I lost my closet key, how to open it?











up vote
22
down vote

favorite












I lost the key to a closet and I need to open it. I don't need for the lock to remain operative after the operation, so I accept "radical" solutions.



The key is of this type:



keys



I have no experience of, nor tools for lockpicking.
Any ideas?



Edit:
I was not able to open it yet. I am adding pictures of the actual door and lock:



keyholedoor with hinges, keyhole, and doorknob










share|improve this question









New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 4




    You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
    – Joshua
    Nov 29 at 22:21










  • @Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
    Nov 29 at 23:15










  • We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
    – chasly from UK
    Nov 30 at 11:38










  • The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
    – supercat
    2 days ago










  • ...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
    – supercat
    2 days ago















up vote
22
down vote

favorite












I lost the key to a closet and I need to open it. I don't need for the lock to remain operative after the operation, so I accept "radical" solutions.



The key is of this type:



keys



I have no experience of, nor tools for lockpicking.
Any ideas?



Edit:
I was not able to open it yet. I am adding pictures of the actual door and lock:



keyholedoor with hinges, keyhole, and doorknob










share|improve this question









New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 4




    You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
    – Joshua
    Nov 29 at 22:21










  • @Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
    Nov 29 at 23:15










  • We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
    – chasly from UK
    Nov 30 at 11:38










  • The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
    – supercat
    2 days ago










  • ...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
    – supercat
    2 days ago













up vote
22
down vote

favorite









up vote
22
down vote

favorite











I lost the key to a closet and I need to open it. I don't need for the lock to remain operative after the operation, so I accept "radical" solutions.



The key is of this type:



keys



I have no experience of, nor tools for lockpicking.
Any ideas?



Edit:
I was not able to open it yet. I am adding pictures of the actual door and lock:



keyholedoor with hinges, keyhole, and doorknob










share|improve this question









New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I lost the key to a closet and I need to open it. I don't need for the lock to remain operative after the operation, so I accept "radical" solutions.



The key is of this type:



keys



I have no experience of, nor tools for lockpicking.
Any ideas?



Edit:
I was not able to open it yet. I am adding pictures of the actual door and lock:



keyholedoor with hinges, keyhole, and doorknob







home substitute-tool locks






share|improve this question









New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 2 hours ago









micstr

1032




1032






New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked Nov 29 at 16:05









Guillermo Vasconcelos

21117




21117




New contributor




Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 4




    You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
    – Joshua
    Nov 29 at 22:21










  • @Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
    Nov 29 at 23:15










  • We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
    – chasly from UK
    Nov 30 at 11:38










  • The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
    – supercat
    2 days ago










  • ...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
    – supercat
    2 days ago














  • 4




    You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
    – Joshua
    Nov 29 at 22:21










  • @Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
    Nov 29 at 23:15










  • We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
    – chasly from UK
    Nov 30 at 11:38










  • The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
    – supercat
    2 days ago










  • ...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
    – supercat
    2 days ago








4




4




You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
– Joshua
Nov 29 at 22:21




You might want to firm up your question. I don't think "sawzall" is the answer you want but the question just about screams "sawzall" to me.
– Joshua
Nov 29 at 22:21












@Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
– Guillermo Vasconcelos
Nov 29 at 23:15




@Joshua I do not own a sawzall and do not plan to buy one, so it is not an option. Thanks for the suggestion
– Guillermo Vasconcelos
Nov 29 at 23:15












We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
– chasly from UK
Nov 30 at 11:38




We really need a picture of the lock and the door. Not just the key. Not being familiar with US English, I'm not sure what you mean by 'closet'. Is it built into the wall or is it free-standing?
– chasly from UK
Nov 30 at 11:38












The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
– supercat
2 days ago




The door hinges are designed so that the door would be removed by opening it and then lifting it off the hinges, rather than by removing the hinge pin. The lighting of the picture is not very good, but the appearance is consistent with either a crude warded lock or a crude lever lock. Does the keyhole extend all the way through the door? If so, and you can get a dowel the right diameter to serve as the shaft of the key, you might try putting a small finishing nail in the side of it (maybe an inch from the end), extending out about as far as a key would go, and then...
– supercat
2 days ago












...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
– supercat
2 days ago




...inserting it to different depths and turning it to see whether you feel spring-loaded levers or rigid warding.
– supercat
2 days ago










10 Answers
10






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
38
down vote













Very few if any closets open inward -- which means the hinges will have their pins on the accessible side. Just drive the pins out of the hinges, and the entire door can be pulled out of the frame (and easily put back once the lock is either opened, replaced, or the key found and duplicated).



If the pins are peened in place, a tool like a Dremel could be used to cut one head off so the pin can be removed.






share|improve this answer

















  • 7




    Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
    – Nelson
    Nov 30 at 0:20






  • 3




    Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
    – Ferrybig
    Nov 30 at 7:49






  • 1




    @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
    – Baldrickk
    Nov 30 at 10:31








  • 1




    @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
    – Kevin
    Nov 30 at 12:59






  • 9




    Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
    – JPhi1618
    2 days ago


















up vote
16
down vote













Vintage locks employed two concepts, sometimes individually and sometimes together.



A warded lock has structures within the lock, called warding, which are designed to fit in notches carved into the key. A quality warded lock will be constructed so that the only way for a key to reach the mechanism is for it to snake around some complicated warding, but many cheaper warded locks can be opened with a skeleton key, which is a key blank that is filed down to remove everything except one or two simple projections or pairs of projections that will operate the mechanism. The way to defeat a quality warded lock is to construct a key by starting with a suitable key blank, covering it with soot or similar material, attempting to open the lock, moving the key back and forth a little at the place it is blocked, carefully removing it, and looking for markings in the soot. Cut, file, or otherwise remove the parts of the key where the soot was marked by the warding and try again. Either the lock will open, or new markings will appear, which again need to be removed. This process can sometimes be slow and tedious, but one will end up with a usable key, greatly increasing the value of the lock to a collector.



Lever locks have one or more levers that must be lifted to the correct height to allow the bolt to move. Lever locks will often have a different feel from warded locks, since warded locks will usually block the key before it has a chance to engage the mechanism, while lever locks will allow the key to engage the mechanism but will block the mechanism from moving fully unless the levers are lifted to the correct height. Many lever locks can be picked relatively easily with the proper tools, but picking would require using a pair of tools, with one being used to try to operate the mechanism which is blocked by the levers, while the other tool is used to try lifting the levers. Often, there will initially be one lever blocking the bolt; once that lever is moved to the right position (i.e. "set"), the bolt will be able to move a little bit before being blocked by another lever. If the bolt is kept under tension, this will rather conveniently hold the first lever in place while the picker focuses attention on the next lever that needs to be set.



The best locks combine these two approaches, requiring intricately-cut keys which need to move several different levers simultaneously by relatively precise amounts. Such locks are much more expensive to manufacture than current designs. Although they may be as secure or even more so than most recent locks, the additional security they offer is not sufficient to justify their cost.



I would not expect a closet door to have a particularly high-quality lock. If the lock uses warding to distinguish correct and incorrect keys, picking with crude tools may be easy. If it uses levers for that purpose, picking will require the simultaneous use of two tools that are designed to work together. There are many youtube videos and web tutorials that would explain how to make the required tools. If you can find some old keys that look like they would fit, I would suggest trying them and seeing what happens. If the key is blocked by something in the lock without engaging a mechanism, you probably have a warded lock. If the key engages the mechanism but the mechanism itself feels blocked, it's probably a lever lock.






share|improve this answer








New contributor




supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.


















  • A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
    – Suthek
    1 hour ago


















up vote
13
down vote













I should suggest trying a bobbypin or a smaller flathead screwdriver if you'd like to save it. From my experience, these types of locks are very easily opened, even with almost no skill in lockpicking. After all, you might find the key again.



Another option could be to drill out the center of the lock, therein making it very easy to open the door. This would, of course, entirely destroy the lock, but you have already said this is not an issue.






share|improve this answer








New contributor




Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.














  • 1




    I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
    – brasofilo
    2 days ago








  • 2




    I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
    – chasly from UK
    yesterday






  • 1




    @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
    – wizzwizz4
    yesterday


















up vote
8
down vote













The original image of the key is interesting to me. You could just wander into the local locksmith and ask if they have a set of keys that might fit. There's a limited number of variants on these keys and you may just be able to buy one off the shelf as the lock is only a token gesture towards security.



If you're not overly attached to the lock, there's the question of how firmly it's attached. many cabinet locks are lightly attached to the inside of the door and if you attach a decent handle to the outside you could possibly just force it open. Though the hinges are quite heavy duty which implies a more solid door and lock mechanism.






share|improve this answer




























    up vote
    7
    down vote













    Other suggested methods of removing the hinge pins or picking the locks are good.



    You can also try to depress the latch via a thin wire if the door opens out or a thin plastic card if the door opens inward. What you goal would be is to depress the latch as if the door were closing on its own.






    share|improve this answer










    New contributor




    Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.














    • 2




      This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
      – Zeiss Ikon
      Nov 29 at 20:17






    • 3




      That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
      – Guillermo Vasconcelos
      Nov 29 at 20:28










    • @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
      – Gary Bak
      Nov 30 at 12:35










    • In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
      – Roger Lipscombe
      Nov 30 at 14:47










    • @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
      – Zeiss Ikon
      2 days ago


















    up vote
    4
    down vote













    Well, if you don't care about locking it again, I'd find my trusty old Fein multimaster cutter and just cut the lock open. Or if you want the gentle solution use a small hacksaw blade.






    share|improve this answer

















    • 2




      +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
      – Valorum
      yesterday


















    up vote
    3
    down vote













    Use a punch and hammer. Insert the punch where the key would go...use the hammer to drive the lock mechanism off the back of the door. A couple of good whacks and you should be wide open. Shame to bust it though..I would try the bobby pin method first.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.

























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      Is that a skylight window above the door? Perhaps you can gain access through it.



      I am not suggesting climbing in through the window -- that's probably not practical. But perhaps you can open it, and then with possibly reach through it with a stick or belt, open the lock from the inside.



      I am assuming the door has an inside lock latch (for safety) which you might be able to toggle with a broomstick.



      If such a latch is 'down' and you need to pull it 'up', a 1" eye-hook screwed into end of stick might give you the purchase you need to pull up on the latch. (You might need to screw the eye-hook in at 45degree angle on stick.)



      A knob would be much harder to turn, but perhaps you could buckle a couple of belts together into a 3-4' diameter loop which you dangle down from the skylight, perhaps with some resin on one of them to make it 'sticky', loop one end around the knob as if it was a pulley, then attempt to turn it.






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.

























        up vote
        0
        down vote














        1. One way is to cut horizontally through each hinge where the join is. Then the door will open outwards on the hinge side (provided it's not very stiff which is a problem anyway).


        2. Look on YouTube and you will find many videos showing you how to pick or bypass different kinds of lock.



        Example



        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFj3_4ZJcA




        1. Get a quote from a qualified locksmith. They will do it in seconds without damaging anything. It might be worth the money. Otherwise you could be spending it on repairing the closet.






        share|improve this answer




























          up vote
          0
          down vote













          Open the back side of the cabinet :)






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
            – Chenmunka
            22 mins ago











          Your Answer








          StackExchange.ready(function() {
          var channelOptions = {
          tags: "".split(" "),
          id: "593"
          };
          initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
          // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
          if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
          createEditor();
          });
          }
          else {
          createEditor();
          }
          });

          function createEditor() {
          StackExchange.prepareEditor({
          heartbeatType: 'answer',
          convertImagesToLinks: false,
          noModals: true,
          showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
          reputationToPostImages: null,
          bindNavPrevention: true,
          postfix: "",
          imageUploader: {
          brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
          contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
          allowUrls: true
          },
          noCode: true, onDemand: true,
          discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
          ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
          });


          }
          });






          Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










          draft saved

          draft discarded


















          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2flifehacks.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f19724%2fi-lost-my-closet-key-how-to-open-it%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown

























          10 Answers
          10






          active

          oldest

          votes








          10 Answers
          10






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          38
          down vote













          Very few if any closets open inward -- which means the hinges will have their pins on the accessible side. Just drive the pins out of the hinges, and the entire door can be pulled out of the frame (and easily put back once the lock is either opened, replaced, or the key found and duplicated).



          If the pins are peened in place, a tool like a Dremel could be used to cut one head off so the pin can be removed.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 7




            Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
            – Nelson
            Nov 30 at 0:20






          • 3




            Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
            – Ferrybig
            Nov 30 at 7:49






          • 1




            @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
            – Baldrickk
            Nov 30 at 10:31








          • 1




            @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
            – Kevin
            Nov 30 at 12:59






          • 9




            Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
            – JPhi1618
            2 days ago















          up vote
          38
          down vote













          Very few if any closets open inward -- which means the hinges will have their pins on the accessible side. Just drive the pins out of the hinges, and the entire door can be pulled out of the frame (and easily put back once the lock is either opened, replaced, or the key found and duplicated).



          If the pins are peened in place, a tool like a Dremel could be used to cut one head off so the pin can be removed.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 7




            Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
            – Nelson
            Nov 30 at 0:20






          • 3




            Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
            – Ferrybig
            Nov 30 at 7:49






          • 1




            @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
            – Baldrickk
            Nov 30 at 10:31








          • 1




            @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
            – Kevin
            Nov 30 at 12:59






          • 9




            Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
            – JPhi1618
            2 days ago













          up vote
          38
          down vote










          up vote
          38
          down vote









          Very few if any closets open inward -- which means the hinges will have their pins on the accessible side. Just drive the pins out of the hinges, and the entire door can be pulled out of the frame (and easily put back once the lock is either opened, replaced, or the key found and duplicated).



          If the pins are peened in place, a tool like a Dremel could be used to cut one head off so the pin can be removed.






          share|improve this answer












          Very few if any closets open inward -- which means the hinges will have their pins on the accessible side. Just drive the pins out of the hinges, and the entire door can be pulled out of the frame (and easily put back once the lock is either opened, replaced, or the key found and duplicated).



          If the pins are peened in place, a tool like a Dremel could be used to cut one head off so the pin can be removed.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Nov 29 at 16:56









          Zeiss Ikon

          7,172728




          7,172728








          • 7




            Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
            – Nelson
            Nov 30 at 0:20






          • 3




            Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
            – Ferrybig
            Nov 30 at 7:49






          • 1




            @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
            – Baldrickk
            Nov 30 at 10:31








          • 1




            @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
            – Kevin
            Nov 30 at 12:59






          • 9




            Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
            – JPhi1618
            2 days ago














          • 7




            Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
            – Nelson
            Nov 30 at 0:20






          • 3




            Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
            – Ferrybig
            Nov 30 at 7:49






          • 1




            @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
            – Baldrickk
            Nov 30 at 10:31








          • 1




            @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
            – Kevin
            Nov 30 at 12:59






          • 9




            Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
            – JPhi1618
            2 days ago








          7




          7




          Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
          – Nelson
          Nov 30 at 0:20




          Thinking outside the "closet"... just remove the door +1
          – Nelson
          Nov 30 at 0:20




          3




          3




          Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
          – Ferrybig
          Nov 30 at 7:49




          Why do you think the hinges would be outside when it opens to the outside? My closet has the hinge systems on the inside, but the doors open to the outside
          – Ferrybig
          Nov 30 at 7:49




          1




          1




          @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
          – Baldrickk
          Nov 30 at 10:31






          @Ferrybig a picture of the closet in the question would help. If it uses standard hinges, then they will be on the outside. (Butt, butterfly, etc) A barrel or concealed hinge will of course not have an outside hinge. Given the key, it's an older cabinet (so not a concealed hinge) which leaves the very common butt hinge, or comparatively rare barrel hinge, so it's a good bet that the hinge in this case is external.
          – Baldrickk
          Nov 30 at 10:31






          1




          1




          @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
          – Kevin
          Nov 30 at 12:59




          @Ferrybig Zeiss is probably assuming that because that's how the vast majority of doors work. It would take a non-standard hinge for doors to open on the opposite side. Something like that would not normally be done for something like an closet.
          – Kevin
          Nov 30 at 12:59




          9




          9




          Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
          – JPhi1618
          2 days ago




          Now that a picture has been added, it's clear that the type of hinges used do not have pins that can be removed, but this is still and answer that could help someone else.
          – JPhi1618
          2 days ago










          up vote
          16
          down vote













          Vintage locks employed two concepts, sometimes individually and sometimes together.



          A warded lock has structures within the lock, called warding, which are designed to fit in notches carved into the key. A quality warded lock will be constructed so that the only way for a key to reach the mechanism is for it to snake around some complicated warding, but many cheaper warded locks can be opened with a skeleton key, which is a key blank that is filed down to remove everything except one or two simple projections or pairs of projections that will operate the mechanism. The way to defeat a quality warded lock is to construct a key by starting with a suitable key blank, covering it with soot or similar material, attempting to open the lock, moving the key back and forth a little at the place it is blocked, carefully removing it, and looking for markings in the soot. Cut, file, or otherwise remove the parts of the key where the soot was marked by the warding and try again. Either the lock will open, or new markings will appear, which again need to be removed. This process can sometimes be slow and tedious, but one will end up with a usable key, greatly increasing the value of the lock to a collector.



          Lever locks have one or more levers that must be lifted to the correct height to allow the bolt to move. Lever locks will often have a different feel from warded locks, since warded locks will usually block the key before it has a chance to engage the mechanism, while lever locks will allow the key to engage the mechanism but will block the mechanism from moving fully unless the levers are lifted to the correct height. Many lever locks can be picked relatively easily with the proper tools, but picking would require using a pair of tools, with one being used to try to operate the mechanism which is blocked by the levers, while the other tool is used to try lifting the levers. Often, there will initially be one lever blocking the bolt; once that lever is moved to the right position (i.e. "set"), the bolt will be able to move a little bit before being blocked by another lever. If the bolt is kept under tension, this will rather conveniently hold the first lever in place while the picker focuses attention on the next lever that needs to be set.



          The best locks combine these two approaches, requiring intricately-cut keys which need to move several different levers simultaneously by relatively precise amounts. Such locks are much more expensive to manufacture than current designs. Although they may be as secure or even more so than most recent locks, the additional security they offer is not sufficient to justify their cost.



          I would not expect a closet door to have a particularly high-quality lock. If the lock uses warding to distinguish correct and incorrect keys, picking with crude tools may be easy. If it uses levers for that purpose, picking will require the simultaneous use of two tools that are designed to work together. There are many youtube videos and web tutorials that would explain how to make the required tools. If you can find some old keys that look like they would fit, I would suggest trying them and seeing what happens. If the key is blocked by something in the lock without engaging a mechanism, you probably have a warded lock. If the key engages the mechanism but the mechanism itself feels blocked, it's probably a lever lock.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
            – Suthek
            1 hour ago















          up vote
          16
          down vote













          Vintage locks employed two concepts, sometimes individually and sometimes together.



          A warded lock has structures within the lock, called warding, which are designed to fit in notches carved into the key. A quality warded lock will be constructed so that the only way for a key to reach the mechanism is for it to snake around some complicated warding, but many cheaper warded locks can be opened with a skeleton key, which is a key blank that is filed down to remove everything except one or two simple projections or pairs of projections that will operate the mechanism. The way to defeat a quality warded lock is to construct a key by starting with a suitable key blank, covering it with soot or similar material, attempting to open the lock, moving the key back and forth a little at the place it is blocked, carefully removing it, and looking for markings in the soot. Cut, file, or otherwise remove the parts of the key where the soot was marked by the warding and try again. Either the lock will open, or new markings will appear, which again need to be removed. This process can sometimes be slow and tedious, but one will end up with a usable key, greatly increasing the value of the lock to a collector.



          Lever locks have one or more levers that must be lifted to the correct height to allow the bolt to move. Lever locks will often have a different feel from warded locks, since warded locks will usually block the key before it has a chance to engage the mechanism, while lever locks will allow the key to engage the mechanism but will block the mechanism from moving fully unless the levers are lifted to the correct height. Many lever locks can be picked relatively easily with the proper tools, but picking would require using a pair of tools, with one being used to try to operate the mechanism which is blocked by the levers, while the other tool is used to try lifting the levers. Often, there will initially be one lever blocking the bolt; once that lever is moved to the right position (i.e. "set"), the bolt will be able to move a little bit before being blocked by another lever. If the bolt is kept under tension, this will rather conveniently hold the first lever in place while the picker focuses attention on the next lever that needs to be set.



          The best locks combine these two approaches, requiring intricately-cut keys which need to move several different levers simultaneously by relatively precise amounts. Such locks are much more expensive to manufacture than current designs. Although they may be as secure or even more so than most recent locks, the additional security they offer is not sufficient to justify their cost.



          I would not expect a closet door to have a particularly high-quality lock. If the lock uses warding to distinguish correct and incorrect keys, picking with crude tools may be easy. If it uses levers for that purpose, picking will require the simultaneous use of two tools that are designed to work together. There are many youtube videos and web tutorials that would explain how to make the required tools. If you can find some old keys that look like they would fit, I would suggest trying them and seeing what happens. If the key is blocked by something in the lock without engaging a mechanism, you probably have a warded lock. If the key engages the mechanism but the mechanism itself feels blocked, it's probably a lever lock.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
            – Suthek
            1 hour ago













          up vote
          16
          down vote










          up vote
          16
          down vote









          Vintage locks employed two concepts, sometimes individually and sometimes together.



          A warded lock has structures within the lock, called warding, which are designed to fit in notches carved into the key. A quality warded lock will be constructed so that the only way for a key to reach the mechanism is for it to snake around some complicated warding, but many cheaper warded locks can be opened with a skeleton key, which is a key blank that is filed down to remove everything except one or two simple projections or pairs of projections that will operate the mechanism. The way to defeat a quality warded lock is to construct a key by starting with a suitable key blank, covering it with soot or similar material, attempting to open the lock, moving the key back and forth a little at the place it is blocked, carefully removing it, and looking for markings in the soot. Cut, file, or otherwise remove the parts of the key where the soot was marked by the warding and try again. Either the lock will open, or new markings will appear, which again need to be removed. This process can sometimes be slow and tedious, but one will end up with a usable key, greatly increasing the value of the lock to a collector.



          Lever locks have one or more levers that must be lifted to the correct height to allow the bolt to move. Lever locks will often have a different feel from warded locks, since warded locks will usually block the key before it has a chance to engage the mechanism, while lever locks will allow the key to engage the mechanism but will block the mechanism from moving fully unless the levers are lifted to the correct height. Many lever locks can be picked relatively easily with the proper tools, but picking would require using a pair of tools, with one being used to try to operate the mechanism which is blocked by the levers, while the other tool is used to try lifting the levers. Often, there will initially be one lever blocking the bolt; once that lever is moved to the right position (i.e. "set"), the bolt will be able to move a little bit before being blocked by another lever. If the bolt is kept under tension, this will rather conveniently hold the first lever in place while the picker focuses attention on the next lever that needs to be set.



          The best locks combine these two approaches, requiring intricately-cut keys which need to move several different levers simultaneously by relatively precise amounts. Such locks are much more expensive to manufacture than current designs. Although they may be as secure or even more so than most recent locks, the additional security they offer is not sufficient to justify their cost.



          I would not expect a closet door to have a particularly high-quality lock. If the lock uses warding to distinguish correct and incorrect keys, picking with crude tools may be easy. If it uses levers for that purpose, picking will require the simultaneous use of two tools that are designed to work together. There are many youtube videos and web tutorials that would explain how to make the required tools. If you can find some old keys that look like they would fit, I would suggest trying them and seeing what happens. If the key is blocked by something in the lock without engaging a mechanism, you probably have a warded lock. If the key engages the mechanism but the mechanism itself feels blocked, it's probably a lever lock.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          Vintage locks employed two concepts, sometimes individually and sometimes together.



          A warded lock has structures within the lock, called warding, which are designed to fit in notches carved into the key. A quality warded lock will be constructed so that the only way for a key to reach the mechanism is for it to snake around some complicated warding, but many cheaper warded locks can be opened with a skeleton key, which is a key blank that is filed down to remove everything except one or two simple projections or pairs of projections that will operate the mechanism. The way to defeat a quality warded lock is to construct a key by starting with a suitable key blank, covering it with soot or similar material, attempting to open the lock, moving the key back and forth a little at the place it is blocked, carefully removing it, and looking for markings in the soot. Cut, file, or otherwise remove the parts of the key where the soot was marked by the warding and try again. Either the lock will open, or new markings will appear, which again need to be removed. This process can sometimes be slow and tedious, but one will end up with a usable key, greatly increasing the value of the lock to a collector.



          Lever locks have one or more levers that must be lifted to the correct height to allow the bolt to move. Lever locks will often have a different feel from warded locks, since warded locks will usually block the key before it has a chance to engage the mechanism, while lever locks will allow the key to engage the mechanism but will block the mechanism from moving fully unless the levers are lifted to the correct height. Many lever locks can be picked relatively easily with the proper tools, but picking would require using a pair of tools, with one being used to try to operate the mechanism which is blocked by the levers, while the other tool is used to try lifting the levers. Often, there will initially be one lever blocking the bolt; once that lever is moved to the right position (i.e. "set"), the bolt will be able to move a little bit before being blocked by another lever. If the bolt is kept under tension, this will rather conveniently hold the first lever in place while the picker focuses attention on the next lever that needs to be set.



          The best locks combine these two approaches, requiring intricately-cut keys which need to move several different levers simultaneously by relatively precise amounts. Such locks are much more expensive to manufacture than current designs. Although they may be as secure or even more so than most recent locks, the additional security they offer is not sufficient to justify their cost.



          I would not expect a closet door to have a particularly high-quality lock. If the lock uses warding to distinguish correct and incorrect keys, picking with crude tools may be easy. If it uses levers for that purpose, picking will require the simultaneous use of two tools that are designed to work together. There are many youtube videos and web tutorials that would explain how to make the required tools. If you can find some old keys that look like they would fit, I would suggest trying them and seeing what happens. If the key is blocked by something in the lock without engaging a mechanism, you probably have a warded lock. If the key engages the mechanism but the mechanism itself feels blocked, it's probably a lever lock.







          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer






          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          answered Nov 29 at 20:34









          supercat

          26112




          26112




          New contributor




          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.





          New contributor





          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          supercat is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.












          • A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
            – Suthek
            1 hour ago


















          • A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
            – Suthek
            1 hour ago
















          A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
          – Suthek
          1 hour ago




          A simple solution if it is just a warded lock is to use an allen wrench with some sort of handle to attach for rotational leverage. Source: Regularly locked and unlocked the attic door in my home like that when I didn't have the key.
          – Suthek
          1 hour ago










          up vote
          13
          down vote













          I should suggest trying a bobbypin or a smaller flathead screwdriver if you'd like to save it. From my experience, these types of locks are very easily opened, even with almost no skill in lockpicking. After all, you might find the key again.



          Another option could be to drill out the center of the lock, therein making it very easy to open the door. This would, of course, entirely destroy the lock, but you have already said this is not an issue.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.














          • 1




            I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
            – brasofilo
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
            – chasly from UK
            yesterday






          • 1




            @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
            – wizzwizz4
            yesterday















          up vote
          13
          down vote













          I should suggest trying a bobbypin or a smaller flathead screwdriver if you'd like to save it. From my experience, these types of locks are very easily opened, even with almost no skill in lockpicking. After all, you might find the key again.



          Another option could be to drill out the center of the lock, therein making it very easy to open the door. This would, of course, entirely destroy the lock, but you have already said this is not an issue.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.














          • 1




            I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
            – brasofilo
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
            – chasly from UK
            yesterday






          • 1




            @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
            – wizzwizz4
            yesterday













          up vote
          13
          down vote










          up vote
          13
          down vote









          I should suggest trying a bobbypin or a smaller flathead screwdriver if you'd like to save it. From my experience, these types of locks are very easily opened, even with almost no skill in lockpicking. After all, you might find the key again.



          Another option could be to drill out the center of the lock, therein making it very easy to open the door. This would, of course, entirely destroy the lock, but you have already said this is not an issue.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          I should suggest trying a bobbypin or a smaller flathead screwdriver if you'd like to save it. From my experience, these types of locks are very easily opened, even with almost no skill in lockpicking. After all, you might find the key again.



          Another option could be to drill out the center of the lock, therein making it very easy to open the door. This would, of course, entirely destroy the lock, but you have already said this is not an issue.







          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer






          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          answered Nov 29 at 16:10









          Paul Beverage

          2935




          2935




          New contributor




          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.





          New contributor





          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          Paul Beverage is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.








          • 1




            I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
            – brasofilo
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
            – chasly from UK
            yesterday






          • 1




            @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
            – wizzwizz4
            yesterday














          • 1




            I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
            – brasofilo
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
            – chasly from UK
            yesterday






          • 1




            @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
            – wizzwizz4
            yesterday








          1




          1




          I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
          – brasofilo
          2 days ago






          I was maybe 10 years old and grandma used to store chocolates and condensed milk on a closet with a similar key/lock. It was easy to open and close it with a strong paper clip :)
          – brasofilo
          2 days ago






          2




          2




          I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
          – chasly from UK
          yesterday




          I'm not sure drilling the centre is going to help. You'll just destroy the mechanism but the bolt will still be in place.
          – chasly from UK
          yesterday




          1




          1




          @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
          – wizzwizz4
          yesterday




          @chaslyfromUK Then you can turn it sideways and shake and the bolt will slide out.
          – wizzwizz4
          yesterday










          up vote
          8
          down vote













          The original image of the key is interesting to me. You could just wander into the local locksmith and ask if they have a set of keys that might fit. There's a limited number of variants on these keys and you may just be able to buy one off the shelf as the lock is only a token gesture towards security.



          If you're not overly attached to the lock, there's the question of how firmly it's attached. many cabinet locks are lightly attached to the inside of the door and if you attach a decent handle to the outside you could possibly just force it open. Though the hinges are quite heavy duty which implies a more solid door and lock mechanism.






          share|improve this answer

























            up vote
            8
            down vote













            The original image of the key is interesting to me. You could just wander into the local locksmith and ask if they have a set of keys that might fit. There's a limited number of variants on these keys and you may just be able to buy one off the shelf as the lock is only a token gesture towards security.



            If you're not overly attached to the lock, there's the question of how firmly it's attached. many cabinet locks are lightly attached to the inside of the door and if you attach a decent handle to the outside you could possibly just force it open. Though the hinges are quite heavy duty which implies a more solid door and lock mechanism.






            share|improve this answer























              up vote
              8
              down vote










              up vote
              8
              down vote









              The original image of the key is interesting to me. You could just wander into the local locksmith and ask if they have a set of keys that might fit. There's a limited number of variants on these keys and you may just be able to buy one off the shelf as the lock is only a token gesture towards security.



              If you're not overly attached to the lock, there's the question of how firmly it's attached. many cabinet locks are lightly attached to the inside of the door and if you attach a decent handle to the outside you could possibly just force it open. Though the hinges are quite heavy duty which implies a more solid door and lock mechanism.






              share|improve this answer












              The original image of the key is interesting to me. You could just wander into the local locksmith and ask if they have a set of keys that might fit. There's a limited number of variants on these keys and you may just be able to buy one off the shelf as the lock is only a token gesture towards security.



              If you're not overly attached to the lock, there's the question of how firmly it's attached. many cabinet locks are lightly attached to the inside of the door and if you attach a decent handle to the outside you could possibly just force it open. Though the hinges are quite heavy duty which implies a more solid door and lock mechanism.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered 2 days ago









              Separatrix

              20113




              20113






















                  up vote
                  7
                  down vote













                  Other suggested methods of removing the hinge pins or picking the locks are good.



                  You can also try to depress the latch via a thin wire if the door opens out or a thin plastic card if the door opens inward. What you goal would be is to depress the latch as if the door were closing on its own.






                  share|improve this answer










                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.














                  • 2




                    This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    Nov 29 at 20:17






                  • 3




                    That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                    Nov 29 at 20:28










                  • @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                    – Gary Bak
                    Nov 30 at 12:35










                  • In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                    – Roger Lipscombe
                    Nov 30 at 14:47










                  • @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    2 days ago















                  up vote
                  7
                  down vote













                  Other suggested methods of removing the hinge pins or picking the locks are good.



                  You can also try to depress the latch via a thin wire if the door opens out or a thin plastic card if the door opens inward. What you goal would be is to depress the latch as if the door were closing on its own.






                  share|improve this answer










                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.














                  • 2




                    This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    Nov 29 at 20:17






                  • 3




                    That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                    Nov 29 at 20:28










                  • @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                    – Gary Bak
                    Nov 30 at 12:35










                  • In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                    – Roger Lipscombe
                    Nov 30 at 14:47










                  • @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    2 days ago













                  up vote
                  7
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  7
                  down vote









                  Other suggested methods of removing the hinge pins or picking the locks are good.



                  You can also try to depress the latch via a thin wire if the door opens out or a thin plastic card if the door opens inward. What you goal would be is to depress the latch as if the door were closing on its own.






                  share|improve this answer










                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.









                  Other suggested methods of removing the hinge pins or picking the locks are good.



                  You can also try to depress the latch via a thin wire if the door opens out or a thin plastic card if the door opens inward. What you goal would be is to depress the latch as if the door were closing on its own.







                  share|improve this answer










                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.









                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited Nov 30 at 12:36





















                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.









                  answered Nov 29 at 20:07









                  Gary Bak

                  1712




                  1712




                  New contributor




                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.





                  New contributor





                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.






                  Gary Bak is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.








                  • 2




                    This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    Nov 29 at 20:17






                  • 3




                    That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                    Nov 29 at 20:28










                  • @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                    – Gary Bak
                    Nov 30 at 12:35










                  • In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                    – Roger Lipscombe
                    Nov 30 at 14:47










                  • @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    2 days ago














                  • 2




                    This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    Nov 29 at 20:17






                  • 3




                    That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                    – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                    Nov 29 at 20:28










                  • @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                    – Gary Bak
                    Nov 30 at 12:35










                  • In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                    – Roger Lipscombe
                    Nov 30 at 14:47










                  • @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                    – Zeiss Ikon
                    2 days ago








                  2




                  2




                  This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                  – Zeiss Ikon
                  Nov 29 at 20:17




                  This is what used to be call "jimmying" the door, then later came be "carding" the lock. Works well for simple locksets intended for interior doors.
                  – Zeiss Ikon
                  Nov 29 at 20:17




                  3




                  3




                  That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                  – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                  Nov 29 at 20:28




                  That won't work because it is a deadbolt, not the ones with a spring
                  – Guillermo Vasconcelos
                  Nov 29 at 20:28












                  @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                  – Gary Bak
                  Nov 30 at 12:35




                  @GuillermoVasconcelos - yes my suggestion would not work then, picking seems like the best bet.
                  – Gary Bak
                  Nov 30 at 12:35












                  In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                  – Roger Lipscombe
                  Nov 30 at 14:47




                  In BrE, a "jimmy" (or "jemmy") is usually a crowbar; it's not even vaguely the same as using a wire or card on the latch.
                  – Roger Lipscombe
                  Nov 30 at 14:47












                  @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                  – Zeiss Ikon
                  2 days ago




                  @RogerLipscombe Can't talk to older history, but when I was a kid, a jimmy was what later became a "slim jim" -- mainly for opening car doors when the key was locked inside. Thin and flexible. Still won't work on a deadbolt, though.
                  – Zeiss Ikon
                  2 days ago










                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote













                  Well, if you don't care about locking it again, I'd find my trusty old Fein multimaster cutter and just cut the lock open. Or if you want the gentle solution use a small hacksaw blade.






                  share|improve this answer

















                  • 2




                    +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                    – Valorum
                    yesterday















                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote













                  Well, if you don't care about locking it again, I'd find my trusty old Fein multimaster cutter and just cut the lock open. Or if you want the gentle solution use a small hacksaw blade.






                  share|improve this answer

















                  • 2




                    +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                    – Valorum
                    yesterday













                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote









                  Well, if you don't care about locking it again, I'd find my trusty old Fein multimaster cutter and just cut the lock open. Or if you want the gentle solution use a small hacksaw blade.






                  share|improve this answer












                  Well, if you don't care about locking it again, I'd find my trusty old Fein multimaster cutter and just cut the lock open. Or if you want the gentle solution use a small hacksaw blade.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 2 days ago









                  Stian Yttervik

                  21014




                  21014








                  • 2




                    +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                    – Valorum
                    yesterday














                  • 2




                    +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                    – Valorum
                    yesterday








                  2




                  2




                  +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                  – Valorum
                  yesterday




                  +1 to hacksaw. They cost pennies and you can easily fit the blade into that big gap
                  – Valorum
                  yesterday










                  up vote
                  3
                  down vote













                  Use a punch and hammer. Insert the punch where the key would go...use the hammer to drive the lock mechanism off the back of the door. A couple of good whacks and you should be wide open. Shame to bust it though..I would try the bobby pin method first.






                  share|improve this answer








                  New contributor




                  dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                    up vote
                    3
                    down vote













                    Use a punch and hammer. Insert the punch where the key would go...use the hammer to drive the lock mechanism off the back of the door. A couple of good whacks and you should be wide open. Shame to bust it though..I would try the bobby pin method first.






                    share|improve this answer








                    New contributor




                    dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.




















                      up vote
                      3
                      down vote










                      up vote
                      3
                      down vote









                      Use a punch and hammer. Insert the punch where the key would go...use the hammer to drive the lock mechanism off the back of the door. A couple of good whacks and you should be wide open. Shame to bust it though..I would try the bobby pin method first.






                      share|improve this answer








                      New contributor




                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                      Use a punch and hammer. Insert the punch where the key would go...use the hammer to drive the lock mechanism off the back of the door. A couple of good whacks and you should be wide open. Shame to bust it though..I would try the bobby pin method first.







                      share|improve this answer








                      New contributor




                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer






                      New contributor




                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                      answered 2 days ago









                      dazrite

                      311




                      311




                      New contributor




                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.





                      New contributor





                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.






                      dazrite is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          Is that a skylight window above the door? Perhaps you can gain access through it.



                          I am not suggesting climbing in through the window -- that's probably not practical. But perhaps you can open it, and then with possibly reach through it with a stick or belt, open the lock from the inside.



                          I am assuming the door has an inside lock latch (for safety) which you might be able to toggle with a broomstick.



                          If such a latch is 'down' and you need to pull it 'up', a 1" eye-hook screwed into end of stick might give you the purchase you need to pull up on the latch. (You might need to screw the eye-hook in at 45degree angle on stick.)



                          A knob would be much harder to turn, but perhaps you could buckle a couple of belts together into a 3-4' diameter loop which you dangle down from the skylight, perhaps with some resin on one of them to make it 'sticky', loop one end around the knob as if it was a pulley, then attempt to turn it.






                          share|improve this answer








                          New contributor




                          Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote













                            Is that a skylight window above the door? Perhaps you can gain access through it.



                            I am not suggesting climbing in through the window -- that's probably not practical. But perhaps you can open it, and then with possibly reach through it with a stick or belt, open the lock from the inside.



                            I am assuming the door has an inside lock latch (for safety) which you might be able to toggle with a broomstick.



                            If such a latch is 'down' and you need to pull it 'up', a 1" eye-hook screwed into end of stick might give you the purchase you need to pull up on the latch. (You might need to screw the eye-hook in at 45degree angle on stick.)



                            A knob would be much harder to turn, but perhaps you could buckle a couple of belts together into a 3-4' diameter loop which you dangle down from the skylight, perhaps with some resin on one of them to make it 'sticky', loop one end around the knob as if it was a pulley, then attempt to turn it.






                            share|improve this answer








                            New contributor




                            Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                            Check out our Code of Conduct.




















                              up vote
                              1
                              down vote










                              up vote
                              1
                              down vote









                              Is that a skylight window above the door? Perhaps you can gain access through it.



                              I am not suggesting climbing in through the window -- that's probably not practical. But perhaps you can open it, and then with possibly reach through it with a stick or belt, open the lock from the inside.



                              I am assuming the door has an inside lock latch (for safety) which you might be able to toggle with a broomstick.



                              If such a latch is 'down' and you need to pull it 'up', a 1" eye-hook screwed into end of stick might give you the purchase you need to pull up on the latch. (You might need to screw the eye-hook in at 45degree angle on stick.)



                              A knob would be much harder to turn, but perhaps you could buckle a couple of belts together into a 3-4' diameter loop which you dangle down from the skylight, perhaps with some resin on one of them to make it 'sticky', loop one end around the knob as if it was a pulley, then attempt to turn it.






                              share|improve this answer








                              New contributor




                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.









                              Is that a skylight window above the door? Perhaps you can gain access through it.



                              I am not suggesting climbing in through the window -- that's probably not practical. But perhaps you can open it, and then with possibly reach through it with a stick or belt, open the lock from the inside.



                              I am assuming the door has an inside lock latch (for safety) which you might be able to toggle with a broomstick.



                              If such a latch is 'down' and you need to pull it 'up', a 1" eye-hook screwed into end of stick might give you the purchase you need to pull up on the latch. (You might need to screw the eye-hook in at 45degree angle on stick.)



                              A knob would be much harder to turn, but perhaps you could buckle a couple of belts together into a 3-4' diameter loop which you dangle down from the skylight, perhaps with some resin on one of them to make it 'sticky', loop one end around the knob as if it was a pulley, then attempt to turn it.







                              share|improve this answer








                              New contributor




                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.









                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer






                              New contributor




                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.









                              answered yesterday









                              Ellies Dad

                              111




                              111




                              New contributor




                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.





                              New contributor





                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.






                              Ellies Dad is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                              Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                                  up vote
                                  0
                                  down vote














                                  1. One way is to cut horizontally through each hinge where the join is. Then the door will open outwards on the hinge side (provided it's not very stiff which is a problem anyway).


                                  2. Look on YouTube and you will find many videos showing you how to pick or bypass different kinds of lock.



                                  Example



                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFj3_4ZJcA




                                  1. Get a quote from a qualified locksmith. They will do it in seconds without damaging anything. It might be worth the money. Otherwise you could be spending it on repairing the closet.






                                  share|improve this answer

























                                    up vote
                                    0
                                    down vote














                                    1. One way is to cut horizontally through each hinge where the join is. Then the door will open outwards on the hinge side (provided it's not very stiff which is a problem anyway).


                                    2. Look on YouTube and you will find many videos showing you how to pick or bypass different kinds of lock.



                                    Example



                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFj3_4ZJcA




                                    1. Get a quote from a qualified locksmith. They will do it in seconds without damaging anything. It might be worth the money. Otherwise you could be spending it on repairing the closet.






                                    share|improve this answer























                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote










                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote










                                      1. One way is to cut horizontally through each hinge where the join is. Then the door will open outwards on the hinge side (provided it's not very stiff which is a problem anyway).


                                      2. Look on YouTube and you will find many videos showing you how to pick or bypass different kinds of lock.



                                      Example



                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFj3_4ZJcA




                                      1. Get a quote from a qualified locksmith. They will do it in seconds without damaging anything. It might be worth the money. Otherwise you could be spending it on repairing the closet.






                                      share|improve this answer













                                      1. One way is to cut horizontally through each hinge where the join is. Then the door will open outwards on the hinge side (provided it's not very stiff which is a problem anyway).


                                      2. Look on YouTube and you will find many videos showing you how to pick or bypass different kinds of lock.



                                      Example



                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFj3_4ZJcA




                                      1. Get a quote from a qualified locksmith. They will do it in seconds without damaging anything. It might be worth the money. Otherwise you could be spending it on repairing the closet.







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered yesterday









                                      chasly from UK

                                      8982711




                                      8982711






















                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote













                                          Open the back side of the cabinet :)






                                          share|improve this answer








                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















                                          • The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                            – Chenmunka
                                            22 mins ago















                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote













                                          Open the back side of the cabinet :)






                                          share|improve this answer








                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















                                          • The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                            – Chenmunka
                                            22 mins ago













                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote










                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote









                                          Open the back side of the cabinet :)






                                          share|improve this answer








                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                          Open the back side of the cabinet :)







                                          share|improve this answer








                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                          share|improve this answer



                                          share|improve this answer






                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                          answered 8 hours ago









                                          Dima Tisnek

                                          101




                                          101




                                          New contributor




                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.





                                          New contributor





                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.






                                          Dima Tisnek is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                          Check out our Code of Conduct.












                                          • The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                            – Chenmunka
                                            22 mins ago


















                                          • The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                            – Chenmunka
                                            22 mins ago
















                                          The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                          – Chenmunka
                                          22 mins ago




                                          The cupboard appears to be built-in. To open the back would require breaking through the wall from another room.
                                          – Chenmunka
                                          22 mins ago










                                          Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










                                          draft saved

                                          draft discarded


















                                          Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













                                          Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                                          Guillermo Vasconcelos is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















                                          Thanks for contributing an answer to Lifehacks Stack Exchange!


                                          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                          But avoid



                                          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                                          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





                                          Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


                                          Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


                                          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                          But avoid



                                          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                                          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                                          draft saved


                                          draft discarded














                                          StackExchange.ready(
                                          function () {
                                          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2flifehacks.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f19724%2fi-lost-my-closet-key-how-to-open-it%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                                          }
                                          );

                                          Post as a guest















                                          Required, but never shown





















































                                          Required, but never shown














                                          Required, but never shown












                                          Required, but never shown







                                          Required, but never shown

































                                          Required, but never shown














                                          Required, but never shown












                                          Required, but never shown







                                          Required, but never shown







                                          Popular posts from this blog

                                          AnyDesk - Fatal Program Failure

                                          How to calibrate 16:9 built-in touch-screen to a 4:3 resolution?

                                          QoS: MAC-Priority for clients behind a repeater