Drilling a door lock is a last resort that appears in order to get into a locked door that cannot be opened in any way. Drilling the door lock will damage the door lock, but it can activate the mechanism to unlock it. If you have to do this, you can learn it to check locks and prepare for the job well, with the right tools for the job.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparation
Step 1. Check the door lock
Some tubular keys have a pin in the center made of forged iron, while others use a ball bearing in the center of the pin to prevent it from being drilled. In both cases, drilling proves ineffective and alternative means of breaking the lock should be used. If you're not sure if your lock is made of forged pins in the middle, consult a local hardware store or locksmith and provide as much information as you can about your lock.
It's also important to double-check and make sure that you're working with a regular door lock that you could break and that there aren't any other door locks bothering you. Turn off all alarms before attempting to drill the door lock
Step 2. Use suitable equipment
Since you use a fairly primitive method to unlock your door, you don't need to use sophisticated equipment. If you need to drill through a door lock, you will need:
- Drill with various turns. You want a well-maintained, powerful drill that will allow you to destroy the lock mechanism. It would be very difficult to do this by hand.
- Various sizes of drill bits. No drill bit is better than the other, because you need to adjust to the size of the key. You will need to have a few drill bits to experiment with.
Step 3. Install a 1/8-inch (3mm) drill bit into your drill
Generally, if you're starting work, you'll want to start with a drill bit that is about one-eighth of an inch across. If you don't have a drill bit of that size, borrow it from your neighbor. You'll need a relatively small drill bit that can penetrate the lock mechanism rather than drill the door lock entirely.
Step 4. Hit the "center punch" with a hammer just above the keyhole
This will create a starting point for drilling. This point should be just below the turn of the key, the dividing line between the inner and outer lock cylinders, which will keep the drill bit in the center of the keyhole. This should be effective enough to drill through pin tubes.
If you have trouble finding the right point to drill the guide path, you can purchase a key drill mount. Mounts for various lock variants are available at lock supply stores and hardware stores
Part 2 of 2: Drilling the Door Lock
Step 1. Punch a hole through the lock cylinder past the starting point
This breaks the pins in the lock cylinder, allowing you to force them to open. Most locks have five pin tubes to drill through, although some have 6 or more tubes.
- You'll feel a bit of resistance as the drill bit meets each pin, then a little less as the drill bit has gone through the pins.
- If the drill feels stuck while drilling, you may need to turn the drill around and pull it out of the lock to remove the iron filings from the drill through the metal. Key drill stands with a variety of key variants are offered by locksmiths or hardware stores.
Step 2. Do it slowly
Get a feel for the drill's performance and try not to work too fast or press too hard, as this may jam or damage the drill bit. If you find it difficult to drill through the pins, you can stop at any time and lubricate the drill head with a little water or synthetic oil lubricant to make drilling easier.
Keep your drill high when drilling. If you drill at a slight angle, you'll accidentally drill through unnecessary metal and damage the key even more
Step 3. Gradually replace the larger drill bit
After drilling with the smaller drill bit, remove it from the drill head. Install a 1/4 inch (6.5mm) drill bit or larger drill bit into your drill, and drill through the lock again with the larger drill bit to damage the pin more and unlock the door.
Step 4. Insert the screwdriver head into the keyhole
Turn the lock mechanism in the same direction as you opened it with the key. If you drilled correctly, the door lock mechanism will rotate and you can enter the previously locked door. If your door lock does not turn, you may need to destroy the entire lock cylinder, as described below.
Step 5. Improvise if needed
Some locks are sometimes more complicated which means you need to drill through the entire lock array to unlock the locked area. Change the drill bit between a larger 3/4 inch (19mm) drill bit or a special drill bit for cylindrical type locks. The drill bits for tube-type locks are typically 3.75 inches (9.53cm) and are similar to the door holes in wood that used to be drilled larger for fixing the lock on the door.
