How To Get A Broken Key Out Of Door Lock

How far into the lock the broken piece of key is and what caused the breakage.

How to get a broken key out of door lock.

If the key is sticking try crushing a tiny piece of pencil graphite onto a piece of paper and blowing it into the lock to smooth the way. As a rule of thumb a broken key that has just been broken by user error in a working lock should take no longer than half an hour to remove. Your main concerns should be the thickness of your tweezers and how far the broken key is in the lock. If the lock is damaged or faulty it will take a lot longer to remove the key.

Avoid pulling hard which merely binds the key against the lock pins. When a key breaks off in the lock most people go right for the tweezers. You will want to see where the large groove on the side of the key is located. Insert a screwdriver into the lock and turn it back to its default vertical position.

Once it s out use a fine file to. Step 2 wrap one or two ice cubes in a plastic bag and hold them against the key. Slide the handle portion of the key into the lock until it reaches the broken segment. Insert the broken handle portion of the key as a guide.

Look at where your key has broken. Try to grip the broken key and pull it out. Now wiggle the key up and down not side to side to work it out of the lock. Start by spraying your penetrating oil of choice wd 40 or something like it into the lock to help loosen the broken key.

Insert the tip of a pair of needle nosed pliers into the keyhole. Hold the application straw right above your stuck key aiming it into the hole. Doors cars trucks. This is the best spot to insert your extractor tool.

Mandlebaum says nail clippers or tweezers will grab it just as well in a pinch. Pull the broken key towards you as far as you can using this method then use pliers to pull it from the lock. Most tweezers are inappropriately sized for this task and will just end up pushing the key farther into the keyway.