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 It's a mosler safe, serial no. 180441, Class T20. After the combination is entered and the latch handle is turned fully releasing the door bolts, the door won't open. When the door is pulled on using the handle the doors moves in and out slightly on the left side. I think I can hear the bolts engaging and opening on the left side but not on the right side. Have you ever encountered a problem like this? We leveled the safe, bang on its side thinking that some of the bolts were stuck but to no avail.
Answer Charles,
There are a number of problems that you may have with your safe. Some of them may include misaligned doors, worn hinges, disconnected bolt work, jammed bolt work, etc.
This is one of those "hands on" diagnostic problems. Each bolt will have to be investigated to find out which ones are retracted and which ones are extended. One way to do this is to use a thin piece of plastic or a piece of paper. Work it into the edge of the door and then up and down to locate the bolts. You can work the handle back and forth to verify bolts that may be attached or detached.
Visually inspect the seams around the doors. Are the edges perpendicular and aligned correctly or do they seem "off" slightly?
Worn hinges can allow a door to "drop" and hang up on the bottom of the safe, which may cause the jam up.
These are a few of the problems, but as I mentioned this is a hands on diagnostic problem. If you can't figure out the problem, you will need a trained safe technician. You can check for one in your yellow pages under safes & vaults. If you can't find one let me know and I'll see if I know any one in your area.
