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  1. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Frankfurt Main
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    705
    Country: Germany

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    Forgot one in the hurry.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 003.Vault Door Add - Copy.jpg  

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    UK
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    293
    Country: UK

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    That's a very odd advert! As hard as I try, I am still finding the parallels they are trying to make are extremely tenuous...


  3. #43
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    1,485
    Country: United States

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    I visited the Kansas City Public Library and was able to examine their Donsteel door made in 1925. An important discovery, as I suspected, is that the copper layer is really just a decorative band. Tapping on it yielded a hollow "tink" kind of sound while the surrounding steel sounded very solid. The area under the band was likely cast with a depression (because Donsteel was "unmachineable" at the time and grinding was the only option and time-consuming, except around the edge of the band). So it does seem the copper was just a sort of trademark and maybe even intentionally misleading.

  4. #44
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    Dec 2009
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    Here is an interesting advertisement from Bethlehem Steel that clearly shows what looks like a Donsteel door based on the copper strips. But we know Donsteel was only marketed from 1921 to 1930, while this ad supposedly dates to 1960 (according to the eBay seller) and shows what I believe is a Century door which was introduced in 1953.

    So now we know that a copper strip does not necessarily mean a Donsteel door! Darn!

    I also found it interesting that in 1960 the doors were built up by welding plates together. In older times I believe they were cast in a single piece.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #45
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    Dec 2009
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    Country: United States

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    I stumbled upon an actual item with the name Donmetal, the first mention I've found aside from the Mosler history. It's a paperweight. These images are from an eBay auction; I don't own this.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    st Louis
    Posts
    23
    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by wylk View Post
    Here is an interesting advertisement from Bethlehem Steel that clearly shows what looks like a Donsteel door based on the copper strips. But we know Donsteel was only marketed from 1921 to 1930, while this ad supposedly dates to 1960 (according to the eBay seller) and shows what I believe is a Century door which was introduced in 1953.

    So now we know that a copper strip does not necessarily mean a Donsteel door! Darn!

    I also found it interesting that in 1960 the doors were built up by welding plates together. In older times I believe they were cast in a single piece.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1960 Bethlehem Donsteel.jpg 
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ID:	8230

    the usbank in benton ky, has the same door minus the copper bands, but i think the door is diebold. Could be wrong

    btw: wylk where are you from?

  7. #47
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    Dec 2009
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    1,485
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    Another Donsteel door, more noteworthy here because of the unusual re-use of the bank building.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Houston, TX: 202 Main Street, former Houston National Bank (1928, http://www.emporis.com/building/isla...houston-tx-usa) now an Islamic Center (http://www.islamicdawahcenter.org/html/history.html, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/re...n&oref=slogin&, http://ifyokoye.com/2009/08/17/visit...ajuwons-masjid). The original entrance appears to have been 202 Main Street (corner of Main and Franklin) but the Islamic Center’s entrance is 201 Travis Street which was the bank’s back entrance off the parking lot. Sadly, the round Mosler Donmetal door has been painted white; another door is said to be the entrance to the women’s restroom.

  8. #48
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    Dec 2009
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    1,485
    Country: United States

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    Another Donsteel door, nicely photographed and possibly still in use.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Washington, PA: 30 East Beau Street (or 6 South Main Street), former Washington Trust Company (http://www.emporis.com/building/wash...hington-pa-usa), now a WesBanco branch (http://www.wesbanco.com). Built in 1902 (http://www.observer-reporter.com/art...1#.Us2nhOtCZxA) though this Mosler Donsteel door would date from the 1920s, possibly in the annex constructed in 1920 along Shaefer Avenue. In November of 2013 the building was purchased with the intent of converting it to apartments and commercial units (http://www.observer-reporter.com/app...WS01/140109404). Imagery is from http://brook-ward.com.

  9. #49
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    Dec 2009
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    1,485
    Country: United States

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    Regarding the Washington Trust door (previous post), I noticed at the top of the frame there is a block of three apparent electrical contacts, plus what looks like a push-button switch in a neighboring bolt hole. And that the boltwork is the "offset" style, rotated from the slightly more common north-south-east-west (or 12-3-6-9 o'clock) arrangement.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #50
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    Bulgaria
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    686
    Country: Bulgaria

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    It is interesting what you say. When I was young there were 2 real competitors in the field in UK- Chubb and Tann. They had different philosophies.

    Chubb produced an extremely hard and almost impenetrable material which they used as a single solid piece. Tann used to layer a variety of materials each with a particular quality.

    Of course each claimed their material to be superior. In practice I wonder how much difference there actually was in resistance to attack.

    One amusing incident was when I spoke to a Tann representative. He said Chubb were "using technology we scrapped decades ago". A Chubb representative defending the particular technology said "They tried to introduce it years ago but never really got it to work properly".





    I also found it interesting that in 1960 the doors were built up by welding plates together. In older times I believe they were cast in a single piece.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1960 Bethlehem Donsteel.jpg 
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ID:	8230[/QUOTE]

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