Did something stupid. Maybe.

[mk5734]

I got two small used drop safes on the cheap with combination locks. One has a LaGard 3330 with an S&G D300 dial. The other has some Spy Guard-style dial with one of those cheap Chinese locks. It's quite obvious that these have been used for quite sometime and just needed a little elbow grease (which is maybe what I should've used).

I kept reading online about whether silicone spray can be used with locks and plastics. Everywhere online it said I could. Well, I took the LaGard off the safe, sprayed silicone spray on the driver cam. I removed the bushing (bearing?) the driver cam slides on, cleaned it out, and sprayed silicone on that. Then, without removing the wheel pack (because I don't know how to remove the ring-clip), I sprayed silicone on each wheel. I also sprayed it on the inside rear center of the dial since it looked as if some part had been making contact as there was a wear mark.

This is the exact spray I used: https://blastercorp.com/product/silicone-lubricant/

After I reassembled the lock and dial, it was all much smoother and easier to spin the dial. The LaGard installation manual I read online said to never lubricate the lock. So, is what I did wrong?

I'm wondering if the silicone will lubricate the combination locking mechanism and now there will be wheel slippage. The lock keeps opening on the combination without a problem. Even if it doesn't slip now, maybe it'll start slipping after I change the combination.

Has anyone else done something similar? If so, what were the results? Should I now buy a new lock so that I don't face a potential lockout?

Thanks for any advice!

[L4R3L2]

You may be fine, but now would be a good time to venture into that wheel pack. Disassemble them and wipe them down. The reason to use little or no lubricant is because many lubricants harden, gum, or collect dust/grime with time. Wheel slippage is also a remote possibility. At the least, carefully blow the excess lube out of the pack with compressed air.

I spray the parts with Tri-Flow and wipe them down to clean them and leave a very thin film of Teflon. The carrier is supoosed to evaporate from Tri-Flow. Then I apply a VERY thin film of approved-by-S&G AeroShell 22 grease to the sliding and bushing surfaces and pivot points. Usually, I don't apply grease if the lock specifically says not to lubricate, but I don't see the harm in it if done correctly. Just my opinion, though.

[mk5734]

Thanks for the quick response!

I would like to remove the wheel pack, but I don't know how or have the tools to remove the ring holding them on.

[L4R3L2]

You may be able to flush it out with brake cleaner. Be sure any plastic is removed, and I don't guarantee this as I don't know what coatings/materials are on your lock, so do it at your own risk if you do. Chase it with compressed air after flushing.

[MartinHewitt]

I don't think there is any problem with wheel slippage. The main concern is really that things get sticky, e.g. the movable fly can stick to the wheel and then the lock won't open anymore with the set combination. I don't have any experience with silicone lube, so I can't really give any recommendations. I would just disassemble and wipe it of, but removing the clip which holds the wheels pack is often a fight. If you have the urge to lube it up, then most often there is something else which should be fixed, e.g. the alignment of the dial.

[mastersmith]

That ring is a pain sometimes. I assume we are refering to the same retainer that S&G uses? I bought the tool intended for that use and never had any luck with it. I use a sharp knife blade to pull the end of the ring away from the post while lifting it. Don't stretch it any farther than is required to clear the groove. After awhile it becomes second nature. Wipe off that excess. It can also cause the wheels to "stick together" like a cold glass (condensate) to a coaster. This makes the wheels stop working independently of each other. If this should happen you will also want to adjust the wheel pack tension.

[L4R3L2]

Just a side note, I know I recommended Tri-Flow before. It works great to clean, and when you wipe it off it leaves some Teflon on the parts. Some locksmiths swear by it, as WD-40 picks up grime with time, while Tri-Flow, so they say, does not. I'm not so sure about that though.

California has passed a bunch of low-VOC BS regulations that have ruined products designed to do what they used to do best. I know of at least one place that has to smuggle in suitable glue from out of state just so they don't lose customers because their work won't hold together using CA-approved BS. What I'm saying is that maybe before the pre-low-VOC crap, Tri-Flow's carrier may have evaporated in a timely manner. But, I have some 8088s that I squirted some tri-Flow into several days ago that I'm STILL blowing fluid out of.

Kind of a rant (I'm tired of all the BS CA dishes out these days), but mainly just saying go light with the stuff if you use it. Maybe the formulation is better where you live. I don't know. Some brands seem to have lowered their standards across the board, rather than have to manufacture separate products for some goofy state.

[mk5734]

It's very interesting reading everyone's response. I've often wondered about why you're not supposed to lubricate things which obviously need lubrication.

According to an engineer I work with who does a lot of work with RC airplanes and from things I've read online, silicone will not gum up or attract dirt like grease. My two biggest concerns now are with the plastics because it came from an aerosol can which contains petroleum distillates and wheel slippage. As far as the petroleum distillates, those evaporate rather quickly. My coworker said that most plastics today aren't made with polyethylene and thus don't react with petroleum products much at all. He said that he uses silicone spray on most of the RC bearings and never had a problem. As for wheel slippage, it doesn't appear to be happening. I'm worried that later when I change the combination, then wheel slippage may begin to occur as the two surfaces will be coated with lubricant.

All of that was done to the LaGard 3330. On my other safe with the cheap Chinese lock, yesterday, I only lubricated the lever pivot, the bolt, and the bolt's detente ball with silicone spray. I didn't touch any of the wheels or driver cam.

Tonight, I removed and cleaned the dial on the cheap Chinese lock. Wow, did someone ever load the center full of actual grease! Grease really attracted the dust bunnies, because that's what was coating the entire surface of the giant gob. I think all that grease is used because there's no Delrin ring for a center bearing. I cleaned up the dial and ring (avoiding the greased areas) using an old toothbrush which really whitened the numbers and graduations on the dial. I sprayed the center contact with Super Lube with Syncolon (PTFE), which I happened to have around and saw was being sold at MBA USA, so I figured that would be fine. I put it all back together and now the dial is cleaner, brighter, and turns even smoother than before. I'd just like to replace that lock. The nose drops down so hard into the contact area when just spinning the dial; it really takes some force to go over it. You'd think the lock is about to open. And you don't have to be a master manipulator to find where the gates are as they're painfully obvious on both left and right contact points as there's a shift of nearly an entire unit on the dial.

Thank you to everyone for responding. It is very much appreciated!