F Whitfield "The City Safe"

[Chubby]

I sometimes wonder why they didn't keep the keyway to extract the key solid. That way they would have had a key retaining lock, which would have been superior. Possibly at that stage nobody had thought of having a key retaining system.

It really is a lovely action. I would add a single dead AED, but I realise that you want to keep it all original.

[Steve48]

First let me say thank you to all and those kind words. My knowledge of safes could be written on a postcard so the knowledge I have gained from you all has been most helpful.

Safeman: I think you raise a very valid point regarding blacksmithing, the previous two generations to me were just that. Plus thinking also of traction engines and their ilk, the type of construction, ie dovetails and rivets is not of a different time period to the late 1880's even though there were obvious progresses before this date, and yes it comes down to capital expenditure and if it was justifiable.

The origin of the lock is an interesting point and I see no reason why it wouldn't have been bought in. In fact during this era a lot of specialists did just that, one only has to look at clocks during this period to see that there were lots of outworkers doing one specific task.

And, yes by this time they Whitfield were in London as well as their home ground in Birmingham, two cities which at that time were a bustle of activity, however although I tend by association to think of London as The City, there is no means of connecting this safe to London any more than to Birmingham, unless of course someone finds some paperwork one day.

Chubby: Yes it is my intention to return this safe to how it came out of the factory, maybe in some small ways it will be better painted, but no intention to modify it. However again I must add I do not know some of the terminology quoted and AED is lost on me.

Tom: Whilst I truly do blame the EU for a great many undesirable things that have taken place in our country. I am not so sure that the restrictions on chemicals have all been from Brussels, rather more inclined to think they have come from our own. Namely the HSE and our Government in connection with violence carried out here, and of course A&E treatments at hospitals are again recorded and acted upon. But either way it is typical that a few spoil things for the many.

Regarding strippers, of the non female type. I am very reticent about using them anyway, however some are quite viscous and those to my mind are suited, because anything runny will end up in places where you cannot remove it and possibly never neutralise it. This is especially true of safes, because you cannot dismantle them, also of old castings that have blow holes or sand pockets. Which is why I took my safe for a walk in the garden and attacked it in all accessible places with a power tool. The internals were simply impossible that way, so a thick paint stripper was used, I could have scraped it out but it is lead paint and that is a no no in my book. Outside full PPE was the order of the day.

Sadly I am still not one hundred percent recovered from my grandchildren's virus, but I have now rust treat the exterior of the 'lump' bar the top, need to fettle some of the inside before I can really get to grips with some painting.

Steve

[Cepasaccus]

AED is an "anti-explosion device" aka relocker. It is a device which blocks the bolt work when safe is attacked by brute force.

[Steve48]

AED is an "anti-explosion device" aka relocker. It is a device which blocks the bolt work when safe is attacked by brute force.

Thank you, so what happens after that eventuality, no one can get in?
I have read something about relockers, but they don't really explain the aftermath.

Not a requirement in my case. Steve.

[Chubby]

You keep a note of exactly where the AED is, or more probably where the bolts or rivets holding the AED are. This gives you a drilling point if the AED is ever fired.

Your safe is just a few years before AEDs started to be used.

[Steve48]

You keep a note of exactly where the AED is, or more probably where the bolts or rivets holding the AED are. This gives you a drilling point if the AED is ever fired.

Your safe is just a few years before AEDs started to be used.

Thank you for that, actually rather glad my safe doesn't have one then. Although in use commercially it makes sense. Which would then be followed by a replacement safe presumably.

[Chubby]

No new safe. Simply make good the damage. I have drilled out the fixing bolts on a special job, tapped the holes for the next sized bolts and replaced the original AED, but that was a very unusual job!

On high security safes the AEDs would be welded in place and not designed with simple drill points. Also sometimes at least 1 AED is placed "at random". In fact it isn't random, but is any one of a number of places where it could be. Then there can be a lot of cutting involved and one has to weigh up the costs of repairing the door or replacing the unit. If a "cut and shut" has been done on the door some insurance companies wouldn't give full cash coverage on the unit afterwards. So that is another feature to consider.

[safeman]

Thank you for that, actually rather glad my safe doesn't have one then. Although in use commercially it makes sense. Which would then be followed by a replacement safe presumably.

Steve, in fact your safe does not require a relocking device anyway. With 4 way boltwork such as yours if a high explosive charge is sufficient to remove the lock entirely the surrounding boltwork and operating follower will be so distorted and disconnected as to preclude release. In such circumstances I have never known the perpetrator to spend any subsequent time attempting to release the mechanism. That was why my presence was required and to remove any remaining explosive substances.

As far as I can gather, the Ratner Safe Company was the first to use a device specifically to relock the boltwork if the keylock was destroyed by high explosives inserted into the lock. In 1913 they fitted a 'dead' device which they called the 'safety bolt' which was attached by a wire held by compression under the lock until the lock was removed.
This was significantly improved in 1918 by a swivelling rocker bolt operated in conjunction with the unlocking of the keylock. When locked, the 'safety bolt' blocked any movement of the boltwork, in other words, it was 'live'.

The attached illustration shows the boltcase mechanism of the Grade 3 Ratner which had 1 dead (at the bottom) and the live at the top blocking the boltwork even before the lock had been blown off,
In such a small safe it had been of necessity that the dead device was in too close proximity to the force of the explosion and rendered inoperative. This applies to most of the safes of today but since explosives are most unlikely to be used (apart from gas attacks on ATMs) it is unlikely they will ever be asked to perform.
In most cases when the live relocker was released the safe doors were removed for repair and have of occassion been subjected to a second attempt - also unsuccessful.
1952.

Some more trivia: London Trades Directories.
1870 Safe Makers - Samuel Whitfield & Son, 97 Cheapside.
1900 Fireproof Box Makers - Fred.Whitfield, 11& 12 St Andrews Hill, EC