Repinning: Major Foul Up

[stilte]

While taking the cylinder out at an angle, I sneezed and when my eyes opened, I knew I screwed up big time.

The top pin of the 1st hole is stuck in the 3rd bottom hole. The top pin of the 2nd hole is in the 4th bottom hole, and same for the 3rd top pin and 5th bottom hole. The key is stuck, I can't stick a pick in obviously.

Does anyone know of some way to get it right again, or have I just destroyed a very nice lock?

[raimundo]

turn it upside down, and rap it while putting a light turning pressure on the key, this may drive the pins out of the plug. You can get the key out by using a shim alongside the key with a 45 degree edge to lift the pins up. if it gets difficult, you may have to use shims on both sides of the key, The shims should be as wide as the flat part of the upper blade of the key.

[mrdan]

I find myself laughing only because this has happened to me too a few months ago.

[stilte]

Did it turn out fine for you?

I've spent 10 mins hitting it with a piece of wood, wrapped it in cloth and hitting it on the floor, tapping it with a screwdriver and pliers, no it's not going to work that way.

Rai, if it works, I'll probably feel like giving you a hug. I've got only 2 useable cylinder shims left and am quite hesitant to bend them. Aluminium can shims won't fit.

How do I get the shim in? From the back of the lock? There's no space at the front, should I file off the shoulder and the top half of the key to make space for the shim?

[raimundo]

shim from the front, don't use a curved cylinder shim, get a flat shim out of an anti theft devise, its one of those blackorwhite rectanular stickers put on CD's and all the other stuff at bestbuy cut to shape and pushed in from the front. could work from the back too, but I haven't seen the back of your lock. These types of shims are really thin and should go in

[Romstar]

If the key pins are still in the lock, none of this should matter.

All that should have happened is the rear two drivers and springs fell out.

What else is going on with that lock?
Romstar

[burchlockkey]

If the key pins are still in the lock, none of this should matter.

All that should have happened is the rear two drivers and springs fell out.

What else is going on with that lock?
Romstar

This is what I was thinking too. go ahead and bite the bullet and pull the plug all the way out. Get the plug follower, tweezers and a little Jack Daniels and start putting it back together. Or better yet, just put the follower behind the plug and you will only have to put 1 or 2 springs and driver pins back in. But I would still get the JD out.

[parapilot]

Is it locked solid or is there some play (does it feel spongy and stuck)

Did you push the plug back in while it was missing a key pin after you sneezed! look for a pin on the floor. As Rom said if all the key pins are in, it shouldn't be stuck as the pins would be flush with the plug.

J

[parapilot]

Add on

It is the real key isn't it and not a bump key??

[stilte]

I forgot to mention it, there were only 3 top and 3 bottom pins in at the time. It can hold 6 pins. As said earlier, the first top pin is in the third bottom hole, the 2nd is in the 4th hole, and the 3rd in the 5th hole.

The bottom pins are flush in the plug, but the top pins in the plug holes prevent it from turning. It's stuck tight, not springy like it would be if the springs were down.

No it's not a bump key. But it's not the "real" key either. I got the lock cheap because the key was lost, took me 3 hours to impression it and make that key. At least I have the bitting and can get a new key cut.

Shimming didn't work. I bought a $4 clock for its security tag. There's no space in front to stick it in due to the key's shoulder, I might have to file it off to try that. Tried shimming from the back but the material wasn't hard enough and kept bending.

[iNtago]

Whare where the pins ( front, back, spread out)?

[Romstar]

From the sounds of it you should be able to take the key out. If the drivers are resting on the bitting, even if you did impression it, there should be enough give that the key will come out. At this point it really doesn't matter, just pull the key out of the plug.

Once you have the key out, pick the lock from the REAR of the plug. Push the drivers into the bible with a hook pick, and maintain that tension. Once they are up there, the plug should turn again.

Oh crap.

I am looking at your picture, and the second and third positions are far enough into the cylinder that the key pins will probably raise too high and jam the key in the keyway.

You get one other choice if thats the case.

Get a guitar string. .009 or .010 thats the high E string.

Bend a hook into the end, and try to shim it along the key and under the drivers. Do each one like a normal pick while using the key as a tension wrench. This is going to be difficult, and you may want to use a small pair of pliers to hold the wire.

Go slow, its going to be tedious work. If it works, you can push the drivers above the plug, and it will turn allowing you to get the plug out.

Only wire will do this, shim stock is too wide, and will crinkle up or rip. Be gentles, because at that diameter its really easy to kink the wire.

At least if you try it, you will have a long enough wire to screw up a few times.

Romstar

[stilte]

Yeah, that's the big problem, I can't pull the key out, it's stuck.

Thanks for the replies. So, guitar string. Would it be something like...

THIS?

[d_goldsmith]

That is a high E, but it might not be the size Romstar recommended. You can pick up a singal high E at a guitar center. I didn't check to see where you're from before writing this, but I'm sure you can find a guitar store near you somewhere. E1 is high, E6 is the low (bigger one).

And like he said, it's gonna be a pain in the Donkey. High E strings are very flimsy. I'm not sure if it will fit, but maybe if you get one from a thick accoustic set it will be more controlable.

[Legion303]

Thanks for the replies. So, guitar string. Would it be something like...

THIS?

Two bucks for a single cheapo Chinese-made string?!

http://www.zzounds.com/item--DADPLAIN

These are sixty cents, although the $6 shipping kills the deal. Go to any music store and ask for a single "electric nine" (or "electric ten") string. don't expect to pay more than a dollar.

Romstar, will a string that thin even lift the pins? It seems to me like you'd want the thickest gauge string you could fit in there as a shim...tens are pretty pliable.

-steve