Safe issue while moving

[Fjold]

I have a 25 year old American Security safe ($400 new cost) that I moved in a U-Haul trailer from Bakersfield to Kentucky. It has no glass re-locker or anything extra but when we got to KY, the mechanical lock dial (Sargent & Greenleaf) just spun and wouldn't recognize any numbers.

I talked to the American Security Regional representative and he said that it occasionally happens when the safe is jostled hard and they don't know why. He said to get it open it would be $450 plus the replacement cost of the lock ($150- $250) and I would have to haul it on a 150 mile round trip to Lexington to get it done.

Well for less than $600 I can buy a replacement safe so I decided to see how fast I could get into it and get the guns out.

It took me 16 minutes to lay it down and cut the bottom open with a SawsAll and a cordless drill with a 3/8" bit.

[Fjold]

I talked to Rhino Metals and they said that with the electronic locks (which my big safe has) you can unlock the safe and immediately when you hear the double beeps to disconnect the battery. This takes the electronic safe out of service but leaves the handle functional to latch and unlatch the door but disconnects the battery from the process so it can't fail and lock you out of the safe. Even if the lock fails you can still access the door and can work on the lock mechanism without having to cut the safe open.

[ar15barrels]

Any excuse to buy new tools is a good excuse.

[Notpc]

I talked to Rhino Metals and they said that with the electronic locks (which my big safe has) you can unlock the safe and immediately when you hear the double beeps to disconnect the battery. This takes the electronic safe out of service but leaves the handle functional to latch and unlatch the door but disconnects the battery from the process so it can't fail and lock you out of the safe. Even if the lock fails you can still access the door and can work on the lock mechanism without having to cut the safe open.

Hmmmmm, I am not sure that is true. When you punch in the code, the solenoid is energized pulling the spring loaded locking lug up out of a notch on a plate. It stays energized just long enough to allow you to retract the door lugs. The solenoid de-energizes and the spring loaded locking lug drops back on top of the locking plate. When you relock the door the lug rides on top of the plate until it drops into the notch locking your door. I got this from the S&G instructions on replacing the electronic lock with their manual dial type.

[S.A.]

Interesting, I have the same safe.

[WOODY2]

Get it open and have a welder put a 1/4" solid plate over entire bottom?

[freonr22]

Get it open and have a welder put a 1/4" solid plate over entire bottom?

Take the money and buy the welder?
Win/win

[ar15barrels]

Get it open and have a welder put a 1/4" solid plate over entire bottom?

Cutting it open gets the contents out.
Cutting it open does not fix the lock problem that required cutting it open.
If you welded the bottom back closed, all you have is an empty safe that you still can't get into.

[G-forceJunkie]

If that hole is big enought to get into to, he may be able to get the skin off the door (or punch a hole, mines drywall with carpet) and get to the lock. Once the back of the lock is off, its easy to open the bolts.

Cutting it open gets the contents out.
Cutting it open does not fix the lock problem that required cutting it open.
If you welded the bottom back closed, all you have is an empty safe that you still can't get into.

[OlderThanDirt]

Nice shoes.

[therealnickb]

Wow. And I thought smacking mine with a mallet was harsh.

[WOODY2]

Cutting it open gets the contents out.
Cutting it open does not fix the lock problem that required cutting it open.
If you welded the bottom back closed, all you have is an empty safe that you still can't get into.

My open reference was about getting door open, sorry for being unclear. My Interweb language skills or lack thereof are apparent.

[hermosabeach]

Friends had an issue were combo did not work after a move.

My safe is heavy and I have moved it with the door off

I always do combo twice post move before locking it


To be a jerk, I guess, I would have cut open the back

Why
1- it's hidden when installed
2- access to rear of door

Or gotten a 90 degree bore scope and drilled the door to see what might be happening if the wheel was not free spinning.

[SharedShots]

It's 2022. Cut the rest of the bottom open and then bolt it to 8x8 skids. Take it to any corner in SF and drop it off and put a sign on it:

Apartment for rent, $5600 per month, safe secure and fireproof. Accepting application with a $800 deposit. Start collecting.





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[SilveradoColt21]

It's 2022. Cut the rest of the bottom open and then bolt it to 8x8 skids. Take it to any corner in SF and drop it off and put a sign on it:

Apartment for rent, $5600 per month, safe secure and fireproof. Accepting application with a $800 deposit. Start collecting.





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