Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

[eagle77]

Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

A friend purchased a house with a huge old safe (6' tall, 4' wide, 3' deep) the Yale safe was put in the basement before the house was built and estimated to weigh 2000-2500 lbs. It's age I estimate 1940's-1950's. It has double doors with brass dial on the left door and 2 locks for each door. The owner died and took the combination with him. The wife had someone (locksmith? try without success). No one knows what is in the safe, some speculate firearms and diamonds (apparently the original owner dabbled in the diamond market.)
The bottom had the steel wheels still on it, so with a lot of work and grunting we were able to slide it out to get a serial number. On the front above the double doors (right side) was a series of numbers stamped in. The previous owner (after the husband and before my friend), had taken a pry bar to the doors and handles, but not the dial. The handles aren't damaged severely and appear to be operational.

Any ideas on how he can get it open without a grinder or torch? He doesn't want to damage anything that maybe inside if possible, so I told him I'd do some checking before he starts getting too aggressive.

 

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[liftloop]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Beleave it or not I heard on some safe you flip it up side down and pound out the bottom.So give that a try.

 

[Saturna]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

I would say to ask reputable locksmiths what they think. Take some photos and any other info with you to their shop to show them.

I'm betting it will be a 'Geraldo moment' when opened, but if they can open the safe and give you the combo, then the safe becomes worthwhile itself, rather than scrap metal.

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Saturna:
I remember the 'Geraldo moment' as if it were yesterday.
That night (26 years ago) I was assisting in the birth of my daughter.
Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Lay it on it's back on a wheeled caster trolly in your garage and pour water around the door seam until it is full. Then take it outdoors. It will freeze and crack the door off - sometimes explosively so keep it away from the house.

 

[mick56]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

This might help

http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/safecracking.htm

 

[fmerg]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

if you contact yale lock company they may still have the records that would have the combination
you can send them e-mail to see what they would need from you to show ownership
worst case is that they tell you how to do a "destructive" opening of the safe
this would be done by drilling a single hole at the right spot

 

[warsawdaddy]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

I'll bet the ol' man left that combo somewhere in the house.In a slit in the wallpaper,the underside of a drawer,it's somewhere.Need to get someone that knows how to search a house,a real treasure seeker that has experience.

 

[Old Dog]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

I'll bet the ol' man left that combo somewhere in the house.In a slit in the wallpaper,the underside of a drawer,it's somewhere.Need to get someone that knows how to search a house,a real treasure seeker that has experience.

Look for a key book close to where the safe is/was kept.
the combination is usually kept close.
some of these safes have a combination of three numbers with a complex number of dial turns between each one.
example
left 4x past 0 to 6 right 3x past 6 to 57 left 2x past 57 to 89 right 1x past 89 to 61

This kind of combination is a tough one to even try to figgure out be sound.
or even keep to memory.
this kind of lock isn't one to be drilled with one hole like the movies.

Look for a good place to keep a combination, it is there somewhere.

 

[Old Dog]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,304607.0.html

a little fertalizer some desil fuel a foot of primachord viola ... she's open!

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

--a old stethoscope could be the ticket * SPIN THE WHEEL AROUND TWICE STOPPING AT "0"" (TO SET THE ACTION )--THEN WITH THE STETHOSCOPE IN PLACE --TURN IT TO THE RIGHT UNTIL YOU HEAR A FAINT "CLICK"--STOP!! -- (ITS THE PIN DROPPING INTO PLACE )-- THEN TURN IT TO THE LEFT VERY SLOWLY -- UNTIL YOU HEAR THE SECOND PIN "DROP" --CLICK ---STOP --THE GO RIGHT TO THE THIRD PIN "DROPS" STOP --TURN THE HANDLES THEY SHOULD TURN-- SWING THE UNLOCKED DOOR OPEN

 

[spartacus53]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

if all else fails, nuke it

 

[Glenns5900]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Just buy a DualSaw. I've seen it cut a car in half on TV. Billy Mays said it would cut anything !

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

You could try this

 

[Jeep]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Contact Yale at:

Contact Yale® Customer Service for assistance at 1-800-438-1951, or contact our Customer Service via email at [email protected].

You can also call a large reputable locksmith and ask him if he does large safes or a security company that sells safes may have the name of a company that handles these issues for them.

Most good locksmiths will try to manipulate the dial to open it and failing this will then drill to open.

The charges run between 200-500 for opening. If the safe was drilled then the same company can repair it for an additional charge running about 150.

The repair is done with plugs that conform to the original safe specs.

 

[HMS Beagle]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Old safes are fun. As someone with more than a passing interest in safes, I'll tell you what I can.

btw, these older double door safes can be had for free in most places. Just look for the "you move it out and it's your's" ad's. They can be re-combo'd in 15 mins. but moving them is no easy task either and should be left to those experienced with it.

You may find the combo somewhere near it..don't count on it. Most private safes are owned by people who are keeping something safe..from everyone else, writing down the combo negates this. Many people never even tell their SO. I have never written down a combo, and never will.

Yale is not going to tell you how to open it.
Yale does not have the combo.

A stethoscope is not going to work on this safe...there are no "pins" to drop.
There are methods of mechanical manipulation that will open it, given many hours to perform..by a very very experienced individual.

Drilling holes anywhere near the dial or handles will be very difficult due to the hardened drill plates that are built into it, not to mention the relocker/relockers.

Knocking off the dial or handles will engage the relocker making it a bit more difficult to open

Drilling holes in the wrong spot will engage the relocker.

Once the relocker is engaged, even the correct combo will not open it.

The bottom is built exactly the same as the sides/back/top, don't bother trying to pound your way in there.

Attempting to open it without knowing exactly what you are doing will more than likely turn it into junk...if you care about it.

Finding out whats in it is easy, and any decent locksmith(haha, or a decent plumber) should be able to tell you in less than an hour(more like 15-30mins) with repairable damage to the safe.

Have phun and happy cracking.

 

[fmerg]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

hey you can always contact the discover channel tell em the safe was traced back to so and so
they will spend the money to get it opened

 

[liftloop]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Beleave it or not I heard on some safe you flip it up side down and pound out the bottom.So give that a try.

Thats what some did around here they broke in the amercan legion and stolled the safe when they found it a year later the bottom was smashed in.or talk to an in mate at your local prison who seving time as a safe cracker.

 

[stefen]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

Better yet, have a silent auction and let the winning bidder have a go at it...

This way you make out like a bandit as the seller, and are assured you will not lose your bank roll if you open an empty safe...

 

[eagle77]

Re: Old Yale safe - ideas on age & how to open

I discussed your ideas with the owner, sounds like a drillhole in the bottom to the back is our best idea. I have a borescope and we'll see if anything inside, if nothing....then its up to him on what to do. Something inside, he can choose how to open it and if anything is flammable. Thanks for all the info and links (mick56 - the link was very informative and led us to drilling in the back on the bottom.

If there is anything inside, I'll post what is found. My friend may or may not have bought a house that paid for itself.