Happy 2020! A lock a day keeps the doctor away

[femurat]

Day 272 of 366.

Cheers

[edocdab]

Lever tool time's up?

[femurat]

Day 273 of 366. I still have the pick, but didn't want to pick only lever locks. I'll try a couple more in the next days.

Cheers

[edocdab]

It's also nice to see the good old half diamond again

[femurat]

You missed it?



Day 274 of 366. This was one of the cheap warded padlocks my father bought for an experiment. This one went under a press. The key is lost, but it still picks fine.

Cheers

[edocdab]

Lock, experiment ans a press. Ok, I will take the bait. What's the story?

[femurat]

Here's the story, edocdab.

Many years ago an engineer that was a family friend had an idea. He thought that resin could be made stronger by an internal fiber reinforcement, like reinforced concrete. Me and my dad tried to help him demonstrate the concept. I was just a kid and was just looking. The experiment consisted in creating similar resin dowels, with and without the reinforcement that looked like fiberglass to me. Then we had to break them and see which one was stronger. We were breaking them under a small press, held by a couple padlocks. It was very difficult to measure the dowels resistance, mainly because of our limited equipment. So the experiment failed.

I was so surprised to find this old padlock, slightly deformed by the press, without a key and probably broken, but decided to add it to the collection anyway. Yesterday I found out it still works!

Cheers

[edocdab]

I think your family friend was right as there are many reinforced plastics and such now, significantly stronger for the same reason as reinforced concrete. Too bad the experiment failed but at the very least it leaves you with a lock to pick and story to share!

[femurat]

I'm sure he was right. But even if our experiment went well, he should have patented the idea and then sold it. Not so easy.



Day 275 of 366. First I set the three levers with this filed down key while gently pulling the shackle. After setting the levers the shackle came out a little. Then I moved the bolt to open it completely. Had to try it a few times because when I released the shackle, its spring closed it again.

Cheers

[femurat]

Day 276 of 366. I set the four levers with a filed down key while pushing the bolt trough the shackle hole.
Lauren would make a blank for this beauty...

Cheers

[edocdab]

Nice old lever locks Femurat You're in October already. Can you believe it?

[femurat]

I can hardly believe it's October already, edocdab!



Day 277 of 366. Nothing more reassuring than a warded lock.

Cheers

[edocdab]

"Nothing more reassuring than a warded lock." Lol

And a nice one, so you don't need to feel shame in posting it

[femurat]

Day 278 of 366.

Cheers

[femurat]

Day 279 of 366. A gift from a nice friend.

Cheers