A New Challenge. No 4.

[Al]

I will also add that there is a certain 'feel' to a cylinder rim nightlatch with the snib down. Next time you are working on one of these try turning the key with the door open and the snib down. Get to know this feel, it will also help those who do warrants and might be opening a door where the customer is not present to tell you all about it.

Another tack, often a door will close fully even if the snib is on, the weight of the door gives it plenty of momentum and the bevel allows it to squeeze past the strike. When looking through a letter plate do not assume that the snib is not on if it is up. The snib 'switch' on the Legge 727 made it easy to catch with your hand as you opened the door. Similarly somebody who tangles their keys up and deadlocks the unit after opening, can slam the door and lock themselves in.

[NKT]

And another way is to pull the lock itself out, then, rather than getting a drill through, take a cold chisel and hit the lock through the hole(s) in the plate. This will pop the screws on the inside mech, and hopefully let you push the door open due to the play.

Another good trick is to jack the door open (or brace hard against something) I saw my first NDE like this, when my dad popped the front door lock by bracing himself against the porch and pushing. And pushing. The door popped just after the porch started moving. It was impossible to push back, and so, to this day AFAIK that porch is still 2cm away from the wall!

[oldlock]

Personally I don't like knocking the lock off the face of the door - damage can be caused too easily.

Paul