speaking of "too effing cold" out...

[topaz]

Does anyone have suggestions for how to thaw a frozen cylinder on a Kryptonite lock, when it's, say, locked to a bike on a city street several hundred yards from the nearest electric outlet?

Just checking.

Comments

[penk.livejournal.com]

Boil a big mug or cup of hot water and bring that with you over to the lock and pour it over it. (or, if you have a bucket, get super-hot water into it, and dunk the lock into it)

Good luck!

[docstrange.livejournal.com]

1. heat pack
2. hot water bottle
3. pour 70% or 90% cleaning alcohol on the keyhole (also could use antifreeze, but not so good for environment)
4. shine this flashlight (http://www.on9now.com/video/v740.html) on it

[ckd]

Get a small blowtorch, like you'd use for making crème brûlée?

[maebeth.livejournal.com]

ooh. We gave great automatic de-icers to everyone in the family. But not ourselves. Basically a battery heats a wire that fits into the key hole.

Or, do you need a ride home?

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

You're so sweet! No, in the worst case I take the train back to Alewife and walk to where my car is parked in Arlington. But I'd rather not leave the bike parked on the street until the spring thaw. :-)

[ceo]

I'm told that peeing on it works.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Beaten to the punch, yes sirree.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Just tuck it under your armpit for a few minutes!

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

I don't know how to type an approximation of the sound I would make putting a frozen lock in this cold under my arm

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!"?

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

You can buy little cylinders of "lock deicer" at auto-parts shops (and maybe gas stations?); they're meant for use on car doors, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work on a Kryptonite lock.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

agreed.

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for the future, lock de-icer. For right now, the heat/cold therapy section of a drug store should offer you several options, some of which will probably be of the instant gets-warm-with-exposure-to-air variety.

Lighter

[arcticelf.livejournal.com]

Use your lighter (you do carry a method of making fire with you right?) to heat the key. I suppose pee-ing on its also a good sugestion, though maybe not the best when combined with 'city street' and 'bloody cold out'.

Seriously: hot alchahol or water, the former will hopefully get the lock a bit drier, so it wont freeze again.

AE

Re: Lighter

[jss]

It wouldn't be the first time qwrrty's whipped it out on a public street, though it may be the first time without an audience there beforehand. :-)

[pulito.livejournal.com]

Your tongue! Use your tongue!

[keyne.livejournal.com]

This is my favorite suggestion.

[pulito.livejournal.com]

*bow*

Do tell!

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

Do tell us which of these lovely options you chose to use! Especially if it involved public nudity!