Help with rusty cuffs

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

The round key Maltby works as follows:
Insert key. Rotate CLOCKWISE about 30 degrees. Cuff should unlock. Pull bow out all the way and it should stay in the open position. Push on release lever and cuff should snap closed and lock. Turn key Counter Clockwise to Double lock.

Stan

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

PAUL: go buy a bottle of NAVAL JELLY ( pink bottle ) rust remover & if you can find one a HYPO SCRINGE.... if you get a SCRINGE, find a tube ( like from a can of WD-40 ) & insert it into scringe bottom tip & fill scringe with the naval jelly..... wear some THIN surgical gloves & insert the tube into every open space & squirt the jelly in ( work it in ) & squirt jelly into the keyways.... you may put 2 fingers around the bottom area where you are squirting it into to force & keep the jelly from squeezing out.... using this procedure &/or just squirting the jelly in & on as best as you can..... you may also WORK the jelly in little by little using your fingers.... let sit for 4 or 5 minutes & then wash off & OUT with hot water.... take a board with you when you do the washing & BANG EACH cuff against the board several times & then wash out again.... REPEAT 3 or 4 times OR MORE to make sure you get ALL the jelly out..... if you have a key, carefully try to open the cuff after the 2nd wash etc etc... CAUTION HERE :: you can also put a thin layer of the jelly all over the cuff doing the above to clean the dirt, grime, & some rust off ( cleans cuff nicely ) & GENERALLY does not hurt the PLATING.... but sometimes DULLS the plating just alittle, but alittle polishing will bring the cuff back so no problem.... however, UNPLATED parts of the cuff will really be DULL & sometimes will not polish back to a shine.... i find that 80%?? of the time, i am very happy with the outcome because generally 80% of the time i get the cuffs fully working.... but then again, i have the right keys for most handcuffs,so it is so much easier for me to do the above.... then of course AFTER doing all of this, you need to SHAKE the cuffs dry ( you can use a blow dryer or air hose )& then SPRAY WD-40 IN & all over the cuffs to displace any water or jelly residue... i do this at least TWICE..... then let the handcuffs drip dry for a couple of days & then wipe down with a clean cloth.... now all done....i know i make it sound harder then it is, but it is really quite simple & easy...... another word of CAUTION thou is that IF you cuffs ( like bean cobb ) are alittle RUSTY inside, the jelly can & may cause the thin small spring to crumble..... thus your cuff may now open, but may not relock...... there are other probably simplier methods, but i have used this way for many years now & i am an old die hard.... i admit it.... good luck..... joe

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

Just an additional comment: Be sure the key is seated on the triangular post. Push down as you rotate it gently til it goes down over the post. Otherwise it will strip out.

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

There is a product made by Wurth called "Rost Off Ice".
It is a spray lubricant that also freezes metal surfaces to -40 degrees. The low temperature causes components to shrink slightly, allowing the lubricant to penetrate better.
It then evaporates leaving hardly any residue.
I have tried many different spray lubricants over the years,
this stuff has worked the best for me, un-seizing even the most stubborn and rusted handcuffs.

Justin.

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

Paul,

Another method, if surface condition is a concern, is soaking. Soak them submerged in kerosene or Kroil.

Every day or two take them out and blow the innards with air (I use the cans of air for PC cleaning if I'm not near my compressor), or WD-40. Gently wiggle the bows and the key, done carefully as Stan described, NO FORCE, just gentle wiggling. Eventually the parts will move more and more and then it will start working. Then blow it out several times with WD-40 and wash with hot water as Joe described.

Relax and figure one to two weeks, or more if you like. Then you can clean the exterior to whatever extent you would like. Soft steel toothbrushes (gunshows and gunstores - they really aren't for teeth) are good and you can stop when you have the patina you like or keep cleaning.

Use the same stuff for the exterior.

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

Great advice,I got the Naval Jelly in the locks and then washed them out and blew them out with my compressor. I did it twice and each time they were better but I ended up striping the key. I paid as much for the key as I originaly paid for the cuffs.
Any advice now?

I have a rusty pair of Maltby handcuffs and I just bought a round key for them. I can move the bows just a little so I was hoping they would open. One lock I can turn just 1/8 or so and the other not at all. Which way do they unlock and can any one suggest how to get them to work?
Thanks for any help.

Uh, Paul, I hate to be the one, but, I guess you buy a new key and have another go.

Such is the price of our hobby. Have no fear, attribute it to the tuition of learning the hobby and go on. (follow insructions above)

Good luck,
Brad

PS: I will send sell you screwed up keys by the pound if you're looking for scrap metal.