My girlfriend's bike is not a great one. It has no gears. It was bought used on the grounds that it was no more expensive than renting one for the time she expected to be here and (I quote) "It's such a cute bike!". Still, it gets her where she wants to be, at a not too unreasonable speed. Her lock, on the other hand, is a truly excellent one, as will become clear.
Now, my love is certainly a sweet and gentle soul; none gentler. But she does tend to become a little annoyed at inanimate objects that do not follow her orders. In particular, she has bad luck with keys. (Someday I may tell the story of the front door key.) The key to her bike lock is made of a soft metal. The lock is a little balky. You've guessed where this is going, right? Yep, the key broke off in the lock.
Well, she walked home from the store. It's only two miles or so. That was last Wednesday. On Thursday, after phoning the lock company, we tried various things they suggested. Trying to get the broken key out was a non-starter; it's well and truly stuck, and it broke off exactly parallel with the ending of the keyhole; what's left is basically some rough metal, inside a deep indentation in the lock. There is absolutely nothing to grip, and even if there were, nothing thin enough to get in would be strong enough to grab.
So we investigated some locksmiths. They wanted $125 for a visit, the ones that were open at all. Did I mention it is a cheap bike? Bike and lock together came to 130 dollars, taxes included. As you can see, then, locksmiths were out. It would be cheaper to buy a new bike!
Bolt cutters? Heh, no. It is a good strong U-lock, the rod about the thickness of my thumb, and made of a truly excellent metal. So on Friday we visited the hardware store, and got a hacksaw and some blades. I then spent about an hour using my full strength on the damn thing, and collecting some extremely fishy looks in the process, I might add. I lost count of the number of times my girlfriend assured people "it's my bike!" What this accomplished was threefold :
It wore out my arm.
It wore out three hacksaw blades; completely blunted.
It convinced me that the U-lock company weren't joking about the carbon steel bit. That is some seriously tough metal; I didn't so much as scratch it. It was not a question of making slow progress; I literally could not see any progress at all.
Well, the guy at the hardware store had said that if we gave up on the hacksaw, he could come around with his power tools; he would only charge us 20 dollars. OK, that's not a bad deal, since the lock company had assured us we would get the money back for the lock, what with the key breaking and stuff. We would break even. For one reason and another, this couldn't happen until today; but today I went down to the Walgreen's where the bike is parked, and met the guy with the power saw. BRRRRR! Let me tell you, if using a hacksaw got odd looks, a power saw was a major attraction! "That's a BIG key", one lady told me. I assured her that the small one was broken off in the lock, and she walked on. But nobody passed us by without a second look. The homeless lady who puts her begging chair next to where the bike is parked gave us helpful advice. I think she was glad of someone to talk to who wouldn't pass her by with a quick "No" or even "Here you go".
Well, with the power saw, we got to the end result much more quickly. It only took twenty minutes to
Wear out the guy's battery
Destroy three of his blades
Convince him the the lock company were not joking about being saw proof. Again, not a case of slow progress : We literally could not see any notch at all being made in that stuff. If the Two Towers had been made of this metal, they'd have laughed off the jets.
So now my girlfriend's bike is still sitting downtown by the Walkgreen's. We're going to try drilling out the lock on Monday. If that fails, there is the option of trying to unscrew the bike rack it is locked to, run the steel column through the lock, and carry away the bike with the lock still intact. (And hope that nobody from the city objects to us messing with their property. We certainly intend to put it back, of course. But convincing them might be another matter.)
If that fails... Does anyone want a bike? You can have it for free. You just have to get it loose. Anyone?
Anyone?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
How do you have it attached? Through the wheel?
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
You'll probably have to drill the lock open. The lock mechanism is usually in the middle of the lock and an electric drill should be able to break through the mechanism in about 5-15 minutes. No guarantees though.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Have you tried acid?
You must know someone in the chemistry department you can bribe.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
By the way, the tool most people have easy access to that exerts the most force is a car jack. Unfortunately, the pressure would be more effective if it squeezed the U rather than pushed it apart, so without some weird lever attachment, it's probably not useful.
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
How exactly is it locked? Could you just detatch the front wheel and buy a new one?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
There's also something you can do with Salsa and DC current that might work. Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
It is attached by the frame to a sort of inverse-U-shaped bike rack. We did think of acid, but alas, my chemistry department is back in Cincinnati, and with the current safety climate at SLAC, I suspect they would frown on taking chemicals out of the grounds. Not that acids are exactly our stock in trade anyway, though we do have some liquid nitrogen.
And yes, Monday is for drilling. Though in all honesty I'm not optimisitc; the manufacturer says it's drill=proof and so far they've lived up to their every promise.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
I think this is a case for Encyclopedia Brown.
At least that's what I thought when I saw the title.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Maybe you can earn some money doing testimonials for the lock company. You can be the poster boy for the lock, just like that guy Jared is the "Subway guy" after losing all that weight eating Subway sandwiches. Maybe you should take a film crew to observe the drilling . . .
Umm, good luck.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Is it one of those locks that can be opened using a Bic pen?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Two Words:
Plasma Cutter
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
If you do decide to make a commercial for the lock company, they might buy you a new bike....
Posted by sarcare (Member # 8736) on :
Well at least it is safe, but just imagine if you were to go back and someone had stolen the bike. THAT would be funny.
A fellow grad student in my department once went to leave work on her bike only to discover someone had locked their bike to hers. It was probably an accident, and since she didn't have anywhere pressing to go she decided to go to the library and wait for the other bike owner to redeem their bike.
Well, several hours latter she retured to find the bike still attached to hers, so she called the campus police to come cut the lock and take away the offending bike. Five min later, our elderly advisor walked out of the building, chatted with her, and than bent down and unlocked his bike from hers! I don't know if the police ever came.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by mackillian: Is it one of those locks that can be opened using a Bic pen?
No. Especially since there is a piece of key stuck in the lock.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
quote:Originally posted by sarcare: Well at least it is safe, but just imagine if you were to go back and someone had stolen the bike. THAT would be funny.
Well, now, see - that's where I thought the story was going . . .
Foiled again!
*thinks for a fraction of a second*
Have you tried a preschooler?
Seriously - kids can get into anything - especially if they think you don't want them to.
*grin*
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Can you superglue the key back together?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
And no, superglue is nowhere near strong enough, that key is well and truly stuck.
Posted by Vasslia Cora (Member # 7981) on :
I now know I can feel safe about leaving my bike outside with a lock. O.o
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
I meant the lock mechanism. Is it a cylinder lock or a more traditional style?
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
I don't know. It's inside this cylindrish thing which blocks the view of the actual mechanism, and I've lost the packaging.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
You don't remember what they key looks like?
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
Oh, ok. Well, they look like your second lock, then.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Hmmm. . . that's harder to fix. How much of the key is still in the lock?
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
Well, I have nothing but sympathy to offer really. You mentioned that it would be cheaper to buy your girlfriend a new bike but have you also considered that it would be EASIER to buy her one as well? I like the idea of you doing a commercial for them. If I ever need a bike lock, I will certainly buy that one! Good luck!
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
What about a really powerful electromagnet to suck the broken key out of the lock?
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Ya need to use a carbide metal grinding disc on the lock, not a saw blade. Actually, there is a metal circular-saw blade that would also work. The blade doesn't have any teeth to cut out flakes of metal, instead it works by frictional melting. But when using either, Wear good safety goggles. It's possible for the carbide disc to shatter. And it's likely that small glowing-hot grains of melted&resolidified metal willl ricochet back at your face.
Getting acid is no problem. Almost every hardware store carries concentrated sulfuric acid -- eg Liquid Snake -- to clean*out really stubborn drain pipe clogs. And probably nitric acid for pool maintenance. Be extremely careful in use. A droplet on your skin can remain unnoticed, until ya rub on it and a dime-sized or larger hunk of flesh falls off. Which is really really really painful. Wear safety goggles. A backsplash or reactive explosion of sulfuric acid is even nastier on the eyes.
* Do not use LiquidSnake/etc on drain pipes or in sinks/bathtubs/etc traps; unless you are prepared to repipe, or willing to buy&install new sinks/bathtubs/etc. To give ya an idea, even professional plumbers won't use the stuff. The stuff almost eats through thick-walled traps faster than through clogs, and will eat through the thin-walled traps most often used in indoor kitchen and bathroom sinks. And reacts with clogs&pipes to produce a black bubbly mess which will backflow out of the drain to acid-etch ceramic and plastic. If you know exactly what you are doing, LiquidSnake is useful stuff. But there is no learning curve: a minor error can mean replacing eg a bathtub cuz the formerly smooth bottom has been etched into a sandpaper-like texture. A droplet on your skin can remain unnoticed, until ya rub on it and a dime-sized or larger hunk of flesh falls off. Which is really really really painful. Wear safety goggles. A backsplash or reactive explosion of sulfuric acid is even nastier on the eyes. In fact, Do NOT use LiquidSnake around your house. Don't buy the stuff and store it around your home. I can think of far too many other disasterous consequences -- eg the trap being eaten through and spilling large amounts of sulfuric acid down into the sink cabinet and onto the floor -- and recommend against using it.
[ January 07, 2006, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
BTW: Ya don't hafta acid-burn all the way through the lock. Only 2millimetres (an eighth of an inch) or so (probably less) of the outer layer is case-hardened to be saw-proof. The core is a much softer material. Unless they've drasticly re-engineered their lock. Make sure you have plenty of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid before sawing. And especially to neutralize the work area before leaving the scene, lest you leave a booby trap of drying/dried acid behind.
If you know how to use an arc-welder, it'd be safer to use that for cutting.
[ January 07, 2006, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Tristan (Member # 1670) on :
Saw through the frame of the bike then weld it together. Leave the lock at the stand as a souvenier.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
I'd call the city and ask what they do with bikes that are left locked to the racks for long periods of time, and then ask them to come do that to your girlfriend's bike. They'll have someway of getting it off, even if it's by unbolting the bikerack. And that way you won't be the one messing with it. Might be a longshot to get them to do it, but it's worth a try.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tristan: Saw through the frame of the bike then weld it together. Leave the lock at the stand as a souvenier.
We did actually think of this. That's going to be our nuclear option. Suggestions about electromagnets and similar really large-scale industrial tools would be excellent if we could get the bike to a place which has them.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I like aspectre's idea. It sounds like it has the most possibility of interesting and devastating side effects.
Also, had you thought to videotape this from the beginning, you could have probably made good money selling the tape to the manufacturers for them to use in ads.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
If the key is all the way in the lock, can't you find a way to turn the mechanism and open it?
Edit: I was taking "nothing to grip" to mean no part of the key to grip to pull out, but I suppose it could also mean, no where to put anything to turn the lock either.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
That was my suggestion. If the key is engaged in the lock, then the cylinder should be free to turn. You should be able to turn it with a screwdriver. It might actually be better if you push it fully inward.
BTW, Keys usually being brass, no magnet us going to pull it out.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
ok, here's what you do ... get a really big gun ... or wait, maybe a stick of dynamite! Yeah, that would work. And you'll need some safety goggles too. And if the dynamite or gun don't work, nuke it. Be sure to keep on those safety goggles though. Good luck and you live a good distance away from Florida, right?
Posted by human_2.0 (Member # 6006) on :
quote:Originally posted by aspectre: Ya need to use a carbide metal grinding disc on the lock, not a saw blade. Actually, there is a metal circular-saw blade that would also work. The blade doesn't have any teeth to cut out flakes of metal, instead it works by frictional melting. But when using either, Wear good safety goggles. It's possible for the carbide disc to shatter. And it's likely that small glowing-hot grains of melted&resolidified metal willl ricochet back at your face.
My brother had a bunch of those from his work. We actually lost a key to a ulock and sawed through it with his blades in not too much time (5 minutes?). He loved to cut everything up... And yeah, they break.
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