Twisted off Key...

[Rudy]

One of my attendants broke off a key in my Industrial Vac Systems "Turbo Vac". This unit is pretty old....it was the one door unit made for IVS by Fragramatics. There is an Abus round lock located behind a guillotine style sliding, removable stainless panel.

Anyway, the only access we have to the round Abus lock is via the small 1/2" hole through which you insert the key.

I saw on YouTube, a method for "extracting" broken keys, and I've ordered an extractor set from EBay.

What are the odds that I can "pick" the broken key out of the lock and get a new key made?

Anyone had to do this?

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I had the same problem this week--But i had more access to the lock. On the back of the lock is a small hole. If you can get a stiff wire in it you can push the key out, Otherwise we have some old dental picks we try to use.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

I've had this happen a couple of times. Just get the drill out and start drilling. Drill it out to the size of the existing hole in the safe then you can begin rotating the drilled out keyway and the lock will open. If you have the high secutity Abus locks with the plate in front of the keyway that swivels along with the key, take a punch and smack the crap out of it with a hammer so it won't rotate while you are drilling Someone jacked with another one last night, so I will be doing it again as soon as the busy weekend is over.

 

[MEP001]

Years ago I broke off the key in the ignition of my car. I used Superglue to stick the pieces together to pull the broken part out of the switch.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Can you insert the broken portion still on the key ring and unlock it? Or is there enough in the lock that you can use a screwdriver to unlock it?

 

[Rudy]

I found several YouTube videos on how to fix this situation. I've ordered a set of "key extractors" from EBay. It's basically a pick that allows you to hook the broken section and pull it out. It'll be here next week, and I'll let you know how it goes......

I thought I'd give this a shot before drilling. I can always do that as a last resort. ( I just have bad visions of drilling, and then seeing a totally messed up lock secured behind welded stainless plate, unable to open......)

 

[Jeff_L]

Is your question twofold? How do you extract the broken key? and Can you have another key made from the broken one? As if you only have one key for the lock?

I've always just used a dental pick to wiggle the broken part out just enough to pull it out with a pair of needle nose.

Not sure about getting a copy made.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Drilled out my lock today, took less than an hour. Would have been quicker, but my locks are the kind with the hardened steel in front of the keyway that swivels with the key. No damage to the safe.

 

[Rudy]

The extractor set came. After fiddling with it in the freezing weather for 20 minutes, I gave up. Later when it got above freezing, I got the broken off key out in about 10 minutes.

Search YouTube for how to remove a broken key. There's several videos about how to do it.

I think this method is preferrable to drilling. More than that, I think it's preferrable to make sure a new key is used after several month's of use instead of waiting for the old one to break.......