If your door key breaks when turning it in the lock, the natural question in your mind is ‘can you super glue a broken key?’.
Emergency locksmiths in Kansas City receive a lot of calls from people who need expert assistance with their broken key.
Why do keys break?
Most keys typically are made with nickel silver as compared to brass that was used in older keys. Although nickel silver is stronger than brass, it can break under pressure.
Here are some of the typical reasons why keys break:
- When the door key is old and is used daily, it experiences wear and tear over time and can break.
- The lock may be faulty or malfunctioning because of a lack of care.
- Putting a lot of physical pressure on the key when in a hurry can snap it, especially when the key is old.
Can you super glue a broken key?
Many people want to fix the broken key immediately, particularly when they are locked out of their homes.
One of the desperate measures they try is to use a super glue to fix the key.
Although this is not an ideal way to fix your key, you can try it if the broken key is visible in the lock cylinder. This means that you should be able to see a large part of the snapped-off portion of the door key to use the super glue.
Use enough glue to cover only the tip of the metal wire or a toothpick. You can try a gel-type glue that dries slowly instead of a runny formula that can drip on the lock tumbler.
After you apply the glue to the metal wire or toothpick end, place it carefully on the edge of your broken key. Be careful not to push the key even more into the lock and wait for the super glue to dry up.
Once the glue cures, pull the broken part of the key carefully from the lock tumbler. Don’t turn the key when you are pulling it out, as this can break the contact between the tool you are using and the broken key.
When not to use the super glue
You should also avoid the super glue method on ignition locks in automotive. One wrong move can mean time-consuming, expensive and messy ignition tumbler replacement.
If you can’t see the broken part of the key in the lock, using super glue becomes risky. The deeper the key inside the lock, the riskier the super glue method.
You can test by inserting a metal wire or thin toothpick inside the lock to see if it hits the lock. If it does, it’s time to call a reputed emergency locksmith in your area.
Why you should call the emergency locksmith immediately
Many people think gluing the broken key halves will ensure it works till they get a replacement key made. However, a broken key – even when fixed with a super glue – is always a security risk. It can break any time again before you get a new key made. And the next time, it can get stuck even deeper inside the lock cylinder.
If the key or the lock gets damaged when you are using a tool with super glue to extract the broken piece, you will need professional help from an emergency locksmith.
They can check if the lock has any damages while using specialized tools to safely remove the broken key. This not only saves you precious time and money, but saves the effort involved in trying to fix the key with a super glue.
Get in touch with the best emergency locksmith in Kansas City – Speedy Locksmiths – and surrounding areas for professional and safe broken key extraction.
That’s the best answer to your question of ‘can you super glue a broken key?’.