Good video as always. The best use of old filing cabinets I have seen was some artificial limbs made by British prisoners of war in the hands of the Japanese in WW2. The guys had used the metal to make serviceable legs for amputees in the POW camps. I thought the ingenuity and care taken by their comrades was incredible. When I saw them I welled up inside.
I read stories how lathes and maybe milling machines were made and used in P.O.W. camps too, Tony. Get a bunch of guys with their heads together and something will happen. CHEERS!
I've decided how I am going about this. Hold my beer while I get the electric screwdriver and attach a wood drill bit... I will use the technology I do have... thank you for the inspiration sir. My papers will soon be private again.
FREE is always a good price...........except sometimes. When I start opening your chanel up I start grinning. Just like being at the home 0f a GOOD friend. Thanks, Unc!
Thanks for the video! I live in Phoenix and I picked up the exact same filing cabinet that you have in this video. Course of a thrift shop come with it so I need to replace the lock. Thanks again!
When we moved, my handyman forced the metal file cabinet lock a bit, and now cabinet wont lock. Key turns. How do I make sure the lock and the latch system are connected as supposed to??? Pls help. Staple brand 4 drw large cabinet
Not seeing the cabinet makes diagnosis difficult. Possibly something came loose in shipping? The linkage might not be connected. If you want you could try pulling the drawers out and checking for a disconnected link. Best bet on a new cabinet is to return it and get a working one.
Thank You!! I used my camera to see what to do, removed 2 machine screws, & the entire lock mechanism dropped into my hand. Thank you! For future reference: What size/material bit wld I use ? & with what torque drill? 🙏 😌 🙂
I believe I have a heavy steel (probably Steelcase) 4-drawer file-size vertical file cabinet. Someone had a problem and slammed it closed when locked. Then it got locked so even the key would not open it. The lock is on the top right corner. So I drilled out the lock and was able to open the top drawer but about 70% of the lock body is still in place. On the inside lower side of the lock there was a screw that I was able to remove but I still cannot remove the lock body, so I can take it to the store to get a replacement. How do I remove the remaining lock?
There is usually a clip ring or threaded lock nut that holds the body of the lock in place. The lock should come out of the front of the cabinet toward you. I would remove the top drawer and look at the lock mount. Holding a camera in there and taking pictures is better than trying to stick your head in.
Old Sneelock's Workshop You need a light stand when you wanna show stuff to us, the camera was constantly focusing and was pretty annoying, because of the low light.
Hi.. I have a 4-drawer & I too, got it free. However, the top side has some sheet metal screws holding the frame straight-or as close as they could come 2 the original shape. The key fits just fine, however when I turn it 2 either the lock or unlock position, it's not smooth. I'm afraid I'm going 2 break the key in the lock 1 of these days. I have to kick the bottom drawer, &/or the 3rd drawer down 2 get it 2 turn the amount it needs 2 in order 2 function. Any suggestions &/or video? Thx
Sounds like the frame is twisted. There is a bar that runs down the front inside corner under the lock. Try spraying it with some silicone spray. Not oil. Oil gets on everything in the drawers
Great minds think alike! I was wondering if I was the only one missing a key. I'm using mine to store some tools. I'm glad I took the time to figure out how to reassemble it.
I have a 4 drawer (empty) lateral file cabinet. Locked or unlocked these drawers won't open. I can see some sort of cable or rod when viewing between the side of the cabinet and the drawer that seems like it is out of place. I'm able to move the cable up and away from the drawers, but they still don't open. Out side of trying to entirely dismantle the cabinet I'm out of ideas on how to open these drawers...
That is one I never tried before. Does the cable move when you open and close the lock? On the cabinet in the video and most 4 or 5 drawer vertical cabinets the lock pops out and moves out of the way if a spring loaded vertical bar. The bar raises and releases all the drawers at once. Can you see the end of the cable? It might be linked to a similar bar.
All right, I drilled out the lock and then removed it from the cabinet. The top and bottom drawers open but the middle drawers are still locked. Now what do I do? JB
Remove the top drawer and look inside for the linkage. It should lead from the lock down. Make sure it is free. Also check to see if there is something jamming the drawers.
Yes I do. It will require a set of pins to set the lock for a new key, You can disassemble the lock and measre the pins to find the shape of the original key. Either way will work but both require more equipment and spare parts for the repair. For one lock, after you remove the cylinder, take it to an office supply dealer they can read the numbers and sell you a new key.
Good Morning, I have the exactly same file cabinet, but the knockout where the lock normally goes is covered. What does that mean? I would like to put a lock on it, but I'm not sure if a lock is suppose to go on this particular file cabinet. Please help. Thank you.
+Mrs E Must be the lock was optional on that model. You might be able to buy a lock to fit the cabinet knockout. The local office furniture dealer sold me keys for file cabinets when I needed them. Not many stores like that around anymore. If the linkage isn't there then I would suggest getting a different cabinet with a lock istalled. You could cobble on a hasp and use a padlock for a cheaper solution.
Do you have a way to rekey master pet lock without original key? I see someone from u tube using imprint ink method to guess height of each key teeth height. Do u think that is a valid method?
These cabinet and drawer wafer locks can be rake picked in under 10 seconds. One of the best tools for it is the file on a pair of nail clippers, which allows putting a slight amount of turning tension on the lock core as the wafers are being raked. I've opened them with a small flat-tip screwdriver for a tension wrench and bent paper clip to rake the wafers. There's never a need to jimmy one of these open, or to bother locking one for that matter. ;-) The locks on them provide zero security except for false one an ignorant owner has thinking they do. If you really want a key for it, disassemble the lock, make note of the wafer depth positions and have a set of keys made to match. Better yet, a complete replacement can be had for about $10 for these HON file cabinets.
Thank you for the respond. Taking cylinder to key Smith and have them create a new key cost more then buy a new cylinder. I just can not figure out how to open the cylinder. Usually cylinder top has removable metal plate. Where it can be removed to access all 4 pins. But my cylinder is older type, does not have such access metal plate. Seems like one solid piece or some how they grind it smooth, so no edge revealed. Do u have a way to open the top or side or anywhere to access 4 pins?
I use to fix problems like keys locked in file cabinets by destroying file cabinet locks. The easiest way to do so is by drilling the cylinder out with a 3/8" drill bit. After that i found I could remove the lock and install a new one by just matching the serial number. As far as locking the spare key in the cabinet. For many years I was able to maintain a set of keys in a lockbox in my office. Each cabinet had 3 keys. One for the owner and two in the lockbox. All the entrance locks were master keyed. My key and the plant managers key opened every door. If you forgot or lost your keys, we could supply new keys as soon as we were made aware. I use to open a lot of offices, desks, and file cabinets just to retrieve the owners keys. I certainly could have gotten out your spare for you. File cabinets were often locked accidentally. Some one would lean on the cabinet and push the lock in. 😆😎
For years we just drilled out the cylinder and removed the lock. People would drop the keys in the drawer and shut it. Or they would forget their keys. Or they would leave and take the keys with them. Definitely an invention of the Devil.
Thankful for a couple things: 1) the drawers were already removed when I accidentally pushed the lock in too far trying to see how the mechanism works, and 2) you made this how-to video Seems like kind of a messed up design that someone can just come along, push the lock in and bam - day ruined. I guess the inventor never worked with pranksters.
Paul Allen At work nearly every one of the file cabinets had the lock removed. People leaned up against them. Not mean just not thinking. Dumbest was locking the main office key ring in the cabinet. Then they forgot their keys. I had mine on my car keys. If I got there I could get in. 😎
Yes it does. i was attempting to fix the lock and decided to just remove it. While I was doing it I held the camera inside the cabinet and without being able to aim I shot the video.
..to Easy Boss. I was hoping for some drilling, hammering, beating, banging, mild cussing and then you go to the garage and pull out the plasma cutter and then weld up the hole!!! Oh well, maybe next time...
Ol James I thought I was suppose to edit out all the bad stuff? If I hadn't, the video about the 8N, What Do You Do When It Won't Start?, would have been 2 days long.
I was thinking this evening about how it'd be IF I did had a camera and did one on dozering, which I was doing. It'd still be 2 days long. Oh well. No hope for me OR it.
easy way past a locked file cabinet is to get a drill bit the same size as the lock cylinder and drill it, open in 20-30 seconds everytime, some filing cabinets use the lock button as a latch, so removing the lock will allow the drawers to roll open on their own, btw this works for most locks ;)
