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Cutting A Padlock With A Dremel
Blog Date - 04 May 2016
It's Tuesday afternoon and you've done your work and your chores and you're being a domestic god by tidying up (a little). You happen across that old chunky Chubb lock you spent a fortune on years ago. The keys are with it and you wonder if you should press it back into use, after all it's a big sturdy thing and Chubb was once a reputable brand. Nope, it's seized. No amount of WD40 is going to un-seize it either.
5 minutes later with your hands in the washing up bowl you ask yourself "I wonder if it's possible to cut through a hardened shackle with my cheap simple Dremel 200?" As you do. Before you know it there's a camera recording and you're grinding away. And here are the results...
Well who'da thought it? You don't need big heavy bolt croppers. You don't need an angle grinder. You need a pocket sized Dremel. The observant among you may have noticed that my Dremel is mains powered but fear not for Dremel have a range of portable battery powered models if you're "on the road" so to speak. It only took me 2 minutes and I'm a cack handed idiot so the battery should be up to the task.
The shackle on this particular lock is 11mm thick and clearly stamped as "HARDENED". I am sure there are tougher, meaner and harder locks out there and yet I was bitterly disappointed at how easy this was to cut. If you have an old lock or chain then send it to me and I'll see if my dinky little Dremel is up to the task. Drop me a line - renwithnell@hotmail.com.
Reader's Comments
Sharon said :-
Funny you wrote this article because only yesterday I was looking at bike chains. Which to buy? Is the most expensive the best etc. I watched a video an youtube where even the toughest most expensive Thatcham approved heavy duty chains were cut through in under a minute with a professional bolt cutter.
So if a professional thief wants your bike then the truth is they are going to get it. The best we can do is to deter the casual opportunist thief. The one who has not come out for your specific bike with the right tools for the job.
In which case maybe we do not necessarily have to go for the most expensive chains and locks?
04/05/2016 17:36:10 UTC
CHRIS said :-
Thanks, this worked for me with the 4200 Model and cut through it like butter. took 30 seconds
03/07/2017 22:06:25 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Hi Chris. I do hope you had a legitimate and legal reason to be cutting through padlocks. I do hope you're not starting on a new career as a motorcycle thief.
It's scarily easy ain't it.
04/07/2017 09:25:00 UTC
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