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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    137
    Country: France

    Default My graal milners at home ! need informations

    Hi, i am a very lucky man today : i finally found my graal milners after an epic 24hrs travel in Uk with fantastic people. that was exactly what i researched : big bolted door with the original transfert and "jeweler" interior amenagement (wood drawers with velvet carpet) i don't have the original key but a new one. there is #7035 on the up front left and #187899 on the up front right.
    i will be happy if an expert could told me what's the year of this beauty.

    merci beaucoup
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails milner2.jpg   milner3.jpg   milner1.jpg   milner4.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    i will be happy if an expert could told me what's the year of this beauty.

    merci beaucoup[/QUOTE]

    Stephane,

    Congratulations, a real beauty.

    This is a Milner List 3 which, from the lock number was made between 1881-1882.
    This square bodied safe was made up until 1919 at which time Milner started to bend the ¼" steel bodies from a single plate.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    137
    Country: France

    Default

    thank you very much for the detail and fast reply. do you have an advice for the treatment ? keep it as this ? external resto with original color or fully customized ? i really like the interior so don't want to touch but the external don't match with my home. i don't want to do a "sacrilege"

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

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stephane View Post
    thank you very much for the detail and fast reply. do you have an advice for the treatment ? keep it as this ? external resto with original color or fully customized ? i really like the interior so don't want to touch but the external don't match with my home. i don't want to do a "sacrilege"
    Stephane,

    Of course it's up to you, but personally I would just give it a good clean to remove any loose dirt and then give it a coat of egg-shell varnish on the outside.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    137
    Country: France

    Default

    Ok i will consider seriously but some area are fully rust, anyway i will wait before attack. another point : do you have any ideas or example of embase to rise this safe and look matching ? i prefer and it's useful when safes are closer to eyes, attached a photo of a Bauche that i fully customize with a Fichet embase, and to tell true i don't use the Fichet one : to much down.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails bauche.jpg  

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stephane View Post
    Ok i will consider seriously but some area are fully rust, anyway i will wait before attack. another point : do you have any ideas or example of embase to rise this safe and look matching ? i prefer and it's useful when safes are closer to eyes, attached a photo of a Bauche that i fully customize with a Fichet embase, and to tell true i don't use the Fichet one : to much down.
    Stephane,
    As regards the rust, one possibility is just to remove it with a wire brush before varnishing but it that leaves it too unsightly then you then repaint the body but leave the door in the original finish.
    I attach an illustration of some old safe stands from the 1920's. These are hand made by carpenters of very sturdy timbers. I would estimate that your Milner will weigh almost 500kgs.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  7. #7
    Huw Eastwood's Avatar
    Huw Eastwood is offline
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    Safes Strongrooms & Vaults
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,753
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Well done Stephane your Milners looks great well worth the travels I'm sure,love those chunky List 3s. By the way your Bauche and Fichet are stunners, the French definitely had the edge when it came to those ornate compact models

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

    Default

    An alternative is to build an attractive brick plinth. Of course this is only suitable if you have a solid floor. Take the plinth up to the height you want. Attach some steel to the under side of the safe, so that it projects downwards. Fill the plinth with a weak mix of concrete and then settle the safe on top of it. If well done, it will look very good and the base fixing will enhance the security of your safe.

    Of course make sure the safe is sited where you will want it to remain permanently!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    137
    Country: France

    Default

    Thanks guys for advices, i certainly go on in wood as safeman join attached. sure antique french safe a very good to work on : alone i am able to do what i want to move them and stairs aren't a problem. and easy to find here ! some months ago i found a very old "raoult" in center of Paris ! 1 time by month there is here "the monsters" people place on the sidewalk all big things they don't want. then i found it : crazy french !

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    137
    Country: France

    Default

    to safeman : when you tell "egg-shell" varnish do you mean that's the finish look between shine and mat ?

    attached the lost safe
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails raoult.jpg  

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