Locks have seemingly been around since the beginning of time. The first versions were made out of stone and or wood. The only problem is you needed a wheelbarrow to carry them, and termites were someones best lock pick. Nowadays we have locks made out of a variety of different steels, alloys, and plastics. They should last forever right? Wrong. There are a few issues and inherent problems with the modern lockset that need addressed regularly.

Over this series I will help you self-service and maintain your locks. This will help both you, as the customers, and us, as locksmiths.

Lesson one: Lubrication.

There is a constant battle that occurs within any mechanical moving thing. It is caused by two parts that have to move in different directions in close proximity to each other. This can cause the parts to wear down over time, and cause failure. I will help you try to cut down and/or eliminate this problem.

1. Get lubricant. There is a big debate about what type, but we use "J&B Bros. PB Blaster". It is a thin penetrating oil. This allows it to “creep” into areas where heavier lubricants cannot get. We stay away from graphite, and the all too common “water displacement” oils due to the fact that graphite causes a mess, and the other dries and leaves a sticky residue that causes more problems. Also, try and get one with a tube. This allows you to spray neatly in small areas.

2. Ok, we have our lubricant. Now get a roll of paper towels or an old rag. You will want this especially if you haven’t done this before. Some lubricants stain if left on a surface for too long so you want to wipe up any oops spots quickly.

3. Get a blank key. This will be used to drive the pins all the way up. This insures that you get good lubrication into the lock. You can stop by your local locksmith shop or go to a hardware store and buy one. They are inexpensive.

4. Lets get on the same page here. I’m going to go over some terminology so you are better informed. You will either have a knobset, leverset, or deadbolt on your door. If you have a set that looks like a pitcher-handle, it is what is referred to as a handleset. Every one of these has three basic parts the inside handle, outside handle (normally containing the lock-cylinder) and the strike or bolt. The only other part we are going to worry about right now is the lock-cylinder. Simply put it is where you put the key in.

We will refer to the door in three parts, inside, outside, and jamb.

5. You are ready to spray. First take the tube and put it in the spray nozzle. If you do not have one, take notice where the spray nozzle is and just be careful. Next we are going to start on the lock-cylinder. You want to spray lubricant into the lock for a good two count. One------two------stop. Next take your paper towel or rag and wipe any excess lube of the surface of the lock or door. Now take the key blank you have and run it completely in and out of the lock-cylinder about five times. Notice the grime suspended in the lubricant you pulled out on the key. Wipe the key off and set it aside. Now go to the jamb side of the door. On knob, lever, and handlesets you will have a latch. It is spring loaded and meant to hold the door closed after you shut it. These are also the biggest causes for most lock problems. On deadbolts you will have a bolt. We will address this in a minute.

Now, take your finger and push the latch all the way in. Now take the lubricant and spray in the deepest hole you can see. Once again only for a two count. Wipe off any excess lubricant again, but keep watching, it will seep lubricant for a while this time.

Move the latch in and out with your finger about five times.

On bolts you are going to do virtually the same thing but you will turn the lock to move the bolt. You will have to be more careful as well to get the lube into the lock. There isn’t as much of a hole. You can also make the bolt come out and the spray all sides of it and retract back into the lock as well.

That’s pretty much it. If there are any more places that you see that are sticky, or difficult to operate give them a little spritz with the lubricant. You will want to repeat this process on all of your locks in your home. On most homes this needs to be done at least yearly but we recommend doing this at least every six months. In high salt environments you will want to do this every three months.

Doing this will help you avoid major lock problems and the dreaded late night lockout. It is a simple but necessary process for the well being of your locks.

Next week we will cover the security of your locks and how to check that they are properly installed and working the way they should.

Labels: Locks, Lubricant, maintenance