Weiser Lock Fix

Lock repair is something that most experienced locksmith technician do, but not most of the beginner ones. With lock repair, you can never tell what the problem would be and how long it would take to fix it. Sometimes, an issue with a lock can be fixed by lubrication, but other times, the problem is more complex which will force the locksmith technician to disassemble the lock. Although most of the time the average locksmith would not have any issues taking apart a lock, what would happen if the door is locked and the lock would not open because it is malfunction?

I got a call the other day from a customer who had some issues getting inside his home. Apparently, he did have the key, but it would not operate the lock properly. He did mentioned on the phone that the problem occurred few times before, but he always had success unlocking the lock eventually except this time. Normally, with this type of issue there are few options, either it is the key or the lock. I took the customer's information and started heading his way.

The first thing I did once I got to the customer's home was to look at the key and see if can recognize any noticeable wear on it. Since the key didn't look to be damaged or overly worn, I figured it must be the lock. The lock was an old key-in-knob Weiser. I started by lubricating the lock to see if I can solve the issue with a little WD 40, but that didn't seem to do much. It seemed that the cylinder would have to be removed for further inspection and repair, but since the door was lock, it was a tricky thing to do.

At first I tried picking the lock to try and unlock it or at least rotate it to the position where I could remove the cylinder but without any success. I then called a Seattle locksmith co worker of mine to see if he had any idea of what I can do to remove the cylinder without drilling and damaging it. Apparently, he ran into this type of issue before and what he did was cutting the tip of a Weiser key blank and cut it to match the tip of the original key and use it as an extension. The extension allowed pushing the lock spindle far enough which enabled me to turn the cylinder with the key to the removal position. After taking apart the cylinder all it took was replacing the pins and it was as good as new.