Awesome Locks

Iron and steel are the most recyclable materials on Earth. So it’s no wonder we often see items made by melting and reforging metal. In this video from Maker B, the machinist shows us how he took an assortment of steel bolts and removed their threads to create the parts for a working combination lock – no melting required. He made the dial from a brass rod.

Even with the latch engaged, hotel doors aren’t as secure as you might think, and you never know what you’ll get at an AirBNB. Stinger’s pocket-sized Starship travel lock provides added security by wedging between a door lock and its strike plate. It’s easy to install and has a built-in glass breaker and seatbelt cutter tools for emergencies.

The Safego is a portable mini-safe that lets you store your phone, wallet, and other valuables inside a locked chamber. It secures onto rails, benches, or other fixtures so you can keep it nearby. Its lockbox can be opened using a combination or key. Save 22% in The Awesomer Shop.

Matador’s unique BetaLock carabiner clip has a built-in theft-deterrent lock. Its deadbolt mechanism attaches helmets to bicycles, sandals to backpacks, and secures other items you can’t afford to lose. The BetaLock is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, comes in seven colors, and has an optional accessory cable for securing items it won’t fit through.

Maker The Q has a thing for modifying bicycles. For this unusual bike mod, he took an ordinary 2-wheeler and chopped its frame into a series of links with cables that hold them together. The idea is that its segments can be loosened and wrapped around a pole like a cable lock, then tightened to form a stiff frame for riding.

Sometimes, the best kind of lock is the kind that doesn’t look like a lock at all. B-Star Crafts shows off a simple, but effective method that keeps doors or drawers locked using hidden neodymium magnets. It’s a trick that’s frequently found in puzzle boxes but can be easily applied to furniture and cabinets as well.

Combination padlocks aren’t necessarily the most secure locks, but there’s a certain appeal to not needing a key to unlock them. In this video from Maker B, they show us how they machined pieces of stainless steel bolts and assembled them to form a working combo lock that looks like it came right off the store shelf.

This anti-theft lock attaches to your bicycle, moped, or motorcycle’s disc brake as an added layer of security beyond cable or U-locks. It’s compact enough to toss in your bike bag and can be locked and unlocked using your fingerprint or a key. It’s IPX7 waterproof and designed for durability. Fits brakes up to 6mm thick.

Keep your home safe from intruders and never worry about losing your keys with this high-tech deadbolt lock. It has an integrated biometric scanner so you can open it with just your fingerprint, while also supporting password and remote unlocking using the optional app. Save 42% in The Awesomer Shop.

Fans of the LockPickingLawyer know that he’s a master at breaking into supposedly secure locking mechanisms. He also has a little catchphrase, which Kyle Anderson compiled into this brief, but satisfying matrix of some of Lawyer’s successful break-ins.

We always enjoy watching craftspeople turn objects intended for one thing into something entirely different. In this clip from My Mechanics, offers up one off the more impressive transformations we’ve seen, reworking an ordinary stainless steel bolt and a brass rod into a working combination lock.

Until LockPickingLawyer gets his hands on this lock, we’re not going to call it infallible, but Shane from Stuff Made Here put an impressive amount engineering effort into this deadbolt that managed to stump a professional locksmith. Along the way, he offers a great explanation of how lock pins and cylinders work.

A pin tumbler is one of the simpler lock designs out there. But it definitely takes some skill to build one from scratch. Watch as FarmCraft101 puts his carpentry and engineering skills to the test with a working 10x scale lock made from wood, complete with a giant key to lock and unlock it. It’s way too easy to pick though.

This flexible bike lock is not only easier to wrap around posts than traditional U-locks, it’s far more durable. It can withstand a tremendous amount of torsion – which can destroy other locks, and has a pick and drill-resistant lock cylinder. It’s also insurance-rated, with optional bike theft coverage available.

Magician and puzzle fanatic Chris Ramsay shows off an incredibly complicated “Level 10” puzzle by designer Rainer Popp. The beautifully-crafted T11 Popplock weighs in at about 5 pounds, and requires a sequence of 13 tricky steps to unlock it. The only clue provided is to use the key in the keyhole – but there is no keyhole.

There are lots of videos out there which show you how to pick basic padlocks, but most of them don’t involve running 900 amps of current through them. This is that video, courtesy of LockPickingLawyer, who connected an ordinary Master lock between the electrodes of a powerful transformer. That sound is terrifying.

Looking for a lock with a security advantage? This unique padlock features a special key that’s extremely difficult to copy with precision, and a mechanism that’s much less likely to be picked by the average YouTube-watching thief.

Igloohome’s digital padlock combines the convenience of PIN locks with the versatility of Bluetooth locks. It lets you send PIN codes to users via SMS and other text messaging apps. You can set the duration or timing that the codes will work and monitor access.

Watch as maker of things The Q crafts a fully-functional giant padlock from cardboard, plastic, hot glue, and syringes. While this oversize lock would easily be defeated with a cigarette lighter, it’s still a pretty nifty build.

This smartly-designed lock attaches to the throttle and brake control of most motorcycles and mopeds, adding a layer of security that goes beyond cables and ignition locks. Its internal mechanism is made using hardened steel, making it extremely difficult to defeat.

Most locks unlock with either a few turns of a dial, or inserting a key. But the Schloss 250 is a lock puzzle that requires 250+ moves in order to open its hasp. The solution is relatively simple once you get it, but quite time consuming. The Generation Lock is even more challenging.

Sparkfun founder Nate Seidle loves to create robots and is a genius with electronics. So for the fun of it, his wife gifted him a small safe that was locked, and provided no combination to open it. It was then up to Nathan to build a robot that could open it.

Paul Myers designed this replacement interior door knob which can only be opened by dropping a marble into its top. It’s made from 3D printed PLA, Airsoft and skate bearings. You can pick one up in his Etsy shop, Beta Things. We dig his business card embosser too.