cant open the outhouse door

this WAS the key that is supposed to open it? if so, what brand? (or rather, what does the key say on it?)

--Shiva--

The key fits and my grandmother claims it is the right key - but I note that the doors to the cabin were once keyed with locks that it fits - so maybe it is the right key or maybe it is the old key for the back door of the cabin. It says "JET u.s.a. wr2.3 64wb" The part you hold in your hand is somewhat triangular.

You can cut off the handle, then use pliers to move what's left of teh locking mechanism inside. Usually the key turns a thin flat piece of metal in the center to lock/unlock something in the body of the lock. You'll need a way to turn the stub when you are done.

Look at the thread on opening the closet door. Some of the suggestions there would also apply here.

Daniel

Dick,

Have you tried to shim the latch? Most latches protrude 1/2" or so, and on many doors/frames there is a gap of 1/4" or more. On an outhouse it may be easy to spread the door from the frame the additional 1/4". Do be careful not to damage the door or frame. Pry gently with a wide pry instrument. Another angel is to see if you can get the deadlatch pin to drop into the strike pocket, then you can retract the latch with your pocket knife.

Bob

Easy. Drill the lock. Lock is prolly a pin tumbler. Look into the front of it an you should see the pins sticking down from the top or maybe up from the bottom.

Tools needed:

Drill (cordless is fine)

You are going to drill through the pins where the inner part of the lock called the plug meets the outer part called the cylinder. You can easily see where the two pieces appear like they come together, EXCEPT there is a shoulder that you can't see so they actually meet about 1/16" or so further into the plug that it looks like. That's where you drill, right through the pins. You will feel the drill bit as it breaks through each pin stack, there are probably 5 of them. It's soft brass and will take less than a minute to drill it. You might have to run the bit in and out a few times to clear the debris and don't drill to far or you'll f*ck up the damn tailpiece. When youre done drilling turn it with a screwdriver and youre in.

these answers seem so obvious I fear the poster might be a moron. In which case, all help will be of no value. The Monty Python twit sketch comes to mind.

I guess your right, but I'm an advocate of the "KISS" phylosophy. Unlik the German engineers who's motto is "Why make it simple when it is so easy to make it complicated". We're talking outhouse?

Bob