You’re getting late for the office, trying to fix everything in a hurry. You quickly put the key in your front door lock and turn it with your hands full. You don’t feel that fluid movement of the key. Instead, you hear a breaking sound and, upon looking down, realize that your house key just cracked inside of the lock. What to do now?
Things usually went wrong while opening or closing the door. Suddenly, you’ll be standing with a half key in your hand. A very annoying situation, because unexpectedly, you are locked out. There are a lot of ways you can solve this yourself. But an ace solution is to contact with professional.
We’ve listed 13 tips for you to extract broken keys in this blog. Note that the difficulty of each tip is not the same. Some tips are better to try only if you are an experienced do-it-yourselfer.
Tip 1: Glue the key back together
When a key has broken off in the lock, you probably think it can no longer be made. That’s wrong, you can make your key by using a Locksmith service. But first, try to glue the two halves of the key back together. You can do this by lightly smearing superglue on the part of the key that is still in the lock, after which you press the other half on it. With a bit of luck, the whole will stay in place so that you can carefully and subtly remove the key completely from the lock. You’ll still need a new key, but at least this problem is solved. However, success is not guaranteed. In addition, the glue can flow into the lock, causing damage. So be extremely careful!
Tip 2: Pull the broken key out of your lock with a pair of pliers
First, check whether part of the broken key protrudes from the lock with this method. If this is the case, you can try to remove the remainder of the key from the lock using a pair of pliers. This is easy and quick to do yourself. However, you must be careful not to damage your lock during lashing. It is also questionable whether you have a pair of pliers at home. Or you can get into the shed without a key to get your tools. But if you can, give this tip a try.
Tip 3: Do you have scissors to hand? Try it with that.
No tools at hand? Perhaps, in that case, you can try it with scissors. The shape of this tool makes scissors well suited for this task. You’ve to be lucky that part of the key still sticks out of the lock. If it doesn’t protrude far enough out of the lock, you can try pulling it out further by clipping the scissors to the top and bottom of the broken key. Then apply force and try to pull the key out of the lock. When this is partially successful, you can push the key further out of the lock by placing the tip of the scissors against the side of the broken key.
Tip 4: Use a welding wire or paper clip to push the key
The handy thing about welding wires and paper clips is that they are small and easy to bend. This makes them suitable for removing a broken key from a lock. Straighten the welding wire or paperclip completely, leaving a small hook at the end, which you will use to push the wrench. Place it in the lock and try to get behind the key with the hook. Now carefully push the key out of the lock. It should be noted that this tip may sound simpler than it actually is. This tip doesn’t work with every slot, and success is absolutely not guaranteed.
Tip 5: Attract the key with a magnet
Do you’ve a magnet handy, or can you borrow it from someone nearby? Then you can try to get the broken key out of the lock-in this way. Using this method, damage to the lock is minimal. However, it remains to be seen how successful this way will be. Not every key is attracted to the magnet. In addition, there may be magnetic core locks in the lock so that the magnet can never pull the key out of the lock. Nevertheless, you can try it.
Tip 6: Get your key using a jigsaw
This method is actually quite similar to tip 4, except that you use a jigsaw to get the key with this tip. Due to its teeth, a jigsaw is ideal for pushing a key. Place the jigsaw in the lock and try to get the teeth behind the key. Then subtly push forward. But there are also disadvantages. Not everyone has a saw at hand, and it also takes a while before it leads to a successful result.
Tip 7: Purchase a key remover in advance
Good preparation is half the battle. That’s why you can consider purchasing a key remover in advance. So that you always have an emergency solution at hand if your key breaks in the lock. Online you can buy key removers for a low price. These are easy to use, but you run the risk of inserting the key further into the lock. So be careful with this.
Tip 8: Drill the key out of the lock
We do mention drilling the key from the lock as possible, but this is a job you should leave to a professional locksmith. After all, this job entails considerable risks, including the chance of enormous damage. It may only be an option if you are a very experienced handyman. Using a small drill, remove the springs and pins from the lock, after which the key is easier to reach for removal.
Tip 9: Remove the cylinder
Try to remove the cylinder from the lock. Loosen the cylinder mounting screw and then turn the key position until the cylinder comes loose. Once it has been removed, you can try to remove the broken key from the lock.
Tip 10: Drill a hole next to the keyhole
It is possible that the broken key is too far in the lock so that you just can’t reach it. If no other option is sufficient, you can try to make a hole just next to the keyhole. So, you can more easily reach the broken key. You’ll damage your lock with this method, but the chance that you will be able to remove your key from the lock is considerable.
Tip 11: Ask a friend for help
Do you’ve a real handyman or do-it-yourselfer in the family? Or is your best friend extremely handy when it comes to DIY? In that case, you can consider using one of them to solve your key problems. Someone with just a little more expertise in this area may be able to get the broken key out of the lock. So think carefully about who you can call for help in such a situation.
Tip 12: Force your window
Are you desperate to get in? Can’t wait any longer? In that case, you can break your window in desperation to gain access to your own home. After all, you may have small children who can’t be left alone for long. But you should realize that this tip can only be used in case of bad weather. When all other methods do not work, it is better to use tip 13.
Tip 13: Call a locksmith
Have you tried everything but nothing works? Are you afraid of accidentally damaging your lock? Or do you want to have your lock problem solved in the best possible and most efficient way? In that case, feel free to call All In One Locksmith. Our 24-hour Locksmith Tampa can help you with all your lock problems. With our locksmithing services, you can get the best solution to your lock and key issues at an affordable price.
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