While the lock is positioned downward, strike the lock on a solid surface or with a hammer and let gravity do the rest. If your key has snapped in a padlock or a bike lock then this method should work well for you as you’ll need to be able to point the keyway down toward the ground. It might take several attempts but it is by far the best method. When you feel it catch, turn and pull the key out in a smooth motion. You’ll then be able to try and hook the teeth on the key with the hooks of the extractor. Simply place it inside the keyhole, along the biting of the key. This tool works in a similar way as the hacksaw blade method. If you live close by to a hardware store and you have time, we’d recommend running out to get one as it’s the easiest and safest way to remove a key. While it may not be something you’ll have to use often, it can certainly come in handy at the most unexpected times. This tool is what professional locksmiths use in these types of situations. It may surprise you to learn that there is such a thing as a broken key extractor tool. If you find the need to force it, make adjustments to the blade to make it thin enough to fit. One thing to keep in mind with this method is to not force the blade into the keyhole, it should be able to fit smoothly. When you feel the blades latch onto the key, give it a slight twist and a pull and the broken key should slide smoothly out. Push the blade far back enough into the lock and in a position where the serrations can be used to hook onto the broken part of the key. If the serrations on the blade are angled, you can often push them into the top part of the keyhole, making sure the serrations are pointing back toward you. Small jigsaw or hacksaw blades can work fantastically as a key extractor. You should then be able to remove the object and pull out the key with it. Hold the wire/matchstick against the key, being careful not to push it and wait a few minutes for the glue to dry and bind to the key. Then, apply a single drop of superglue on the end of the object and carefully insert it into the lock, making sure not to touch the sides at all. The idea is to find a small piece of wire or a matchstick or something small and thin that can fit in the keyhole. It also only works if the broken key is somewhat accessible. Really though, this method should be a last attempt as the glue makes it extremely risky and could potentially damage your lock. If you consider yourself a pro at the game Operation, then the super glue method could work for you. This means each failed attempt to grip the key will make it more difficult to remove. We’d advise not squeezing too hard on the tweezers as when the tweezers shut it will very slightly push the key back. They can provide just the right amount of precision to quickly remove it. If you can see part of the key protruding from the lock, then you’ll have the best success retrieving it with tweezers. Ideally, your tweezers should be open wide enough to fit around the key but not so thick that they can’t fit along the sides. If they’re the wrong thickness they could end up pushing the broken key in the lock further. The main thing to watch out for is the thickness of the tweezers. This method can be a bit of a hit or miss but it may be worth a go in desperate times. Tweezes are often the first port of call when it comes to broken keys in a lock. It’s also a good idea, before starting the extraction process, to apply some kind of lubricant to the keyhole such as WD-4O to help get the broken key out faster. This can very easily push the broken key into the lock further and ultimately damage the lock itself – making things much more difficult. The last thing you want to do is try to reinsert the other half of the key to try and turn the broken half. How much time do you have on your hands? What tools are readily available? How deeply is the broken key inserted in the lock? Before choosing your method, first, ask yourself some questions to really gauge the situation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |