My friend is wondering to how to use a skeleton key with an old door keyhole?

My friend is trying to lock her door with a skeleton key but every time when she need to lock the door to close her basement door the door doesn't want to lock. She try to everything from put key in the keyhole fully put the skeleton key in the keyhole. She doesn't hear a click or nothing and she wondering how to lock but how to unlock when she need something from the basement whenever she need something at anytime she want. She have the right skeleton key for the right keyhole.

2021-01-14T21:15:26Z

can someone make a youtube video and post a link on the comment page.

My friend mother can lock the door with only skeleton key but when my friend try do it is difficult for her. My friend mother use the only skeleton key that right the old door keyhole/

Moonboat2021-01-14T20:59:35Z

Like other keys skeleton keys come in different patterns.
Go to an old fully equipped hardware store like an Ace hardware & get 3 different skeleton keys each with a visually different pattern of teeth. chances are that one of them will work the door lock if you try holding it a certain way.
This requires a lot of experimentation on which way to turn the key & how far to put in the key hole etc. before trying to turn it.
If you find one that works be aware than many people know about the universal key wiggling trick so its always more safe to buy a newer complete lock set.