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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

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    Here are some photos of my Mosler cannonball. The photos showing it open were taken about 14 years ago. The photo showing it closed was actually taken yesterday even though the "date" on the photo shows 1/1/2009. My camera's date feature was not set correctly.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cane Hill Bank Safe Open 1.jpg   cane Hill Bank Safe Open 2.jpg   Cane Hill Bank Safe 3.jpg  

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Wild West Woolwich
    Posts
    103
    Country: UK

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    I notice that the name "Cane Hill" is painted on the door. This was the name of a large mental hospital near London, now long gone.
    Don`t let this safe drive you nuts!

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

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    Well, Phil, it just very well may drive me nuts if I can't get the damn door open to the safe!

    Our Cane Hill is in northwest Arkansas. A very small and historic old unincorporated community of about 150 folks. Used to have about 2,000 in it's population, but the railroad decided to take a different route. We are the site of the first college west of the Mississippe river and have the second largest steel, overshot, water wheel in the world (what's left of it after time and vandals had their way).
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cane Hill College Building Today-2012.jpg   CHRA Recent Mill Photo.jpg  

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Seattle WA
    Posts
    1,327
    Country: United States

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    A possible help in a LARGE dead blow hammer. As in the 15lb range. That is what was suggested by our safe tech along with a good penetrant oil, Like PB blaster. But he also mentioned that the gears might be the problem as they might have seized/rusted together. So time for the oil to work and vibration to knock it lose when you try to open it. But he did agree with me that a malfunction is possible. He also asked how much it moved like Doug did.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
    Posts
    1,433
    Country: United States

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    Have you ever removed the outer faceplate on your Mosler. The dial combination lock is mounted to the backside of that plate. On cannonball models where the dial is recessed in, then the comb lock would be deep in the door. On yours, it is the timelock automatic that does the major locking. 14 years ago, had you successfully fully shut and opened the door? Did it rotate freely enough or did you really have to work at getting it fully shut or open? Have you ever put some time on all three timelock movements and verified proper functioning of the automatic? Did you remove any parts from the inside prior to last shutting the door. And do you know for fact the time movements were all wound down? Did you rub any type of oil into bare metal surfaces of the door edge and/or jamb? Odds are your problem is in fact rust or gummed up oil, if you applied some. But there are several questions here that hopefully you can answer. Doug

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

    Default

    Thanks for the reply, Dean. I only used a 4 pound dead blow hammer as I was afraid I might do damage. I used a lot of PB Balaster. Twice. I let it set 2 days each time. It still doesn't budge... not even a smidgen. I have a Mosler "expert" safe man coming down from Springfield, Missouri tomorrow morning. I guess I'll have to hand over my wallet and first born son. (grin) Just kidding. He comes highly recommended from a safe company in Oklahoma, and he seems like a very nice guy. His name is Allan and he works for Federal Protection in Springfield. If he gets it open, and if rust was the problem, you can take it to the bank I will open that safe at least once every month for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!! I'll let you know tomorrow evening how all works out.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

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    Hello Doug. I assume you have read the post I just sent to Dean.

    To answer your questions: Yes, I did have it open 14 years ago. No, at the time it was not difficult to open at all. No, I have never tinkered with the timelocks. I just looked at them, and took a photo. At that time, I went ahead and opened the smaller safe that is located deep inside the main safe. There was not a problem with it either. No, I didn't take any parts out of the insides. No, I would not even know about "winding down" the timelock, or how to do it. That I something I will have to master, IF Allen, the Mosler safe expert gets it open tomorrow. And, finally, no, I didn't think of rubbing it down with oil 14 years ago. Wish I had.

    Again, thanks Doug. You pointed out several things I need to be aware of in dealing with this old safe.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

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    Sorry, Doug, but I failed to answer the your first question ... the answer is, no, I have never removed the faceplate around the dial. Again, I was afraid I would be opening a barrel of monkeys that I couldn't get back into the box!

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
    Posts
    1,433
    Country: United States

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    I was just trying to establish some history, prior to giving you some possible attacks on the door. If you had said yes to removing the timelock prior to shutting the door, then the door would not just be rusted shut, it would also be locked. These things need to be known prior to a shock attack with a sledge or in the case of the article mentioned, a 400 lbs. hammer (safe). Good luck on the job. Keep us informed. Doug

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest section of Arkansas, USA
    Posts
    9
    Country: United States

    Default

    Hello Dean and Doug!!!!!!!!!!!!

    The old safe is open!! Allan Phillips, with Federal Protection out of Springfield, MO, arrived at 10:30 am today. By about 12:20 he had it open. After spraying penetrant in certain places he beat on it with his dead blow hammer (just as I had done over a period of several days). With that not working he decided to go through the front of the safe. He removed the combination lock mechanism, then the large "door shell" covering the large gear system. This exposed a cut-out notch on the lower rim of the large gear. This notch was about 2 inches deep and 1 1/4 inch wide. He made two very tiny punch marks .... one on the rim of the door and the other next to it on the safe body (these marks were to be used for reference points to see if the door itself ever turned the slightest amount while he beat on the notch... he did this by butting a small 2 pound steel sledge against the notch (I had the honor of holding it in place there) and then striking the head of the small sledge very, very hard about 20 times. It moved about 0010 of an inch. After another 20 blows it had moved about 1/4 inch. He then put it all back together, combination and all, and opened it with the regular handle, with some beating on the handle. There was heavy rust (a black rust) all around the larger part of the door. He cleaned it off with a special penetrant and "Scotch-Bright". He used a Dremel Tool for the really heavy rust.

    After all was done my bill will be around $687 to $725. Yes, that's a lot of money, but I'd rather have a show piece than a 4,000 pound hunk of iron for a door stop. I would recommend Allan and Federal Protection for any Mosler problem. He knew that safe like the back of his hand! His phone number is 417-869-9192.

    I have attached 2 photos. The one with the door open will show some of the rust black rust along the door.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Allen with Safe Open.jpg   Allan removing heavy rust 1.jpg  

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