20 Mar 2021, 14:51
Many threads exist about this kind of cheap electronic timer padlock:
Electronic Timer Device Time Lock
and in nearly all of them a complaint is made about the cheak plastic housing. I own a couple of these and indeed they feel like the cable could be ripped out of the lock without difficulty.
As a result I never use these kinds of locks to secure anything that might come under tension, which limits the ties I can do with this lock.
Today I came up with a ridiculously simple device that can bypass this problem. I'm not sure if this kind of technique has a
eady been posted here.
Materials:
-The lock
-A- small-medium chain of any length you like
-A heavy-duty ziptie
plus pliers and side-cutters
The idea is to use the timer padlock to lock a loop of chain without transferring the tension load on the locking mechanism itself. Create a flat loop with the ziptie that can be slid inside two chain links as shown:
[attachment=46115]
[attachment=46114]
The chain links and ziptie need to be appropriately sized so that the ziptie strip itself can barely slide through the chain links but the locking square thingy cannot.
The final step is to lock the timer padlock inside the loop so it cannot slide out the other way unless the padlock is removed first:
[attachment=46116]
When the loop of chain is subject to tension, the upper chain link closest to the padlock wire will compress the wire against the ziptie, placing no load on the padlock body. The ziptie itself is subject to tension and shearing forces, and thus becomes the new "weakest link".
I haven't made any load tests yet, in any case I believe it could be plenty strong enough for many selfbondage applications.
As a safety plus if the timer lock fails to open, you can now use a pair of side cutters to cut the ziptie loop in addition to the padlock wire.
EDIT:
There may be some difficulties in sliding the padlock wire out of the ziptie when the whole thing is under tension, the metal endpoints of the wire can catch the zip-tie links.
If the zip-tie is thick and wide enough to just barely fit inside a chain link, it will pivot slightly under tension from the links but not enough to choke the padlock wire. The wire can then be slid out with some work.
In any case this definitely requires at least one hand to unlock (but so does the padlock)
Electronic Timer Device Time Lock
and in nearly all of them a complaint is made about the cheak plastic housing. I own a couple of these and indeed they feel like the cable could be ripped out of the lock without difficulty.
As a result I never use these kinds of locks to secure anything that might come under tension, which limits the ties I can do with this lock.
Today I came up with a ridiculously simple device that can bypass this problem. I'm not sure if this kind of technique has a
eady been posted here.Materials:
-The lock
-A- small-medium chain of any length you like
-A heavy-duty ziptie
plus pliers and side-cutters
The idea is to use the timer padlock to lock a loop of chain without transferring the tension load on the locking mechanism itself. Create a flat loop with the ziptie that can be slid inside two chain links as shown:
[attachment=46115]
[attachment=46114]
The chain links and ziptie need to be appropriately sized so that the ziptie strip itself can barely slide through the chain links but the locking square thingy cannot.
The final step is to lock the timer padlock inside the loop so it cannot slide out the other way unless the padlock is removed first:
[attachment=46116]
When the loop of chain is subject to tension, the upper chain link closest to the padlock wire will compress the wire against the ziptie, placing no load on the padlock body. The ziptie itself is subject to tension and shearing forces, and thus becomes the new "weakest link".
I haven't made any load tests yet, in any case I believe it could be plenty strong enough for many selfbondage applications.
As a safety plus if the timer lock fails to open, you can now use a pair of side cutters to cut the ziptie loop in addition to the padlock wire.
EDIT:
There may be some difficulties in sliding the padlock wire out of the ziptie when the whole thing is under tension, the metal endpoints of the wire can catch the zip-tie links.
If the zip-tie is thick and wide enough to just barely fit inside a chain link, it will pivot slightly under tension from the links but not enough to choke the padlock wire. The wire can then be slid out with some work.
In any case this definitely requires at least one hand to unlock (but so does the padlock)