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hi , treated myself to the above, was told that seller did not have the combination that is why seller did not try to close the padlock . well I accepted this , next I closed it but was able to pull it open again .Well is this that my padlock is busted (or is this type of combo that must enter the combination to close, hope this explains my problem, good or bad news most welcome. gus
Attachment 5645
Gus, The lock should lock once the bail is closed.I have many of these locks with 5 different company names on them and one without any name. All of mine are either 3 or 4 button combinations. The way they work is you have to push all the required buttons at the same time and it can be a combination of buttons up or down(EX 1 & 7 up and 5 down). The lock might just be extremely dirty causing it not to work. I would try spraying it out real well with a good aerisol cleaner then use a good lock lube like Houdini. Make sure all the buttons move back and forth and the springs return the buttons to the center neutral position.
If you study the buttons carefully you might be able to tell which buttons have the most wear to the faces and it's possible they might be the ones used in the combo. As far as I've been able to research, there are no combination codes listed for these locks. So if all else fails, I guess you'll just have to spend your nights infront of the TV trying all possible combinations. It can be done as I've had to do it with several of mine, it just takes time and patience.:(sweat): Good luck, Mark
Thanks Mark knew you would come through with help. The next Q do the Makers of Edwards combination padlocks always have the same amount of buttons to press (up/down ) sorry to drag this out . One more Q ,what are the worst things I should avoid ? many thanks again..gusQuote:
the mind and the body are like a husband and wife , they don't always agree to die at the same time .
Gus, all mine have the same number of buttons. As far as what to avoid, well that's a wide open question. It's possible that someone along the line has forced that lock open which could have damaged the locking mechanism inside. You might also try tapping on the case with a rawhide mallet once you have spray cleaned it to see if it might jar things loose. Good luck and keep us posted with your results. Mark:(y):
I have seen that exact lock with three different brand names. American No-Key, Edwards No-Key and one that just said No-Key. All operated exactly the same way and I suspect there was one manufacturer who just made cases with different brand names as an OEM supplier.Quote:
Originally Posted by oldbiscuit
This will sound wierd, but I have had good luck determining which pins are used in the combination by using a digital camera to take a picture of the front and back. If you adjust the contrast in photoshop the used pins have a darker area around them because of the buildup of oils from the fingers pushing on them. Give it a try, ymmv.
BBE.
Billy, They're five names for this style lock that I know of. They are Blakesley, Berkman, Chicago NoKey, Edwards, one with just NoKey, and one with nothing at all on it. I've got all but the Blakesley, which seems to be the toughest to find. I'll have to remember your trick on my next one, as I do pretty much the same by looking at them under a magnifying glass to find the wear patterns.
thanks( oldbiscuit) & (BBE) well the info that someone may have forced the lock ,that was on my mind before I bought it , but will give it the velvet mallet song . Next the amount of buttons to be pressed on the Edwards are they the same as the other brand names and if not do Edwards change the amount of buttons to be pressed 0n this type.The buttons on my lock have same amount of dirt /oil on all buttons both sides . I do hope that the lock will shut as I would like to open it (blood sweat tears ) like the advice that this problem has generated so far , I do not have Photoshop. I have noticed that on one side the buttons on my lock each have 3 lines on them then I found someone on utube who made a very flat 2 prong tool lifted the button and moved the button he said if the tool faced anti clockwise that pushed down or if clockwise pushed up . hope I got that right. One last question should the lock be open / closed when I tap it . gus
Gus, it can be either a 3 or 4 button combination on the Edwards. As far as tapping goes, I'de close the bail/shackle and tap,at least that way you'de know if it latches. Study all the buttons front and back very carefully and start using the buttons with the most wear first. Another trick I've used if you can get it to latch is to pull up on the bail/shackle keeping tension on it while working each button seperately. Sometimes you can get a button to settle into the open position, but not all the buttons. That way you have one number of the possible 3 or 4 number combination:(nerd):
hi thanks Mark , will keep the board updated with my struggles thanks again .gus:(grin):Quote:
the desire to resort to technical cunning .
hi have tried the velvet mallet but have no result , could anyone who has this kind of combo padlock send me a picture of the opening from the top view of their working open lock. I have used a broken key pick to tease something forward and would like to compare them both thanking you all in advance. having problem posting a pic of mine at the moment gusQuote:
Edwards mfg padlock morphing into a paperweight
Here's what I know:
The Edwards padlock, when it left the factory was set on a random combination (3-5 buttons pressed). As most people I've spoken to are unaware of, this lock is designed to be USER-resettable. The buttons can be in one of three states;
1) Button needs to be pressed DOWN to work combination
2) Button needs to be pressed UP to work combination
3) Button is left alone (neutral position)
With the shackle OPEN, you will notice a small TANG inside of the square shackle hole, LIFT the tang (carefully) up and over the small "notch" that it normally rests in (on the side of the case) and ROTATE it, perhaps 15-20degrees. Be gentle, the tip of a dental pick makes a nice tool for this. The buttons are now DISengaged from the lock's innerworkings. ROTATING the buttons a 1/3rd turn will change how they affect themselves in the combo. Some of the locks I've seen have 3 little "nicks" on the button faces, furthermore on these types, SOME locks will have ONE of the three "nicks" a small "break" in the "nick" (a magnifying glass REALLY helps) If you're lucky enough to have a lock like this, the combo is actually visible to you from just looking at the lock. (The "nick" with the "break" will either face the lock's outer edge, the lock's exact center, or inbetween) The button's "nicks" can vary slightly from lock to lock (so pay attention to what you rotated, and how much). After setting the new combo of your choosing, ROTATE the little tang back until it snaps into the notch again. What if you have no idea of what the code is to begin with, or there are no "nicks" on the buttons?....................DECODE IT!!!
Decoding; Decoding these locks are SUPER EASY (if you know how).
Cut a piece of standard lock shimstock (curved shims) (Don't have any, ask a locksmith friend). Cut the corners off a shim so the bottom is now about slightly smaller than 1/8th"
__
i i i
i i i
i i i Diagram NOT to scale!!!
i i i
i i i
i i i
\_/ <---Bottom flat is slightly smaller than 1/8"
Slide the shim alongside the buttons (the top of the lock), feel around, the bottom of the shim should fall into a "gate" of sorts and be able to enter slightly deeper, where this occurs put a small dot (with fine tipped-marker) on the face of the button in relation to where the "gate" is located. Repeat this for all the buttons, when you are done some of the dots will face the outer edge of the lock, some will face the exact center, and some will be inbetween. As mentioned above: some of the locks are slightly different from each other so it will be up to you to figure out which direction the dot points in relation to what purpose that button has in the combination IE: press UP, press DOWN, or leave alone. The most buttons of the same configuration are usually gonna be the ones you don't touch (neutral). When you press the buttons (holding down) in the right order, the shackle will pop open..............
~ as if by magic ~!
Hope this helps someone!
--Vince (Peerless)
hi Vince, thank you thank you , very excited, onwards and upwards now hoping to turn my paperweight back to a working combo padlock , will feed back on my efforts thanks again gus.
I dug out my padlocks to try to narrow down what is what, as my last post was strictly from memory of numerous years ago.
Hold the padlock face UP, with the number 1 button at the 12oclock position, shim the button as described earlier, if the gate is at the 6oclock position, that button needs to be pressed UP (from the back of the lock). If the gate is at the 2oclock position, the button needs to be pressed DOWN (from the front of the lock). If the gate is at the 10oclock position, that button should not be pressed as it is NOT part of the combo. Repeat the above procedure for button number 2, 3, 4... holding the padlock in an oriantation so VISUALLY the button you are working on is at the 12oclock position. The gate on the lock is not very deep, so putting a small dash or marker mark on the shim makes it so much easier to tell when it enters the gate. ALSO lubricate the lock (and buttons) with a very light, non hardening lubricant, as some of the buttons may be difficult to press, letalone allow a two-thousandths of an inch shim to slide beside them.
Best luck,
--Vince
PS. sometimes but not always the "nicks" on the buttons will have a break (as mentioned in my last post), if so this is what they (U-S-U-A-L-L-Y) mean:
Break pointing to 2oclock: Press button DOWN
Break pointing to 6oclock: press button UP
Break pointing to 10oclock: Button not part of combo
Hi should I pm you to ask more questions as I maybe making this too long for others , thanking you . Gus
I disagree, this is interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by CHIHUAHUA3/4/2008
Vince, I agree this is most interesting. Do you know the procedure to reset the combo?
hi I am making this hard work , would like to know which is the tang , is it the little bit in between the 2 brass one's , or is it the one to the right by its self thanking you . gus Attachment 5820 Vince you wrote ( With the shackle OPEN, you will notice a small TANG inside of the square shackle hole, LIFT the tang (carefully) up and over the small "notch" that it normally rests in (on the side of the case) and ROTATE it, perhaps 15-20degrees.)
Well I'm glad some of my lock knowledge is helping someone out.
From your above image of the open shackle hole, look IN and UP towards the rear (inner back) of the lock. The tang I spoke of actually slides alongside the inside of the case's rear, and the notch of sorts is machined into the case itself. a VERY bright pen light or stylus type light can aid in viewing what I'm refering to.
*Using the above photo for a point of reference*, the tang must be (GENTLY) pulled DOWN (w/ dentalpick), then ROTATED a small degree to the left (BE CAREFUL, it's only a tiny piece of BRASS). When this done succesfully, a little tab will then be partially blocking the shacklehole, this little tab will have emerged from the RIGHT of the hole. The buttons are now DISengaged for changing.
Like I said earlier, you must know what the existing combo is before changing, or else you'll only change it to another unknown combo.
LUBRICATION is CRITICAL - The buttons must be FREE.
From the face (top) of the lock, if the buttons are rotated CLOCKWISE a 1/3 of a turn, the order they go as to how they'll affect the combo is as following:
...DOWN, UP, LEAVE ALONE, DOWN, UP, LEAVE ALONE, DOWN, UP, LEAVE ALONE, DOW... and on and on til' infinity.
It may be helpful to put a small dot on the edge of each button with an indelable marker so you can determine how much to turn (rotate) each one. The little dot will actually wear off in short order from your fingers' oils.
After changing the combo, push (again carefully) the little brass piece to it's original resting place.
.oqɯoɔ ʍǝu ʇsǝʇ puɐ ǝlʞɔɐɥs ǝsolɔ
Have fun!!! ♫♥♫
--Vince O--O
hi Vince, my problem is not the finding the combination or changing it . The problem for me is that the padlock came open and when I close it it can be pulled open . I would like you to zoom in and tell me what you see on the left side and also on the right side. Sooooooooooooooo next move .( paperweight or working padlock ) thanks again gus.
The piece of brass as seen in the upper-right of the shacklehole as viewed in your photo is the "tab" that I mentioned earlier will "partially block" the shacklehole when the buttons are in the DISengaged state. This somwhat bothers me, as the ONLY time this piece should be visible is when changing the combo.
While it may be possible something is broken, it may also be possible that someone set all the buttons to the neutral position. If this is what happened the shackle can be pushed down, but will want to spring right back up. (I tested this theroy on on of my padlocks).
Other than that......IDK?
--Vince O--O
hi Vince thanks for all your help and time , as soon as time permits I will attack this problem again and will feed back thanks everyone again.gus:(sweat):
An excellent PDF by Shieldr on the Edwards No-Key padlock can be found in the Members Library area HERE
thank you thank you , I will try till the end of May and if no dice , I would be willing to post my PAPERWEIGHT to anyone in the UK who would accept the challenge 1 lock it / or lock and reopen , hope this does not sound cheeky . thanks in advance . Gus. (the only weapon against reality is imagination )