Keep those keyed locks locked

[pavtron]

Keeping all your keyed locks locked until you play with them ensures you have a key to open it in the first place. Nothing like finding out the key fits... but doesn't open the lock.

I keep mine on a rope.

[occorics]

Keeping all your keyed locks locked until you play with them ensures you have a key to open it in the first place. Nothing like finding out the key fits... but doesn't open the lock.

I keep mine on a rope.

I do the same. I also leave the keys in, so I don't have to search for them before I want to play...

[lj]

My solution, several years back when I got into partnered kink was to buy 12 keyed-alike padlocks and bin all the rest.

All locks are tested before use, and every now and then given a small squirt of WD40, and any that seem difficult to open also get binned.

Of course that prevents the "find the key" scenarios - if deliberate, not so much fun if not!

[Shannon SteelSlave]

I have only used penetrating oils to free things that are frozen. (Not locks, thank goodness)

[bound_jenny]

I find it interesting that WD40 is used as a penetrant or a lubricant, when it is a "WD", water displacement product (number 40). Using it as a lubricant (which it is not!) just makes things worse in the long run.

I heard this from a lady mechanic who does a radio show on Saturday morning here in my neck of the woods. I hear her complain about this regularly (I tend to believe her because of her profession and experience). To lubricate locks, use a drop or two of light oil like sewing machine oil or something like that.

jm2c...

Jenny.

[Gregovic]

For padlocks (and locks in general) it's often recommended to use a dry (powder) lubricant. Oils tend to get gunky after some time and hold gunk and grime in the lock. If you use a liquid lubricant make sure it's a light oil that doesn't dry out (a light ptfe spray works fine).

WD40 (The original stuff) shouldn't be relied on as a lubricant. It does work well to free up a gunked up lock, but after you get it moving, soak it in brake cleaner or a solvent of choice to clean it out, then lubricate with a proper oil.

[Shannon SteelSlave]

Water Displacement Formulas 1 - 39 (And Preparations A - G) were complete failures. But after 40 tries, they invented a working water displacement formula, that removes moisture, but attracts stuff. PB Blaster is a good penetrating oil for freeing up rusty bolts, or whatever, but unreliable as a permanent lubricant.
Personally, I would never reuse a lock that got stuck or rusted. But to protect it from rusting, I would try Mercon Dexron 3 or higher automatic transmission fluid, which is essentially a 10-weight detergenated gear oil that will coat the moving parts, as well as clean out dirt, if you choose to flood and flush fluid through it. Motor oil would work, but is unlikely to flow into a lock. If you can't get these, then maybe you have a bottle of 3-in-1 oil laying around somewhere.

[ruru67]

For padlocks (and locks in general) it's often recommended to use a dry (powder) lubricant. Oils tend to get gunky after some time and hold gunk and grime in the lock. If you use a liquid lubricant make sure it's a light oil that doesn't dry out (a light ptfe spray works fine).

That's what I've always understood, and what I got (graphite powder lubricant) when looking for "lock lube". But my partner went looking for same and got given a "lock lube" that was an oil. Shrug Still, graphite is my go-to.

Re WD-40: https://www.wd40.com/history/

I love the fact that company was set up to do one thing: make a water displacement formula for aerospace applications (specifically, the Atlas ICBM; the company was originally called the Rocket Chemical Company). Even now, the WD-40 company has a very small holding of product companies that do related stuff besides the core WD-40 product.