My Daughter has just moved into her house and there is no key for one of the mortice locks.
We want to change the lock, any ideas on how we can remove the old lock (it is locked by the way)
I thought about cutting through the lock with an angle grinder but will it be able to cut through the steel inserts in the latch?
Your help would be appreciated.
She can't afford a locksmith by the way.
An angle grinder will cope with the hardened pins no bother assuming of course you can get access to the bolt. Do you know if it's a 3 lever, 5lever or a decent BS 5 lever lock?
And if you don't already know, you can get extra-thin blades. They're bloody useless for grinding, 'cos they're designed for cutting, which they do very well.
Thanks for that. I can get the grinder blade in the gap between the door and jamb.
I think it is a 5 lever as the others in the house are.
I'll give it a try tomorrow when we can get a new lock.
================================== If it's the same type and same manufacturer as the others you might be able to get a local locksmith to make a master key based on one of the keys belonging to the other locks.
Cic.
[...]
If she's renting, then it's not her problem to sort out anyway; if she's the home owner... well how can she really afford to be a home owner? She's going to have to cope with an awful lot worse bills than a non-emergency locksmith. Just being realistic I'm afraid...
David
Unless there are hinge bolts it may be easier removing the pins from the hinges, or cutting off the hinges. (Assuming access is possible from that side of the door).
My thoughts also. She needs to contact either the landlord or the previous owner. I would assume that missing keys should be claimed for from the previous owner if they have not got any.
It's worth pointing out that these are the _extra_thin_ cutting disks, not just the usual thin cutters (Screwfix have them).
I've not yet encountered a mortice lock with any sort of gap where I couldn't get one of these into it. They also deal with steel rollers no problem.
(If you're having to cut into wood, a MutleyMaster is the dog's medals for this job)
Easiest to cut through the hinges, I'd say. You might even be able to whack the pins out.
Oh dear.
If you can remove the hinges, remove the lock and get some keys cut for it - should be cheaper than a new lock if a decent make.
Well I successfully changed the lock.
I tried removing the hinge pins, got them out but couldn't get the door off as the hinge plates jammed and it would have damaged the door to push it out.
So plan B, I cut the lock with an angle grinder. No problems cut through the hardened steel inserts OK and the bolt fell off.
Fitted new lock and have one happy daughter.
Thanks for all the advice and a happy new year.
Off to put on the mask, stripey jumper and swag bag for the next job.
Reminds me when a neighbour locked his keys in his car. Luckily a window hadn't been fully wound up, so with my DIY car theft kit comprising of a wire coat hanger and shoe-lace we went fishing.
The irony was that total strangers stopped & offered assistance. Even trying their own keys! Never-the-less, my latent criminal tendancy won the situation & I managed to lasoo the offending doorlock without having to resort to manufacturing a 'shimmy' ;-)
Don.
In message , cerberus writes
Joe public are a strange breed, in a previous life my wife's daughter lost the key to the padlock that was holding her bike secure in the middle of Bedford. I went down with a small anvil, hammer and chisel, a couple of minutes later the lock was off and the bike gone. Centre of town on a Saturday, no one batted an eyelid.
Yeah, but that's Bedford.
(And before you draw breath to defend the place, I live there.)
In message , Huge writes
So do I, I was just thinking that I agreed with you, no thoughts of defending it!
The location was the small alley way from the post office down towards pigeon square. These days the local inhabitants would probably have had it away before I got there.
>
Not just 'Joe Public' I'm afraid!
Many moons ago (as an undergraduate), I'd locked my bike ouside the library & somehow manged to lose the key.
I carried the padlocked bike on my shoulder through Hull City centre to the central police station unchallenged. I asked the desk sergeant if there were any keys in 'lost property' that might open the lock & he told me to go to the station garage at the rear & they'd cut it off (which they did). No questions asked by ANYBODY!
Don.
Took an hour with parcel tape and a coathanger when I left my keys in at work, that was with all the expertise available from 'out of hours activities'
Next time, an eciloP happened to be around. He radio'd to base and a van appeared. the occupant said look the other way, and 5 seconds later said 'You're in'. I don't know how he did it, but no damage was done.
Somebody has to :-)
Happy New Year.
Innit nice when you are a hero?
Where the steel inserts the sort that are supposed to spin & thus prevent sawing through?
The message from Bill contains these words:
Why am I not surprised?
Last May some swine living at 7 Hardwick Road in Bedford ordered a bicycle on the internet quoting my name and the number of one of my credit cards. Somewhat surprisingly, the bicycle retailer sent the bicycle to that address without any checks.
Phoned Bedford's "finest" where a female grunt told me in no uncertain terms that the Bedford Police couldn't care less and wouldn't even take details.
Lessons to be learned
Bedford --- bicycle theft capital of the world! :-)
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