Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to
drilling out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a
screwdriver down the hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring
open - but no, the keyway turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original
problem was within the latch part of the lock on the inside, not the
cylinder part on the outside) so the mechanism simply won't budge.
Don't know what's gone wrong but presumably something's come seriously
adrift inside the casing of the latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
(aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!

David

Lobster wrote:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was
really stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted
to drilling out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a
screwdriver down the hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring
open - but no, the keyway turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original
problem was within the latch part of the lock on the inside, not the
cylinder part on the outside) so the mechanism simply won't budge.
Don't know what's gone wrong but presumably something's come seriously
adrift inside the casing of the latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
(aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!

David

Smash the window,its cheaper to replace glass than call a locky out. :-(

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

On Fri, 12 May 2006 15:56:01 GMT, "The3rd Earl Of Derby"
wrote:

|Lobster wrote:
| Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
| lock is knackered...
|
| It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was
| really stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted
| to drilling out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a
| screwdriver down the hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring
| open - but no, the keyway turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original
| problem was within the latch part of the lock on the inside, not the
| cylinder part on the outside) so the mechanism simply won't budge.
| Don't know what's gone wrong but presumably something's come seriously
| adrift inside the casing of the latch.
|
| Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
| (aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).
|
| Help please.........!!
|
| David
|
|Smash the window,its cheaper to replace glass than call a locky out. :-(

Unless it is double glazed :-(
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

Dave Fawthrop wrote:

Unless it is double glazed :-(

I've just replaced 3x 100x50cm DG sealed units, they were £25 each.


--
Grunff

In message , Dave Fawthrop
writes
On Fri, 12 May 2006 15:56:01 GMT, "The3rd Earl Of Derby"
wrote:

|Lobster wrote:
|
|Smash the window,its cheaper to replace glass than call a locky out. :-(

Unless it is double glazed :-(
In which case you could probably pry out the glazing beads, or rubber
seal strip, quicker than you could find a hammer, and refit the whole
lot in minutes once you're in.
--
Keith

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the lock
is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to drilling
out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a screwdriver down the
hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring open - but no, the keyway
turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original problem was within the latch
part of the lock on the inside, not the cylinder part on the outside) so
the mechanism simply won't budge. Don't know what's gone wrong but
presumably something's come seriously adrift inside the casing of the
latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith (aargh)
or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!


If its possible pry off the door frame so that you can see the lock bolt
through the gap, insert a thin bar or old chisel through the gap against the
bolt and whack with hammer.
Let's know how you get on whatever method you use.
Good luck.

Lobster wrote:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to
drilling out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a
screwdriver down the hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring
open - but no, the keyway turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original
problem was within the latch part of the lock on the inside, not the
cylinder part on the outside) so the mechanism simply won't budge. Don't
know what's gone wrong but presumably something's come seriously adrift
inside the casing of the latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
(aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!

David


--
Grunff

Lobster wrote:

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
(aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

I'd smash the window.


--
Grunff

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Lobster wrote:

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith (aargh)
or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

I'd smash the window.


--
Grunff

Has the little button been engaged that dead lock it? (does it have one?)
Doesn't solve the problem though.


--
John

"Lobster" wrot:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the lock
is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to drilling
out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a screwdriver down the
hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring open - but no, the keyway
turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original problem was within the latch
part of the lock on the inside, not the cylinder part on the outside) so
the mechanism simply won't budge. Don't know what's gone wrong but
presumably something's come seriously adrift inside the casing of the
latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith (aargh)
or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!

David

1) Spray WD40 into lock, insert strong screwdriver and turn, if no luck
2) Break window
3) Board up/reglaze window
4) Buy and fit new lock

In article
Lobster wrote:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to
drilling out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a
screwdriver down the hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring
open - but no, the keyway turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original
problem was within the latch part of the lock on the inside, not the
cylinder part on the outside) so the mechanism simply won't budge.
Don't know what's gone wrong but presumably something's come seriously
adrift inside the casing of the latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith
(aargh) or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).


Take a really bendy filling knife and wiggle it gently in the side of
the door frame by the lock. Open up as much of a gap as you can by
pressing your shoulder against the door as you do this. This is
assuming that the latch is too stiff to be shifted by a credit card,
which will wiggle in more easily but might not be stiff enough to move
the latch.
Alternatively take a cold chisel and a large hammer, and knock the lock
out the back of the door through the cylinder hole, then glue it all
back together later, or kick the door in (you need to get your foot near
the lock, which I wouldn't manage too well these days) and replace the
splintered frame later.

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the lock
is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to drilling
out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a screwdriver down the
hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring open - but no, the keyway
turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original problem was within the latch
part of the lock on the inside, not the cylinder part on the outside) so
the mechanism simply won't budge. Don't know what's gone wrong but
presumably something's come seriously adrift inside the casing of the
latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith (aargh)
or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Locksmith we had out a while ago had a selection of the sides of pop bottles
of varying thicknesses which he used to open yale locks.

Locksmith we had out a while ago had a selection of the sides of pop
bottles of varying thicknesses which he used to open yale locks.

Wouldn't work in this case.
Strange a proper locksmith he would have had to resort to pop bottles when
the correct material would have been available from any locksmith supplier..

"Scabbydug" wrote in message
...


Locksmith we had out a while ago had a selection of the sides of pop
bottles of varying thicknesses which he used to open yale locks.

Wouldn't work in this case.
Strange a proper locksmith he would have had to resort to pop bottles when
the correct material would have been available from any locksmith
supplier..

Well, they were proper locksmith things, but he reckoned it was basically
the same as pop bottle plastic.

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the lock
is knackered...

It's a cylinder lock - Yale style - the key inserted fine but was really
stiff to turn and wouldn't spring the catch at all. Resorted to drilling
out the cylinder; managed that fine, then inserted a screwdriver down the
hole to turn the keyway, expecting it to spring open - but no, the keyway
turns equally stiffly, (ie, the original problem was within the latch
part of the lock on the inside, not the cylinder part on the outside) so
the mechanism simply won't budge. Don't know what's gone wrong but
presumably something's come seriously adrift inside the casing of the
latch.

Any ideas what to do next? I'm stumped. It's either a locksmith (aargh)
or I have to smash a 2' square window to gain access (aargh).

Help please.........!!

Just a thought: Could you have been broken into? Burglars tend to push the
deadlock button on yale locks to stop them being disturbed.

Lobster wrote:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...
[snip tale of woe]

Just out of interest, are there any users of the Thunderbird newsreader
looking at this? Mine is configured so it automatically 'watches' any
thread I've started or contributed to, so I can just select "View
watched threads with new unread messages" to see if anyone's responded
to my pearls of cough wisdom. However, this particular thread
"Breaking into a cylinder lock" still appears as if it has unread
messages in it, despite me repeatedly clicking on "Mark thread as read".

Do any other T-bird pilots see the same thing on this thread, or is just
me?!

David

Lobster wrote:
Lobster wrote:
Just out of interest, are there any users of the Thunderbird newsreader
looking at this? Mine is configured so it automatically 'watches' any
thread I've started or contributed to, so I can just select "View
watched threads with new unread messages" to see if anyone's responded
to my pearls of cough wisdom. However, this particular thread
"Breaking into a cylinder lock" still appears as if it has unread
messages in it, despite me repeatedly clicking on "Mark thread as read".

Do any other T-bird pilots see the same thing on this thread, or is just
me?!

I can't see that thread at all, maybe this newsfeed's thrown
a wobbly. Selecting other threads and marking as read seems
to work OK. Perhaps there's a "forum" at Mozilla? There does
not seem to be a dedicated newsgroup, 'though ICBW....

Have you found any good "extensions"? I got the ROT one, but
sorces for other useful ones would be great.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lobster wrote:

Lobster wrote:
Disaster... trying to unlock the door of a house this afternoon, the
lock is knackered...
[snip tale of woe]

Just out of interest, are there any users of the Thunderbird
newsreader looking at this? Mine is configured so it automatically
'watches' any thread I've started or contributed to, so I can just
select "View watched threads with new unread messages" to see if
anyone's responded to my pearls of cough wisdom. However, this
particular thread "Breaking into a cylinder lock" still appears as if
it has unread messages in it, despite me repeatedly clicking on "Mark
thread as read".
Do any other T-bird pilots see the same thing on this thread, or is
just me?!

David

It may not be anything to do with your newsreader. It's by no means unknown
for people to start a new thread with the same title as an old one, rather
than just replying to a message. No newsreader will regard that - and any
replies to it - as part of the original thread.

I've even had to do it myself on occasions, when I've tried to reply but
have received an error message to the effect that the thread is too long -
so starting a new one, and cutting and pasting text from the old one into
it, has been the only way to go.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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