Lock Restoration: How do you Restore?

[Papa Gleb]

Ill try the low speed today and see how that goes. The shackle is shiny new and Ill post pictures of everything else.
I already took everything apart, cleaned the bible, plug, spring, balls and then brakleen all of the part just as a final de-greaser then coat the body and put it all together. I already hand cut the key so after assembly the lock will be in pretty damn good shape. Only down side is that it has only 2 or 3 spools and I do not have any pins that small to make them all security and for that 6th chamber.

I also recently acquired 2 lots of old locks (mostly all of them are brass) which I will be cleaning and restoring so Ill post those as I go but this brings me to my next questions as all this time we have been speaking mainly about steel so let me switch us to brass, especially old brass. Any ideas or experience of how to work with it. I have already learned myself that a brass brush works well to clean it but not so much to remove and a steel brush works well to remove material so it will bring back that shine plus depends how hard you brush.

I have a few old brass locks that have turned dark (sorry forgot the term/name) and I want to clean them a bit but at the same time do not want to bring the original shine. At the current WB I am working on, the shackle ends (when closed part of shackle inside the body) is much lighter than the body but still has that aged color. I am playing around with it make the entire lock look like that.

[Papa Gleb]

Also, any info on brass locks covered with a nickle or other silver like coating? specifically who to clean them. I have two best locks which have their ususal modern silver or nickle coating but one of them it has a nick and you can see that its a brass body cover. I want to clean it but at the same time do not want to remove that coating as it will kill the look of the lock. I also dont want to test on it lol

[Papa Gleb]

Would anyone like to add anything?
I am in the process of assembling back my 2 Americans and will post before/after pics once I am done.

[GWiens2001]

As for reassembly, I use a small amount of silicone dielectric grease (silicone paste at an auto parts store) to lubricate the cam and bearings on American (or other brand) locks. Then a tiny shot of Tri-Flow to lubricate the lock cylinder to keep the key and lock cylinder working smoothly.

Gordon

[Oldfast]

+1 on the Tri-Flow. I like it.

[Papa Gleb]

Going to try that tri-flow next. I picked up a can of lithium grease which I havent tried yet but was told it will work great for the cam and balls.

A change in topic but not worth its own thread, Gordon, Oldfast, how do you guys get the balls back into the lock. I only, so far, assembled back a 700 series and after several stupid attempts I realized the body was cut so that the balls can dropped in from the top and not balancing from the bottom but with the 2 I am currently working with (5200) they dont have that set up.

[jones]

Going to try that tri-flow next. I picked up a can of lithium grease which I havent tried yet but was told it will work great for the cam and balls.

A change in topic but not worth its own thread, Gordon, Oldfast, how do you guys get the balls back into the lock. I only, so far, assembled back a 700 series and after several stupid attempts I realized the body was cut so that the balls can dropped in from the top and not balancing from the bottom but with the 2 I am currently working with (5200) they dont have that set up.

Don't use that lithium grease in hotter climates, it turns into paste in high heat.
Even the auto lock manufacturers have finally learned. They used to provide a tube with the newer car door locks,
But now they are using a red-colored grease instead of the white lithium

Far as the tri-flow goes, it works fine, I use it myself, but you may wanna remember that it is a dirt & dust magnet
Most lock manufacturers suggest using a dry lube, like graphite or even teflon powder

[GWiens2001]

Going to try that tri-flow next. I picked up a can of lithium grease which I havent tried yet but was told it will work great for the cam and balls.

A change in topic but not worth its own thread, Gordon, Oldfast, how do you guys get the balls back into the lock. I only, so far, assembled back a 700 series and after several stupid attempts I realized the body was cut so that the balls can dropped in from the top and not balancing from the bottom but with the 2 I am currently working with (5200) they dont have that set up.

I drop them in from the side you install the lock cylinder from. Hold the shackle in the locked position while reassembling. One of the nice things about using the paste or grease is that it will help hold the bearings in the channels on the side while you install the cam. So put your greased balls into the holes, and use your tool to push them where they belong.

Next, install the cam, the lock core and the retainer with the sex nut. Use the key to turn the lock to the unlocked, then locked position. (This also lets you test that it is working right before getting the padlock locked and then finding out it don't work. Now hold the sex nut and retainer in place, and turn the lock over. Install the screw. Test it out by wrapping a chain through the spokes of your car tire and locking it with the padlock. If you did reassemble it correctly, you will be able to remove the chain. If not, you will have an interesting drive while you figure out how to get the lock apart.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Gordon

[Lauren]

I once believed that polishing antique padlocks was the way to go. WRONG!

If you have hardened rust or patina, leave it there. Never take a wire wheel or Dremel to any antique lock. The value will be changed and besides, these features are part of the antiquity. I can't believe sellers on Ebay/Youtube do it (one in particular really pisses me off).

Even the slightest hint of texture, paint or plating left on the lock is part of the historical value.

[jones]

I once believed that polishing antique padlocks was the way to go. WRONG!

If you have hardened rust or patina, leave it there. Never take a wire wheel or Dremel to any antique lock. The value will be changed and besides, these features are part of the antiquity. I can't believe sellers on Ebay/Youtube do it (one in particular really pisses me off).

Even the slightest hint of texture, paint or plating left on the lock is part of the historical value.

Sooo true, any antique dealer will tell you this

[Papa Gleb]

lmao Gordon, hahaha. I think there are a few misunderstandings but nothing near major. I do use a dry lube which I got a home depot made by Blaster (great stuff) and I'm not worried about heat. As for the dirt attracted, yes that is true but without the grease, you wont get the ball bearings back in place. Which is why I asked how you guys do it meaning if there are any tricks. I used a magnet on the first 700 I had to put back together. I struck an earth magnet into the shackle hole to hold the ball which worked but its a powerful magnet that it also magnetize the ball. A side note, for this 700 I didn't have grease so I used my dry lube for all internals and it works very well. Its the same 700 that's in my video.

To add to the greasy mess, I have an American 30 with a sealed core that gives me a hard time almost always. After a long crazy struggle, I finally broke through the rivet and stood victories being oblivious that the rivet had a back up plan. All of the metal shaving from the rivet go stuck to the greasy ball and into the hole towards the cam so if the rivet didn't give me a hard enough time before I now have to completely take the lock apart and clean it all.

As for the antique lock restoration, I personally dont have much care for that old patina look. I personally would much rather see an old lock restored and shiny like it was the day is came from the factor. There are people on YouTube (not mentioning names) that do a great job restoring the locks and at the same time retain that old patina look which look amazing.

[jones]

lmao Gordon, hahaha. I think there are a few misunderstandings but nothing near major. I do use a dry lube which I got a home depot made by Blaster (great stuff) and I'm not worried about heat. As for the dirt attracted, yes that is true but without the grease, you wont get the ball bearings back in place. Which is why I asked how you guys do it meaning if there are any tricks. I used a magnet on the first 700 I had to put back together. I struck an earth magnet into the shackle hole to hold the ball which worked but its a powerful magnet that it also magnetize the ball. A side note, for this 700 I didn't have grease so I used my dry lube for all internals and it works very well. Its the same 700 that's in my video.

To add to the greasy mess, I have an American 30 with a sealed core that gives me a hard time almost always. After a long crazy struggle, I finally broke through the rivet and stood victories being oblivious that the rivet had a back up plan. All of the metal shaving from the rivet go stuck to the greasy ball and into the hole towards the cam so if the rivet didn't give me a hard enough time before I now have to completely take the lock apart and clean it all.

As for the antique lock restoration, I personally dont have much care for that old patina look. I personally would much rather see an old lock restored and shiny like it was the day is came from the factor. There are people on YouTube (not mentioning names) that do a great job restoring the locks and at the same time retain that old patina look which look amazing.

Good news about the patina destroying, cause you patina wreckers are making all my antique locks more valuable!

[Papa Gleb]

Any time Jones, any time

[Lauren]

lmao Gordon, hahaha. I think there are a few misunderstandings but nothing near major. I do use a dry lube which I got a home depot made by Blaster (great stuff) and I'm not worried about heat. As for the dirt attracted, yes that is true but without the grease, you wont get the ball bearings back in place. Which is why I asked how you guys do it meaning if there are any tricks. I used a magnet on the first 700 I had to put back together. I struck an earth magnet into the shackle hole to hold the ball which worked but its a powerful magnet that it also magnetize the ball. A side note, for this 700 I didn't have grease so I used my dry lube for all internals and it works very well. Its the same 700 that's in my video.

To add to the greasy mess, I have an American 30 with a sealed core that gives me a hard time almost always. After a long crazy struggle, I finally broke through the rivet and stood victories being oblivious that the rivet had a back up plan. All of the metal shaving from the rivet go stuck to the greasy ball and into the hole towards the cam so if the rivet didn't give me a hard enough time before I now have to completely take the lock apart and clean it all.

As for the antique lock restoration, I personally dont have much care for that old patina look. I personally would much rather see an old lock restored and shiny like it was the day is came from the factor. There are people on YouTube (not mentioning names) that do a great job restoring the locks and at the same time retain that old patina look which look amazing.

The problem with buffing and polishing is the gold electroplating is removed and is not always representative of the way the padlock used to look. Many bronze locks were never meant to show through. One bad example of someone doing this is "Champion" pancake locks. These locks were electroplated. I say leave it alone. Also, removing rust through electrolysis is crap. Let the lock be rusty. Lube is great!

[GWiens2001]

The main argument I have heard on dry versus wet lube is environmental conditions.

If you live in a dry area (I live in the desert), then it is not a bad idea to take the lock completely apart, clean all traces of other lubricants out of the lock, and reassemble it using a dry lube. The dry lube will not attract dirt, and works well as long as you don't over lube. The dry environment will also keep springs from rusting. A wet lube can attract dust, turning to sludge and bind the pins.

If you live in a wet environment, then dry lube can turn to sludge, and cause binding of the pins in the pin channels. Adding more dry lubricant will only compound the problem. And the dry lube does not provide rust protection. In that case, a 'wet lube' is a better idea, as there is no real dust around to be drawn by the oil, and the oil protects the springs.

If a lock is maintained, then a wet lube can still be used in the desert without problems. But most people don't maintain locks. They just call someone once the lock is no longer functioning.

Every lockie has their own opinions on lube, and individual mileage may vary. While I am not a locksmith, that is my two cents worth.

Gordon