When your key gets stuck inside of your lock, it can be an extremely frustrating event. It wont turn nor will it come out, and the only thing you can do is stare at it hoping it will somehow fix itself. You may even be compelled to pull it out yourself, but that is the last thing you may want to do. Pulling a broken key out of a lock could lead to more damage than has been already done. Before you proceed with your key problem yourself, read over these 5 methods that could help your current situation. Out of all five of these steps, there will be the one best way to remove your broken key.
1. Tweezers
When a key breaks off in the lock, tweezers are usually the go-to object for the rescue. If you decide to utilize tweezers, your main concerns should be the thickness of your them and how far the broken key is in the lock. Most tweezers that are inappropriately sized will end up pushing the key farther into the keyway if used for this task. You want to make sure that your tweezers can open wide enough to fit around the key, but not so thick that they cannot fit along the sides of the key. Getting a broken key out of a lock with tweezers will work best if there is a bit of the key protruding from the keyhole, that way it is easier to fit the tweezers through. When the key is too far back and you proceed with fitting in tweezers, the chances of you pushing the key deeper in increase tremendously.
2. Jigsaw Blade
a jigsaw blade can be made at home If you don’t want to buy a specialty broken key extractor at a store. This method is great if you have some blades lying around, or still have the means to travel to a hardware store. To begin, you will need a thin piece of metal that will be able to fit in your keyway along with your broken key. You want to make sure that the piece of metal is small so it will have a better chance fitting through. If needed, break the blade with some needle nose pliers so that you can insert the serrated edge into the lock. If the serrations on your blade are on an angle, place the blade in the keyway where the serrations are pointing back toward you. This will allow the blade to go in smoother and hook the key easily. You can use this similar to the broken key extractor by lining up the serrations on the blade with the biting on the key. With a couple of turns and pulls, your broken key should be out.
3. Broken Key Extractor
A broken key extractor tool is normally the tool locksmith professionals use for this problem. It is the most professional tool to use for these sorts of issues and can be attained at a local hardware store. To use this tool, place it inside the keyway along the biting of the key. You should be trying to hook the teeth on the key with the hook(s) on the extractor. Once placed along the biting, turn and pull. The turning and pulling should grab and remove the key, through this may take several attempts. If you are looking to purchase a broken key extractor, you should be aware that these tools come in various variations that are often unnecessary. Some people use a single hooked key extractor, and others use a double hooked key extractor. Other than that, the other types are extraneous. So if want to save some money, get one or two of these.
Conclusion
Of course, there are plenty of other types of methods that could help get a broken key out of a lock, in which we have not listed. But between the three methods we did provide you, you should be able to get a broken key out of any lock. No matter the lock type or object they are attached to, as long as you have the right materials, it should be no problem. We recommend that you take your time in solving your key problem. We know that this is a frustrating event and you want to get it over with as soon as possible, but rushing these processes is a sure-fire way to turn a bad situation into a horrible ordeal. If you decide that you want to leave it to the professionals (which is the safest bet) to deal with your problem, Superstar Locksmith Services MD is here for you!
Call us at (240) 249-8080 to receive a free quote.
