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Two Classic Books

PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2014 4:54 am
by escher7
Since we have had a reference to an historic book, I thought I would provide two more fascinating works:

1. Handcuff Secrets - Houdini
This book deals not only with handcuffs but other matters such as safes (of the old kind). He describes a brilliant way of detecting gates by gutting a pocket watch, attaching one gear to the bolt lever and thus amplifying the movements onto the watch dial.
Unfortunately the only download I could find for free was on the Scribt site which requires you to upload one of your own books for every download. (Google the title and the Scribt site is first)

2. Houdini refers to the Price book as the only complete book on lockpicking at the time. A classic, it is available on Google books for free download.

"Price on Thief and Fireproof Depositories and Locks and Keys,Wolverhampton, 1855"

Link: http://books.google.ca/books/about/A_tr ... edir_esc=y

Re: Two Classic Books

PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2014 6:37 am
by GWiens2001
escher7 wrote: He describes a brilliant way of detecting gates by gutting a pocket watch, attaching one gear to the bolt lever and thus amplifying the movements onto the watch dial.
Unfortunately the only download I could find for free was on the Scribt site which requires you to upload one of your own books for every download. (Google the title and the Scribt site is first)\


Makes me think of using a disc brake rotor runout gauge. Use it to check for variations of hundredths of a millimeter or thousandths of an inch. Guessing this is referring to a direct entry fence.

Gordon

Re: Two Classic Books

PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 12:23 am
by escher7
You are right Gordon. The safe is one of the old ones where the bolt puts pressure on the tumblers when the handle is turned. Interestingly, Houdini calls his clock thingy a micrometer, although it is more like a dial indicator. He also says the indicator is so accurate that even false gates are no problem. He sets up the gears so that there is a major gear ratio so that even the slightest movement is amplified and shows up.