Break into a filing cabinet.
 

I locked my stupid filling cabinet (well I wasn't the one who did), and no one told me that there was no key for it. How the hell can i get into it? Can i pick it, or drill through it or what? Thanks

I would definitely try picking it first. If you want to brush up on your lock picking theory, Google turns up many "lock picking" documents. Basically all you need to get started is a small but strong piece of metal (sometimes I use a very small allen key), and a small flathead screwdriver to keep tension on the lock.

I find it is a very useful skill to have... it has gotten me out of several binds in the past, including being locked out of my car (picked the driver's side lock in about four minutes), and being locked out of my house (picked the garage door lock with a swiss army knife in about one minute, and once I had access to my tools it took me about eleven minutes to pick the door from the garage into the house).

It does shake your faith in locks, however. ;)

The old adage is still true: Locks help keep honest people honest. Skill and patience can overcome practically any mechanism.

One word of caution, possession of lock picking tools is considered possession of an instrument of crime in some locations unless your employment justifies having them.

Most file cabinets aren't high security devices-the bugger is applying enough tension to spin the core without binding the pins.

If you can find a number on the face of the lock, you could give that to a locksmith and have them make you a new key for it.

If that's not a possibility, I have had success opening this type of lock with a street cleaner bristle and a paperclip.

If its the older, simpler style filing cabinets, they can be picked using a butterfly paperclip.

thanks guys for your help! i'll give it a whirl! :D

Don't know how full it is either but on most older filing cabinets if you can tip it up to get access to the bottom you can just force the locking bar up and open it easily that way.

The key from the canopy on my truck works on my file cabinet :-) askme how I know. Interestingly the kay from the cabinet does not work on the truck.

Personally, I'm a big fan of drilling out the lock. Solves this problem.....and prevents it from happening again. Best of luck.

If worse comes to worse, a 4 pound hammer and a large drift punch will do a number on small locks, provided you don't really care about what happens to the lock or the surface it's attached to.

It worke rathe well on the locks with the round keys (I know they have a proper name, but it escapes me at the moment.) If you can get the center pin drove/violently broken out, it will open.

I made a set of lockpicks out of one of those 3 peice folding nail kits, with the files and little things. Used a grinder to make the pics, and then also to make the tension wrench. Can pick deadbolts, cars, cabinets, drawers, even locks on hotels. :P

Use a jeweler's screwdriver to turn the lock, put a straightened paperclip in as far as it will go, then push it agianst the pins in the lock and pull out slowly. You'll hear the pins click as you pull. About three rakes across the pins should do it for a standard file cabinet.

*shakes head* the end is near

Is this a comment on the original post, or the 8 typos I managed in three sentences?

I dont have the patience for all that, if it were me I would pry it open with a crowbar or drill out the lock.

Just blow it up with som TnT :)

i dig your style

[edit]

i recommended drilling it out, im not much for finesse myself

While I'm sure there are many fine and better answers above, I know for a fact that with new, cheap file cabinets (not heavy metal ones that are expensive or 30 years old) if you just pull really hard on the drawer then the silly lock striker/blade will bend and the face frame of the cabinet will bend and the drawer will come open. If you care about what it looks like then try other ways first, but even if you do my way you can bend everything back and it will probably look ok afterwards - no guarantee.

Perhaps that is why I was the fellow dispatched to handle vault doors which were unhappy.

When you're dealing with 10 tons of metal, it becomes a Zen-like experience. :D

I want to learn Lockpicking, but it's hard to find the tools here in Australia.. :\

Get brick strap from the local lumber yard, use a dremel, file, or grinder to shape it, and use 1" dowels wrapped in electrical tape as handles.

Brickstrap is too weak, best bet is to use hacksaw blades, the uncut portion of the blade makes for a great little handle.

Thread resurrection: circa 2008

Damned if this topic didn't just save my ass. My wife locked my metal file cabinet, and I had no key. Our passports are in there, and without them, my wife, kids and I weren't going to be able to go to Mexico next week!

(Yes, I know that the hammer and file punch would have taken care of things :-))

Anyhow, a tiny Allen wrench didn't wuite do it, but a straightened paper clip and a small flathead screwdriver for tension was all I needed...along with about 15 minutes of effort.

TFP to the rescue!

I recently bought a lateral filing cabinet used. It does not have a keyed lock on it and before I moved it, the drawers opened. In transit something must have moved inside and now all the drawers are locked. My thought is that this is part of the design so that when you move the drawers aren't opening and making it hard to maneuver. I have looked around for a button or slide to "unlock" it, but haven't seen anything. I have tried what one of the people in this blog said about using a screwdriver to move something on the bottom of the cabinet, but can't seem to make that work. I have tried tiliting it in all directions just to see if whatever moved will move back. I am out of options and ideas. Can anyone help?

I dont think its the slightest bit helpful, but if I was in your position after a few hours, I'd probably just pull out my cock and piss all over it.

Try flipping it over on its top. Might jar the thing loose.

Remember to take it outside first. Or at least put down some plastic.