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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: Australia

    Default Help required with John Tann safe

    Hello, Im new on here and after a bit of help and advice on a John Tann list 2A safe I just aquired. The main issue is I dont have a key, but luckily the safe is unlocked and the door opens. I am about to collect it and bring it home, so I have the following questions.
    Is there any possibility that the safe could lock itself during the move? It will have its door shut and would be the worst outcome
    How do I get another key for it? And who can do this?
    If I have to remove the lock, how do I pull the door apart to get the lock out?
    Can anyone let me know the build date of the safe, the serial number is 21201?
    Thanks in advance

    Phil

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Hello Phil and welcome, you shouldn't have any worries moving the safe- just close the door and turn the handle to throw the bolts. Wise to strap the door up though to prevent it swinging open, should the handle get turned during the move.

    With the lock in the unlocked position there isn't really anything that can happen to lock you out, but obviously this is assuming it's all intact and working and hasn't been modified or messed about with.

    Any good locksmith can alter the lever settings in the lock and make a key for it, but they will of course charge more to come out and do it.

    When you get it home, take some good closeup pictures of it, including the back of the door showing the bolts/fixings, and we can guide you through it if you want to remove the lock yourself.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default The Tann List 2A.

    Phil, I see you have joined the Tann safe collectors in Australia of which there are many. and of which Johns & Waygood were the main importer.

    Your List 2A number 21201 was made in London in 1898. This model was the longest running production unit from 1860 until 1910 with slight technical variations over the years. It was the first 4 corner bent bodied safe to be made as all previous safes had been of a square construction like a rivetted water tank. At that time wrought iron was the strongest safe making material but having a granular structure could only be bent along the line of the grain, i.e. horizontally, and reinforced at all the meeting surfaces with heavy metal bands.

    The attachments show the internals of the lockcase with a close up of the lock after the drill-resisting cover plate has been removed. As can be seen with the lockcase chamber unbolted the lock itself can be simply removed for the provision of new keys.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    All very straightforward.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default A little more List 2A.

    Phil, to save any confusion, if and when you decide to remove the lockcase chamber, in addition to the 7 hexagonal fixing bolts, the is also a nut in the centre connected to the operating spindle which has to be disconnected.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	18476 Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	18477

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default aeven more.

    Just another 'in case' - should your safe be higher than the one illustrated there could be additional fixing bolts. Also, the nut in the centre could be missing on later models.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	18478 A brother Tann through a different agent.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: Australia

    Default

    [QUOTE=Phil123;27593]Hello, Im new on here and after a bit of help and advice on a John Tann list 2A safe I just aquired. The main issue is I dont have a key, but luckily the safe is unlocked and the door opens. I am about to collect it and bring it home, so I have the following questions.
    Is there any possibility that the safe could lock itself during the move? It will have its door shut and would be the worst outcome
    How do I get another key for it? And who can do this?
    If I have to remove the lock, how do I pull the door apart to get the lock out?
    Can anyone let me know the build date of the safe, the serial number is 21201?
    Thanks in advance

    QUOTE
    I got it home OK and heres some photos, any more info on the type/model, and its weight would be appreciated. I assume remove the bolts at the rear of the door and remove the cover, looks like it will be heavy. Thanks for all the info so far 1898, wow!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Cool List 2A weight.

    Without seeing the photographs and not knowing the size I can only give you a broad indication of the weight. If the safe is 24" high - 4¾ cwts., 30"- 6½ cwts. and 36" high - 8½ cwts.

    After you remove the bolts and nut (if fitted) the chamber may remain loosely in position by the location pins top and botttom.

    One final point. The cutting of new keys for the Tann Guarded Lever Safe Lock should only be entrusted to a well qualified locksmith. From the attached photograph can be seen the style of the bit of the key which is slotted to allow for the guarded lever, the one with the ridge at the belly of the lever. This is assuming that you intend to restore the mechanism to it's true function.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	18482 This may not fully represent the lock on your safe but will serve to illustrate the above point.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    When you dismantle it, number the bolts and put them back in the same holes.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: Australia

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Phil123 View Post
    Hello, Im new on here and after a bit of help and advice on a John Tann list 2A safe I just aquired. The main issue is I dont have a key, but luckily the safe is unlocked and the door opens. I am about to collect it and bring it home, so I have the following questions.
    Is there any possibility that the safe could lock itself during the move? It will have its door shut and would be the worst outcome
    How do I get another key for it? And who can do this?
    If I have to remove the lock, how do I pull the door apart to get the lock out?
    Can anyone let me know the build date of the safe, the serial number is 21201?
    Thanks in advance

    Phil
    Hi again, I got the safe apart and the lock out and in no problems, thanks for the advice. Ive given it a coat of paint and noticed three holes in the door where a name plate would have been fixed. Can you tell me what type of plate would have been fitted and where I could find one? Also there is numbers stamped on the top edge of the door " 10.0.21." Whats these numbers for?

    Thanks in advance

    Ive tried to attach some photos
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1507247389646227814477.jpg   1507247449862804919584.jpg   1507247506837-590695214.jpg   1507247545876-1311365738.jpg  

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    The figure on the top of the door is probably the weight. I know Chubb used to do exactly that, so perhaps some Tanns had it too.

    10 Cwt = 1,120 pounds

    0 Qtrs = 0

    21 = 21 pounds.

    Would be 1,141 pounds. Half a ton!

    It looks better for a coat of paint. I hope you got all the locks working OK.

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