Need ideas for removing a nail from plug

[jimb]

I have a very old Falcon commercial knob lock I'm trying to repair. Someone attempted to break in and drove a nail in the keyway. It's broke off flush with the keyway and appears to be drove in about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. It's right at the bottom of the pins.

I have repaired one other lock that was damaged from someone trying to get in and would like to repair this one if I can. Another locksmith told them that both locks would have to be replaced at a price of $400 each.

What I need to do is turn the plug so I can get it apart to see if I can find a new cylinder or remove the nail, as well as to make some other repairs.

I'm open to any ideas.

[Shrub]

Can you grab us a pic of the nail in the keyway?

Advice will depend on size of nail versus the keyway and depth of the nail, a pic would give me enough help to give you some solutions,

[jimb]

This is the best I can do with my camera. It has a KW1 keyway.

Thanks

[UWSDWF]

it looks to be KIK take the handle off, take out the cylinder and then try to push it out

[raimundo]

the nail may have spread the plug, in that case, you will be looking for spare parts to replace the cylinder with another of the same manufacture. Often if its about antique locks, the building will have other samples of the lock in a place where its less important, and you can get parts from one of these. Beyond that, just get to know a guy who works at the local metal scrap yard, and tell him of your interest in old locks, you may get him to salvage some for you. Getting a nail out will be hard, especially to do it without further damage to the plug, you might try heat, to expand the thing and then while its hot try to move the nail a bit with a sharp point like a solder pick. if you can move the nail at all, that means that you got some movement off the point where it was jammed, if you get oil into the plug while the nail has moved a bit, that oil can penetrate to the places where the two metals had previously had raw contact, the oil should help to prevent reestablishing that raw metal contact, with a layer of slippery

[zeke79]

Another locksmith quoted $400 to replace a KW1 lock cylinder......... It appears to me that you could simply open it any means necessary (ie drill it) Disassemble the knob and install a new kw1 cylinder.

Maybe it's because I just woke up and something isn't clicking yet but I think this seems to be the best method.

[raimundo]

From the photo,the knob appears to be one of those heavy cast bronze ones which would indicate that the lock is a heavy duty industrial one, which should explain the price of replacement, particularily if replacement requires the same piece of hardware

[zeke79]

I agree Ray, but the knob hardware does not appear damaged. Only the cylinder should need replaced.

[unbreakable]

If you really want, you could saw it out with a jewlers saw











It has ample room in a Schlage keyway(SC1). This is assuming you can thread it all the way through the lock.

[unjust]

if the nail is only a fraction of an inch in, i would go for drilling it out.

take a metal bit ~75% the diameter of the nail, i.e. 1/8" nail, 3/64" bit. center the nail by using a jewlers/hobby size 60~65ish bit in a collet hand drill for .5 mm to get a centered hole.

a drop of oil on the tip of the drill bit, and medium speed. too fast adn you could kick out of the steel of the nail, and damage the softer metal.

after you've gotten in far enough pressure from the plug should collapse the nail around the drill bit or it will begin to spin, and you can just pull it out.

from there, if the plug is deformed a gentle vise may be able to skish it happier, or replace it.

[jimb]

Fixed Thanks for all the ideas.


raimundo - I liked the idea of heat but had no way to heat it up. I did use you lubrication idea and used wd40 as I thought it might get into the tight spots. I then took a short hook that I had made from street sweeper bristol and a pair of vice grips. I slid the short hook in above the pins and hooked the nail and yanked it out. I was the able to pick it to get it apart and repin it for a new key.

zeke79 - Drilling was a possibility, but I was afraid I might not find a replacement for it.

unbreakable - The saw blades were a great idea but I did not have access to the back of the cylinder. I even have these blades in my tool box and they sometimes make good key extractors by using them on the side of the key.

unjust - I had thought about drilling out just the nail but didn't trust my aim

[Shrub]

You got it out before i got to see the thread again lol,
For what its worth the suggestion i would have made would have been very simular to the result you found, always best to try and get the object out nde before tools come out, its suppriseing how easy some stuff thats had a hammer insert it actually comes back out,