How can I expand a link in a steel chain to pass bike lock through?

Hammer a tapered spike through there while it's red hot.

Compress the last link of the chain in a vice, so that the '0' becomes more like an 'o'. or Hammer a cold chisel of appropriate dimensions into the last link, to achieve the same result.

But whether either will expand the width of the link enough to allow the end piece of your cable lock to pass through, rather depends on the total perimeter length of that link.

Get a couple of custom links the right size welded onto the chain ends. Buy a chain more suited to your lock or lock more suited to your chain!

These are the things a 10 tonne hydraulic press are good for. ;-)

Or that, given a suitable holder on the nose of your press to retain the 'spike'. ;-)

I hate all that 'hammering' stuff, not just the noise (tinnitus [1]) but the lack of control (compared with a hydraulic, even over a 'fly' ... press) .

I'd guess he'd have that bit figured. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

We can often hear other peoples conversations from potentially anywhere in the Cafe and I know 100% they wouldn't be able to hear ours?

Ok, if whoever you were with was hard of hearing I 'get' you might have to talk louder for them to here but it's then just an escalation of noise as everyone shouts to be heard and the chances are the hard-of-hearing person understands even less. ;-(

Or find a different chain carefully measuring it before you pay the money! I would imagine that besides the risk of getting burned, you may considerably weaken the chain by forcing it to be wider than it is now. Brian

Buy a padlock, snap it shut on the end of the chain, then throw away the key. voila! TW

There was no other chain available.

MM

There were no other suitable chains available from the half-dozen in the shop. I'm not about to buy an anchor chain from a ship's chandler just to get my bike lock through!

MM

Now THAT is a f... brilliant idea! Thanks. Best answer so far.

MM

Padlocks are very insecure. Making a ring of rebar & welding is also an option if you have the kit.

NT

Easier to get a decent carabineer and weld it shut or do the same with a bow shackle.

Or file down the padlock until it's narrow enough to go through the link. It would still be stronger than the little extra padlock, and probably more secure than the little padlock with its easily obtainable key.

Crikey, it's only a bicycle! This is only intended as a deterrent. Of course a determined thief will come equipped with bolt cutters, but this is to deter random passersby if they happen to glance into the open garage while I'm in the kitchen indoors.

MM

If you have a decent bench vice, put the end link lengthways between the jaws and squeeze it.

You don't more than a pair of scisors to open a padlock. Deterrent yes, but not much more.

NT

Hammer a cold chisel through it when it is cold, that's what I did. Works ok.