How to get a broken key out of a keyhole
Opening the door once again, you got into an unpleasant situation, and now you only have half the key left in your hands? Don’t panic and don’t lose your temper! Following the advice of experts, you can get the broken half of the key out of the lock with the least loss. The first thing that most people instinctively do is put the piece of wood in their hand back into the lock. Such an action does not make any sense! The key will not stick together again, but pushing the chip even deeper and aggravating the situation is quite realistic.
A broken key in a lock is a nuisance that can happen to anyone. Therefore, knowing how to fix the problem may one day help you avoid unnecessary expenses and save your nerves.
Gentle methods
You should always start with gentle methods. In this case, the removal of the fragment is carried out without damaging the locking mechanism. Thus, the castle remains intact, and you can later use it for its intended purpose.
Before proceeding with the extraction, drip lubricant into the keyhole. For these purposes, machine or gun oil, brake fluid, and even any vegetable oil are suitable. Carefully, using a syringe or other improvised tools, drop a few drops of oil into the lock. The liquid will wash the core of dust and improve the sliding of the fragment.
How to extract the key?
1. If a piece of key sticks out of the well, you are in luck. This is the simplest of all possible options. Take small pliers or pliers and try to grab the protruding piece with them. Squeeze the chip firmly and try to get it out by gently vibrating and moving the broken key from side to side. At the same time, try tapping the lock a little — the vibration will help move the stuck piece out.
2. If the door is open, try to “knock out” the chip from the keyhole. To do this, tap the lock on the opposite side with a hammer. Vibration will help the broken piece to come out. This method is perfect for a padlock. How to do it right, see the video.
3. Try to stick two thin awls into the gap between the keyhole and the key. Do this from opposite sides: from both sides or from above and below. Grab a piece of the key with an awl and with light, shaking and vibrating movements, try to remove it.
4. Take a thin file and insert it into the lock with the notches up. Turn the file so that the chip is hooked. Then gently and gently pull out the file along with the stuck piece.
5. If you broke the key after returning from fishing, and you have tackle with you, a fishing hook will come to your aid. Unbend it, insert it into the lock so that the chip is hooked with a notched tip and pull it towards you. This method is quite laborious and requires patience, but in half of the cases it is successful.
6. The last way is within the power of a real “jeweler”. You need to drill a hole in the end of the stuck piece and screw a self-tapping screw into it without damaging the keyhole. Then, holding on to the head of the screw, pull the broken piece out of the lock.
All actions must be performed slowly and carefully. In this case, you have a chance to get the key, and not aggravate the situation. If sparing methods did not help, heavy artillery should be used.