I'm a vintage key collector. Been collecting for 54 years, and have amassed 7,000+ (all different) keys and related items. I like locks also... nice locks!
The padlocks have special places in our hearts. I have a fair collection too. I have a brass lock that takes a door key that I can’t spell. It starts with an s. I polished it. It’s a beautiful lock. I take your knowledge and use it for restorations I have not done. Your knowledge resonates with my past ww2 friends. I have always said you should have a T v show. A big Thank you from me.
I’ve never been so invested in a video about padlocks, lol! You’ve got a way to make whatever it is your showing interesting. I appreciate everything you do.
John, I also have been a fan of Tri-Flow for close to 50 years. Every time I use it, the smell brings back memories of my younger days. I used to use on my motorcycles and vehicles for anything that needed to be lubed. Car door locks back in the day when we used to have to use a key to get in. Spray the locks in the fall and they would never freeze up over the winter. Great stuff!
Scout, you can make anything interesting and worthwhile. I'll be doing a bit of padlock maintenance this weekend. Thanks so much for taking your time to bring us these presentations. 😉👍
Nice show. I have about 12 padlocks outside. I bought 30 online. They all use the same key. About a year ago you talked about lock maintenance. Because of your advice my locks all work great. Guess it is time I do my PM. Thank you.
love locks, great job on them and the lubrication. I have been fascinated by them since a child born 1967 but the door locks and handles are my favorite. Then keys just trip my imagination those two on a chain get my magical fantasy world going. One is a button hook for old timer boots. great video, thank you.
Interesting video, enjoyed the restoration process and the information. I have always found keys interesting and once a great while come across a container about half full of keys at a garage sale for never more than a dollar, tempted, but, never made the purchase.
Thanks John, that was an interesting episode, with lots of useful information on restoring and maintaining locks, I have a few nice old brass locks that were my Dads inclsing on of the hooped design like one of your there, I know they'll look great when polished up, now I know how ! I also have a couple of tins of old keys, as you say they all have a story to tell, and you never know when one might come in useful ! Many thanks to Lisa and Jimmy too !
A great show ScoutCrafter, as usual. I'm surprised I don't collect locks. I won't start collecting -- I won't start collecting! --- say it three more times, Joe ------
When I was 15 my dad gave me a padlock from a trip he took to India. The key was with it but it didn’t do anything. Just turned over and over. I love puzzles. He would occasionally take the lock turn around and when he faced me again it was open. Turns out one of the rivets that held the lock together was a button. Also tri Flo is a really quality chain lube for bikes.
This was very interesting! I was really impressed with how nice the brass locks cleaned up. Thanks for sharing this and the information on how to clean and lubricate them.
Great video 👍 Those vintage Locks 🔐 🔒 you restored turned out Fantastic! Great information and demonstration on the lock and how to properly clean and lubricate the lock so we can get a lot more years of service out of them . Fantastic job! 👍👍I was glad to see you wasn’t stingy with the 50-50 😂😂👍👍I think my favorites of the locks 🔐 were the two brass Yale Locks 🔐 and that Dead bolt lock . That art deco looking Yale lock, I think you knocked that one out of the park. Awesome job! I was surprised that the plast-x didn’t fool with the lettering on the plastic keychain tag 🏷, it really turned out nice 👍. I think I will try to get some of that Try-Flow lubricant , looks like good stuff 👍. Another great shot of Old Glory 🇺🇸 flying in the breeze. Well again great video and can’t wait to see what you do on Monday. Have a great weekend. 😃👍👍
The cleanups came out very nice. The imperfections on the lock give it character. Great explanation about locks. When I retired I drove a truck for awhile out of the Hunts Point market and the guy I worked for had a warehouse in the old Yale lock factory in Stamford Connecticut.
Lovely work Mr Crafter, looking at those keys I think the one on the right that looks like its made out of a bike chain is actually a button hook, I'm sure you know but I thought it interesting to mention. Really enjoying your work Sir, trying to get through your back catalog, might take me some time to properly catch up but I'll get there !!
Great episode! Always loved padlocks and picked my first before I started school, warded lock so wasn't very hard. You should consider making these "special episodes" regularly, where you focus on an item or a group or "class" of items and talk a bit more of them in depth. Both because it is interesting and to bring in new people or let regulars learn about something new.
Extremely interesting video! I learned a lot and now I realize that I am a lock collector of sorts. I have a box full of old locks and keys, some of which are as old as I am. Whenever I wound up with a lock I just tossed in the box. Now I'm thinking about cleaning and organizing them! Thanks for the inspiration John!
Padlocks are mechanical marvels. The construction and design is amazing. Once you clean and organize them they really make a wonderful collection. Younger kids really love them too!!! 😃👍
My grandparents had a lock similar to the deadbolt you showed on the back door. When I was 5 or 6 years old I managed to whack my head on the part fastened to the jamb. I think we called it a night latch, I suppose because it was only locked at night.
I love the old Railroad locks,some of theyre keys are so odd shaped and cool. I collect any old keys when I find them. My hobby room still uses skeleton keys.
Hi John, I used to live and work in Stamford, CT. I remember that Stolfi’s TV shop. They had a big front window on the shop with the name on it. I worked at Pitney Bowes in Stamford. The factory covered over a city block on Atlantic and Walter Wheeler Drive. Around the corner was the Yale & Towne factory. Yale was no longer there and parts of the factory had caved in. The Yale factory was from the late 1800’s I think. There was a big urban development called Harbor View that was developed after Pitney Bowes factory closed and was torn down. They turned part of the Yale building into luxury apartments in the Harbor View community. That area used to be kind of a very rough neighborhood down the street from Pitney Bowes. Pitney Bowes had a complete manufacturing operation with every mfg process represented. The place also had a finishing section for painting, black oxide, and Crome and nickel plating. I was responsible for the Postage Meter Operations with assembly lines and parts making. I am very familiar with mfg processes. I think that’s why I like our refurb hobby. It connects me with that manufacturing world. Great video. Best Regards, John
I love your content and presentation. One use for the square tipped key you showed at end was in sewing machine desks like those from the early 1900s. We have a few of those desks and the key is used to lock the drawers. Sewing machine desk keys also came with tips the shape of a diamond.
Retired from working in a jail. The gate locks were Folger Adams with huge brass keys. They took years of constant work and abuse. Only graphite was used by the workshop to maintain the locks. Jail has since closed and I was able to obtain a couple of the keys. Nothing like a solid brass Yale padlock.
I had a key very stuck in my brass Master padlock once trying to lubricate it, that was stressful! Padlocks are great to collect, I have a few waiting to be cleaned 😅
My Barn Key has a glow in the dark keychain the exact style of that plastic one you have there. The writing has completely wore off after all these years but I think it was a Bicentennial keychain, maybe an Eagle with the year on it or something, still glows though.
They often had that strange light greenish white opaque color and as a kid I would get a kick out of charging them up with a flashlight and shutting the lights off. 😂👍
Another good show today John. Question: when you were showing the keys, the key clear to the right looked like a old time tool ( I don’t remember what they called it ) for lacing up shoes. Am I wrong? Have a great weekend. Thank You for sharing.
Speaking of locks…. I still have a dream from time to time that I’m back in High School, on my way to a class and I can’t remember my lock combination. What a panicky feeling! I wonder what that dream means? (I shouldn’t tee it up that easily!)
14:01 - After all that cleaning, vaccuming and lubricating, that key is still very hard to come out and is about to snap in half sooner or later. Now what could be the reason for that? Is it something deformed inside the mechanism of the lock or is it maybe something with the teeth (ridges and notches) of the key?
Love the finish locks they came up great John don’t be stingy with the 50/50 Best saying ever god bless take care have a great weekend 🇺🇸🇳🇿🇮🇱🪖🗽🦅47 /FJB🤬
