The best tricks on how to save you a lot of money
Be your own locksmith for the day.
Has this ever happened to you? You try to open a lock but somehow it doesn’t work. Then you obviously tried to apply a bit of pressure and moved the key back and forth and what happened after was a real disaster!
The key broke into two pieces and now half of it is stuck in the lock! You might think that the only way out of this dilemma is to call a locksmith but think again, you can often fix this inconvenience on your own.
After all, locksmiths can be incredibly expensive. Try to follow our advice and learn how to remove a broken key from a lock all by yourself.
Locksmith
Locksmiths are sometimes necessary but one thing is for sure: they are expensive! This is especially true if you happen to need their services during the night or on a weekend as they charge extra fees for being called in these situations.
They usually arrive after around one hour and will help you fix the problem, but this professional help might not be necessary in your case. Read the following tips and be amazed about what you can do all on your own. You can potentially save yourself hundreds of Euros!
Broken key
Is there a piece of key sticking out from the lock? In this case, you can simply use a little oil (WD-40 is great for this as well) and apply it to the lock. The best tool for this job is a thin nozzle spray that can manage to properly infiltrate the lack.
After you have greased up the lock you can use a pair of pliers to remove the key. Be gentle and try to rotate the leftover piece a little.
More difficult cases
Things get a little more complicated if the key has broken inside the lock without anything sticking out. You will not be able to reach the key as easily in this case but there are still a few methods that can be tried out. One of these methods is the use of a strong magnet. This works great if the key doesn’t sit too tight.
Of course, you might not have a strong magnet, so let’s find out what else is possible. One surprising but unusual trick is to apply some glue to the key and then stick the broken key back into the lock. All you have to then do is to wait until the glue is dry and you might be able to use your key for one last time.
If this doesn’t work you can use a straightened paper clip, even though it is arguably not the easiest trick to pull off.
If you have no success with these methods, you should read on and learn about the ultimate tools to remove broken keys! They are almost totally foolproof!
Saw blade
This method has a very good chance of working out if you happen to have the right tools for the job! What you will need is a small saw blade from a puzzle. Just like the one shown in the picture.
The best blade would be a hacksaw blade, so if you have access to one, go for it! Very important: the blade has to have very fine teeth. You need to then use a pair of pliers to cut into the saw blade. Make sure that the end has teeth and is not smooth. There should also be a big tooth right at the end of the blade.
But what is the secret?
Just push the saw blade into the lock and make sure the teeth are facing up while doing so. This way, you will have something resembling a small fishing rod, that can ideally be used to tilt the wrench.
By moving the blade up and down you can now extract the key. You will likely have to try several times so don’t give up if you don’t have any immediate success. After a while, the key should pop out of the lock.
Did you fix your dilemma?
After you finally got the key out of the lock you will need to get a spare key to open the door. Maybe your family members have one? Or your neighbor?
You can also copy a key at the local locksmith but keep in mind this does not always work as the key might be in too bad of a shape to get it copied. If you can’t replace the key you will have to replace the lock … Or call a locksmith after all!
Article Original Post at yakudachihinto.com