Freestyle model inspired by the old big superheavy round vault doors :)

[VaultDoors]

I have a keen interest in remote combination viewer vaults. Check out Vault Door Anatomy, it has all the information I could find on remote combination viewers and is available in these formats:

• PowerPoint Show (images, active links, animations and videos): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...t_Anatomy.ppsx
• Windows Media Video (images and animations): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...lt_Anatomy.wmv
• PDF (images and active links): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...lt_Anatomy.pdf
• Flickr (images only): https://www.flickr.com/photos/canton...7639842164566/

Also, take a look at the Vault Doors online gallery as it contains all known remote combination viewer vaults: https://www.flickr.com/photos/canton...7639183617364/

I am not a locksmith/vault technician (just a vaultophile) but I would be happy to share my research and help answer any questions you may have.

[RiemannHypothesis]

Hey guys :)

@VaultDoors: I checked out your links, but they dont work :( Maybe you posted the wrong destination?

I just wanted to add some more pictures which include the building process and the status quo :)

Some words to my machines:

Im using a Liebert&Gürtler lathe from 1957 with a width of 1m and max. diameter of 36cm (max. 50cm if you take out the bridge). The lathe weights about 1.2 tons, and i also have a milling attachement for it, to actually do some milling work.
Moreover i have a G. Wischeroop drill press (about 100 years old) that weights half a ton and can drill holes in stainless steel up to 40mm and cut threads up to M33x3 (that means big :D ). I have a thread cutting attachement for this drill press and that makes this machine extremely versatile. I also use a big dividing head to make the holes for the bolts of my vault door, or other sorts of circular arranged series of holes in metal or wood. In my actual vault door i have 15 bolts installed with a diameter of 28.7mm and the holes are 29mm. Because i dont have a borehead to get a real smooth finish inside the holes, the 0.3mm play remain. Currently its not possible for me to reduce that amount of play... A 29mm reamor would have done the job, but i didnt get any...

So you see, to build a vault door out of steel, heavy equipment is needed :) You find some video material of the construction process of the vault door on youtube. Check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuI4...rJMMomz-DDBwPM
where the holes for the bolts are getting bored. Or in this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ajr...rJMMomz-DDBwPM
where one part of one hinge is getting turned on the lathe. I dont put much effort in editing the videos i make. I just let the camera roll for some hours and load all that stuff just right on youtube. But it is in german anyways so yea... Enjoy the pictures :D

Well yea so here are some pictures :)

Best regards

Maik

[Huw Eastwood]

Yes I tried the links and found the same- thought it was an iPad problem as some sites have compatibility issues.

well Maik, it's wow again seeing those beautiful old machines. It's making me think of the days I briefly had a big old British lathe with 12 inch swing. Didn't have it for long but seeing yours is making me miss it

Anyway i I can see why you don't mess around making small models like I have to, you've got some really heavy machinery there and the vault door is the perfect project for them. Your lathe probably weighs more than my workshop...

The vault looks great in the 4 th photo- really shows it off well from that angle

[RiemannHypothesis]

Heyho :)

well yea sometimes there are reasons why we cant have some piece of equipment... Im glad to have it now, but maybe some day i have to quit it? i dont know :)
But i saw some of your works and i really have to say that this is very good work! Very detailed and fine! I would love to see more of your works! So you are using aluminium and brass, or steel too?

Well about small models: Its not always a good property to just want the big stuff. My wife can tell you something about that... Of course she likes the vault door, but she would prefer if it would weight a quarter of it... And i understand that :) Im actually glad i didnt make the door even bigger :D
I think my wife would like your models a bit more than mine, because of their size :) But she understands my desire to build such a heavy door. Thats what i wanted for years, even for over a decade :D

I saw that you sell your model door from One King West on ebay but i couldnt see how much it was. Could you tell me? And yea, just tell something about your works! Im really interested!

Best regards

Maik

[Adrian Weber]

Hey Maik, welcome to the Forum and what a project to start with I have to admit

Really interesting and I believe each and everyone here understands your desire

I believe that you and VaultDoors have a lot in common and should definitely get in touch! If you have any problems in understand his document or any particular vocabulary just let me know and I will translate them to you!

Best wishes from another German fella,

Adrian

[RiemannHypothesis]

Hey Adrian!

Thanks for the warm welcome :)

Yea well, there are many questions regarding the mechanics of that remote combo viewer... I think ill spend some hours in my workshop, because i have a day off :)

Im planning (just because its possible...) to build two locking systems: One directly at the door, so the conventional method, with a four-number-combination lock, and the other would be the remote combo lock, also with a four-number-combination lock.

I often see two combination dials on the vault doors: Does that mean, you have to dial two codes with four numbers each?

See you later, guys :)

Maik