Travis, Having been involved with dozens (maybe hundreds) of cave gates around the country, I recommend brass Best locks. And stay away from any rubberized locks, they aren't any better and usually cost more. Lubricate with powdered graphite only, no oil or WD40 or such. And change out the locks periodically, especially in wet, muddy, or dusty situations.
Despite what what Mixon espouses, cave resources are definitely worth protecting, and arguably more valuable than my house and possessions. Those can be replaced. That's why the old NSS "Cave Gating" book and it's "weak link" philosophy of gating are obsolete. For a more up-to-date approach, check out the cave gate chapter in NSS' "Cave Conservation and Restoration" book. All this, of course, assumes a well-designed and constructed gate. A poor gate can have entirely the opposite effect, and cause more problems than it solves. All it takes is one jerk to ruin things forever. The Butterfly at Caverns of Sonora is a prime example. Jim Mobile email from my iPhone > On Apr 4, 2016, at 8:58 AM, Travis Scott via Texascavers > <texascavers@texascavers.com> wrote: > > Folks, > > I have recently been struggling with the padlocks on cave gates that have > become corroded and basically unusable. Even brand new padlocks that were > placed on the gate and left for a few years are becoming unusable. These > gates are designed with an arm hole which allows you to reach the padlock > hanging on the inside of a solid gate. Once the padlock is removed, a lever > is moved and the gate opens. The problem is that the padlocks sit in the wet > warm environment (sometimes years at a time) collecting dust, dirt and > corrosion as air moves past due to the cave breathing. Several locks have > recently taken over an hour to open whilst in the most uncomfortable > positions, meanwhile with the fear that the key might break off in the lock > or the lock will never open, etc.. > > I am wondering if anyone has had the experience or research to whittle down > the best types of locks that can handle this environment and still continue > to function properly. I have researched corrosion aspects of different > tumblers (no real conclusion on which is best). Other cavers have told me > that the locks with the rubber housing around the entire lock, including the > key hole, are no better than a normal Masterlock for example. We have tried > both the most expensive locks and the cheaper ones, but none seem to hold up. > > Does anyone have any experience with this or have any light they can shed? > > Thank you so very much!!! > > > Travis Scott > tra...@oztotl.com > 979.450.0103 (cell)
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