"aemeijers" wrote in message
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"Bill Stock" wrote in message
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I've got a cheapish (Master) rubberized lock on an outside gate that has
not been opened in a while. So it won't open when I turn the key now. I
don't know if the key is not turning fully or if the shackles are stuck.

What's the best approach, whack it with a hammer?

I've had good luck flooding seized padlocks with wd-40. And before all the
wd-40 flamers chime in, yes, I did follow that up with silicone spray
after the next trip to hardware store. And yes, a gentle rap with a
hammer, and pushing UP on the lock, sometimes help.

BTW, Master (the brass-key ones, at least) are pretty decent padlocks,
beat the hell out of the cheap imitations. I've never had one outright
fail on me. The no-names at the dollar stores are to be avoided, IMHO.

aem sends....

OK, so what's the deal with WD-40 and silicone?

I'm replacing the lock with one that's keyed like the shed so I don't have
to carry a bunch of keys. New locks are laminated and BIG, old lock was
thinner brass and rubberized, both Master.