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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    609
    Country: Great Britain

    Default Moving safes and a bonus find

    There were some old safes in a run down part of a new house I am doing up and I have been moving them for the last couple of days to somewhere that I can try to get them back into service, the largest one was a Chubb double door unit that probably weighs 3 tons and I have managed to move it about 70 yards on my own, so chuffed with that. I had freed up one of the doors, but the other one was seized and rusted shut. when I finally got it opened the locks from the old Chatwood, including a Sam lock were hiding inside there.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails WP_20170423_006.jpg   WP_20170423_007.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    leeds
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    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    more pics, that Milner was a nice list 3 unit
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails WP_20170424_004.jpg   WP_20170425_004.jpg  

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    leeds
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    Country: Great Britain

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    A Stratford Concord and a Chubb standard TDR as well as the double door Chubb London?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails WP_20170424_003.jpg   WP_20170425_005.jpg  

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,755
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Always enjoy seeing what others have hidden away in sheds and out buildings, Youve got some good 'uns there Gary, the double door Chubb really does look heck of a weight, thick old doors and body on something that size.
    Used to see loads of those Concords and the similar Ratner version (Trustee i think) in the smaller building societies branches, good solid safes with glass and have to admit I quite liked them.

    PS good news you found all the Chatwood parts and Chubb stuff, but it might be bad news for some seeing that name on the van!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,755
    Country: Wales

    Default

    I missed the Milner's, was it the list 3s with the interlocking dovetails around the door/body and the big hexagon bolts alternated down the boltcase? Going back we used to see them for the old butchers chain Dewhursts, they had an area office here and storage depot. Every shop always had one set in the wall, can't ever remember seeing anything else used but milner.
    Trip down memory lane, still have the big chrome socket and torque bar for doing those bolts and it's an odd size so it's never been any use for anything else.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    leeds
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    609
    Country: Great Britain

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    Yes Huw, that is the beastie, and the ground off bolts you have to tap round with a punch!
    Drilled the list 3 today and picked the statford, the main problems with the Milner and double door Chubb was doors and boltwork seized and rusted shut, so needed a lot of work to free them up and get them working smoothly again.
    I much preferred the vans with Chubb Safes written on them !

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    609
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Just to show the bolts that Huw is talking about, I got away with 24mm for fireproof chamber bolts and 32mm for boltwork chamber bolts. Really like this safe, what I call proper old school solid engineering. Not sure how old this is, but the hinges are still superbly tight and you would struggle to get a fag paper between the door edge and frame. Lovely how the bits just fit perfectly like a quality jigsaw puzzle.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails WP_20170426_005.jpg   WP_20170426_017.jpg   WP_20170426_023.jpg  

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Posts
    1
    Country: United States

    Default Nice find!

    Very interesting, I have never seen a safe like this before. I'm a new member here so I'm quite sure I'll be thinking/saying that a lot. I was surprised to see the dovetail joints on a safe. Thanks for posting.

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

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    Gary, it's not what is written on the van that counts, it's how it it tracks down the road after being used with a griphoist in moving a 3 ton safe uphill.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,755
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Stephenson View Post
    Just to show the bolts that Huw is talking about, I got away with 24mm for fireproof chamber bolts and 32mm for boltwork chamber bolts. Really like this safe, what I call proper old school solid engineering. Not sure how old this is, but the hinges are still superbly tight and you would struggle to get a fag paper between the door edge and frame. Lovely how the bits just fit perfectly like a quality jigsaw puzzle.
    Theyre cracking safes those Milners, I have a soft spot for them like you say Gary even after all the years of use and even seizing up, its still as tight as new. I'd forgotten about those flush headed bolts they sure knew how to give us a bit of hassle, what with the csk screws they filled over and painted on the fire resistant models.
    Are you going to restore it? it'll make a nice project safe if you are, it would be good to see it all done like original.
    Had to dig out that 'milners' socket for old times sake..
    Click image for larger version. 

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