Vent: Tried graphite powder on a sticky lock and it made things worse somehow

I was getting tired of jiggling this one office door key for 20 seconds every morning so I grabbed a tube of graphite powder from the shop. Figured it would be a 2 second fix but now the lock is totally gummed up and I had to call a real locksmith to drill it out for 75 bucks. Anyone else have a simple fix they tried that just backfired completely?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_ross1924d ago

Rubbed graphite into my front door lock once thinking I was being smart, and ended up locking myself out for 3 hours while waiting for a locksmith. The powder turned into this weird paste with the humidity and basically glued the whole mechanism shut. It was like watching a magic trick where the trick is you suddenly have zero access to your own house. Good times.

the_thomas24d ago

Wait, is that actually a common thing people do? I used to think graphite was some kind of magic key fix, like WD-40 but for locks. But yeah, hearing this from you @anna_ross19 totally changes my mind. I can picture that paste situation all too well, like mixing flour and water in a science experiment gone wrong. Honestly, I'm glad I never tried it now since I would have absolutely locked myself out too, probably in the rain knowing my luck.

jana_fox5024d agoTop Commenter

Oh, it's funny you mention that. I've noticed over the years that people tend to think any powder or spray will fix something mechanical, like it's all the same. My husband once poured motor oil into a squeaky door hinge and ended up with a slick mess that attracted every piece of dust in the house for weeks. It's the same with dry locks and graphite - we just reach for something that sounds right without thinking about how it actually works. You'd think by now we'd learn to read the instructions first, but no, we all have to learn the hard way.