File Cabinet & Desk Locks

Locked drawers and lost keys

Most office furniture uses a small cylinder that locks every drawer through a bar inside the cabinet, or a cam lock that turns a flat tab behind the panel. If the key is lost, the drawers can usually be opened by working the lock. The method depends on the cabinet and the lock, so we can’t promise every opening will leave the lock and finish untouched.

Broken or worn cam locks

A key that spins without catching, a cylinder that pushes in but won’t release, or a cam that has bent out of line usually points to a worn lock rather than the cabinet itself. Cam locks come in many lengths, cam shapes, and rotations, so the replacement is matched to the old one.

Replace or rekey

Many furniture locks are cheap enough that a compatible replacement is the practical answer, and several can be keyed alike. Some cabinets take removable cores or cylinders that can be rekeyed instead. Whether a matching replacement lock or a new key is available for your cabinet is confirmed during the call, not assumed.

What to tell us

The cabinet brand if it is printed on the drawer or lock face, how many cabinets or drawers are involved, any key number stamped on the lock face, and whether the cabinet holds anything that needs care during opening. We work for the person or business authorized to open the furniture — for a shared office, the manager or the person responsible for the space.

What affects the quote

Tell us what the furniture is and what the lock is doing, and you’ll hear what the visit involves before work starts. The main factors:

• Number of cabinets, desks, or drawers
• Lock type: cam lock, plunger lock, or removable core
• Opening only, or opening plus replacement
• Keying several locks alike
• Whether a matching key or replacement lock is available

Common questions

Can you just make a key from the number on the lock?

Some furniture locks have a code stamped on the face that identifies the key. Read us the number when you call and we’ll tell you what options are available for that lock; a new key on site isn’t promised.

Can you open the cabinet without damaging it?

That is always the aim, and many cabinet locks can be opened that way. It depends on the lock and cabinet, so it isn’t guaranteed.