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Thread: Cutting 16 mm hardened steel with hacksaw

  1. #1

    Cutting 16 mm hardened steel with hacksaw

    Clearly an angle grinder would be one of the best tools to cut a 16 mm hardened steel. But my budget is limited.
    If I had to use a hacksaw, could anyone recommend a blade? Would it be better to use 14 TPI or 24 TPI?

    More importantly, how long does it take to cut through? Like 10 minutes? or 60 minutes?

    P.S. I lost my keys to my bike lock recently.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    The more teeth the better. Here the bike thieves freeze the lock, maybe liquid N, then hit it with a hammer.

  3. #3
    I have a neighbor who has a real estate lock box on their railing. Realtor says it's broken , I'm going to grind It off with my Harbor Freight disk grinder. It's been used several times,but still works.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 11-18-2017 at 6:50 PM.

  4. #4
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    Can the cylinder be drilled out?

  5. #5
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    Trust me, buy a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder with a 5/8 arbor new ones can be had for less than $20 off Harbor Freight or else where. You can get off Craigslist used also. Buy a abrasive cut off wheel(s) and the 16 mm hardened steel will be cut in less than a minute. Yes you will need safety glasses. A hacksaw blade will not touch. I cut two locks off my wife's bike on two separate bikes, longest one took a full 60 seconds.
    Last edited by Bill George; 11-18-2017 at 6:09 PM.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  6. #6
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    You can try a carbide grit covered hacksaw blade, a regular one won't touch it. But it will probably take a long time. +1 with Bill's suggestion

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Nair View Post
    Can the cylinder be drilled out?
    Interesting idea! I do have a hand drill. But I am not convinced that the latch bolt would move even if the cylinder is completely drilled out. Are you sure?
    The bike lock I have has the disk detainer type of cylinder. Also I was actually considering to pull out the disks from the keyway by using a threaded screw. But I figured it might not that easy after I saw an online photo of an attempted cracking of that kind of lock.

  8. #8
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    If the lock has a brass cylinder and a common keyway, drilling out the cylinder should disable the lock. The big but is this is a suggestion not based on observation nor deep experience.

  9. #9
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    Note that drilling out a cylinder does not need to be full diameter. All you need to do is disconnect the cylinder from the cam on the back end. A 1/4 or 3/8 drill should do it.
    Bill D.

  10. #10
    +1 on the HF $9.99 angle grinder. Add a Lenox diamond cutting wheel (about $15 at Lowes,) and you are ready to take on the world.

  11. #11
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    Location? Chances are good that someone here will loan you what you need if you are close by...

  12. #12
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    Here’s an alternative suggestion: Take locked bike to a locksmith. A friend of mine is one, and he popped the trailer hitch lock off of my truck, after I lost the key. It was the circular style lock you typically see on bike locks, vending machines, etc. He picked the lock in under a minute, and I gave him $20 for his troubles.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Trent View Post
    Here’s an alternative suggestion: Take locked bike to a locksmith. A friend of mine is one, and he popped the trailer hitch lock off of my truck, after I lost the key. It was the circular style lock you typically see on bike locks, vending machines, etc. He picked the lock in under a minute, and I gave him $20 for his troubles.
    LOL, I called them a few days ago. The one in my area (NYC) asked 29 bucks just for coming to the site to "take a look". The actual lock-picking price goes from there. So I would rather get an angle grinder if I have to.

    // My bike is locked to a bike rack in a public area.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Nair View Post
    If the lock has a brass cylinder and a common keyway, drilling out the cylinder should disable the lock. The big but is this is a suggestion not based on observation nor deep experience.
    Thanks! Also thanks goes to @Bill D.

    Let me try this next week. And very likely I will come back to let you guys know how it goes.

  15. #15
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    The HF angle grinder is a good idea. I had a Master lock with a hardened shaft that needed to be removed. I tried a hacksaw and it just "skittered" over the shaft. I tried for 2 or 3 minutes. It looked like it shined up the shaft/hasp but didn't even scratch it. So at that rate it appeared to be a several year operation. If I recall I either used my AC welder cranked up or used an oxyacetylene torch. I recall that the lock was in 2 pieces in about 5 seconds.

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