Having been wearing my belt for a while now, for some reason recently I keep having many reoccurring thoughts over and over again about filling the lock with jbweld and sealing it and the belt closed! The thoughts just keep coming back. I realise that would mean destroying the lock in order to remove the belt, but it would also mean that if I were to do that I would have to wait the time between doing that and waiting for a replacement lock to arrive from Germany. Curious to know if others have had similar thoughts, or have been made to do so, or have gone through with it themselves. Obviously I'm referring to a My-steel belt here as title suggests, but also interested other full belts and peoples experience long term locked.
I suspect that sealing the lock is fairly common fantasy. Most of the time we realize it’s very impractical, or costly, or both, and are able to accept that and keep it compartmentalized in our head as a fantasy. That said, in your situation sealing the lock would not hurt others and isn’t truly permanent (so you are not hurting yourself). As you said, the only downside is you ruin the lock and lose time and money getting it replaced. If you can’t or don’t want to keep it in the realm of fantasy, there’s really no harm in going through with it. And once you do it, and then address the consequences, maybe that’ll be all you need. You can then say “been there, done that, don’t need to,do it again”. Or perhaps you find it something you really do want to again. That’s fine. I’d just suggest you order multiple replacement locks so you have them on hand next time you follow through on the fantasy. Though I suppose that kind of defeats the purpose.
Just be warned that if you somehow get in an emergency with no relative help and end up in hospital, the doctors will probably be like "what the fuck is this?" and interfere with their operation. If you get an injury in the groin area they'll likely ruin the belt in the process and/or hurting you before an operation. Sealing the lock means the possibility of you losing the belt should you have to get out.
With my Lori tube, I went as far as to make some break-away screws. I got some standard screws that fit the device, filled the philips slots with epoxy and then added an additional cylinder of epoxy on top of that. I can drive the screw in using the cylinder. Once set, that breaks off, leaving the flush, epoxy filled head exposed. Nothing to get a grip on. I can imagine doing that - but have not. I'm quite sure that I can get the screws out, but it will take some work. Also, I've not tested it so I'm not entirely sure that I can get the screws out... I don't see using these on myself. Recently M joked about gluing the lock. I told her about these screws. I doubt that she will use them but she does know...
An alternative to sealing it with JB weld is to use something still denying access to it, but not quite so difficult to remove. I have used Polymorph , a heat mouldable plastic, to encase the padlock so preventing use of the key. When it's warm it's soft and can be pressed into shape like plasticine, but when it cools down it goes as hard as nylon. To remove it you either need to heat it up above 60C again which is not easy so close to skin, or you need tools to cut it, again, something that has to be done very carefully.
Just get someone to hold the keys with the understanding that it will take 7 days and $300 to get them back. Fill the key hole with super glue which you can clean with SG solvent but it is a slow process in a lock.
One option I missed (didn't consider while ordering my belt, and lacking now) is lock in the back (instead of the front). I think it protects better but I didn't have chance to verify (this stays in the fantasy).
This same scenario would happen if the key was not immediately present, which in a true emergency it likely would not be available. They’re not going to wait for the key, they’re going to cut that belt off faster than you could imagine.