how to open a locked closet door

[Anonymous]

The closet door is locked and none of the youtube videos have been helpful. It is lever lock but it has an actual key slot (not a small hole but an actual place where you put a full sized house key). I have tried sliding a credit card and putting in screwdrivers and other house keys in but it wont open. There is a horizontal slot on the cylinder part of lever with a piece of tiny piece of metal sticking out of it and have tried pushing on it but no go. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Why not call a locksmith?

[Anonymous]

Drill it out. If you're careful you can damage only the cylinder, which can be replaced.

[Anonymous]

Tap those hinge pins out and take it off the non-doorknob way.

[Anonymous]

You can buy a lock picking kit pretty cheaply on Amazon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tap those hinge pins out and take it off the non-doorknob way.

This -- I assume the hinges are on the outside (your side). Easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

I think I have to drill it out; the hinges are on the other side and lock picking kits, I'm just not sure if those will work. I was looking for a skeleton key but I guess those kind of things don't really exist. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I have to drill it out; the hinges are on the other side and lock picking kits, I'm just not sure if those will work. I was looking for a skeleton key but I guess those kind of things don't really exist. Thanks for the suggestions.

Unless this is some super-exotic handset, destructive opening is going to be cheaper and quicker than calling a locksmith. It might even be what he does. A cheap handset is like $10 on Amazon.

Unless its a pretty sturdy handset you can often open it by putting a big pair of plyers or a plumber's wrench on the lever and turning. Something will give and it won't be the door. Once the door is open you unscrew the two screws on the inside, pop the handset off and screw the replacement on.

If it is something expensive or irreplaceable, if you drill it out the piece you need to replace is called the keyway, you can buy that for about $10 on Amazon too: https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-1505-SG-KD-Schlage-Cylinder/dp/B00EPHXU2O

If you don't feel confident in your abilities you can take the knob off and take it to a locksmith and ask him to replace the keyway. It's like a five minute job for him.

[Anonymous]

I did it but it was not easy. Absolutely demolished lock. cylinder fell out, pins fell out but still wouldnt come out. kept smashing handle with hammer and finally let go. also broke a couple of drill bits. making a small pilot hole and then using a bigger drill bit and then using a screwdriver did not work for me at all. took me more than an hour and coming back multiple times.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the update!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did it but it was not easy. Absolutely demolished lock. cylinder fell out, pins fell out but still wouldnt come out. kept smashing handle with hammer and finally let go. also broke a couple of drill bits. making a small pilot hole and then using a bigger drill bit and then using a screwdriver did not work for me at all. took me more than an hour and coming back multiple times.

Sorry no one warned you about this. But you need drill bits that are designed to drill into metal. Regular drill bits are designed to drill wood and will break. But all of the home improvement stores have drill bits designed for metal, you just have to look on the labeling to find the right ones.

Glad you got it done. Hopefully it isn't some sort of custom door knob/lock and it will be easier to deal with when you replace it.

[Anonymous]

Why are you breaking into the landlord's locked cabinet?