NEED Your Help: On the way back from today's garage sale, I found this

[billjustbill]

On the way home from a church garage sale that had $.50-$2.00 baggies of small sterling and 14kt finds, an estate sale where I bought a $25 long two-man saw, and a barn sale where $20 bought an over filled 5 gallon bucket with an exterior breaker box, Rockwell finish sander, two Irwin 12" long auger bits, an antique bar clamp, pieces of brass, copper, and shaper cutters.... I stopped at my free "Treasure Dumpster"..... So, does that count enough to post my find here ??

I found a wide, 4-drawer file cabinet and some type of metal-over-wood strong box. Locked closed, the old strong box is metal over oak and all though the combination dial is barely readable, it does rotate.... As it's tilted, I can hear what sounds like the end edge of a paper envelope slide against the inside wall...

Can you help me with information about what type of locking cash/strong box this is?

Tips on getting it open with the least amount of collateral damage?

Thanks,
Bill

 

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[Kace]

On the way home from a church garage sale that had $.50-$2.00 baggies of small sterling and 14kt finds, an estate sale where I bought a $25 long two-man saw, and a barn sale where $20 bought an over filled 5 gallon bucket with an exterior breaker box, Rockwell finish sander, two Irwin 12" long auger bits, an antique bar clamp, pieces of brass, copper, and shaper cutters.... I stopped at my free "Treasure Dumpster"..... So, does that count enough to post my find here ??

I found a wide, 4-drawer file cabinet and some type of metal-over-wood strong box. Locked closed, the old strong box is metal over oak and all though the combination dial is barely readable, it does rotate.... As it's tilted, I can hear what sounds like the end edge of a paper envelope slide against the inside wall...

Can you help me with information about what type of locking cash/strong box this is?

Tips on getting it open with the least amount of collateral damage?

Thanks,
Bill

Good Finds!!

On those old combination locks/safes if it's been used quite a bit like that one looks like you usually can feel and sometimes hear where the numbers are to unlock it. It looks to me old enough to be a 3 number lock...Maybe 4...so you'll have to play around with the order of numbers. Just write them down as you feel them while Slowly turning the dial.

If the lock doesn't turn smoothly I'd lubricate it with WD or PB while turning it, then let it sit for awhile til it turns easily.

Are there hinges on the door part? If so, just lift the pins out... not knowing how heavy that safe is, that could be one designed to keep honest people honest and not a super secure safe.

Look on YouTube if you can't get the dial open... there probably are some combo lock opening tips on there that will walk you through.

Good Luck and I Hope You Find A Big Treasure!

Kace

 

[Red James Cash]

What you hear inside sliding around is the instructions on how to open it

 

[trdking]

Clean it up good and look for a manufacturer on the mechanism. If you can find it you can google the dial pattern to see what you are dealing with. It does look like a fairly low security even those can be frustrating. Low security wheels have wider cuts in the wheels so you may be able to run patterns as great as five digits apart. Good luck

 

[boogeyman]

Carefully examine the cabinet to see if someone happened to have scratched or written the combination somewhere. Pic the bottom lock open & examine the inside for the combination. Don't forget to look at the bottom of the upper compartment. Nothing more embarrassing than spending an hour picking a lock open and having the combination written on masking tape fall off in your hand......

Looks like the lock for the bottom compartment is a normal file cabinet lock. If so they're easy to rake open Lock pick & tension tool). Google raking a lock open, there's a gazillion videos out there. There might be enough space behind the drawer to access the two nuts holding the dial on with a socket & some 1/4" extensions & one of the mirror on a sticks.

"If the lock doesn't turn smoothly I'd lubricate it with WD or PB while turning it, then let it sit for awhile til it turns easily." NEVER! Nothing but graphite should go in a lock! WD or PB will just gum up the mechanism and attract & hold every speck of funk around. If you use these lubricants it makes your locksmith a very happy man, especially in winter.

Is the dial lock a Seargent & Greenleaf? Another option for you would be, is if the back of the cabinet is oak & the drawer is too. see if the back could be removed or if your luck is like mine drill it to accept a 1/4" socket to access the nuts & patch it when done.

Hope that gives you some good direction! Either way, very nice find!!!

 

[Kace]

Bill...Both WD AND BLASTER Have Lubricants Designed For Use On Locks And Hardware..

I Assumed, Unlike BM That You Knew That.

I've had great luck with both...year round in the Midwest.

Kace

 

[billjustbill]

Blind Luck

Well, I got it open!!! After 30 minutes of cleaning the dial of old paint, and lubing the moving parts, I found that I could feel the first "click". I turned the dial counterclockwise about 3 full turns stopping at Zero, at what I thought was the mark, I then using my left hand to apply a little pressure on the deadbolt T-handle. The dial stopped on 17 then with a more twisting effort on the dial, it clicked on 16...

Outside it's 104*, but I kept going. I could not hear nor easily feel any of the others numbers after going clockwise and past 16.... Another 30 minutes of guessing, I was about to give up.... I started at the first click, applied a little less pressure on the deadbolt T-handle, and I closed my eyes to "feel" the dial's free movement and any tiny restriction. As I went clockwise past "some number", I turned back counterclockwise and the T-handle smoothly went downward.... I jerked open my eyes and saw that the dial stopped at "3". I lifted the top lid and automatic latch holds the top open. Then I found that the front of the strongbox folds outward and fully realized I got it open... I have now experienced the term "Blind Luck". I have no idea what number or numbers go in between the first and the last...

The sliding sound came from a loose small chain that supports the left side of the foldout front. Other than the spring-loaded sections on both sides of the unique fold down dividers, nothing was inside but dust, a red ribbon, and pieces of paper with nothing resembling the original combination....NOTHING scratched or penciled in, either. The dial, the two side deadbolts and two top hook latch mechanism are contained inside a second wall that has no way of spreading open to get to them...

What a roller coaster ride this weekend has been.... I'm still looking for the maker from the scratched and rubbed company decal. Any help with some age and history is appreciated.

 

[SDIceMan]

Security Account Register

 

[GibH]

Security Account Register

 

[GibH]

Security Account Register

View attachment 1616954

Beat me to it!

 

[SDIceMan]

Beat me to it!

In your defense, I have nothing better to do right now but surf the net. I’m waiting in the car while my old lady shops. :/

 

[AlabamaClay]

Nice job getting it open Bill! You might be able get the entire combination by pulling the cover or panel off that is covering the back of the lock. You can turn the dial until the gates line up. The gates are like deep notches in the round plates that the dial turns. Once these line up a bar can fall in them which allows the lock handle to be able to open the lock. I know this explanation is a little lacking but there’s a lot more details on the web.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice find, good job on the combination discovery.

 

[boogeyman]

Bill...Both WD AND BLASTER Have Lubricants Designed For Use On Locks And Hardware..

I Assumed, Unlike BM That You Knew That.

I've had great luck with both...year round in the Midwest.

Kace

"I Assumed, Unlike BM That You Knew That. "

Kace, There's your mistake you assumed. I'm aware of the other lubricants, but it doesn't mean they work as advertised. And I'm sure the company isn't going to say our product might work or causes problems down the line. I'm just speaking from experience. I cut my first key on my knees on a bar stool in my grandfathers shop 56 years ago (8yrs old). Have had my own shop for several years and am a collector. I can show you two locks I re-keyed 36 years ago that are still operating like new, all that's been done to them over the years is a puff of graphite & manipulating the lock once a year. The only bad thing I can recall is an old boy that I gave a little puffer tube to. He sent his 60 something year old wife to do the job! She put enough in the two locks for 20 or 25 locks. No assumption on my part, only hands on experience. Next time you go to the box store check the price of those lubricants and a puff tube of graphite. Quite the difference huh? While you're there just for giggles ask a few of the 19 year olds there for lubricant. I'll bet you 90% of the time they'll walk you right past the graphite ($.80 or $.90) and hand you the $5 can of lubricant. Sorry for trying to give him some tricks to help him accomplish his opening which is hard to do in words. Go back and check his posts, he did an excellent job!! Hats off to him!

 

[billjustbill]

Followup to finding these two things was the very next day. I posted three more finds in the "Dumpster Forum" Tube radio kits, old white wall tires, and a 1950's window car A/C...

Thanks for all the help with the lockbox, guys!

Bill

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

You guys sure seem to know a lot about opening locks...

 

[A2coins]

post whats in it