How To Open A Padlock Without A Key?

Misplacing or losing the key at the end moment can be frustrating. We all try to keep the keys at the safest places possible, which in turn end up being the forever forgotten place. But don’t worry; we are here to help you get access to your important locked-up stuff and open a padlock without a key. And you can do so easily with the help of some handy tools without the need for a key.

How To Open?

1. Hammer It Away

It might be the easiest way around. And if done properly, is non-destructive to the lock.

• Start with putting your two adjacent figures in between the shackle loop.
• Then pull to force the shackle against the body of the lock. This will create tension in between. This will eventually get the locking pins in the right position.
• There should be no extra slack from the shackle. This will ensure your lock turns loose.
• Be precautious not to hold the body of the lock itself. Otherwise, you may end up hitting your fingers. The body is the area that the hammer is going to hit.
• Hit gently or simply tap the body of the lock with the hammer. You can use any other similar tool also. For example- The backside of a screwdriver.
• Especially hit the fixed end of the shackle. This is because the locking pins are located beneath this end.
• Make continuous but short hits. This will make sure the pins remain safe.
• Eventually, your hard work will pay off and the padlock will disengage. With this method, the padlock will remain unharmed and you can easily use it again.

2. Using Paper Cips

This hack right here needs some prior experience in lock picking. You may not be able to crack the lock with this on the first try.

You prepare yourself to practice the following steps-

• Break the paper clip from between into two pieces.
• Bend both the broken pieces open. This will result in an ‘L’ shaped figure.
• Now one of the broken pieces is your pick, while the other is your temporary torsion wrench.
• Force your wrench about ½ inches into the keyway.
• When you bend the top of the wrench downwards, you will face some torque.
• While applying slight pressure, if the wrench slides outs, keep on trying with different positions and areas. Pay attention to your own lock and bend-unbend the paperclip accordingly.
• Now let’s come to the pick. Your own made pick here is a double-ended one, which is a lot better than usual picks.
• Put the straight end of your paperclip-pick into the keyway. Remember the torsion wrench should not be in the way of the pick in the keyway. The pick should be able to easily slide in and out, without disturbing the pins.
• The pick job is to turn the keyway in the clockwise direction. But do so without interfering with the pins. Slowly increase clockwise pressure on the torsion wrench to crack the pick job.
• Keep on gently sliding the pick-up and down.
• After a point, you will find the movable end of the shackle open. That’s it!
• The best thing is your padlock remains undamaged. You can use it as many more times as you need, provided the locking mechanism wasn’t harmed in the way.

3. Light Up Match Sticks

• Take a whole match stick box. Peel of the head or the reactive part of the stick and collect it in one place.
• Then crush and grind the extract the peeled reactive parts.
• Next, you have to place the whole crushed extract into the keyway of the padlock.
• Now take an unharmed matchstick that has its head intact. Slide the non-reactive part of the match stick in the keyway. The reactive part should be left outside facing towards you.
• Light the match stick. This will carry the fire inside the padlock.
• The crushed and grinned extract that was poured in earlier will ignite. This will provide the required heat inside the padlock. And after some time, the heat will itself open the lock.

4. Contact A Locksmith

The methods above do involve a skill or two which can be perfected with practice. Still, if you are not able to take advantage of any of these ways, call a locksmith. They have basic to professional tools required to make any lock open. A locksmith can perform the job quicker than you probably can. They have adequate knowledge and skill set too.

Material Required To Open A Padlock Without A Key

a. Lock Picking Set

It’s a very handy kit that offers a wide array of lock picking tools. They are very useful when locked out of your car or home. The set carries different picking tools of different shapes and sizes. This helps to bump open various range of locking mechanisms. It contains basic to professional tools varying on your need. With it also comes a proper guide for training.

b. Bolt Cutters

•  Bolt cutters can easily help squeeze the handles of the padlock.
• Jimmying with the help of a screwdriver-
• Jostling the keyway with the metal end of the screwdriver snaps the locking pins inside.

c. Two Pry Bars For Leverage

Stick the pry bars at top of keyway tension. It acts as leverage while the screw hook along with it does the picking job.

d. Other Items

Hit the padlock with a hammer while using the trick required. This also busts open the locking pins within.

• Hammer and pliers – They help pry open the lock. The hammer is used for hitting while the pliers as leverage.
• Diagonal pliers – Helpful for small locks.
• Screwdriver and pliers – To twist open the small locks.
• Paper clips to pick the lock – One paper clip can be broken down into 2 useful lock-picking tools. One is your pick and the other, a torsion wrench.
• Match Stick – Lightening the match stick carries the heat into the padlock. This in turn will do the trick of opening the mocking mechanism.

A Push Pen

The round hook of the metal clip which is at end of the pushpin can be used as a useful handy lock picking tool. Rotating it in the key place can bump the lock open.

• Bend the lower half part of the hair clip (about 1 inch) – Just like the paper clip, a hair clip can be bent into an ‘L’ and used for picking the lock.
• A small Allen key –  It is also known as a hex key. It’s an ‘L’ shaped metal bar with each end having a hexagonal end. It is usually used for turning bolts and screws. Turning it counterclockwise loosen and remove the fastener of the lock.

How Do You Force Open A Padlock?

1) Cracking With Cooling Gas/Compressed Air

• Storage unit padlocks are the easiest to break with this method. You need compressed air, also known as cooling gas. You can buy it from a home appliances store or even a pharmacy. And an axe and hammer along with it.
• Spray Difluoroethane- the cooling gas on one side of the padlock for between 25-40 seconds. The metal will look brighter or frosty after spraying the stream.
• Now use a hammer or even an axe to make hits on the padlock. The part near the locking mechanism will break off.
• With this method, you can’t use your lock ever again. As the lock will be in broken pieces.

2) Cutting The Shackles With Bolt Cutter

• It may be the quickest way to unlock a padlock without the use of a key.
• Place the shears of the bolt cutter on any one side of the shackle.
• Push both the handles of the cutter such that they squeeze the shackles.
• After a point, the shackle will break, with you free to use access the locked item.
• But again, with this method, you can’t access the padlock ever again.

3) Shimming With Wrenches

Take 2 open-headed wrenches – The bigger the size of the wrench, the better it will work. A bigger wrench exerts more pressure. But small ones will also do the trick. Both the U- shaped clasp should be of equal or near-equal size.

Put each of the U- shaped clasps between the shackles of the padlock

• Make sure both wrenches are at the same level. Otherwise, they may slip up and down causing a problem.
• Pull each of the wrenches in the opposite direction such that the handles come closer to each other to meet. This is known as shimming.
• This may take some muscular effort. But after a while, the shackle will snap open.
• Then just pull out the broken pieces that are still hanging onto the lock. Twist or jiggle as per the requirement.

If you want to avoid getting paid, make sure you choose the best weatherproof padlock Under your budget.

Final Talk

To finish off, these techniques do require some skill and practice. If not performed properly, they can end up unintentionally hurting you. For example- while using the hammer method. Or it can damage the locking pins inside the padlock when you don’t even want to harm your lock. For example- in the process of lock-picking. You can try to break the lock without tools.

These skills come very handy indeed. The materials required are also easily available. You can even carry most of the items with you anywhere.