Opening a locked Vault

[wylk]

If you don't mind telling us, where in NYC is this building (address)?

[David Hovey]

See attached - there is some kind of electronic box to the right not sure if this is an alarm or an electronic opener upgrade.

A unique door indeed. I've only seen one with quad comb locks in my 37 year carrier and it was erected for use as a securities vault. I have sent you a PM with my contact information if you would like a price to open that door.


DH

[oldlock]

A further thought - is there an emergency door ? Is it locked too ?

[Jalexander]

There are a lot of vaults.. included the ones that looked most similar. Don't have time to shoot all of them.

[Brian Smith]

Nice! Looks like York / Diebold had a heyday in this place! Hope you get the job, David. I have never seen a four lock setup like this... I was at a bank once where four people had half of two combos though, (ugh!). The handles are Bakelite by the way.

[Brian Smith]

BTW, no, it is not a snap to open it from the inside :-)

[Jalexander]

Thanks to David Hovey for getting the safe open for us!

[Brian Smith]

Congrat's David! I would be interested in how it played out.

[00247]

Congrat's David! I would be interested in how it played out.

Oh yes! Play by play action please. Video if you have it but pictures will do.

[David Hovey]

This was a fun weekend trip for my girlfriend and I. A full day of work and two days of site seeing in NYC was exciting. The building was erected in the first part of the1930s to be the wall street headquarters of one of the largest financial institutions, which still survives today.


The sub levels where the vaults are located was excavated 40 feet below sea level out of solid rock. (Lets see the Brazilian Central Bank gold diggers tunnel into this one!) It is a magnificent building with many vaults and I enjoyed seeing the architectural banking history it has to offer.


The vault was erected by York Safe and Lock Co. and this securities door was quite large. As you can see it towers my 6 foot frame, guessing the small top section of the architrave at over 10 feet. The 4 vault locks were set on dual custody requiring one lock from the top set and one lock from the bottom set to be unlocked before the door would swing.


All combinations were 4 number. The top set combinations were the same. The bottom set combinations were the same. The top and bottom sets were different, providing full redundant true dual custody.


The door was manufactured with 3 edge sections and each step was 7 inches thick, adding the 2 inch lock mounting plate equaled 23 inches from door face to comb lock. As it took me 3-1/2 hours to put a hole in it, I was very lucky in the fact that I only needed to drill one hole to unlock the door. As they say it's better to be lucky than good.


DH