If your keys are getting stuck in a lock, you need to know how to extract them. This will save you time, money, and frustration.
If the Broken Key Extraction is lodged deep inside the lock, you may need a professional tool. These specialized tools dig something sharp into the breakaway piece of the key and give you leverage to pull it out.
Pliers
Pliers are a versatile tool that can be used to grip, position, twist, cut, tighten or loosen materials. They typically consist of a pair of handles, a pivot or rivet and a head.
Depending on your application, you can find many different types of pliers to suit your needs. They vary in size, surface finish, handle comfort, weight and ease of handle opening.
Double jointed straight jaw pliers are a must-have in every toolbox, but there are also long nose pliers that are especially handy for working in tight spaces. Diagonal-cutting and side-cutting pliers can also be useful for cutting wires or nails.
Aside from pliers, you can also use an extractor to remove a broken key. These tools are available in a variety of styles, but most of them work by digging something sharp into the keyhole and giving you the leverage to pull out the missing piece.
Paperclip
If you have a paperclip in your office, it can be a useful tool to extract keys from broken keys. This can be especially handy if you don’t have any good tools to remove the key with.
You can insert a paperclip into the keyhole slightly above the broken piece of the key. This will wrap around the key and help you to pull it out with a little bit of force.
This process can take a few attempts and you may need to apply lubricant to make it easier to pull out the broken piece of the key. However, if you’ve done this correctly, you should be able to pull out the broken key piece with minimal effort.
This method works best if you have a paper clip that has grooved edges and is thin enough to fit inside the lock cylinder. Just shimmy the paperclip into the lock and try to get to one side of the key, then slowly pull it out.
Hacksaw Blade
Hacksaw blades are used for cutting wood, metal, and pipe. They have between three and 32 teeth per inch (TPI) depending on the material you’re working with.
Most hacksaw blades have a cutting edge made of high speed steel fused to a tough carbon-steel body. These blades wear slowly and offer excellent cutting performance and longer tooth life.
Some blades also have a flexible back to help cut stainless, pipe and conduit. These blades can be made of molybdenum high speed steel, bi-metal or other materials.
To extract a broken key from an ignition lock, use a hacksaw blade. Line up the serrations on the blade with the bitting of the key so it will catch it and pull it out.
Spiral Extractor
Spiral extractors are a common tool used by locksmiths to remove broken keys from locks. They’re thin, bendable metal rods with tiny hooks all along their length.
Professional locksmiths keep a variety of different key extractor tools on hand to use when a key breaks. They’re usually sold in sets and can be found at most hardware stores.
They’re easy to use and often come with a rubber handle for added comfort. Slide one of these extractors into the side of a broken key and twist it to lubricate the lock.
Depending on the key, you may need to apply more force to get it out. Once it’s out, gently wipe away any debris or dirt that might be trapped inside the lock.
Spiral screw extractors are designed to remove stripped screws from harder materials (straight flutes work on softer material). They’re often named for their curved flutes, which dig deeper into the screw as they resist removal.