5 Simple Ways To Get A Broken Key Out Of A Lock
There are a lot of things that go bad when we are in a hurry or we don’t know what we are doing. This is when we break things and things take a turn for worse. So, imagine you are late for work and you are having your breakfast at the curb and you are locking the main door when you feel like you have snapped something. This is not your ankle that is broken from the angle you were standing on the steps. It was the key!
You were already late and the day could not have been started on a more negative note. Fret not, all is not lost. It is likely by all accounts that you search online for simple ways to get your broken key out of the lock. First, you can try and connect with professional locksmiths Victorville, CA. But, if this is not possible, you should go the DIY route. Many are doing it and they are just fine.
Now, before we go into the details on “what to do”, let us discuss what “not” do. In cases like these, one of the most common mistakes that folks make – Push in their broken key!
Do Not Push In Your Broken Key
Even after the key is broken in the slit, many people think that they can still open the lock. This could not be farther from the truth. When you push in the broken key, you can move the mechanism that is responsible for the opening or closing of the lock because you have no handle over the broken part of the key.
Pushing the broken part back in make things worse because the broken part moves further in the slot and becomes much harder to get out. The efficiency of the simple ways that we will discuss in this post is directly dependent on how deep you push the broken key. You should keep the loose broken part safe so that you can take both parts to a locksmith and get it fixed for you. Once, you steer clear from doing that, we can move to the real process.
Preparation
There is not much preparation except that you need to lubricate the slit of the lock before you could get it out. There are graphite-based lubricants that are ideal for this situation but you can also work with oil-based lubricants. When the lock is all lubricated, you can get the piece out using a pair of needle nose pliers. The steps we will discuss further into the post are also helpful, but if it is not far into the lock, you can get it using a simple from pliers, once the key is free from the mechanism.
Useful Items
When you are in a pickle, it is not easy to find the right tool at the spur of the moment. There are cases of overlooking essential items that were just before the eyes because of the stressed-out situation. Breaking your key in the lock is one of the situations. So, no one is expecting you to have a precision tool kit with you. We will try and make sure to help you with the things that are most probably in your person or you can find them around easily.
- Metal hair clip
- Bobby pin
- Paper clip
- Safety pin
- Button pin
- First aid kit
- Swiss army knife
Tweezers
Out of all the prying tools, they are one of the handiest ones and are widely used in the households for obvious reasons. When you are trying to pull the broken bit out of the lock, make sure you keep in mind the thickness of the tweezers. They will work the best if there is a little part of the broken key sneaking out of the slit. But if the key is deep inside, it is best not to use tweezers.
Key Extractor
If you get your hands on one of the affordable locksmiths in Victorville CA, there are chances they will use of the broken key extractors that you can find in the market or online. It works on hook and pull method. In this, you place the extractor on the slit and try to hook the broken part. Once you have done it, you can pull the part back by slowing moving the extractor. This can use some practice but you can do it.
Jigsaw Blade
Custom key extractor is not always the answer. You can get you key back using a jigsaw blade. Get a jigsaw piece that is thin enough to slide inside the slit with the key still inside. Before you slid it in, make sure to put serrations and point them outwards. When you tuck them in, slightly pull them out and make sure you get the key with it.
Probe & Pull
This is Hollywood’s favorite and you have seen it in the movies. Other than picking a lock, you will use this method for getting your broken key out of the lock. You need thin metal slides and push them inside, but not too much. once they are touching the key firmly, you can try and pull the whole system out with a firm grip and it will yield.
Super Glue
This could be counter-productive but it has worked several times. It is ideal for the situations when part of the key is sticking out. All you need is to glue a part of match stick or some material with the part of broken key and pull it out slowly.
