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Nail glue in tumbler lock - any ideas?
ChrisW - 4/8/14 at 11:31 PM

Hi all

Background: a mate of mine has an office with car park in the local town conveniently placed for the local night life, not that there is much of it. He's been having issues recently with people parking there for extended periods taking up his spaces, causing issues late in the evening, so has been keeping the gate padlocked overnight.

Now it seems a local chav has taken a dislike to their free parking being taken away and has put what we think is nail glue in the tumbler lock on the gate to prevent it being locked.

I took some carb cleaner down there for him hoping that would dissolve it but no luck. In the end I dismantled the lock and have left the cylinder soaking in some celly thinners for a few hours in the hope that might do the trick. It doesn't seem to be working though.

Yes he could just change the cylinder but there are about a dozen people who will then need keys cut and of course it's likely to happen again so it's going to get expensive very quickly.

Does anybody have any top tips for dissolving nail glue in a scenario like this?

Chris

mookaloid - 4/8/14 at 11:35 PM

Acetone? Nail varnish remover?

ChrisW - 4/8/14 at 11:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
Acetone? Nail varnish remover?


Yeah, I thought of that. Just an issue buying (decent strength) acetone 'over the counter' I believe. Might have to eBay some.

Chris

loggyboy - 4/8/14 at 11:40 PM

Heat?

mookaloid - 4/8/14 at 11:48 PM

Isn't acetone the kind of thing that fibreglass/resin suppliers will sell?

ChrisW - 4/8/14 at 11:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
Isn't acetone the kind of thing that fibreglass/resin suppliers will sell?


Quite possibly, according to Google. None around this way though.

brum_gustavo - 5/8/14 at 01:01 AM

Polyester resin solvent is acetone, and it will dissolve almost anything. They don´t call it acetone anymore because acetone is used for making cocaine, in Brazil it has been banned so fiberglass dellers changed its name to continue selling it. If it can dissolve polyester resin it will do short work of any resin or glue short of epoxy.

woodstock - 5/8/14 at 09:04 AM

You can supposedly get it from Amazon easilly -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/100%25-PURE-ACETONE-POLISH-REMOVER/dp/B006ISF9PO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1407228856&sr=8-4&keywords=100%25+ace tone

I presume, acetone is acetone, regardless of it's intended use. Just remember though:"Wipe down the nail away from the cuticle for polish removal."

Dave Ashurst - 5/8/14 at 09:05 AM

I think Henkel make "No More Nails" for Unibond (http://www.henkel.co.uk/adhesive-technologies-95.htm)

Perhaps they might help?

D

pewe - 5/8/14 at 09:12 AM

Long term solution would be to hire some help to watch the gates until the chavs turn up to apply more glue and explain to them they shouldn't be doing that.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10

gremlin1234 - 5/8/14 at 09:46 AM

superglue remover may help

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Loctite-3g-Liquid-Glue-Remover/dp/B000WJ1FOO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1407231379&sr=8-6&keywords=super+glue+remover

cryoman1965 - 5/8/14 at 09:52 AM

You could leave the gate unlocked with warning signs saying it is private property and the gates will be locked anytime between xxxxhr and opened at xxxxhr. If the persist in parking lock the gate mid evening with heavy duty chain. It may take a few visits but not having a car to get home will focus the mind.

nick205 - 5/8/14 at 09:59 AM

Burn it out with a blow torch then re-lubricate the lock.

Mr Whippy - 5/8/14 at 11:40 AM

Tbh I suspect as soon as you clear it the culprit will just find a more permanent method

nick205 - 5/8/14 at 11:58 AM

Leave the gate open at night, let them park up and then lock them in.

ChrisW - 5/8/14 at 12:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cryoman1965
You could leave the gate unlocked with warning signs saying it is private property and the gates will be locked anytime between xxxxhr and opened at xxxxhr. If the persist in parking lock the gate mid evening with heavy duty chain. It may take a few visits but not having a car to get home will focus the mind.



That's basically what he has been doing. The main culprits seems to be staff from a local chain restaurant parking up around 5.30-6 for their shifts, coming back at midnight or so. He thought locking their cars in a couple of times might deter them, but seems they were determined they were going to park there.

loggyboy - 5/8/14 at 12:09 PM

Keyless padlock?


MAGNETIC PADLOCK. EASY TO USE FOR YOUNG AND OLD. NO KEYWAY. MAGNETIC KEY FOB.

ChrisW - 5/8/14 at 12:12 PM

If it was a padlock it would be easy. They are hardly going to glue it when it's locked, and when it's open the padlock can be taken away.

loggyboy - 5/8/14 at 12:40 PM

But you said that he is using a padlock? I assumed a padlock with a standard tumbler lock.

jacko - 5/8/14 at 03:59 PM

Wheel clamp and big warning signs. its £100 to park on this land per night

deezee - 5/8/14 at 04:12 PM

You can buy expanding foam remover from Screwfix. This is acetone. Infact they sell it at loads of DIY shops.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-foam-gun-cleaner-500ml/60133

steve m - 5/8/14 at 04:29 PM

How about waiting for the scroats to park in there, with warning signs advising the gates will be locked at a certain time
and any cars left in the park will be locked in overnight,

And at the destignated time lock the scroats in!!

I doubt they will fill the lock up with super glue then, but it would be funny if it "happened" and there cars were left in until after the weekend

also have a metal box made that covers the lock assembly so that the padlock can only be undone from the bottom, thus meaning no superglue can be entered into the lock

Steve

ChrisW - 5/8/14 at 04:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by steve m
How about waiting for the scroats to park in there, with warning signs advising the gates will be locked at a certain time
and any cars left in the park will be locked in overnight,

And at the destignated time lock the scroats in!!

I doubt they will fill the lock up with super glue then, but it would be funny if it "happened" and there cars were left in until after the weekend

also have a metal box made that covers the lock assembly so that the padlock can only be undone from the bottom, thus meaning no superglue can be entered into the lock

Steve


That's the problem, Steve. That's more or less what he did. This glue is to prevent him doing it again.

r1_pete - 5/8/14 at 05:56 PM

Park a forklift in there with a sign saying any unauthorized vehicles will be removed.

Coming back to a 4 high stack of cars would deter.

A few years ago a mate who lived near a school did similar to prevent folk parking across his drive.

austin man - 5/8/14 at 10:26 PM

put a shroud over the padlock macking it impossible to be able to pour the glue in. this can only be poured in if the lock is at the top glue wont run uphill

loggyboy - 5/8/14 at 11:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jacko
Wheel clamp and big warning signs. its £100 to park on this land per night


Clamping on private property is illegal. Sign or no sign.

Angel Acevedo - 6/8/14 at 05:08 AM

I have one that works in Mexico but may be illegal in UK.
U2U me those interested

cryoman1965 - 6/8/14 at 09:08 AM

Yiur mate could pop back in the evening and pop glue in their car door locks.

me! - 6/8/14 at 09:19 AM

Could he leave the lock as it is and start using a chain and a padlock to secure the gates? Annoying that they've knackered the proper lock but it should help for the time being

Failing that it would be a shame if their tyres were to go flat during a their shift... and the only pump in the yard was a bike one

FuryRebuild - 6/8/14 at 12:41 PM

Acetone only dissolves resin when it's not set. When it's set, it's set.

Sometimes UV can breakdown adhesives.

ashg - 6/8/14 at 01:36 PM

Cyanoacrylate disolver from a model shop should do it.

Charlie_Zetec - 6/8/14 at 02:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
Wheel clamp and big warning signs. its £100 to park on this land per night


Clamping on private property is illegal. Sign or no sign.


Surely if it's your property (or relating to your company etc.) then you are legally allowed to clamp vehicles parked on your property - assuming you have the correct signs about warning of parking illegally on privately owned land!

You'd make the cost of the clamps back after one fine @ £100 a pop, so after that you're in profit. But as with all these things, you'd have to photograph them, probably offer a receipt to prove money had been paid, declare it as income (personal or company), and also run the risk of being taken to court for any damage caused by the clamp etc..

Lots to think about!

Ivan - 6/8/14 at 03:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cryoman1965
Yiur mate could pop back in the evening and pop glue in their car door locks.


I love the idea, and if they make a fuss just look sympathetic and say "Yes we have noticed that some vandal in the area is doing that as it happened to our gate lock and our cars and that they should be careful where they park" - but escalating the problem seldom works as can be seen in the Middle East at the moment.

Rather than the above I would introduce an after hours charge for parking on your premises and temporally hire a security guard to enforce it. And/or give those who pay a key to get in and out.

[Edited on 6/8/14 by Ivan]

FuryRebuild - 6/8/14 at 04:05 PM

This debate seems too reasonable. Someone needs to call someone else a Nazi

davidinhull - 6/8/14 at 06:51 PM

It seems acetone won't help from what others have said
Depending how much you need , should you decide it may work, have a word with the local pharmacy

D

stevebubs - 6/8/14 at 09:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Charlie_Zetec
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
Wheel clamp and big warning signs. its £100 to park on this land per night


Clamping on private property is illegal. Sign or no sign.


Surely if it's your property (or relating to your company etc.) then you are legally allowed to clamp vehicles parked on your property - assuming you have the correct signs about warning of parking illegally on privately owned land!

You'd make the cost of the clamps back after one fine @ £100 a pop, so after that you're in profit. But as with all these things, you'd have to photograph them, probably offer a receipt to prove money had been paid, declare it as income (personal or company), and also run the risk of being taken to court for any damage caused by the clamp etc..

Lots to think about!


Used to be but there was so much abuse of the system it's no longer legal...