Fredxx wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Fredxx wrote

Some form of penetrating oil is going to be far more effective at
freeing up the lock than graphite.

Only if the problem is that the hasp isnt free to move in the padlock.

The most likely issue is the pins are stuck.

Yes, and powdered graphite works much better in that
situation than penetrating oil, because the oil will end
up with dirt in it later. Powdered graphite doesnt.

I presume 'hasp' is an aussie term for a barrel?

No, the big metal U thing that comes out of the top of the padlock.

There can be a problem with that not moving freely out of the
body of the padlock when the key is used to unlock the padlock.

Easy to tell which is the problem too. If the problem is with the pins in
the lock, the key wont go into the lock freely and it wont be possible to
turn the key to unlock the lock. If the problem is with the hasp, the key
will work as usual but the hasp wont spring out of the padlock when the
key is turned.

Not really,

Yes, really.

the issue is by putting the key in the lock the pins will have been forced
into their extreme position and are now stuck there.

Thats just one cause of the padlock not unlocking. The other is
where the key goes in fine, and the key can be turned fine, because
the pins are free to come back to the key and the break in the pins
lines up so the barrel can be turned by the key, but the hasp isnt
free to pop out of the body of the padlock so the padlock can
be removed from what it was locking.

Hence why I would use penetrating oil and tap the lock hoping the pins
might then move and rest on the key.

Much better to take the key out, squirt the powdered
graphite into where the key goes, insert and pull out
the key a few times so the powdered graphite gets
down the side of the pins so they can move freely again.

Because then there is no penetrating oil to end up with
dirt in it to see the pins stick again later after the oil has
ended up with dirt in it, or has gone gooey over time.