Padlocks and lost keys

Grind the padlock off, and hey presto the key will turn up within 24hrs.

It's sods law init!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/movies.html>Dolphin Movie From Top Cat</A>
 
Isn\'t it just typical ....

You go out and spend a fortune on a new boat ........ and the dearest goes and spoils the fun ......

AND Ian ..... surely the cost of a locksmith and new lock pales into insignificance against the cost of the boat .... and not to mention the loss of USE OF THE BOAT !!

C'mon get the Plus-gas out on the wallet or get one of those universal Lock Pickers that used to be spammed all-over the net !!!!

Reminds me of the Captian I sailed with .... had to get a 'Cracker'on board in S/Pore ....... it was a Combination and key job .... combination note was inside - so he wouldn't forget. He had the key, but forgot the numbers !!
Cracker had it open in 'seconds' !!!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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This trick works with mine ...

... trying telling her you have ALREADY GROUND off the lock and lay it on thick about the hours of labour, sticking-plastered fingers etc. Key will miraculously reappear shortly after.



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Ankle biters

Once managed to find a small child of suitable boat-breaking-into size. It was inserted via the sterm locker which allowed it to get into the after cabin, thence into the saloon, thence to emerge throught the forehatch clutching the keys which had previously been locked in below. And all for the price of a 99 ice cream.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
In an attempt to be at least a little bit helpful ('cos you serve great prawns on Asterie) - if you are member of Seastart, they might be able to help, in the same way the AA would for a car?

<hr width=100% size=1>I would give my right arm to be ambidexterous
 
you could say that inside the locked boat are your credit cards ........... then you say in a faux worried, concerned, voice that you'll have to stop the card (assuming Mrs G's cc is on your card) and i bet the key appears .............

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.. and next time, a padlock that comes with a credit card ID, so new keys can be obtained with only the card ...

I got a set of 8 matched locks (6 padlocks+ 2 mortice locks) for the boat from Assa Abloy. Great stuff, as long as you dont lose the key card!

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Try this?

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntooluk.com//product/search.asp?action=search&k=pick&i=&s=&page=&x=0&h=5&g=4&id=1384&catId=0&subCatId=0&x=0&h=5&g=4>http://www.northerntooluk.com//product/search.asp?action=search&k=pick&i=&s=&page=&x=0&h=5&g=4&id=1384&catId=0&subCatId=0&x=0&h=5&g=4</A>

Joe

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take the name of the lock, style, type, code number etc and enter into google in various ways. If its a popular one you may find some ...ahem... advice.
Also there are various gudes to picking locks around, if its a standard pin/tumbler yale type, all you need is a...

...well you look it up...

PS not a thief , just a fan of Richard Fenyman

<hr width=100% size=1>Paul
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.polarity2.com>http://www.polarity2.com</A>
Class II OSTAR/Transat 2004<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by polarity on 16/12/2003 19:57 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
This can't work with a regular Yale lock, which Ian has said he has got. Typically they are 6 or 7 levers. Each lever is managed by a pin that can be one of four heights. The key can be defined by writing down the string of pins used. But it is quite practicable for the owner to swap the pins around. I've done that so that my home, garage and boat key are all the same. Check - but you won't find a key-code number on a yale lock.

Picking them ... well it should be easy given that description and I've seen it done, but as for doing it myself ...

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Easy guys with the breaking and entering info,...you never know who's reading these threads, let's not get carried away at christmas time eh! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.
 
Years ago, while trusted with a huge bunch of keys to open ship's hatches, change winch gears and so on, I discovered the following, which I called the Law Of Thomson Keys after the derricks: When presented with x number of keys and one lock, the key that opens the lock is key number x+1.
Even if you've only two keys on your car-key ring, it's always the third one that opens the door.
Sorry,this won't open your lock!

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Trade secret

How can thieves break open those very heavy U shaped motorcycle locks ?

A policeman once explained they come with a compressed gas spray, I don t know what kind of gas but possibly it should not matter as when they spray it over the lock the temperature lowers a lot (same as when you refill your lighter with butane and some spills out in your fingers, it almost instantly freeze before evaporating -sublimating actually), they immediately hit it with a hammer and it breaks in two

now if someone could explain the physics beyond that..

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Sorry to hear about this - remember thinks - 'that's a serious padlock' when I saw it.
Hope you manage to grind/cut it off/drill it out without to much hassle in due course.

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Steel ductility at low temperatures

Reducing the temperature of carbon steel (ie steel) reduces its ductility and toughness. A sharp blow whilst at those low temperatures will allow a clevage fracture to develop and snap the steel.

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Re: Gas selection

Nitrogen is the stuff. Fairly inert, unlike C02 or ooer butane, nitrogen absorbs far more heat is used commercially for this sort of thing anyway - i once worked in a company making large ferrous castings, and nitrogen was used locally on the bigger raw castings to cool the rubbishy bits at the edges (the flash) and then knock them off with a lump hammer. Without the gas these bits bend and not so easy. Don't get the nitroegn near yer fingers tho cos its much colder than butane!

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Re: Steel ductility at low temperatures

Try Freeze It spray, you can get it from B&Q used for freezing joints so you don't have to shut the mains off. Freezes down to -50 celcius and is only about a fiver a can.

<hr width=100% size=1>.....can't be arsed.....
 
Re: Trade secret

Talking of motor-cycle locks - my son a life-long keen biker recommended to me a thing named KRYPTONITE (ring a bell?) which would be perfect for my outboard/bracket security. Hefty bit of kit cost me £38 last March. Last weekend I found the keyhole was badly corroded(OK-I know!) and could not get key in. Today I hacksawed it through in less than a minute!.

<hr width=100% size=1>I admit to spending a fortune on women, booze, gambling and my boat. The rest I spend foolishly.
 
I thought the same Duncan, serious piece of kit the like of which I had never seen before! It might even give the grinder a run for it's money. As this was a Mrs G cock up are we talking copious amounts of Bronze Passes Ian?
Some guys have all the luck!

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