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this safe was drilled about 20 years ago & not re welded
have made an appt. with safe man for wed. he thinks he can be into it in about an hour with my knowing the combo.

Originally Posted by maintenanceguy

Lock picking and safe cracking have been a hobby of mine for a long time. I own lots of odd and high security locks and lots of opening tools. I even entered one of the major lock picking competitions a couple of years ago but was knocked out in the second round. Yes, there are lock picking competitions and some very unusual skills there.

Once a combination lock has seized up, it's pretty unlikely that you'll be able to open it by operating the lock.

If the lock's working, it's really pretty simple to open most safes. Most can be manipulated and almost all others can be drilled in some spot that lets the locksmith see the positions of the lock wheels.

Now the catch is that you might need a drill bit or a couple of drill bits made to drill hard plate steel and you might need a drilling rig designed to apply enough pressure to the bit to cut hardplate. An angled bore scope might also be needed to see what you need to see and knowing where to drill is important and drill points are usually in about the same spot but you really need to know which exact lock is installed on the inside of the door and which position it is in to be sure. Safemen will have the reference books that tell them this for each safe.

If the lock is damaged, and it sounds like yours is, there might be a whole differnt approach too, including resetting or drilling out relockers (devices that jamb a lock if a break in is attempted), driving back the bolts, and other stuff. Again, you really need to know where all this stuff is EXACTLY for your specific safe.

If this was my safe, I would tackle this myself just for the fun if I didn't mind if I ruined the safe but if you want to safe the safe, hire a safeman.

Good advice. I've got an older (1960's) round door Diebold.60" tall 53" wide & 30" deep, this thing is BIG.(And heavy!) There were only two guys in town that had the "key" to reset the combination. I remember seeing the guts of it when they changed the numbers. Not something for DIY. The smith told me if the door was locked, it was pretty much a boat anchor. I think they quoted around $800 if they had to drill it out. And that was ten years ago.
I've got an old Mosler too. Changing the numbers on that one isn't quite as bad. But, it is a job for the pro. They also told me, that the mechanical lock, is safer than the electronic locks. Said a good computer hacker could probably open it in a short time.

Lock picking and safe cracking have been a hobby of mine for a long time. I own lots of odd and high security locks and lots of opening tools. I even entered one of the major lock picking competitions a couple of years ago but was knocked out in the second round. Yes, there are lock picking competitions and some very unusual skills there.

Once a combination lock has seized up, it's pretty unlikely that you'll be able to open it by operating the lock.

If the lock's working, it's really pretty simple to open most safes. Most can be manipulated and almost all others can be drilled in some spot that lets the locksmith see the positions of the lock wheels.

Now the catch is that you might need a drill bit or a couple of drill bits made to drill hard plate steel and you might need a drilling rig designed to apply enough pressure to the bit to cut hardplate. An angled bore scope might also be needed to see what you need to see and knowing where to drill is important and drill points are usually in about the same spot but you really need to know which exact lock is installed on the inside of the door and which position it is in to be sure. Safemen will have the reference books that tell them this for each safe.

If the lock is damaged, and it sounds like yours is, there might be a whole differnt approach too, including resetting or drilling out relockers (devices that jamb a lock if a break in is attempted), driving back the bolts, and other stuff. Again, you really need to know where all this stuff is EXACTLY for your specific safe.

If this was my safe, I would tackle this myself just for the fun if I didn't mind if I ruined the safe but if you want to safe the safe, hire a safeman.

I knew a guy once that spent time in a Fla prison for auto theft. While there the old timers took him under their wing and taught safe cracking 101.
Something about getting the knob off and drilling some brass do dads.
It's good to know one can spend their prison time and still learning a trade.

Drill a hole in the top. Fill with water. Insert some self-oxygenated plystic, light and wait. Physics take over the the door blows off.

Not really good at it at all. It was Beer-30 for the help inside when he started going at the back door with a crowbar.
Skinny guy with a crow bar trying to take on 2 Russians, an Italian and some Hispanic guy.
He lost. His helper took off in the co. van. Didn't get far.

He's a good safe cracker.
Just not a good break in and entry guy.

Originally Posted by Stamas

I'll see if I can get the number for one of my competitor's off and on service tech's. He likes to mess around with safes.
I guess I'll have to get you the prison's phone #, his Prisoner # and maybe his cell #, (no pun intended).
He broke into a restaurant here and and attacked this big old safe (nothing in it, was there when they bought the place and to big to move). Spent @10 years in the pokey for that, then sent us a resume from there looking for a job when he got out.
He went back to work for the same guy then tried to break into another customer's restaurant. Got caught.
(Think I talked @ this before, sorry).

What the crap is the matter with that guy! Drugs?

I'll see if I can get the number for one of my competitor's off and on service tech's. He likes to mess around with safes.
I guess I'll have to get you the prison's phone #, his Prisoner # and maybe his cell #, (no pun intended).
He broke into a restaurant here and and attacked this big old safe (nothing in it, was there when they bought the place and to big to move). Spent @10 years in the pokey for that, then sent us a resume from there looking for a job when he got out.
He went back to work for the same guy then tried to break into another customer's restaurant. Got caught.
(Think I talked @ this before, sorry).

Originally Posted by marvin

i know the combo. no idea of its ratings. when open it has 4 1 in.
dia. lugs that lock into the outer frame. probably will be better off having the lock & key man come out guess he needs to eat too.
sure wish i hadnt gotten rid of the truck with a lift gate.

If you have the combo, that's the most important thing.
You won't be sorry calling the locksmith. Money well spent.

Originally Posted by the dangling wrangler

You do have the combination for this, don't you?
I hate to think what it would cost to have it drilled out.
Does this unit have a TL or TRTL rating?




http://www.mistymorn.com/ulterms.html

i know the combo. no idea of its ratings. when open it has 4 1 in.
dia. lugs that lock into the outer frame. probably will be better off having the lock & key man come out guess he needs to eat too.
sure wish i hadnt gotten rid of the truck with a lift gate.

You do have the combination for this, don't you?
I hate to think what it would cost to have it drilled out.
Does this unit have a TL or TRTL rating?




http://www.mistymorn.com/ulterms.html

this is a real safe but when he came out before he had the bezel removed &
drliied it in 3 places to get to where he could align the combo.
at 500 lbx. kind of hard to load it up so guess ill have to hire a pro.

Originally Posted by marvin

i have an old major safe that i hadnt opened for a couple of years & because the dial didnt turn easy decided to use my channel locks to turn the knob. must have broken the shear pin. i need to know how to take the bezel & knob off so i can spray some wd in to loosen up things & then open it up from the holes the locksmith drilled in it to reset the combo several years ago.
any locksmiths in the forum??

I've got two real safes. Not the Home Depot or sporting good store type. I remember the smith had to have the doors open before the dial/bezel would come loose. If this is a real safe, hire a pro before it gets so messed up, it can never be opened.

If it's a disposable kind, flip it and go in from the bottom.

Marvin.

I changed the title, to a more fitting one for our site.

Might want to rename the thread to "Safe Cracking Needed."

SAFE CRACKING REPAIRS/ADVISE NEEDED

i have an old major safe that i hadnt opened for a couple of years & because the dial didnt turn easy decided to use my channel locks to turn the knob. must have broken the shear pin. i need to know how to take the bezel & knob off so i can spray some wd in to loosen up things & then open it up from the holes the locksmith drilled in it to reset the combo several years ago.
any locksmiths in the forum??