Hi, We have sliding patio doors and the key has broken and is now stuck in the main yale lock. I cannot remove the key. I cannot see how to remove the lock. This isn't urgent, it's been broken for months but with the summer coming up I thought I'd better get it fixed! Please can anyone advise on what I can do? Many thanks, Andy
One option is to call a locksmith. While wearing my locksmith hat, I've pulled a lot of broken keys.
Instead of calling a locksmith, could the OP just borrow your hat?
I have fished a few out with a dental pick. You can find sets of picks in catalogs and such. The picks are strong but flexible. You could also try a very fine, narrow coping saw blade. Just snip off one end near the teeth to remove the pin and slip it into the lock with the teeth pointing back towards you. When you pull the blade out, the teeth might catch the broken key and pull it out as well. YMMV.
Les
Sure, 7 3/4. Hope it fits OK.
Even if you get the key out, the reason it stuck may be a faulty mechanism that will just get the next one stuck.
Drill it out and replace the lock. The metals are soft; this isn't difficult.
Or it may be simply that the lock needs a bit of lubrication.
That's just ridiculous. Get the key out, then lube the lock with powdered graphite, or graphite in oil. There's no need to replace the lock.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
Golly Doug, is there anything you can't do?
I'm so impressed!
Electrical, plumbing, runoff/drainage calculations, roofing, window installation and repair, drywalling expert, gas piping expert, HVAC expert, appliance guru, political pundit, and now .... LOCKSMITHING!
You are my hero!
I should have qualified, "given that getting the key out was not practical," which I expect is the case.
Kinch doesn't have the option of lubing the lock... He drank all the lubricants!
rusty redcloud
I have several hemostat forceps I once bought from a hobby supply. They are normally used in surgery to clamp off blood vessels, but can also be used in such things as model making and woodworking. I use them occasionally when working on computers.
When a neighbor's key broke off in her door lock after she locked it, I was able actually to reach into the keyhole with the hemostat, turn the lock, and extract the key.
They make a good tool for this kind of situation. The hemostats are very narrow and tapered, extremely strong, and have tips that have a slight "gripper" filed into them. They also have a one-way lock built into the handle allowing you to clamp something and lock the hemostat onto it.
There are two kinds of hemostats, one curved at the tip and one straight. Here's what they look like:
Why drill if your just gonna replace it anyways ???
Remove it and pull the cylinder....with the key still in it, all the tumblers are already in the proper position.
Should be a piece of cake.
First, you shouldn't have posted this here. Try the locksmithing group instead. The people here are mostly hacks, not professionals or do-it-yourselfers who do quality work.
But if you just can't pull the lock, which you really should be able to do, just weld a piece of metal to the key and pull it out that way. A quick tack should do.
Fine, if it is indeed open. Sometimes the wrong key is what is stuck.
Sorry for posing in the wrong forum!
Many thanks for all the advice people ;)
PS. I am going to call a locksmith since the key is well and truly buried and I can't get a hold of it...
I agree. No locksmith would reccomend welding to a piece of key. Nor a quality DIY would reccomend that.
Sheesh. Take the two screws loose that hold it together. Pull out the assembly. Take it to Home Depot. Take an extra key you have around if possible. If not, take another cylinder off. Home Depot will fix it for you and probably won't even have to replace the tumblers.
Then take the money you WOULD have used for a locksmith and take your family out to dinner. And a movie. And some frozen yogurt. And put what's left in your kid's piggy bank.
Rocket surgery it ain't.
Steve
Probably the lock tumblers were sticky or worn such that the key stem acquired a small fracture that eventually broke inside the keyhole. That lockset might as well be replaced. Just drill out the keyslot. This will wreak the tumblers. That will let you rotate the assembly to unlock the door and position the assembly so that you can unscrew the whole lockset.
Wow! Thank you so much for your expert insight.
I guess there are people here who aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. You know the types I mean --- they can't wear a welding helmet without banging their nose, they don't know what to wear with their lavender flats or why new shoes chafe their ankle ... or they ask inane questions like "Do golfers HAVE to wear hats?" or "Why don't pro golfers have to replace their divots?".
Maybe do what we do, Julie. Cut people who are a little slow a little slack.
Ken
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