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Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:15 am

Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

Hello all,

I recently decided to go down that "other" rabbit hole. I've been picking for a few years now, and safe manipulation has always intrigued me. So, with some great advice from my old pal Oldfast, I went out and bought a few S&G 6700's, a LaGard 3330, and a Mosler security box with an Ilco lock. The first to arrive was the Mosler security box, which I had my first go at last night (made 3 graphs, and they were a bit all over the place) - it didn't go brilliantly, but hopefully my skill will improve. The second to arrive was the LaGard, which is unfortunate since I was informed that this is not a great lock to start on - but since I am eager I decided to mount it up.

I may not have any clue what I'm doing yet - but at least I have some locks to play with!

Big thanks to Oldfast for all of his advice (as always), and to Daggers for his book - which was supremely helpful. Also thanks to nsquidc for selling me a few of his S&G 6700's - very much looking forward to those!

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flywheel

User avatar

Active Member

Posts: 650

Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 2:08 pm

Location: USA

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:22 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

My first openings were on a LaGard 3330. It can be done. Go for it!
I remember being annoyed when the furnace came on because I was listening so intently while trying to feel and hear the contacts when plotting each point.
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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:27 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

Hey thanks for the encouragement flywheel! Great to hear from you! I still have a few of your custom locks in my drawer!
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flywheel

User avatar

Active Member

Posts: 650

Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 2:08 pm

Location: USA

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:17 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

Just reading over my first opening, hell, one of my first posts. It wasn't until I used some other dials that I realized how important it is delineate your readings in increments, 1/2 ,1/4, 1/8. etc. 1/8 it about as fine as I ever got. Start with this: dial indicator and line perfectly centered = whole increment. Perfectly centered between the marks = 1/2 increment. Can you split that difference and make it 1/4 increment? On the first dial I ever used I could.

Later I realized there was a lot of slop in my readings and tried to refine my results. Soon one edge of the indicator touching a line became an 1/8th or an off center 1/2 became a 3/8 or 5/8 reading. Soon I was locked in on that particular dial. But the next dial I used was completely different...but that's a problem for next time. Does any of that make sense?

Remember, a short pencil is better than a long memory. Good luck!
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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:18 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

So I just spent the last half hour mapping out the LaGard. The graph below is what I came up with. It is much more consistent that my graph with the Ilco, and it appears there is something going on around 27.5-30. However, wouldn't a gate produce a narrower set of numbers? To me it looks like there is a widening between contact points there.... Help interpreting this graph would be very much appreciated!

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Jaakko Fagerlund

Active Member

Posts: 383

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:55 am

Location: Finland

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 3:16 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

LaGard has non-circular wheel shapes, so they will easily create a graph which has no gates seen as the wheels mask each other. Just use the low point you found to park two wheels and run through the third to find a lower spot.
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jharveee

Prolific Poster

Posts: 999

Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:14 am

Location: San Marcos, Ca.

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 7:22 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

I really like your wood mount.
Your graph looks nice as well.
Great job!

27.5-30 on your graph is showing the nose of the lever is at it's furthest point from the center of the wheel pack. Please remember I am also new to manipulation.
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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:32 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

Jaakko Fagerlund wrote:Just use the low point you found to park two wheels and run through the third to find a lower spot.


What low point? I don't really see any low points in my graph... Should I park two wheels on 30? Does it matter which two wheels I park there?
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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:34 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

jharveee wrote: 27.5-30 on your graph is showing the nose of the lever is at it's furthest point from the center of the wheel pack.


Yes, that is what I thought.. but is there any meaningful information I can glean from this graph?

Also, thanks for the compliment on the mount - it seems to be working pretty well so far!
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Jaakko Fagerlund

Active Member

Posts: 383

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:55 am

Location: Finland

Post Sun Feb 07, 2016 5:50 am

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

subsonic1050 wrote:
Jaakko Fagerlund wrote:Just use the low point you found to park two wheels and run through the third to find a lower spot.


What low point? I don't really see any low points in my graph... Should I park two wheels on 30? Does it matter which two wheels I park there?

Around 30 seems to be a high point. It doesn't matter what low point you choose, you just want to have a better place for the wheel parking so you can start mapping individual wheel. Generally speaking it is quick to park wheels 1 & 2 and then run a quick graph of wheel 3 to find a new low point for that wheel. Then keep wheel 1 parked, run through wheel 2 and keep the wheel 3 parked at that low point you found previously. At this point you probably have a gate or two already.
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subsonic1050

Familiar Face

Posts: 60

Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:20 pm

Location: Wisconsin

Post Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:50 pm

Re: Mounted up my first Safe Lock!

Hey thanks Jaako! I will definitely try that. I just got my first S&G yesterday, and have been focusing on that instead (got it open this morning!), but when I revisit the LaGard in the next day or so I will hit that hard. Thanks!

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