Broken key extractors come in different designs. Some have one hook while others have more, so you'll have to decide the most effective one to use for your situation. You should give it several tries since it might not work perfectly the first time. 4. Needle Nose Pliers The metal used for most keys is relatively soft, and typically the tip of a sharp knife will pierce the side of the key well enough to leverage it out.

The first method is to slip your paperclip under the bottom of the broken piece and then push it downwards to leverage it into the key. If the paperclip method above doesn't give you enough griping power and keeps sliding off the key, you may need to use something with a sharper tip. Once the knife is in the keyway, apply leverage to the key. If your knife slips, try digging it into various other places on the key, including the bottom. Another tool you can use when your key breaks is a pair of needle-nose pliers. You should use this method, especially if your key broke, leaving only the bow in your hand. There should be part of the broken key protruding out of the keyhole for this method to succeed. There are many different types of key extractors, but each is typically used the same way. They dig something sharp into the broken piece of the key and give you the leverage to pull it out.However, to use this method, the key piece will need to be close to the edge of the keyway. If it is too far in, you won't be able to reach it. Leader Online Limited is acting as a credit broker offering finance products from Omni Capital Retail Finance Limited, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (register number 720279). Credit is subject to status.

For any of the methods below, you'll want to reduce as much friction as possible. While this step isn't necessary, it can help significantly.The main challenge with graphite spray lubricant is that it can stain your surfaces. So, you'll want to ensure the nozzle is in the keyway before you spray the lubricant to avoid getting it all over the door. You should also have a rag or paper towel at hand to wipe off the excess lubricant that will spill from the keyway. Once inserted, gently lift the handle of the extractor upward and leverage it against the top of the keyway to help dig the barbs into the key. If the broken section of the key is flush with the end of the keyway—like in the image below–you may be able to use a small screw to remove it. Make sure that you don’t push the key in too much. If it doesn’t get out by prodding a little, use one of the 6 ways that we’ll be discussing, as pushing the key too much would do more harm than you are good. You'll need to dig the knife into the sides of the broken key while pulling it out. It won't work instantly, but if you give it several tries, you'll notice the key coming out. You can even use two knives on each side of the key, but you should be careful not to cut yourself. 12. Drill Bit

This method works really well; however, it may take several attempts, so don't get discouraged and keep at it! 10. Superglue Yanking on a snagged key could result in further damage or broken pieces. If the key is jammed up, you can attempt to free it by gently wiggling it or turning it in both directions.

Paperclips are genuinely a magical tool and work decently well to remove broken keys— as long as the fractured piece isn't too small and it is not too deep within the keyway. Another excellent method to remove a broken key is with the help of a drill bit. Note that you can only use this method when the broken bit of the key is accessible from the keyway's entry. Do not squeeze too hard on the tweezers. When the tweezers shut after gripping the key fragment, the fragment will be pushed further into the keyway. Each failed attempt to grip the key will make the key more difficult to remove. 2. Broken Key Extractor To use superglue, place a VERY small amount of glue on the broken section of the key. Smear the glue around and wipe away any excess globs so nothing smushes out. Don’t push it too far, just enough that the pressure is applied firmly, and pulling the key out becomes easy.

To start, take your knife and poke it into the side of the key—like in the image above. Apply some force to stab the key as much as possible, and be very careful not to slip and annihilate yourself. It’s also a good idea, before starting the extraction process, to apply some kind of lubricant to the keyhole such as WD-4O to help get the broken key out faster. 1. Tweezers One thing to keep in mind with this method is to not force the blade into the keyhole, it should be able to fit smoothly. If you find the need to force it, make adjustments to the blade to make it thin enough to fit. 4. Broken Key ExtractorIf you provide content to customers through CloudFront, you can find steps to troubleshoot and help prevent this error by reviewing the CloudFront documentation. This method is a little more difficult, as you’d be required to have a tool called a broken key extractor to carry it out. NOTE: These numbers provide an average but you might have to wait longer. We think it's only fair that we warn you of this. Before proceeding, it is essential to note that removing a broken key can cause further problems if rushed or done incorrectly. So be cautious and gentle while attempting any of the methods below. Here is the breakdown of the inventory you’d need for all the ways mentioned in the article to work.