I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

I broke the key in a yale lock years ago when I came home ****ed as a rat.
I think I just took the barrel off and poked the bit of key out with a thin
screwdriver.

On Wednesday, October 16, 2013 5:55:08 PM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

I assume by standard you mean the rim latch type with a single cylinder that has a rectangular bar attached to the back of the cylinder to operate the latch. If it is, can you take the cylinder out of the door and get to the rear of the key slot and push it out? You might need to remove the bar from the cylinder to do this.
Another possibility - if you have a spare key it should be possible to get a locksmith to modify a similar cylinder to fit.

In article ,
newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

My own feeling is that locks should be looked at by experts. So, remove the
cylinder fom the door and take it to a locksmith,

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

In article ,
newshound writes
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

As the door is open, dead easy:

Unscrew and remove the rim latch part of the lock.

This will leave the cylinder retention plate with the tailpiece
(horizontal unlocking bar) poking through it.

Easiest next step is to remove cylinder by removing the 2 screws that go
through the plate into the cylinder.

You will see that the back of the cylinder keyway is open and you will
be able to poke the key out with a bit of stiff wire.

Re-assembly is the reverse of removal, don't over tighten the cylinder
screws as you'll probably distort the crappy mounting ring that yales
use on the front.

If you were practiced you could leave the cylinder in the door and poke
through the larger hole in the retention plate.

If you were locked out then you can pull out a broken key using a
scrolling jigsaw blade held in a pair of pliers, the barbs catch on the
serrations on the top of the key. There are specialist broken key
removal tools but they look pretty much like a scrolling blade.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still
works with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other
half? I would quite like to "save" the lock because several family
members have keys.

Newshound,

If you have a metal-jawed vice (or even a couple of thick pieces of flat
metal), take the barrel off and try tapping the front of the barrel on the
slightly open jaws (or onto the separated pieces of metal on the bench) [1]
to 'vibrate' the broken bit of the key out of the slot slightly and then
grip the exposed end of the key with a long-nosed pliers and extract it.

That's worked for me in the past.

[1] Opened just wide enough to allow the key to pass through them but not
the front of the barrel.

Cash

On 16/10/2013 18:09, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 16, 2013 5:55:08 PM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

I assume by standard you mean the rim latch type with a single cylinder that has a rectangular bar attached to the back of the cylinder to operate the latch. If it is, can you take the cylinder out of the door and get to the rear of the key slot and push it out? You might need to remove the bar from the cylinder to do this.
Another possibility - if you have a spare key it should be possible to get a locksmith to modify a similar cylinder to fit.


Brilliant! I had forgotten that the key slot goes all the way through,
the trickiest bit was prying out the "circlip" to release the bar, I was
surprised to find that this was bendy rather than springy. I tried at
first to push the bit out forwards, but this didn't work. However,
pushing it "through" worked a treat.

I had to "do" the circlip twice because first time I put it back on
without including the bar. However, refitting it is yet another fine
example of the indispensibility of the mole wrench, it must be
challenging the angle grinder for first place.

On 16/10/2013 17:55, newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

On 16/10/2013 19:17, fred wrote:


If you were locked out then you can pull out a broken key using a
scrolling jigsaw blade held in a pair of pliers, the barbs catch on the
serrations on the top of the key. There are specialist broken key
removal tools but they look pretty much like a scrolling blade.

Good tip. Thanks.
--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article , The Medway Handyman
writes
On 16/10/2013 19:17, fred wrote:

If you were locked out then you can pull out a broken key using a
scrolling jigsaw blade held in a pair of pliers, the barbs catch on the
serrations on the top of the key. There are specialist broken key
removal tools but they look pretty much like a scrolling blade.

Good tip. Thanks.

I should have mentioned that if the key has not broken off flush ie the
break is further in, a pin may have dropped to its lowest position in
front of the stub, blocking the extraction. In this case you will need
to lift the pin with the scrolling blade as you feel forward.

It looks like this had happened in the o/p's case as he points out that
the key would not push out towards the front but could be pushed through
to the back.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

In article , Huge
wrote:
On 2013-10-16, charles wrote:
In article ,
newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still
works with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other
half? I would quite like to "save" the lock because several family
members have keys.

My own feeling is that locks should be looked at by experts. So, remove
the cylinder fom the door and take it to a locksmith,

Locks are just chock full of ping****its.

That's why you should let someone else have a go.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

On 16/10/2013 20:34, fred wrote:
In article , The Medway Handyman
writes
On 16/10/2013 19:17, fred wrote:

If you were locked out then you can pull out a broken key using a
scrolling jigsaw blade held in a pair of pliers, the barbs catch on the
serrations on the top of the key. There are specialist broken key
removal tools but they look pretty much like a scrolling blade.

Good tip. Thanks.

I should have mentioned that if the key has not broken off flush ie the
break is further in, a pin may have dropped to its lowest position in
front of the stub, blocking the extraction. In this case you will need
to lift the pin with the scrolling blade as you feel forward.

It looks like this had happened in the o/p's case as he points out that
the key would not push out towards the front but could be pushed through
to the back.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. I did try poking around with some lock
picks without getting anywhere. It was only the tip which broke off,
probably the first two pins. Not my key, the SO's. I pointed out a few
months ago that it had a "kink" and that she should get a new one next
time she was passing the key shop. Should have done it myself.

In message ,
newshound writes
On 16/10/2013 18:09, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 16, 2013 5:55:08 PM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

I assume by standard you mean the rim latch type with a single
cylinder that has a rectangular bar attached to the back of the
cylinder to operate the latch. If it is, can you take the cylinder out
of the door and get to the rear of the key slot and push it out? You
might need to remove the bar from the cylinder to do this.
Another possibility - if you have a spare key it should be possible
to get a locksmith to modify a similar cylinder to fit.


Brilliant! I had forgotten that the key slot goes all the way through,
the trickiest bit was prying out the "circlip" to release the bar, I
was surprised to find that this was bendy rather than springy. I tried
at first to push the bit out forwards, but this didn't work. However,
pushing it "through" worked a treat.

I had to "do" the circlip twice because first time I put it back on
without including the bar. However, refitting it is yet another fine
example of the indispensibility of the mole wrench, it must be
challenging the angle grinder for first place.
Remember the immortal words - assembly is the reverse of disassembly
--
bert

fred wrote:
There are specialist broken key removal tools but they look pretty much
like a scrolling blade.

These look cheap enough to be worth having "just in case".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-extra.../dp/B007X08BJW

Tim

charles wrote:
In article ,
newshound wrote:
I have a key broken off in a standard yale cylinder lock. It still works
with the half key. Any bright ideas for removing the other half? I would
quite like to "save" the lock because several family members have keys.

My own feeling is that locks should be looked at by experts. So, remove the
cylinder fom the door and take it to a locksmith,

Thought this was DIY NG, have a go that is how you learn ,I work on the
principal that if someone else can do it I can.

Is that "OT" then? Oh and your earlier 'contribution' of take it to someone else ...

Jim K

Is that "OT" then? Oh and your earlier 'contribution' of take it to someone else ...

Jim K

On 16/10/2013 22:31, Tim+ wrote:
fred wrote:
There are specialist broken key removal tools but they look pretty much
like a scrolling blade.

These look cheap enough to be worth having "just in case".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-extra.../dp/B007X08BJW

Tim

Other links from that page are a bit scary though, like this one (sorry
about the wrap)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-brigade...f=pd_sim_diy_3

In message ,
newshound writes
On 16/10/2013 22:31, Tim+ wrote:
fred wrote:
There are specialist broken key removal tools but they look pretty much
like a scrolling blade.

These look cheap enough to be worth having "just in case".


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-extra...raction/dp/B00
7X08BJW

Tim

Other links from that page are a bit scary though, like this one (sorry
about the wrap)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-brigade...754F7LG/ref=pd
_sim_diy_3

FB Keys are now readily available and have lost a lot of their
usefulness. At one time nearly all council owned flats had them for
access to the building and roof etc. Unfortunately the pirate radio
guys got wind of this, tall tower blocks make for good aerial sites. A
lot of councils are now going over to Gerda locks

http://www.gerdasecurity.co.uk/products/locks/G2000.htm

which makes life difficult for those with a legitimate need of access,
the keys are a darn sight more expensive! Plus Trumpton need to carry
yet more keys.

I was waiting for a key holder to get me onto a roof at a block of flats
in London a couple of months ago when a couple of policemen turned up
outside, they tried the front door which was locked and looked confused
as to how to get in. I stood by my car drinking coffee and holding a
drop key prominently in one hand. After a couple of minutes of
confusion one of them spotted the key and called to his mate, "he's got
a drop key!" They then wandered over and asked if I would be kind enough
to let them in. Good job they weren't in a hurry!

--
Bill