old cupboard lock

[geoffreyverhulst]

Hi,

I have an old cupboard with a door that can be locked, but the key broke off and it's still locked.
Sadly, I have no experience in picking locks. So if anyone could take a look at it and tell me how to get it open without damaging the wood of the cupboard, that would be absolutely fantastic!

You can find some pictures I've taken over here:
http://imgur.com/q1JJM7F,ksvIDcT,p65grWo,DipejTm#0

[femurat]

Hi and welcome to the forum. The easiest way to get it open would be to go to an old locksmith shop or antique shop with the broken key and see if you can find one similar. It may be just a warded lock or a one lever lock, so you may get lucky and find the right key.

Cheers

[billdeserthills]

Hi,

I have an old cupboard with a door that can be locked, but the key broke off and it's still locked.
Sadly, I have no experience in picking locks. So if anyone could take a look at it and tell me how to get it open without damaging the wood of the cupboard, that would be absolutely fantastic!

You can find some pictures I've taken over here:
http://imgur.com/q1JJM7F,ksvIDcT,p65grWo,DipejTm#0

If/ when You do get it open you need to remove the screws holding the lock in place and turn it over & shake it till the broken piece comes out, otherwise that broken piece may get caught by the new key and forced into the lock work making a real mess & possibly also breaking the new key. If You were in my area I would sell you a key that would likely work & if not just trade it until you tried the few pre-cut barrel keys I stock.

[Squelchtone]

Does your cupboard have any more of these locks that are currently open? You could remove the lock and bring it to a locksmith and they could then easily match up or even make a key. If not, lever locks can be a pain if you've never picked before, especially now that I'm assuming the business end of the key is somewhere inside the lock and might be in the way.

Squelchtone

[geoffreyverhulst]

Thanks for your fast replies.
This is the only lock on the cupboard and there are no spare keys. I'm afraid the broken part of the key is still inside of the lock.
But now that I know it's called a lever lock, I can search for a tutorial or instructional video on how to open it.
I'll keep you guys posted if I have any succes, or failure..

[Squelchtone]

Thanks for your fast replies.
This is the only lock on the cupboard and there are no spare keys. I'm afraid the broken part of the key is still inside of the lock.
But now that I know it's called a lever lock, I can search for a tutorial or instructional video on how to open it.
I'll keep you guys posted if I have any succes, or failure..

The key looks fairly unique. If you bring that to a locksmith shop, they may recognize the manufacturer and let you see some keys, maybe you can recognize the way yours looks or ask if you can buy and return.