any idea how to open this

[jo_gleave]

Hi
I have a problem I thought someone here might be able to help with. I have an old Thomas Lang & Co Supersafe, in which I store all the glazes I use for my work and classes. I use the safe/cuboard to stop the youth club geting at the glazes, as most of them are toxic. Unfortunatly a tiny piece of the key broke off last week and now it will not open. It is a Cisa double bit key about four inches long and I think it has six lever (OK I know nothing about this and I'm guessing that 'cos there are six chanells on each side of the key!) It is an old key and looks a bit like a complicated mortise key. The bit that has broken is a very small bit about 1/8 of an inch, by about a 1/4 inch. It has broken from the edge of the key. I found a second key, but the same bit was broken! I do not have the bit that broke off. Help, please, I cannot do any work till I can get in the cuboard, the glazes have taken me years to accumilate and I have no way (or money!) to replace them.

[zeke79]

You will need to call a locksmith for this one. Safe opening techniques are not discussed in the open forums. A locksmith will be the quickest and easiest way for you to get in and provide you with a new working key along with servicing the lock.

[illusion]

sounds like a double-bitted key, the lock having 6 levers... which means it's likely to be similar to the lever lock Zeke posted...

2 bits of wire MIGHT do it, but you'd need loads of practice first, and idealy the possibilty to take the lock apart... unfortunately neither of these is possible...

call a locksmith... you'll get new keys as well.

[Raccoon]

Since we're talking about a broken key in a lock, I think I can avoid all references to safe cracking.

If you want to do-it-yourself, I would try extracting the bit of the broken key from the lock. There are a number of ways you can do this, from a paperclip or hairpin to really any bent piece of metal that manages to work. Just don't end up breaking more pieces of metal in the lock and making it worse. There is a locksmithing tool called a "key extractor" which is a simply designed lockpick. You can find one pictured (and to purchase) here.

http://www.lockpicktools.com/lockpicks.htm
(under individual lockpicks, pick #7, you can buy one for as little as $1.29)

Once the broken piece is extracted, you can see if either of the keys work. If not, find the key the broken piece goes to, and take these to a hardware store to see if they can make a duplicate key with the broken pieces. A dab of superglue may be necessary, but let them do it.

If all else fails, call a locksmith. Just don't let them con you into drilling the safe unless all else fails.

[TOWCH]

If the broken off section is obstucting the keyway, you'll have to remove it. It would make things easier if you could get it out of the lock, but just getting it out of the way is what is important.

It sounds like it would be extremely easy to make a new key with what you've got. What part and how much of the key broke off changes things a bit though. If you could draw a picture of the key, or post a picture that would help.

[TOWCH]

I forgot to say, I don't think this really counts as a safe opening question. It's a broken key question. The fact that the key belongs to a safe doesn't seem particularly relevant. The odds of a scenerio existing where advice on this subject would be usefull to a criminal seem slim to none, and I would think the benifit to the topic starter makes it worth while to leave the thread unlocked. Just my $.02.

[jo_gleave]

Thanks for the advice, I would post pictures of the key and try to indicate where the bit is missing but cannot work out how to upload the pictures!

[TOWCH]

http://tinypic.com/