C-Man BB Chest Locked and Won't Open

[janarvae]

I have a relatively new duplicate set of the c-man BB platinum/black bottom, intermediate, and top chest (the ones that were always on sale last year).

I locked it all up last night and went for the air blow gun this morning to find the bottom portion wouldn't unlock with the key. I put the key in there and ended up twisting it from the torque. I am positive it is the right key set as I put the rest of the keys in their locks. I compared its depth of entry to the other keys and it looks like it didn't want to go in all the way. I tried a mallet and jiggling it around to no avail.

I almost grabbed my drill to destroy the thing, but thought you guys may have a better solution.

I was looking to make some lock picks anyways (from hacksaw blades) and already have the templates printed out and everything. Or could I make a bump key from the now twisted key (it came with 2 keys, but I bent the 1st on day 1 and then idiotically tried to straighten it on my anvil - so it's useless now)?

Thanks in advance,

Jonathan

 

[nonhog]

I would think you could get a copy made or go to a locksmith .
Is there a # or code on one of the keys ?

 

[nissan_crawler]

Before you do anything drastic, did you try pushing/pulling the drawers while turning the key? Often there's something jammed at the back of the drawer, keeping pressure on the locking bar.

If you call sears parts and give them the key number, they'll send you keys for cheap. I think it was $3 for me to get two barrel style keys for my craftsman.

 

[nismomans13]

Before you do anything drastic, did you try pushing/pulling the drawers while turning the key? Often there's something jammed at the back of the drawer, keeping pressure on the locking bar.

If you call sears parts and give them the key number, they'll send you keys for cheap. I think it was $3 for me to get two barrel style keys for my craftsman.

had it happen to me. I just sorta jiggled the drawers and gave it a try and it un locked.

 

[Chris Adams]

Well, it's a pain to do, but you can always tip it upside down. The lock on the bottom is a double pivot pair of slides that hook on the back of the drawers. First be sure that jiggling the lock or the drawers won't open it. Then, if that fails, put something non-maring like a large mat, towel or blanket on the floor. Remove the top two chests and then carefully tip the box over. What fun. If it has hundreds of dollars worth of delicate tools, don't do this...

If you drill the lock out, a uni-bit works best. Takes about two minutes, maybe three.
Tape around the lock. YOU WILL slip at least once if you don't.

Sears does not sell the lock. They do sell the kit of three locks, one for each box of the three stack, with three matched keys. So you replace all the locks and have two leftover locks for your I-chest and top.
Twenty bucks.

 

[goodfellow]

Push all the drawers in and spray a little wd-40 in the lock. Since the key may be nicked from all your attempts to open the lock, run the key under a wire brush on the bench grinder. That will remove most burrs and allow it to engage the tumblers easier.

Good luck!

 

[krusty the clown]

Often there's something jammed at the back of the drawer, keeping pressure on the locking bar.

...........

 

[Junkman]

Don't force it........... get a bigger hammer.... Oh... that's the problem.... all the hammers are inside the tool box........ OK... forget this advise...

 

[janarvae]

Thanks for all the responses - I'll give it a try this weekend when I go to work on the car. Luckily the acclaimed HF unibits are in the other bottom right next to it. I wouldn't be too sad to give them a try! Or maybe I'll just tip it over, my torque wrenches are in the one next to it.

Don't force it........... get a bigger hammer.... Oh... that's the problem.... all the hammers are inside the tool box........ OK... forget this advise...

Yep, the sledges, mallets, ball-peens are in the bottom most drawer of it.

 

[G-force]

Before you do anything drastic, did you try pushing/pulling the drawers while turning the key? Often there's something jammed at the back of the drawer, keeping pressure on the locking bar.

Yep, this is what always works for me. My drawers have done this once and a while after my box fell foward into a post in my last garage.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Look at the face of the lock and read the 3 digit number, look at the key and make sure this is the same number. If it is, proceed to jiggle the drawers as suggested above.

 

[janarvae]

Well, it's a pain to do, but you can always tip it upside down. The lock on the bottom is a double pivot pair of slides that hook on the back of the drawers. First be sure that jiggling the lock or the drawers won't open it. Then, if that fails, put something non-maring like a large mat, towel or blanket on the floor. Remove the top two chests and then carefully tip the box over. What fun. If it has hundreds of dollars worth of delicate tools, don't do this...

If you drill the lock out, a uni-bit works best. Takes about two minutes, maybe three.
Tape around the lock. YOU WILL slip at least once if you don't.

Sears does not sell the lock. They do sell the kit of three locks, one for each box of the three stack, with three matched keys. So you replace all the locks and have two leftover locks for your I-chest and top.
Twenty bucks.

Just flipped it over. Nothing. Going to drill it out now. Or is there anything I'm supposed to do while it's upside down.

 

[janarvae]

Too late. I used my HF unibit (AWESOME) and chewed through that lock in 2 seconds. Got to my 1/2 drive stuff and now I can change my wheels.

Thanks again,

Jonathan

 

[Chris Adams]

Just flipped it over. Nothing. Going to drill it out now. Or is there anything I'm supposed to do while it's upside down.

Upside down you jiggle it while trying to work the lock. Upside down the leverage is in your favor, but drilling it out works pretty well as you found

Uni-bits go through those locks like butter, don't they?

New locks can be ordered, get them from Waterloo if you just want one. You can give them the key number and they can send you just the lock part, if you don't want to spend the 20 bucks at Sears.
If you order from Sears it will cost more than the same part from Waterloo.

 

[janarvae]

Upside down you jiggle it while trying to work the lock. Upside down the leverage is in your favor, but drilling it out workes pretty well as you found

Uni-bits go through those locks like butter, don't they?

New locks can be ordered, get them from Waterloo if you just want one. You can give them the key number and they can send you just the lock part, if you don't want to spend the 20 bucks at Sears.
If you order from Sears it will cost more than the same part from Waterloo.

Thanks, I'll do that. I've got some fat 11" wheels going on the back today.