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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default Whitfield trivia.

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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bransgore
    Posts
    45
    Country: England

    Default Ah someone who knows a thing or two

    Quote Originally Posted by safeman View Post
    I didn't expect it to be full of what appears to be sawdust, sand and broken glass, lots of broken glass. This being inside the security it serves no purpose other than insulation or sound deadening, so I think something more suitable like rock-wool will be going back.

    Are you sure that it is glass?

    Should be Alum crystals to generate steam in fire.[/QUOTE]

    Good point and thank you for that. Safes are not my forte as you can tell. Maybe I should rethink my plan.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    4 way boltwork is so slick.

    Yes, alum has about the highest level of "water of crystalisation". It produces a huge amount of water when heated and transformed to the anhydrous state.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bransgore
    Posts
    45
    Country: England

    Default Advert from Safeman

    Quote Originally Posted by safeman View Post
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    Thank you for the two clips, not seen either before. So Cotterill's made the lock, is that right, you don't say so, but include the advert, so I presume it to be.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    266
    Country: Germany

    Default

    Is this a 12-lever lock? Amazing!

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    I think Whitfield are very much underrated. They had good locks and some of their drill proof plates were really, seriously hard.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bransgore
    Posts
    45
    Country: England

    Default A little more trivia

    I have had this advert for some time. It must postdate my safe as the strapping is bent steel, whereas mine is probably wrought iron, dovetailed and closed by planishing over.
    But I do agree with the earlier comment or at least in this instance, this safe is well made and cleverly designed, especially the bolt-work. Even the door still closes as it did over a hundred years ago.

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  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bransgore
    Posts
    45
    Country: England

    Default Alum crystals and waste matter

    Is there anyone with suggestions. I guess this is Alum and not broken glass. But it is such an unhealthy looking concoction of what appears to be no more than waste material. It is dirty and rather evil looking and has over the years penetrated slightly into the bolt motion cavity.

    My initial thought was to scrap it, but I did save it all.

    So should it go back, if so I will ensure it cannot leave that compartment as it has done before. Or perhaps rock-wool and sieve the crystals out and incorporate them in that.

    I am very open to ideas. But of course the chances of anyone in this modern world wanting to cut this open with oxy-acetylene is about nil I would have thought.

    Any comments gratefully received, Steve.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    You could infill with fire resisting plasterboard. That includes alum crystals and it would be a good deal less messy. any remaining void could be grouted using plaster. It would add a bit of weight to the unit and give you some fire resistance. No matter what you do you aren't going to get an insurance rating on it. I suspect that this would be as good as anything.

    I have seen fire resisting book safe strongroom doors with just plasterboard as the fire resisting medium.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bransgore
    Posts
    45
    Country: England

    Default Plasterboard and fire

    Quote Originally Posted by Chubby View Post
    You could infill with fire resisting plasterboard. That includes alum crystals and it would be a good deal less messy. any remaining void could be grouted using plaster. It would add a bit of weight to the unit and give you some fire resistance. No matter what you do you aren't going to get an insurance rating on it. I suspect that this would be as good as anything.

    I have seen fire resisting book safe strongroom doors with just plasterboard as the fire resisting medium.
    Hi Chubby,
    Thank you of the tip, not one I would have thought of. Regarding insurance ratings I was aware of that, and not concerned about it anyway, but fire prevention is of interest.
    In many ways today's world makes no sense, I know full well getting into this safe without keys would be a serious trial, yet some of the modern safes I have seen are little more than tin cans relying more on electronics than construction. Yet insurance companies decree these elderly masterpieces to be worthless which is a shame as many could still be doing a grand job.

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