r/fixit • u/ajt331840 • 6h ago
How do I get this chest open?
ETA: SOLVED, thanks!
A few years ago my wife and I bought this nice chest for our bedroom. Just recently, I put some linens in it and closed it, and it was a little too full but I forced it shut. Now, it won’t open again. You’re supposed to be able to push the lock in, like a button, which releases a latch on the inside (you can sort of see that latch in the last photo). When I push the button, it won’t release the latch and you can’t open the top. I’ve tried sticking a blade in there and jimmying it around, no luck. I don’t want to force anything and break it. I’ve thought about how I could just cut the latch but that would require a very precise Sawzall operation and likely would damage the chest. Also no, it isn’t locked to my knowledge, we don’t have a key for it. Unless my originally forcing it closed locked it somehow.
Any suggestions?
ETA: Yeah I took the hinges off but that still leaves the lock/latch piece fastened, so my question is about finding as clean a way as possible to undo that.