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Opening "time sealed" vault
QUESTION:I have a small vault/safe that has been "sealed" by time.
I know the combination, and running the dial I can get the tumblers to
fall into place. However, I grab hold of the handle to rotate the
door and retract the lock pins and it is stuck tighter than .....
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about unfreezing this
thing? I don't really know what's inside(I suspect nothing), but I
would like to open this without destroying it.
ANSWER: I am going to say this is probably a "better" safe/vault. It came
from a safe/vault service(sort of like a safety deposit at a bank).
It weighs somewhere around 1000lbs(based on lift capacity of skid
steer that could barely move it). The box is about three feet
square(cube?). The door is about 12" across, although I expect the
actual vault hole is probably much less than that(4-6"). There is a
combination knob in the center of the door, and then a handle projects
parallel to the face and perpindicular(left) to the radius of the
door. Right hand hinges.
This good a unit should have bolts extending into all four
edges. Probably at least two into each edge, and about 1" diameter of
so.
There is no bar inside the knob? Some brands of locks (S&G)
have a bar inside the knob which has to be turned clockwise as soon as
you have dialed the whole combination, and then you turn the knob
another fifteen degrees or so (until it stops on its own) to withdraw
the bolt into the lock mechanism. This will then allow you to rotate
the secondary handle to withdraw the bolts into the door.
The ones by Mosler (the combination dial is a hollow metal skirt
continuous with the knob) don't have the little twist bar inside, but
still end up with a final counterclockwise twist after dialing the full
combination.
Other brands may not have such additional motions -- you should
feel additional resistance as it draws the inner bolt back.
You know the combination -- but do you know the directions?
Typically, the good locks start counterclockwise, and have three
variable numbers, plus finish up on zero. (And some of the knobs are
mounted on splines, so you can actually change the final digit as well.)
Try both ways -- while holding the combination wheel. If one
was doesn't move far, the other should. If clockwise were down, it
would be clear enough to me, but with what you have, I think that I
would opt for down before clockwise.
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