Locksmith

Hiya,

My damn key snapped in my Kryptonite lock this evening. Anyone got a recommendation for a locksmith that isn't going to charge millions of pounds to cut my bike out?

Thanks!

Where is it?? I'd be scared to leave it out overnight...

asm will get your lock off blb crank puller is the only tool you need

asm will get your lock off blb crank puller is the only tool you need

[drum roll]
BadaBoom! Chris Crash will be signing autographs in the lobby after tonight's show,

again? i thought i would be dry heaving it up after the show like last night

Grind the bastard off, much cheaper than the Locksmith's call out charge.

This cordless bastard is £59.99 from Maplins.

Or if you are skint and there is a shop or office nearby that you can run an extension cable to - try this mains (not cordless) 850W Angle Grinder for £15 - again from Maplins.

Maplins do even cheaper angle grinders for £9 (!!) but they don't come with any grinding discs - Don't forget your googles !

It's in London Bridge. I didn't really want to leave it overnight, but I didn't really have a choice.

The locksmiths that I talked to last night were going to be £95, or £200! The £95 one seemed reasonably OK.

I'm pondering the suggestion of getting a cordless angle grinder and going to have a go at removing it, however, I'm not really sure that:
a) a cordless angle grinder (18V) will cut through both sides of the lock without going flat. I'm pretty sure the cordless ones' run-time is short.
b) I've never used an angle grinder before.

Guess I'll give a ring round and see if it's cheaper during the day in a couple of hours.

It's in London Bridge. I didn't really want to leave it overnight, but I didn't really have a choice.

The locksmiths that I talked to last night were going to be £95, or £200! The £95 one seemed reasonably OK.

The lock smith will quote you £95 - turn up - suck a lot of air - and then tell you it looks more like £120-£130 - he will then set about his task - finish - and then ask you for £135.

I'm pondering the suggestion of getting a cordless angle grinder and going to have a go at removing it, however, I'm not really sure that:
a) a cordless angle grinder (18V) will cut through both sides of the lock without going flat. I'm pretty sure the cordless ones' run-time is short.

As far as I remember they are pretty decent, they are, after all, designed for exactly this kind of thing.

Why do you need to go through both sides of a lock - what kind of lock it it ????

b) I've never used an angle grinder before.

Not much to know really.

Hold it in the correct way and hold it tight.

Put on a pair of safety goggles.

Biggest mistake: don't force the grinder against the thing your are grinding, it is the action of the wheel doing the work, not your arm muscles - you don't need to force it - just hold it tight and steady.

Make sure you have the metal grinding disc fitted and not a stone grinding disc (it should come with a few different sorts).

Don't worry about the flood of flaming sparks streaming off the grinder/metal meeting point, they won't hurt you, in fact you can hardly feel them. (check out these death rays headed directly towards my giant English balls)

When you have finished with the task you can set yourself up a bike lock removal man - buy an extra battery or two - and charge £40 for turning up and grinding someone free.

You can also use the grinder for doing murders and killings of all sorts, paid, government sanctioned, fun killings and so on.

P.S the Maplins one (the cordless) comes with 2 x batteries and a metal grinding wheel and a diamond tipped cutting blade and a polishing wheel so you can use it to polish your cranks as well !

The lock smith will quote you £95 - turn up - suck a lot of air - and then tell you it looks more like £120-£130 - he will then set about his task - finish - and then ask you for £135.

As usual with most of these things then :-/

As far as I remember they are pretty decent, they are, after all, designed for exactly this kind of thing.

Why do you need to go through both sides of a lock - what kind of lock it it ????

It's a Kryptonite NY 3000 D (http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360023755&N=Kryptonite%20New%20York%203000%20D%20Lock). Problem is I don't think it rotates much (at all?) once one leg is cut, so may have to cut both to be able to actually get my bike out.

Thanks for the advice on the angle grinder usage - looking like I'll go that way. If I do, I'll be sure to make it available to other lgfss people in the same bind.

It's a Kryptonite NY 3000 D - Problem is I don't think it rotates much (at all?) once one leg is cut, so may have to cut both to be able to actually get my bike out.

I reckon you could have that off with a single cut (looking at my Krytonite as I type) - but I don't know how it is wrapped around the bike - anyhow shouldn't be too bad.

Thanks for the advice on the angle grinder usage - looking like I'll go that way. If I do, I'll be sure to make it available to other lgfss people in the same bind.

Cool ! :)

Angle grinder removing a bike lock at around 3:30 in this clip.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Angle grinder is the best option. I got my Bosch for 30 quid and this is me part-way through making a BBQ out of an oil drum:

S1030044.flv video by loganarmy - Photobucket

Just let the grinder do the work and get a thin cutting disk to make it more 'blade' like, a fat disk will be sluggish and if it's cordless will most likely sap power.

Ended up calling a locksmith, paid 75 quid for it in the end - complete pain, but I needed my bike for work, and the Maplins/Machine Mart I called didn't have one in stock.

The guy drilled out the barrel of the lock - took about 50 minutes to get through it.

For what it's worth - the guy in that video uses a corded grinder, which I'm sure are more powerful (limited battery life on the cordless ones - the one at Maplin has 2 x 1.3Ah batteries, so I guess that the grinder can't use much more than an amp, whereas mains would allow more than this). Discussions after getting the lock sorted seemed to point to the fact that a petrol-powered grinder would probably be the weapon of choice if cutting through it.

yep metal cutting disk not grinding disk will be best.

Makita make dam good grinders will last you for your life time if you are not a trades man and years even if you are but the are expensive.

yep metal cutting disk not grinding disk will be best.

Good point - a thin metal cutting disk would definitely be best.

Ended up calling a locksmith, paid 75 quid for it in the end - complete pain, but I needed my bike for work, and the Maplins/Machine Mart I called didn't have one in stock.

The guy drilled out the barrel of the lock - took about 50 minutes to get through it.

£75 is not too bad - considering your other quotes. I am surprised it took 50 minutes ! I have been through an old U lock in under 10 minutes - although I avoided the fat lock area and went through the shackle (the 'U' bit).

£75 is not too bad - considering your other quotes. I am surprised it took 50 minutes ! I have been through an old U lock in under 10 minutes - although I avoided the fat lock area and went through the shackle (the 'U' bit).

he drilled it, and new kryptos are drill resistant. drilling a normal lock is a pain in the arse.

Just 'cos I had my camera around:

Blunted three drill bits apparently. One concerned member of the public confronted the guy, but nothing else.

edited 'cause i didn't realize it was the same lock (aka i'm dumb)

I just bought one of those New York Krypto 3000's, I've heard a couple of stories now where people have snapped their keys, should I beware? Is it easy to do? I just had to upgrade my 9 year old 'circular type key' New York lock as I saw the fat bald man on you tube open it up with a biro.

Would superglue/epoxy have got it out? Where exactly did the key break? I have a krypto mini fagedablabla and it opens with fingertip pressure only much easier than my mini Evolution, how did you get up the torque to snap the key?

I just bought one of those New York Krypto 3000's, I've heard a couple of stories now where people have snapped their keys, should I beware? Is it easy to do? I just had to upgrade my 9 year old 'circular type key' New York lock as I saw the fat bald man on you tube open it up with a biro.

I thinnk the thing is to make sure you have the key fully inserted and never force it. A little wiggle if it is not moving rather than forcing it.

I thinnk the thing is to make sure you have the key fully inserted and never force it. A little wiggle if it is not moving rather than forcing it.

Exactly.

I remember that in the instructions it does say really, really clearly that you should insert the key fully and do not force it. So if you do force it and snap the key, it's your own fault.

Hearing that it took a locksmith 50 min pleases me since I use one everyday :)

Would superglue/epoxy have got it out? Where exactly did the key break? I have a krypto mini fagedablabla and it opens with fingertip pressure only much easier than my mini Evolution, how did you get up the torque to snap the key?

I tried the superglue on the end of the key, but the key was part twisted in the lock. This lock definitely didn't open with fingertip pressure, it was quite stiff usually. To be honest, the torque was minimal, I didn't expect it to snap at all. Perhaps a weak key?

I was using the lighted key, not sure if it's the same metal as the spares.

You should have dropped a score on one of Brick Lanes bike thieves, they would have been through that lock in 50 seconds.

Just looked at my kryptonite key and it is also a bit bent. Softer metal than Abus.
Insert fully Mrs