Breaking into my own filecabinet safe?!
Brian Mork
I have acquired a decent locking file safe, and
I was given the supposed combination. But I'm
unfamiliar with the mechanism to use the combo.
Can you help?
It's a Remington Rand Safe-File.
The dial goes from 0 to 99, with a little twist
knob in the middle of the mail dial. This twist
knob seems to lock the mail dial into position,
so it can't be accidently turned around.
There's a lever by the lower left corner of the
drawer pulls, that seems to be the latching
mechanism.
The main dial has an idex at the 12 o'clock
position with an additional V marking to make the
index look like a chicken foot. At about 11
o'clock (actually 8-1/2 dial numbers to the left)
there's another index mark.
Which mark do I use for the 4 number combo? Do
I use RLRL or LRLR? What lever or knob do I move
once the combo is dialed in?
Any help would be much appreciated!
--
Brian J. Mork, 4504-C Juniper, USAFA, CO 80840
Radio Nets: ka9snf@n0wpa.#seco.co.usa, Internet: mo...@usa.net
http://www.pcisys.net/~mork/ --public encryption key available
McInnis
In article <345B52...@usa.net>, Brian Mork <mo...@usa.net> writes:
|> I have acquired a decent locking file safe, and
|> I was given the supposed combination. But I'm
|> unfamiliar with the mechanism to use the combo.
|> Can you help?
I'm not familiar with the precise type of lock, but try this.
Use the mark at 12 O'clock. It's probably longer than the other mark.
Go left 4 times and stop on the first number.
Turn right until you come to the second number. Now go two more times to
the right, stopping on the second number. ( this is called going right
3 times)
Turn left 2 times to the next number (i.e. left to the number once, then
one more complete revolution.)
Turn right until the dial stops turning. (If it doesn't stop within one
turn, you haven't done the right combination or procedure.) If the
knob stops turning, you've solved the combination lock part of the puzzle.
See if something else moves now.
If the knob doesn't stop turning, try right first.
If that doesn't work, or you have more than 3 numbers, try 5 turns to
start.
Perhaps someone else has an exact procedure for your mechanism,
but it shouldn't take too long to try this procedure to see if it works.
--
Mickey McInnis - mci...@austin.ibm.com
--
All opinions expressed are my own opinions, not my company's opinions.
shiv...@pcis.net
Forgot, the mark you use is the 12:00 spot. The 11:30 mark is used to
reset the combo.
'A'ohe pau ka 'ike i ka halau ho'akahi
Ka po nui ho'olakolako, ke ao nui ho'ohemahema
'lke no i ka la o ka 'ike; mana no i ka la o ka mana
shiv...@pcis.net
a FOUR NUMBER COMBO??
seen 3 but not a 4
For a 3, left 4 times to first number, right to when 2nd number comes
up the THIRD TIME, left till 3rd number comes up the SECOND TIME.
RIGHT TO 0 (ZERO) Now, the little lever in the center should turn to
the right while holding the dial. once the inside lever is turned to
the right, continue turning the dial on to the right and the drawer
should unlock. The lever at the bottom unlatches the drawer so it can
be opened. Sometimes the needed point for the inside lever is at 5
and not 0. It will almost let you know.
As a added note. ALL Remington Rand safes SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FILLED
WITH ASBESTOS, till proven otherwise. Drilled 4, 1 was, 3 weren't,
but you never know.
If you have a genuine 4 number combo, then start right 5times, left 4,
r3, l2, r to 0 and then complete as above.
It can be drilled, HOWEVER, the original dial, etc is no longer
available except as used if anybody bothered to save one. So, be
careful in that respect if you want to keep using it.
Billy B. Edwards Jr.
Brian Mork wrote:
>
<snip>
The lock you describe is known as an older MP (manipulation proof) type.
The direction of dialing can be either direction but usually starts CW
or right. Once you have dialed all of the numbers, turn the dial to
zero and then turn the device in the center of the dial, then you can
continue turning the dial until it stops and it should be open. Oh yes,
dial to the 12 o'clock index, the 11 o'clock one is for changing the
combination only and the unit must be open to do this.
To lock it back up, turn the device in the center of the dial again and
GENTLY spin the dial to scramble the combination. Good luck.
BBE.
kes...@alum.mit.edu
In <63fp97$m8q$0...@208.207.70.11>, shiv...@pcis.net writes:
>a FOUR NUMBER COMBO??
>
>seen 3 but not a 4
3's standard. 4 is not uncommon, though -- better security, slightly
higher cost.
>For a 3, left 4 times to first number, right to when 2nd number comes
>up the THIRD TIME, left till 3rd number comes up the SECOND TIME.
>RIGHT TO 0 (ZERO) Now, the little lever in the center should turn to
>the right while holding the dial. once the inside lever is turned to
>the right, continue turning the dial on to the right and the drawer
>should unlock.
Thanks -- when I was enumerating different kinds of safe locks
I forgot about the "manipulation-proof" variants which requre an
additional operation before the combo is accepted. You've described
S&G's version with the "butterfly" lever in the middle of the dial
hub. There's also a variant where the whole dial has to be pressed
in after the combination has been dialed correctly. Either is more
secure than a standard safe lock, but has slightly greater risk
of malfunction.
>As a added note. ALL Remington Rand safes SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FILLED
>WITH ASBESTOS, till proven otherwise.
Yep. Watch out for _anything_ fire-rated, safes or doors, unless manufactured
recently. The last thing you need is to take a problem that was nicely
encapsulated and under control, and spread it around the area.
Kal
>Brian Mork wrote:
>
> I have acquired a decent locking file safe, and
> I was given the supposed combination. But I'm
> unfamiliar with the mechanism to use the combo.
> Can you help?
>
>
It sounds like you have an old GSA safe used for storing classified
and confidential documents. It uses a S$G mechanism. Since you say you
have the comibination the last number should be zero. You dial the
combination lrlr stopping on zero, turn the little knob in the center of
the dial and then turn the dial to the right (clockwise) to retract the
bolt. If you had the correct combination this should open it.
Sometimes you have to try a couple of times if the wheels in the
mechanism are old or worn.
The "crows foot" at the 12 o clock position is the opening index and
the one at 11 is the change index. You need the safe open and a change
key to change the combo.
Hope this helps.
Kal's Keys
To err is human...to really screw-up takes a computer.
shiv...@pcis.net
considering the number I've drilled lately, Star is the one that comes
to mind with the push in dial.