it clean but some more durt is coming out and the flat pins dont move yet but theres for sure pins on the top and bottom but a wierd keyway it looks like this
never mind could not get the picutre up and loaded but if any one wants to see the keyway made in paint talk to me on msn ezey_62@hotmail.com

[quickpicks]

by the way you described the pins, it sounds like someone rotated the plug too far and the upper pins got trapped in the keyway.

[keysman]

Sounds like you have an Old American padloc, They use a double sided key , wafers on both sides.

Pretty easy to pick ,once you get the wafers moving..
Try a little WD40 to loosen it up.