Dismantling old yale lock

[Solomon]

Hey guys, can't find any info on this particular lock and I've had a look around on here with no luck. I've taken it apart as far as I can, and the plug is loose inside the housing. The housing rotates around the plug, but nomatter what I do with it, I can't get the plug to actually come out.

This is the lock:



And the back:



Any ideas?

[SnowyBoy]

Put the key in it, turn it 90 degrees either way.... extract the slug.

If you don't have a key, you will have to pick it.

[SnowyBoy]

A few light taps on the back of the plug should see it out. There is nothing else physically holding it in except the pins.

[Solomon]

Cheers for that. It's a bugger to pick because the profile is smaller than regular yale cylinders... not to mention it's really old and stiff. I'll work away at it and see if I can pick it, if not, any other suggestions?

[SnowyBoy]

Did you remove all the circlips?

[datagram]

You can also use a shim on the back of the lock. Get a blank key and insert it fully. Insert the shim in the back and slowly withdraw the blank key, the shim will split the pins properly and hold the top pins above shear line. Do this for all the pins and you should be able to rotate and then remove it.

dg

[SnowyBoy]

You can also use a shim on the back of the lock. Get a blank key and insert it fully. Insert the shim in the back and slowly withdraw the blank key, the shim will split the pins properly and hold the top pins above shear line. Do this for all the pins and you should be able to rotate and then remove it.

dg

Good point. Another method since you have access to the rear.

[SnowyBoy]

Actually, upon closer inspection there appears to be no shroud on the front! I swear i can see a pin

[Solomon]

I like the shim idea, cheers dg! Now it's just a matter of finding something suitable to use as a shim.

[Olson Burry]

Pick it!

You could try cut up beer can with folded bits to make handles. Any drinks can would do. Careful with your fingers though. Decent scissors with go through the thin steel easily, just dont use your best ones.

I'd be interested to know if you can make it work and like SnowyBoy said, there appears to be enough space to start shimming from the front if you wanted to.

Personally I would apply pressure on the pin with the shim and gradually lift the key pin until the shim passes through the sheer break and stops on the next one, then repeating, rather than reverse shimming (lifting all the pins up and letting them fall to the sheer). Never tried though.

Good luck.

[femurat]

Whatever technique you coose, add some oil... lubrication always helps.

Cheers