Legge Mortice Lock Stuck Shut - Key broken!

I've got a problem that I've not experienced before.

On an external garage door, we've got a Legge mortice lock. I do not know how many levers.

The other week, the main key got stuck in the lock and I had to leave it in there whilst I worked out why I couldn't remove it. The key still turned, and locked/unlocked the door - it just couldn't be removed from the lock itself.

When I got down to looking at it properly, I could see that part of the key had become twisted, such that it couldn't quite be twizzled or teased or positioned in such a way that it could be removed. After a lot of teasing - it simply got the pliers on it, and pulled it out with a fair amount of brute force (with the handle and lock surround removed).

I think, that this is has buggered the lock - my schoolboy error was not to ensure that the bloody lock was UNLOCKED before I gave it some welly - d'oh!

Still, I am where I am. Upon removing the key and attempting to bend the small part of the key that had become bent back into straight alignment so that I could use it again - it had obviously become very brittle and simply snapped off - pic of the busted key below. Upon attempting to use the busted key now - it will turn, but it won't unlock or relock the lock - it turns through it's full run - I can feel some resistance as it turns like it's moving / hitting the levers, but it doesn't unlock it.... I had initially figured that the broken off part of the key was the reason!?!

I've managed to find the original spare key, and just tried to unlock the key with this. The spare key starts to turn, but gets stuck about a third of the way around the rotation and goes no further. I've attempted to "persuade" it with some additional force/pliers, but as you can see from the pics below - all it's managed to do is twist the remaining good key out of shape - I'm reluctant to apply anymore force to it, as I'm confident that this key will also perish.

Consequently, I'm stuck wondering if the lock is buggered (broken key turns but doesn't open, good key doesn't turn at all) - and will require a locksmith to open it?

I've given it the beginning of a look-see to see if the door could be jimmied open with a crowbar, but the door is extremely tight within the frame and the blade of the crowbar won't even slip into the gap between door and frame to begin to move it!

I want to save the door - am more than happy to buy a new lock and fit it - just need to get the fecking door open in the first place to be able to do this....

I've just thought about doing something with the hinges? It's a stable type - two-half door, with four hinges in total, two on each half. There is a small amount of the hinge visible from the outside of the door, where it looks like the pin of the hinge can be knocked out / removed and then the door forced open / off it's hinges with some force from the inside to at least get it open and acces to the lock to be able to remove / replace it? That's my best thought on it at the moment anyway....

Would appreciate any thoughts on how best to take the next step to resolve this!

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Assuming this is the side door and you can get in via the main door so have access both sides, you should be able to cut away a bit of rebate and get a hacksaw blade between the frame and door the key looks like it is a fairly basic lock so with luck there are no hardened pins in the tongue.

if you can lay your hands on an angle grinder, from the inside and slip the disk between door and frame, you can cut the bolt, it will be less tiring than using a hacksaw blade with a rag tied round the end.

footprints said:

Assuming this is the side door and you can get in via the main door so have access both sides, you should be able to cut away a bit of rebate and get a hacksaw blade between the frame and door the key looks like it is a fairly basic lock so with luck there are no hardened pins in the tongue.

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Hello there

Thanks for replying. It is the side door (but bloody annoying that it's blocked!), so can access both sides of it. However, I don't understand what you're suggesting to do with the blade?

JohnD said:

if you can lay your hands on an angle grinder, from the inside and slip the disk between door and frame, you can cut the bolt, it will be less tiring than using a hacksaw blade with a rag tied round the end.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, when you say "bolt", you mean the part of the lock that is presently locked and keeping the door shut at present?

I don't think I've got an angle grinder which is a bit of an arse ache!

Slip it between the door and frame hold with duck tape wound around the end or a pad saw handle to grip and cut through the tongue of the lock where it slips into the frame.

Have the teeth so they cut on the pull stroke.

As a rule the rebate (the stepped shape that stops draughts etc) of the frame prevents this so you might need to cut some away.

Same principle as the angle grinder.

Your option to remove the hinge pins is also sound as I doubt there are any hinge reinforcement bolts on the door.

footprints said:

Slip it between the door and frame hold with duck tape wound around the end or a pad saw handle to grip and cut through the tongue of the lock where it slips into the frame.

Have the teeth so they cut on the pull stroke.

As a rule the rebate (the stepped shape that stops draughts etc) of the frame prevents this so you might need to cut some away.

Same principle as the angle grinder.

Your option to remove the hinge pins is also sound as I doubt there are any hinge reinforcement bolts on the door.

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Feck!

That sounds like an appallingly horrible job... that would take a long, long old time to cut through the solid brass or steel of the bolt with a weeny hacksaw blade. Especially, as the blade couldn't be in the frame of the hacksaw because of the lack of gap between the door & door frame.

There must be an easier way.

I believe that the lock bolt is between being locked and unlocked that is why your second key will not turn all the way.
If you can see any of the lock bolt see if you can push or nudge it towards the open side.
DC

yes, an angle grinder is a lot easier

DC77 said:

I believe that the lock bolt is between being locked and unlocked that is why your second key will not turn all the way.
If you can see any of the lock bolt see if you can push or nudge it towards the open side.
DC

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Thanks DC77 - unfortunately, the door is a VERY tight fit in the doorframe at the moment, exacerbated by some small movement in the garage wall by all of the recent heavy and prolonged rainfall - consequently, I can't even get a crowbar blade in between the door and the frame at the moment.

Gggggrrrrrrrr..........

It's looking more and more like an angle grinder cutting job at the moment.

Ok, can you take some photos of the area where you have taken the handles off ?.
DC

DC77 said:

Ok, can you take some photos of the area where you have taken the handles off ?.
DC

Click to expand...

Sure - will take and post tomorrow in the daylight...

There must be an easier way.

Yes, a size ten boot!

JohnD said:

if you can lay your hands on an angle grinder, from the inside and slip the disk between door and frame, you can cut the bolt, it will be less tiring than using a hacksaw blade with a rag tied round the end.

Click to expand...

Success!

Can't imagine in my mind how I would ever have got this done with just a bare hacksaw blade - it was tricky enough getting a 1mm slitting blade on the grinder into the very tight space between door and frame. (needed to be held open by the missus with a crowbar just to get into the slot).

However, with a small amount of lateral chop on the door itself, the lock was cut and the door's now open - many thanks, it was a good suggestion. New lock is en route.

For what it's worth, it was a piece o'el crapo 3 lever sashlock from Legge that was fitted, which should never have been in an external door to begin with. New 5 lever is en route to replace it....

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Many thanks indeed for the responses which were really helpful to me!

Eee! thats the beauty of power tools! Young folk today don't know they're born!
Jobs that used to take hours are done in no time now, power planers are a good example how tedious it used to be with a hand plane or surform!
And drilling into brick with an engineers hand brace was well nigh impossible, it was a rawplug chisel if the bricks were anything but soft as butter!

Glad you got it sorted ok power tools can be expensive but worth their weight in gold when you are in a fix.