Timeline for Locally available tool to remove broken key from lock?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
16 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 30 at 0:45 | comment | added | Jasen | there's a different method needed for the other thing. | |
| Nov 29 at 20:02 | comment | added | gatorback | @jasen Normal key: why pose this question? | |
| Nov 28 at 19:20 | comment | added | DrMoishe Pippik | For a "fishing" tool, a piece of steel music wire can be bent to have the tiniest hook at the end (perhaps 200 µm, 0.2 mm). You might need to heat the end to soften and then bend immediately, grinding off excess. BTW, music wire can have tensile strength of 30,000 kg/cm sq! | |
| Nov 28 at 19:13 | comment | added | Aloysius Defenestrate | Do you happen to have the rest of the key still? You might manage to muscle it unlocked, at which point you have a few more options. | |
| Nov 28 at 8:01 | comment | added | Chris H | While it's a cheap lock, it may still be worth trying to recover (@jsotola).I have 3 like that (on various plastic garden storage containers) , keyed alike; destroying one would mean replacing them all | |
| Nov 28 at 7:58 | comment | added | Chris H | @DIY75,you're probably right, because keys almost always bend a little when they snap, but it's not certain that there's a enough bend to jam it. | |
| Nov 28 at 6:18 | comment | added | DIY75 | @SolarMike you got me there, a spelling error, nice catch | |
| Nov 28 at 5:45 | comment | added | Solar Mike | @DIY75 do you mean "bent" and are you the OP? If not how can you tell it is bent or is it just your assumption? | |
| Nov 28 at 1:49 | comment | added | Jasen | if this one of those snap-off keys for sabotaging locks or is the remains of a normal key? | |
| Nov 28 at 0:25 | comment | added | jsotola | try using a sewing needle as a prybar ... use a sewing machine needle because it is extremely sharp and tough, and will bite into the key | |
| Nov 28 at 0:18 | comment | added | DIY75 | it can not be extracted, it is bend | |
| Nov 27 at 23:59 | comment | added | jsotola | that's a dirt cheap lock ... it may not be worth the effort | |
| Nov 27 at 23:57 | comment | added | keshlam | The tool you are looking for is a key extractor, and they come in multiple versions. A locksmith should be able to take care of this for you in a couple minutes, and if you still have the piece that broke off they may be able to use that and the extracted piece to generate a new key. Since I have sometimes seen this done deliberately as a short-term lockout, I am reluctant to say more. | |
| Nov 27 at 23:56 | comment | added | crip659 | Chop sticks or something similar. I think lock picks are what you are looking for, but doubt a big box store would sell them. Two small rods/drill bits/hex keys might be able to work it out or the vibration from a hammer/hard thing hitting it. | |
| Nov 27 at 23:56 | comment | added | jsotola | slam the lock down on a horizontal surface ... the key may pop out of the lock | |
| Nov 27 at 23:46 | history | asked | gatorback | CC BY-SA 4.0 |