Remove a Broken Key From a Lock | Methods & Instruction

Last Updated on August 10, 2023

How to Get a Broken Key Out of a Lock

Over time, keys undergo wear and tear, the metal succumbs to fatigue, and this leads to eventual key breakage. Sometimes, that break occurs inside of a lock cylinder while turning the key. What happens then? How can you get the key out of the lock?

Overview

Arizona’s ACME Locksmith recommends these methods to remove a broken key from a lock:

1. Turn the key cylinder to a vertical position. If you do not do this, the key will be locked in place by the pins and impossible to remove.
2. Best Method: Remove the lock cylinder from its housing and push the key out from the rear.
3. Locksmith’s Technique: Employ a tool with textured edges or a ridge to grasp the key blade and extract it.
4. DIY Approach: For keys near the surface, use tweezers, small pliers or a glue gun to grip and extract the broken piece.
5. Avoid using super glue, as it may cause more harm.

Follow these expert-recommended steps to successfully retrieve a broken key from a lock, ensuring minimal hassle and damage.”

If those easier techniques don’t work, then there are still a few more complex options. Details on several techniques to remove a broken key are below.

You Must Turn and Align the Cylinder Vertically

Inside the cylinder, there are pins, which correspond to the cuts in the key. When the key is inserted into the lock the pins rotate with the key along a shear line so the lock cylinder can spin.

If the cylinder is turned when the key breaks, the pins lock the key in place. They cannot move up, out of the way to remove the key.

The cylinder must be returned to it’s normal vertical position to remove a broken key.

For most home hardware, the correct key position for extraction is with the cuts of the key pointing up. Sometimes, lock cylinders are installed upside down. Just remember how you normally insert the key.

You can use a paperclip or small screw driver to orient the cylinder to the position that allows the pins to move freely and the key to come out.

Push the Broken Key Out of the Back of the Cylinder

If your home has Schlage door hardware (and some other brands), the easiest and quickest way to remove a broken key is to take apart the lock to expose the back side of the cylinder.

Explanation:

The back side of the cylinder will have a slot in it. With a narrow pin, clip or other object poke into the slot and simply push the key out as shown.

Directions:

To access the lock cylinder, take the lock off the door.

Look at the lock cylinder (the piece that you would normally slide the key into) from the back side.

Do you see a hole in the back of the cylinder? In many cases you can just insert a paper clip, or other small rod, into this hole and push out the broken key.

Sometimes you have to remove a c-clip (or nut) on the inside of the lock to get to the back of they cylinder. If you’re not comfortable doing that just take it into a local locksmith and they will disassemble and reassemble for you.

This will not work for Kwikset locks and some other brands because their backs have no holes through which you can access the inside of the cylinder to push out the key.

Use a Rough Or Edged Tool to Grab & Remove the Key

Locksmith use tools specifically designed to remove a key. They are called key extractors.

Explanation:

Regardless of the type of key extractor being used, they all work the same and you can make one at home.

Some key extractors are very thin strips of metal that have grooves in them. These grooves grip the broken key along the edge as you pull it out so that the key can be removed. Hook extractors are similar except they have a pointed edge that grips the key at one point of the key in order to pull it out.

Directions

To use, insert the key extractor along the edge of the cut side of the key. Be careful not to push the key further into the lock.

You will be trying to push the extractor along the very top edge of the keyhole to push the pins up and out of the way.

For the spiral extractor, twist while gently pulling out. Don’t worry. It may take several attempts. You are trying to create enough friction along the edge of the key to pull it out.

For the hook extractor you are trying to hook the first cut of the broken key to pull the key out. Insert the hook extractor along the cut side of the key and push back until just beyond the first cut. Then pull. There are several different types and affordable key extractor sets on eBay if you’re not in a hurry to remove the key.

You can make your own extractor tool.

Some paper clips have grooved edges and can work in a pinch as a spiral extractor. Or you can rough up the paper clip on your own with a file.

There are also a number of very small jigsaw blades that will work like a hook extractor in a pinch. Or you can use needle a nose pliers to bend and create a hook in any other very thin piece of metal (like a paperclip).

Removing the Broken Key Close to the Opening

Use Needle Nose Pliers or Tweezers to Remove the Key

Explanation:

If some cases the key may not be pushed all the way into the lock and there may be just enough of it sticking out to grab onto.

Directions:

With needle nose pliers or tweezers gently grasp the edge of the broken key. Be careful not to push the key in further. You will either have enough of the key sticking out to grab the broken edge or you won’t, but either way, you will know quickly which is the case.

Use a Glue Stick – The Online Hack that Really Works!

There’s been a lot of online chatter under the title “life hacks” that use a glue stick from a glue gun to remove a broken key like these glue sticks at Amazon.

We tried it out and it really works!

Directions

Heat to melt the tip of the glue stick, and then press it into the key hole gently (don’t push the key back further).

Let it mold to the key and hardens around the key. Gently pull the key out.

It can be done successfully, but it’s not a slam dunk!

We discovered that the force needed to pull the glue stick off the flat part of the key cylinder is often enough to break the glue bond from the key.

• To help with this, trim the glue stick edge to a point and push that into the key hole.
• Move the glue stick very slowly from side to side so that it breaks off the edges of the metal cylinder before pulling on the glue stick. This will enable a more gentile pull.
• On a few attempts the glue stick got the key out of the hole only slightly, but it was enough so that I could use needle nose pliers to grab it and pull it out.

Never Use Super Glue to Remove a Key

You may have seen some online advice to try and use super glue to remove the key. Say what!?!? Come on, really?

The idea behind this is to to put super glue on just the very tip of the broken key. Now you have to do this without getting super glue on ANY other part of the lock or you will glue the key or lock cylinder in place. Once that happens, the key’s never coming out.

What if You Still Can’t Get the Broken Key Out?

If you’ve tried it all, except the glue, just remove the lock from the door and take it to your local locksmith. They will be able to get the key out for less than the price of a new lock.

Now, if you ignored my advice and glued the key in, throw the lock away and buy another one. But buy the new lock from your local locksmith. Not only will they get you a good price but most locksmiths will key up the new lock to your existing house key as part of your purchase, no additional charge.

If you get your keys made at ACME Locksmith, get a ACME stamped key that has a lifetime guarantee to never break, split or crack. If it does, just bring it into one of our locations and we’ll replace your key for at no charge.

Disclosure: As an Amazon / Google Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.