.:: Keypicking :: Anything And Everything For Locksmiths, Hobbyist Lock Pickers, Locksport, Lock Picking, lockpicks, cutaways and Security. Simply The Best Lockpicking Forum Around!

Being the cheapskate I am I tend to pick up used padlocks wherever I can find them. I have and American 5200 that has been in the weather all it's live and seems to be gunked up with a perfect mixture of graphite, dirt, paint and WD-40. I'm getting no feedback from this lock. What do you guys use to clean up something like this?

Non chlorinated brake cleaner.

+1 on brake cleaner. Wal-Mart has it at a fair price. I also have soaked locks that had lots of dirt/dust inside in hand soap and water for a day or two and then rinsed with a strong hose. I have found padlocks that were buried for several years and after much work, got them free enough to pick open and then I could clean it better.
Good luck.... hope you get that treasure to work again.

The stuff is amazing. Deep cleans and doesn't leave a residue. I used it on a gunked up Best padlock a while back. I even use it in my AK barrel to speed up cleaning. Great stuff!

Kroil has been my poison of choice... Works well, but I have nothing to compare it to.

When they are really bad I soak them in whatever I can, usually WD-40 or Winchester gun cleaning oil for 24 hours, or till I remember they are in there then I whack them on a table keyhole down really good get a random key that fits the key way and run it in and out a few times whack it again and soak again, if it's really bad and when it's all said and done hold it the same way I whacked it and used compressed air or air compressor to blow it all out and one last key in there to see if it is moving freely then pick it. I've only ever had one I couldn't get cleaned up real good and after doing some cannibalism I found that someone had put super glue up in the keyway.

There are a few great threads about cleaning with plenty of feedback from many other members. I know this because I also started a thread like this some time back.

I use brakleen because it has zero residue and it really really works well BUT it kills brain cells too fast due to its smell. So make sure to use it outside. It also eat plastic like no tomorrow so be careful of bags, tubes, etc. Gordon uses Zep industrial degreases which has no smell and which is something I have been looking to try but cant find it. I did find it in one store but they only have a HUGE HUGE jug which was way too much for me. I could spill have of this jug and it would still be enough for life.

Wolf, I had the same issue one time. I and the Butcher split a lot of ebay of American locks and some of them were super glued in every possible hole with the core being full glued. I soaked it in Brakleen which soften up the glue allowing me to slowly take it out little bit at a time but because it drys so fast, this process took me a few weeks lol. In the end, I was able to bring this padlock to full working order (after replacing the shackle that is because it was cut to remove the lock)