Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - Old mortice lock prob

Hi
The old mortice lock (key hole both sides - possibly uses a skeleton key) on my kitchen door is locked. Today the key just goes round and round with little resistance without moving the bolt.

Any ideas how I can open it.

Hi
The old mortice lock (key hole both sides - possibly uses a skeleton key) on my kitchen door is locked. Today the key just goes round and round with little resistance without moving the bolt.

Any ideas how I can open it.

Hello Ian, and welcome to the board.

From what you say, the key just goes round and round, it sounds as if either the key is worn, or the internal pieces inside the lock are worn down. In either situation, the key will just spin, and not open the lock. Does your lock have a post it fits over? (Is there a hole in the end of the key?) If not, you might be able toget it open by gently feeling when the key makes contact with the parts inside the lock, and tiping the key in that direction as you slowly keep turning the key around. If it does have a hole in the end, that method will not work, as you cannot get any closer to the internal parts within the lock.

Another thing you may try is wiggling or shaking the door as you slowly turn the key. The bolt may be binding a little, and the extra movement will help.

So, all that being said, just keep trying. I have gotten good results by slowly trying over and over with mortise locks. Good luck, and let us know if you need more help.

cuedude

Thank you for yout fast reply Cuedude.

There is no post in my lock.

I have spent the ;ast hour gently feeling when the key (I have tried a hardly used key as well as the one in regular use) makes contact with the parts inside the lock, tiping the key in that direction and slowly turning the key around, I can feel a slight resistence at the point where it used to grabs something and pull the bolt across. but it slides past.
At the same time I've been wiggling, shaking, banging the door all to no avail.

I have tried from both sides of the door. and I have given it a squirt of lubricant :(

Cuedude makes some good suggestions, but what comes to mind also by your description, is that one of the levers that are raised into position by the key to allow the bolt to retract may have a broken spring.
If that's the case, then a way that might work to get it unlocked would be to rap on the key as your turning it so the levers will all be sitting on the key bitting where they should be.
This type of mortise box rarely stops working out of the blue. If things are wearing out, you would have noticed it in the function of the lock long before you got to the point of a lockout.

If that works, then before using it again, I'd suggest you remove the lock and either replace it or have the spring repaired by your local Locksmith.

Regards

Sigh....

This fiddling with the lock is nor not working. I think either a spring ot something must be broken in side it.

What to do now?

Maybe take the rods out of the hinges?

Is their a technique in getting the rods out. I've bashed them with a hammer but they're not budging.

Another sigh...


Ian

A screwdriver to catch the top of the hinge pin while using the hammer to tap the screwdriver up should work. Most residential interior doors should have removable pins-a little lube in the cracks of the hinge can help loosen stuck/rusty hinges before removal.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

The hinge pins were impossible to move, it is probably the original 1920s door and hinges so maybe hinges were made without removable pins in those days!

Anyhow, I have managed to open the door now, I drilled through the door frame close to the bolt and mangad to push the bolt back into the lock, it had no resistance :D