For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

In chi.general Ajanta wrote:
: For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
: I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
: from getting frozen?

: Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

If your already locked out, WD-40 will unfreeze it, but it's going to freeze
again... so if you can avoid using it, your better off in the long run...

Get some lock deicer from your local auto parts store (I think walgreens and
CVS carry them too... never lube it with liquid, use graphite instead... if
there is a michaels near you, they also sell it (and i think most autoparts
stores have it)

Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...
especially bad after something like last week where it goes from sleet to
snow and then cold...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing
wrote:

Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to
turn...

It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

prob is that doesn't get rid of the water

In article , kenji wrote:
In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing
wrote:

Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to
turn...

It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

prob is that doesn't get rid of the water

Neither does warming the key in your hand. The point is, though, that the
faster you can get the lock thawed out, the sooner you can get rid of the
water.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

:Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
:put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

: It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

Oh the torment...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

:Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
:put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

: It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

OK, in your case use a flint and steel.

trent

In article , trent wrote:
Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing
wrote:

:Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand,
and
:put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to
turn...

: It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

OK, in your case use a flint and steel.

Or just buy a BIC lighter, for Pete's sake, and put it in your pocket -- they
cost, what, a whole dollar?? I don't smoke, but after the second time getting
shut out of my car by a frozen lock, I started carrying a lighter with me in
the winter. Until I sold that car, that is. I never had that problem on any
other car I've ever owned, before or after.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In chi.general Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
: In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: : In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

: :Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
: :put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

: : It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

: That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
: uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
: always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
: car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

: Oh the torment...

I would recommend however if your having this problem, park in the hancock
tower parking garage for a while... it's a neat ride up the ramp and the
garage is heated... great place to thaw the car...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that shoiuld dry
them out.

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should dry
them out.

In article . com,
"USA1st" wrote:

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's
because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few
days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw
then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should dry
them out.

because I would have to sit there for an hour

plans are to just put the locksets in the furnace register for 1/2 day

In article ,
says...
In article . com,
"USA1st" wrote:

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's
because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few
days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw
then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should dry
them out.

because I would have to sit there for an hour

plans are to just put the locksets in the furnace register for 1/2 day

I had a padlock that was so frozen that I couldn't even fit the key inside.
I took a propane torch and heated it up for a couple of minutes. Water was
dripping out of it, and you could also hear water boiling. It's been fine
ever since, even at night when it really drops down in temperature.
--
HUey

"HUey" wrote in message
...
I had a padlock that was so frozen that I couldn't even fit the key
inside.
I took a propane torch and heated it up for a couple of minutes. Water
was
dripping out of it, and you could also hear water boiling. It's been fine
ever since, even at night when it really drops down in temperature.
--
HUey

I think that it is just plain scared of you now. :-)
Tomes

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006, kenji wrote:

In article . com,
"USA1st" wrote:

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's
because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few
days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw
then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should dry
them out.

because I would have to sit there for an hour

plans are to just put the locksets in the furnace register for 1/2 day

or how about in the oven for an hour?

barbie gee wrote in
g.pbz:



On Tue, 5 Dec 2006, kenji wrote:

In article . com,
"USA1st" wrote:

kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta
wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight.
How do I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door
street parking) from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of
trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think
it's because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for
a few days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside
to thaw then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should
dry them out.

because I would have to sit there for an hour

plans are to just put the locksets in the furnace register for 1/2
day

or how about in the oven for an hour?

Many of the new locks have plastic components. Not a good idea.

In chi.general kenji wrote:
: In article , Ajanta
: wrote:

: For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
: I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
: from getting frozen?
:
: Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

: I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because
: we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days
: then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

: Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then
: dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Can I recommend a storm door? Keeps the rain off your interior locks (provided
you actually have a storm window and not a screen in it in the winter)...

Easy to install too (but I wouldn't do it this week...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

ahhh the joys of winter... ! heat up your key with a lighter (don't melt
the plastic...!)

"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

On Dec 4, 3:02 am, Ajanta wrote:
For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

DON'T use WD-40. At low temps it turns into a gel-like gunk and will
gum up the locks.

There are special lock deicers sold all over the place (gas stations
for instance) that are basically an aerosol alcohol. You just squirt
some of it into the locks and they will take care of the ice. Then
next summer you might want to spray some lock lubricant (not oil or
WD-40) into the locks.

"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I can tell you that if you use WD-40, you shall have frozen locks fer sure.
That stuff does freeze.

The lock-thaw mentioned in these posts is alcohol in a pressurized can, and
it will thaw your locks, but will not keep them from freezing again.

The correct procedure is, if it's already frozen, use the lock-thaw to get
into the car/open the gate lock, whatever, then when the alcohol has all
evaporated, 5 minutes max, squirt in graphite lock fluid.

Graphite lock fluid can be found at all hardware stores and most drug
stores. It comes in pressurized can or plastic squirt bottle. It is black
(that's the graphite) and you insert the nozzle, squirt it in, move the key
around a few times, and the liquid carrier drys leaving the lock innards
coated with graphite.

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

In article ,
"Ron T." wrote:

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

speaking of locks, there was some slight drama in my alley last night. Guy
dumped a stolen car in my alley and got into another stolen vehicle to get away
from someone chasing him. He leaves the first stolen vehicle running. I called
police and when they show up they show me how he got it started.

you take a screwdriver thingie that's knurled like a drill bit and jam it into
the keyslot of the ignition. Once it's jammed in there you hit it with a hammer
then take a visegrips get ahold of the jammed driver and pull the guts of the
keyslot out of the steering wheel. You then short the wire leads to start the
car. Cop reenacted it for me which was cool.

kenji wrote:
In article ,
"Ron T." wrote:

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

speaking of locks, there was some slight drama in my alley last night. Guy
dumped a stolen car in my alley and got into another stolen vehicle to get away
from someone chasing him. He leaves the first stolen vehicle running. I called
police and when they show up they show me how he got it started.

you take a screwdriver thingie that's knurled like a drill bit and jam it into
the keyslot of the ignition. Once it's jammed in there you hit it with a hammer
then take a visegrips get ahold of the jammed driver and pull the guts of the
keyslot out of the steering wheel. You then short the wire leads to start the
car. Cop reenacted it for me which was cool.


How old was the car? When some scumbags tried to do that to my '99
Silverado, the gas pump shut off so they couldn't get anywhere.


Michele

Powdered graphite (sold in small tubes near the key stuff and lock
de-icer) should prevent recurrence.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

In article , (Todd H.) wrote:

Powdered graphite (sold in small tubes near the key stuff and lock
de-icer) should prevent recurrence.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

how does powdered graphite in a lock keep it from freezing? if the polwder is
in the cylinder, then water get also gets into the cylinder then it freezes
wouldn't you just have a frozen cylinder that doesn't turn?

In article , Michele
wrote:

kenji wrote:
In article ,
"Ron T." wrote:

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

speaking of locks, there was some slight drama in my alley last night. Guy
dumped a stolen car in my alley and got into another stolen vehicle to get
away
from someone chasing him. He leaves the first stolen vehicle running. I
called
police and when they show up they show me how he got it started.

you take a screwdriver thingie that's knurled like a drill bit and jam it
into
the keyslot of the ignition. Once it's jammed in there you hit it with a
hammer
then take a visegrips get ahold of the jammed driver and pull the guts of
the
keyslot out of the steering wheel. You then short the wire leads to start
the
car. Cop reenacted it for me which was cool.


How old was the car? When some scumbags tried to do that to my '99
Silverado, the gas pump shut off so they couldn't get anywhere.


Michele

Stolen car left in front of my garage running was a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The thief had crunched the left rear quarter panel probaly going around an icey
turn. The second vehicle he got into which was also stolen was a fullsize
van...conversion van with the ladder and the pleated curtains in all the
windows. The daughter saw the van and the van's driver, not me.

kenji wrote:

In article ,
"Ron T." wrote:

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

speaking of locks, there was some slight drama in my alley last night. Guy
dumped a stolen car in my alley and got into another stolen vehicle to get away
from someone chasing him. He leaves the first stolen vehicle running. I called
police and when they show up they show me how he got it started.

you take a screwdriver thingie that's knurled like a drill bit and jam it into
the keyslot of the ignition. Once it's jammed in there you hit it with a hammer
then take a visegrips get ahold of the jammed driver and pull the guts of the
keyslot out of the steering wheel. You then short the wire leads to start the
car. Cop reenacted it for me which was cool.

I've seen it done with a slide-hammer.

trent

"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I just went thru a fun ice lock up scenario. My car door froze. The handle
wouldn't pull up
and the lock cylinder wouldn't turn. I tried de-icer, WD40 couldn't get it
to open.
(oh by the way the passenger side handle is broken off, cause I didn't fix
it right away)
Went back to the car later (I was at the patio) still couldn't get it.
So I had the mofo
towed back to my house. My brother had a heat gun so I baked the lock
cylinder and handle for a while
and was able to pry the door open. Now I park it in the garage, and when I
go out, if its nasty I leave the window open enough to pull on the inside
door lever. I probably should get the passenger door handle fixed eh? lol