How to remove a piece of key from a lock: easy ways

A broken key in the lock can be a real disaster. You cannot get into the apartment or start the car, but a child is left in the apartment or the car is parked in the middle of a dense forest when the frost is -40. What to do? The main thing is not to panic, there are always options for salvation. And the key is nonsense, you can make a new one, just to remove the fragment from the lock. If there is even a small edge left outside, you can pick it up with your nails or pliers. The main thing is that the key does not turn even once before it breaks, otherwise, alas, nothing is better than cutting down the lock. So, what options can you use to take out the key fragment.

Read in the article

1 Jigsaw Saws
2 Silicone tube
3 When will a magnet help?
4 How to remove the key with hot glue
5 When everything is hopeless and how to avoid disaster

Jigsaw Saws

A fine jigsaw file is an excellent tool for removing a broken key.

How to remove a piece of key from a lock — It is so tiny that it penetrates well into narrow cracks and, moreover, has sharp teeth that can pick up something.

This property, by the way, is used for cleaning siphon under the sink or a bath from hair and wool.

And in this case, you need to be careful not to push the piece of the key even deeper, pick it up and take it out.

Silicone tube

This method works well if at least a small edge of the key sticks out from the outside of the lock.

The method is good because it is safe for the lock: nothing will remain inside and everything will work out without mechanical effort. Practitioners advise, if possible, to lightly knock on the lock so that the vibration helps push the key out.

When will a magnet help?

A powerful neodymium magnet will only help you if the key is made of iron. Brass products, which are now made for modern locks, are not attracted to a magnet.

Brass keys most often break, because they are not reliable and cannot withstand increased loads

How to remove the key with hot glue

Glue is a versatile method for removing small stuck objects. You can also use superglue, if you put a drop of it on the needle, press it against the broken key and sprinkle with baking soda to speed up the setting. Then all that remains is to pull the needle. There is only one problem with this method: if the glue gets into the secret mechanism, then the lock will have to be thrown away.

But hot glue, which consists of low-melting plastic, will not damage the lock

Heat the tube and press it against the protruding piece of the key. Wait for the plastic to cool and carefully remove the key.

When everything is hopeless and how to avoid disaster

As mentioned above, if the key is turned at least once, there is almost no chance of removing the fragment. Its teeth have already taken a position in the lock and just like that, until the final turn, it can no longer be removed.

So in most cases you have to come to terms with the emergence of a new castle.

But to prevent the occurrence of such a disaster, you just need to follow two rules: periodically lubricate the locks and monitor the condition of the keys, do not insert chipped products into the mechanism or cracks. And never make any extra effort if the lock won't open. It is much easier to splash some WD-40 and wait two minutes than to poke around the device for several hours trying to remove the broken key.

Just do not forget, after WD, the lock must be lubricated, because this composition washes away the lubricant.

There is a third option, which is not suitable for everyone: give up locks altogether, get a guard's dog and do not keep anything of value at home, which would be worth regretting later.

You can get even more useful tips for retrieving the key fragment after watching this video:

Have you ever found a key fragment? Share in the comments what methods you used and what really helped.

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