How do I remove a lock from a file cabinet

May 2, 2007 6:06 PM

Is there an easy way to permanently remove the locks from a steel case filing cabinet?

Yesterday a fling cabinet with a missing key somehow got locked, and I was forced to spend 2 hours with Hammer, screwdriver and drill getting it open again. (calling a lock smith would have been too simple, and the price would have gone up after the first 20 minuites of me trying) This particular cabinet will never be locked again, but I can see the same scenario happening again to some other just as important cabinet.

posted by kanemano to Technology (6 answers total)

the college radio station i work at has had the same problem happen many times with some of the cd cabinets. eventually all the locks were drilled out, and we haven't had any problems.
posted by kendrak at 6:14 PM on May 2, 2007

I've always had success using a power drill when I don't care about locking it again. Read this to get an idea of the best place to drill.
posted by saraswati at 6:17 PM on May 2, 2007

I did this a few weeks ago and just banged the lock into the case (the lock was in a little oval cylinder, the linkage to the drawers gave way, and the whole cylinder just fell into the interior.) I used a hammer and huge screwdriver and in about five whacks I was into the thing. This was an older upright filing cabinet made of heavy steel. So maybe attacking the linkage from the inside if you wanted a more graceful removal?
posted by Rumple at 6:48 PM on May 2, 2007

If it's the kind that locks when you push it in, you can wrap it round and round with electrical tape. I've done this to the ones in my office, and they no longer are in danger of locking when someone leans or brushes up against them. (Could've killed the fiddle-fingered idiot who pushed it in THEN asked "hey, did you know your filing cabinet locks?" Fortunately the department had a master key.)
posted by hangashore at 8:06 PM on May 2, 2007

Actually the locking mechanism on filing cabinets is usually pretty simple involving a long rod or stamped steel plate that slides into place when the tumbler is turned thus securing each drawer. The trick is to remove the drawers and then yank out this long rod / plate (its located along the side of the cabinet directly under the lock/tumbler.)

They are usually made from cheap metal and you can bend them out of place and force them out of the cabinet with a pair of pliers.

By doing this, even if the lock is "locked" there won't be a mechanism by which it can secure the drawers.

Anyway, this is my experience with reasonably inexpensive file cabinets... I suppose higher quality ones have higher quality locking mechanisms.
posted by wfrgms at 9:19 PM on May 2, 2007

Also, office cabinets have fairly standard locks - they are not really there to keep serious people out. I can pick most cabinet locks with a screwdriver applying a rotational force and a paperclip raking back and forth over the pins, and I am not a locksmith.

Also, a second hand office equipment store will often have a huge collection of keys which will fit. I have bought spare keys by telling them the number stamped on the lock.

Just get a big power drill and drill out most of the lock. No need for careful positioning or finesse, just use a big drill, jam it the middle and smite that lock.
posted by tomble at 11:14 PM on May 2, 2007