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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    5
    Country: United States

    Default Need key for Yale Mortise lock!

    On Friday my husband and I just purchased and moved into a home built in 1920 and there is a Yale mortise lock on the bedroom door and I have now managed to lock myself out of our bedroom.. There is no key and no way to enter from the window. I see many yale mortise locks on ebay with the keys that go to them. I am wanting to know how many different key variations there were back when this lock was made and what is the likelihood that I could find one online to work in my lock without having to find a locksmith that specializes in antique locks to make us a new key? We had to sleep on an air mattress last night in the living room, I really don't want to have to drill out the lock. Any help would be very appreciated!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 13187772_1175168455879924_1968700569_n.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    1,485
    Country: United States

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    Any decent locksmith should be able to pick the lock and open the door. Then remove the cylinder and take it back to the shop to make a key. I question the wisdom of having this type of lock on an interior door to begin with.

    The probability of finding a key on eBay is almost exactly zero.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    Posts
    900
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by acwhite View Post
    On Friday my husband and I just purchased and moved into a home built in 1920 and there is a Yale mortise lock on the bedroom door and I have now managed to lock myself out of our bedroom.. There is no key and no way to enter from the window. I see many yale mortise locks on ebay with the keys that go to them. I am wanting to know how many different key variations there were back when this lock was made and what is the likelihood that I could find one online to work in my lock without having to find a locksmith that specializes in antique locks to make us a new key? We had to sleep on an air mattress last night in the living room, I really don't want to have to drill out the lock. Any help would be very appreciated!
    It appears that you likely have a common Yale #8 keyway 5-pin lock. The variations in the "bittings" of the key are designated by the term "key changes". Since there are nine different depths of cut and five pins, the theoretical number of "key changes" would be 95=59,049. You don't need an antique lock specialist, any competent locksmith can easily open and fit a key to your lock. If want to avoid the expense, as you suggest; you could drill out the lock cylinder to open the lock and then replace the thus destroyed cylinder.

    Pete

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

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    If you "really don't want to have to drill out the lock" because you think it is old and valuable, dont trouble yourself. The cylinder is identical to a new one and would not be likely to be originally fitted on an internal door anyway - probably a later addition.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
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    900
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Gordon View Post
    If you "really don't want to have to drill out the lock" because you think it is old and valuable, dont trouble yourself. The cylinder is identical to a new one and would not be likely to be originally fitted on an internal door anyway - probably a later addition.
    I can't tell if it is a rim or mortise cylinder from the image, but note that new genuine Yale cylinders list for $63.00 ea. on this side of the pond! The Yale logo shown was discontinued in 1959 and newer versions are simply marked YALEŽ There are less expensive aftermarket and imports available however.

    Pete

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    714
    Country: United States

    Default Need key for Yale Mortise lock!

    I took the picture to turn around and tone down the light to get a closer look as keyway. It look like to mean there a broken key inside the key way or maybe I'm wrong. Also look like it take a Y1 key blank..Timothy...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails attachmentqq.jpg  

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    5
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by wylk View Post
    Any decent locksmith should be able to pick the lock and open the door. Then remove the cylinder and take it back to the shop to make a key. I question the wisdom of having this type of lock on an interior door to begin with.

    The probability of finding a key on eBay is almost exactly zero.


    Ok, thank you for letting me know. We are calling a locksmith, the quote is $69 to get it open, not sure if that includes giving us a key.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    5
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by Timothy View Post
    I took the picture to turn around and tone down the light to get a closer look as keyway. It look like to mean there a broken key inside the key way or maybe I'm wrong. Also look like it take a Y1 key blank..Timothy...

    Thank you very much, I had not noticed but it does look like there may be something, maybe a broken key in there.

  9. #9
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    May 2016
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    5
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pschiffe View Post
    I can't tell if it is a rim or mortise cylinder from the image, but note that new genuine Yale cylinders list for $63.00 ea. on this side of the pond! The Yale logo shown was discontinued in 1959 and newer versions are simply marked YALEŽ There are less expensive aftermarket and imports available however.

    Pete

    Thank you for letting me know. I like having the lock as protection since we haven't gotten an alarm installed yet and the downstairs is basically all windows so I wanted to keep the lock if at all possible but if there is a key broken off in there as one other poster suggested then we may have to drill it out.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    5
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Gordon View Post
    If you "really don't want to have to drill out the lock" because you think it is old and valuable, dont trouble yourself. The cylinder is identical to a new one and would not be likely to be originally fitted on an internal door anyway - probably a later addition.

    Ok thank you for letting me know. I did like having the lock as extra protection since we haven't gotten our alarm installed yet and the downstairs is mostly windows. But if there is a key broke off in it as one other poster noticed then we will have to drill it out.

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