Lock failure on medicine cabinet

Oct 15, 2024 Last reply: 1 year ago 2 Replies

We've had a lockable stainless steel mirror-fronted medicine cabinet in the bathroom for around 10 years (grandchildren...).Today I couldn't turn the key to unlock it; a squirt of WD40 was unsuccessful in freeing the lock.



I could just get a gap of 4 - 5 mm between the door and the cabinet body. It was enough to see the lock arm fixed behind the edge of the cabinet, but also a partially-obscured nut of 20 - 25 mm AF which held the lock to the cabinet door (through the mirror and SS). None of the spanners I had would fit through the gap, but I found a thin spanner (something for a self-assembly job, perhaps) which would go through the gap. Unfortunately it was only about 17 mm across the flats, so I spent



20 minutes with a Dremel and grinding disc to open it up enough to fit over the nut.

It was a bit awkward accessing the nut to turn it, but I got it unscrewed as far as possible until it hit the lock arm. Although it was then possible to pull the lock body away from the door a few mm, it would still not turn as it was held by two flat areas which extended to the lock arm. A bit puzzled what to try next, I got a hacksaw blade and put it in a "sliding" handle and tried cutting through the lock arm on pull strokes. After a dozen strokes the arm suddenly came loose in the lock. Perhaps it was the vibration caused by the sawing. I was able to open the door and get the lock out completely to examine it. The lock arm was held onto the lock body by a screw, which is why it hadn't come free when the nut reached the end of its travel. I took it all apart and then reassembled it. Of course the key now worked perfectly and there seemed absolutely nothing wrong with the lock!



I think that the lock is one of these:

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Excellent report.

Any chance of installing a back door, ie a "secret" lock bypass? And then safely continue using the now-dubious lock.

Maybe a 3d-printed plastic nut that would give if brute-forced, or a removable back to the cabinet, or a set of "wafer lock jigglers", or...?

Thomas Prufer

:-)

I think that the main issue which concerned me was not damaging the mirror. I'm pretty certain that it is fixed on to the cabinet door with adhesive, so if it was broken I'd really have to replace the whole cabinet. My "skills" do not extend too drilling an 18 mm hole through glass!

Not with that design of lock. It seems that designers never give a moment's thought to lock failure. If I had to keep one handy, I wouldn't put an Epipen inside one of those cabinets!

Funny you should say that. I can get a new lock reasonably cheaply:

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I'll replace the fixing screw (see third photo) with a nylon one. That won't withstand brute force.

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