GWiens2001's Manipulations
Word of caution to all who want to try manipulation:
After mounting your untried lock, set and try a combination first!!!
Recently acquired my second safe lock, a S&G 6730, with an ILCO dial. This was given to me for free at a shop. A lockie friend tossed it together really quickly when he saw me, and I was thrilled. It was a conglomeration of parts he had on the bench and around the shop, but the wheels were brand new.
I got it home and mounted it on a piece of plywood that was home to my first lock before I built a nice display case for it. I did not want to know the combination, wanted to manipulate it open. This was going to be FUN!
The first sheet showed a possible gate, which I confirmed to be on the third wheel. Then I retested it, and it disappeared! Huh? Two more tests, then it came back. Eh??? Another test, and it was much smaller, another test, and it was gone again. WTF?!? What is this, a Houdini lock?
Four days later, the lock was still unopened. Same issue. In exasperation, I took off the back cover so I could set the lock to a known combination. Lined up the wheels, put the cover back on, and changed the combination. Tried to test the combination, and the lock did not open. Argh! Must have screwed up the process. Took off the back cover again, reset the wheels, put the cover on again, and reset the combination (again). Retested, and the combination did not open the lock! One more time again, being SURE that I entered the combination at the change position. Again, it did not open.
Ok, time to disassemble. Took the lock apart, and then I found out that the change cam on the second wheel was out of sync with the other two wheels. When two wheels were unlocked from the hubs so they could be changed, the other one was locked, and vice versa.
So now you know to always check that the lock operates properly with a combination BEFORE you manipulate!
Gordon