Need help with 8 big safes

[Huw Eastwood]

Just realised, stevenkuk you haven't given us any heights or dimensions for any of them. I'm trawling through crates of chubb and CM right now, no exact matches so far but I've found what looks like the Chatwood-Milner in pic 1 badged as Chubb 6220, so weight should be similar- is yours 73 inches tall X 29 3/8 inches wide? if so then 712kg.

What are the heights and widths of the others?
I've found similar for the Chubb in pic 3, if around 38.5 inches tall X 24.5 wide then it's a lightweight at 260kg.

Tbh none of them (not even the Ratner) are going to be anywhere near 4000kg, but I can understand how knowing the weights beforehand will help with assisting the contractors. Since you mentioned them removing the escalators, they're presumably not your average 'general builders' so will hopefully be okay as IIRC escalators can only be dismantled so far and then removed in complete sections, the safes might even prove the easy part !

[safeman]

Stratford SE 73012 will be a size 3520 made in 1972 and weigh about 970 kg.
The Ratner will be a size 5020 and if the code on the bolt end is SUR it will be an Executive, and if STR it will be a Trustee.

The weights will be very similar at around 1600 kgs.

The Cash Ratings will be approximately £4000 for the Sterling, £8000 for the Executive and £10000 for the Trustee but my personal belief is that these Ratner figures are unrealistically high.

The Chubb safe has a code stamped in the middle bolt but I cannot make it out and in any case I don't have the codings before 1964.

[Chubby]

Is there a number on the top edge of the door of the Chubb? If so, what is it? that would tell you the exact weight.

[stevenkuk]

Oh by the way, forgot to mention some of these safes are actually in a strongroom! Any ideas how these are dismantled/ removed?!? Or is it a case of not bothering

[Tom Gordon]

Oh by the way, forgot to mention some of these safes are actually in a strongroom! Any ideas how these are dismantled/ removed?!? Or is it a case of not bothering

I think you now realise the problems.
Not one, but three that are 1.5 tonnes each, designed and effective at resisting attack but without modern insurance rating certificates, and on the second floor, along with a load of asbestos safes.
if they were on the ground floor in a loading bay, they would cost you a lot of money to have removed.
i would recommend that now you know the weights, your builders should be consulted and see what they say.

[mercury]

The other contributors to this thread dwarf the knowledge that I have, but I suggest you post images of the strongroom for them.

There are "portable" strongrooms made of modular parts that can be dismantled and moved, however many(most?) strongrooms will be part of the building & not worth removing.

I have seen people sell a strongroom door & frame before, but the costs of removing and transporting them will usually outweigh their value.

If you leave the strong room intact but do not intend to use it as a strongroom, then consider having the door disabled and made safe (to prevent accidental lock ins) by a suitably qualified safe technician. This should not be a destructive process & as long as you retain any parts that are removed, the door could be returned to service at a later date if required.

[Gary Stephenson]

Understood, it was just a warning for him to be a bit careful with this one as it will be quite an old unit and we will all have come across the older fireproof stuff with leaking or breaking down barriers / fills and always better safe than sorry with this stuff 8-)

[Chubby]

It is usually simple to see if a safe is anchored. Just look for threaded bar in the base with big nuts attached. If they are there, simply remove the nuts. It would be worth getting some WD40 on those now, so it can be soaking in.

Of course there are ways of base anchoring which do not show nuts. In the very unlikely event that that has happened you are in trouble!

[Huw Eastwood]

There's three types typically used to look out for; hexagon head bolts, hexagon nuts on studs, or cap heads (Allen bolts), any of which are easily seen recessed down in the base. Unlikely to be anything else.

[Chubby]

Unless there are fixing lugs cemented into the floor. Then you have problems!