CHATWOOD SAM - help dating

[macs_07]

Finally got around to cleaning and mounting this lock on a stand.
It is a beast and is very heavy. Made a change key and have reset it to the original SAM combination.
There seems to be quite a variety of differences in these locks that I have seen and researched to try and get a handle on.
There is no serial number on this lock.
Any suggestions on a possible date of manufacture.

[macs_07]

Some more pictures

[Gary Stephenson]

Very nice, do you think the bolt is original, or could it have been modified?

[macs_07]

Hi Gary, no it looks to be original.
Could be wrong, but looks original as far as I can see.
The differences I have noticed are the shape of the dial knob, the bolt and also it has 4 wheels whereas the documentation included in the "Locks & Keys" Number 31 - July 2006 only has three wheels.
An article by Richard Phillips based on the Maintenance Manual for these locks and which was 15 pages.

I was wondering if the lock could be mounted horizontally due to the weight of the bolt on the mechanism - I may take it off and try.

Cheers

[Gary Stephenson]

Never noticed the 4 wheels rather than 3, very unusual, wonder if the dial was adapted from something else with the screw and splined on adapter bit, as all the one I have seen had a solid spindle through the door that the dial screwed onto, rather than a threaded spindle.

[oldlock]

What I think you have here is a locally made 'copy ' of a SAM lock. There are a number of Chatwoodesq locks in Victoria and someone postulated a theory once that they were made by an ex chatwood locksmith in Australia.

The abscence of any Chatwood stampings would seem to support this ?

[macs_07]

There is some merit to this theory.
Another one sold on Ebay about a year ago, it had a little bit of fret working done to the rear cover and had a pin tumbler in place of the round lever lock change mechanism.
Sold here in Melbourne.

[macs_07]

Although I wonder about the feasibility of such a venture. It is not like it is a simple lock to replicate.
Plus the undertaking of the manufacture and finishing of all the parts before assembling them into a finished operating lock.
Unless he made a run of whatever number then it would be extremely expensive option, and even then having all the individual parts manufactured and cast. Unless he had casting dies and possibly factory OEM drawings and specifications.
I would have thought that in the factory scenario all the parts would be manufactured then an individual employee would have selected all the parts required to complete a lock then hand finished and fitted them together to have a single operating lock.
Again a theory not without merit but a big undertaking.
Any theory of who???

[oldlock]

I *think*, and it's a long time ago that it was Rod L. That mentioned it as he had at least a couple of locks that had such features.

The point re castings I think supports the theory as the quality of the castings it not up to normal chatwood standards.

[Cepasaccus]

Awesome lock! They put so much creativity into mechanical locks.