AboutTerry Andreasen (Andy) Expertise Safe and Vault related Questions;
Antique Safe Repair and Restoration;
With over 37 years in the Safe & Vault industry, if I can't answer your question I know where to get the answer.
Current Project: Restoration of three, 36 ton steel vault doors and drop floors, in the old Federal Reserve Building, San Francisco.
Experience 37 years in the Safe & Vault Industry. Service Manager for one of the largest Safe & Vault companies on the West Coast. Graduate of Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing, Safe lock Manipulation and Safe Deposit Lock Courses. Graduate of Locksmith Institute.
Certified Instructor for the California Locksmith Association teaching Basic and Advanced Lock Servicing, Basic Safe opening and Repairing.
Factory Trained by AMSEC, LORD Safes, LeFebure, Mosler, KabaMas, LaGard and Sargent & Greenleaf
Organizations SafeCrackers International
Education/Credentials Graduate of Locksmith Institute 1972
Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing 1974
Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Manipulation 1975
Graduate Lockmasters Safe Deposit Lock Servicing 1985
Instructor Certified - California Locksmith Association - 1985
Awards and Honors Retired US Army, with many decorations and awards from Vietnam, Desert Storm and Op Iraqi Freedom.
Past/Present Clients Secret Service, FBI, Dept. of Homeland Defense, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Lawerence Livermore National Lab, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, various local banks, credit unions, state agencies, Jewelers, and many commercial and residential customers.
Service Area is Northern California (Fresno to Oregon and Western Nevada)
Question Hi,
I recently bought a bank building with a Mosler vault in it. The vault is open and the combination locks do not work with the combinations I was supplied with. I have some prior locksmith experience, but I have no idea how to get the cover off of the locks so I can change the combinations. It has a triple time lock that I have removed. It was suggested by a safe man that I may have to drill a hole and peek inside to figure the combination out. I hope there is another way. The locks are made out of brushed stainless steel or nickel. They have an offset that is gear driven that the dial shaft go into. The cover slides but hits the tumblers I believe. The safe man told me I need the combination to get the cover off. Is this true? If so is it possible to get a replacement cover? Thanks for any help You can Give!
Answer Mike,
The locks probably are LOBC type locks (Locked on Back Cover). In order to remove the covers the combo must be dialed 90 degrees off so that the cover can move into the gates in the wheels.
If you do not have a working combination the most inexpensive way would be to drill a small hole (1/8") and use a fiberoptic scope to decode the wheels.
Note: There are three reasons that a combo lock will not open:
1. Incorrect dialing procedure
2. Incorrect combination
3. Mechanical problem
Before you rule out the combination, you may not be dialing it correctly. The first thing I would do is to try a number of dialing sequences to insure that I have dialed the lock correctly. You didn't mention what locks that you are dealing with. Most of the LOBC type locks are 4 wheel locks and the dialing sequence would be:
5 times right to the first number,
4 times left to the second number,
3 times right to the third number,
2 times left to the fourth number,
1 time right, slowly to stop
If the combo works, you could then dial the numbers off by +/- 25 numbers (depending on lock handing) to allow the back cover to slide sideways into the wheel gates, and then pull it off.
Again because you haven't let me know what lock you are dealing with, I can't answer the question concerning replacement covers, but generally the manufactures do not sell individual parts, they only sell "whole" locks.
