How to pick my 3 dial lock box?

[COMMANDOLOCKUSA]

lockbox dials.JPG

I know it looks simple but then again, I've never been accused of being a rocket scientist...

My dad's old box with a 3 dial lock. I forgot the combination and my shimming attempts only scratch the paint. I know you gents can help me!


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Thanks!

Patrick

[MBI]

Sit in front of the TV. Start dialing. You can make it through a thousand possible combinations before the first show is over.

[xeo]

Try tugging on it as if you were opening it to provide tension and feel for binding maybe? This works on some master combo locks I have had my hands on. Set them all to 0. Check the middle one for binding, if it is loose, move the first one to 1 then check the 2nd one again for binding. Repeat until the 2nd one becomes binding then keep moving the 2nd one until the 3rd one binds.

[COMMANDOLOCKUSA]

Quick note: I couldn't feel any flat spots on the bar that holds the dials, nor were there any marks on the dials to indicate a starting position.

With pressure, when I rotate up it is tougher to move than when I rotate down. I'll work both techniques in front of YouTube!

[dicey]

That's a really cool box mate!

I would try one of those peterson mini knife tools to decode it. I just ordered myself one to try it myself.

[COMMANDOLOCKUSA]

I can fit a .010 shim on the side and I'll try to rotate while feeling for a flat? I just watched Bosnianbill's video decoding a word combo lock and although he didn't get to use his knife tool, I see what it looks like. (thanks Riyame for the link)

[GWiens2001]

On some of those combo locks, there is a gate on the inner edge of the wheel. On those particular ones, I put a 90 degree bend in a short section of 'E' string from a guitar, and use that to find the gate. Either that or the shim method if the gate is not directly below the wheel.

Once you find all three gates, try turning all the dials one number each until you find out where the gates need to line up.

Good luck!

Gordon

[GilaGuy]

Sit in front of the TV. Start dialing. You can make it through a thousand possible combinations before the first show is over.

This. I did the same with an old briefcase which I had forgotten the combination to. Dialing goes really fast, and you probably won't even have to get through all of the numbers (unless your combination is 999).

[rai]

did the briefcase have a thumb button to open it when you got to the right number,
you can tension that lock through the thumb button you know and with tension, you can feel your way through it in the dark or a darkened tv room.

[GringoLocksmith]

Sitting in front of the TV would be my preferred method for a three-digit combo if I didn't know exactly where to find my shim. When there are only three digits, you have 900 possible combinations (999 less 99). On average, you'll have to go through 450 combinations before hitting on the right one. If you figure on one combination per second, that's 7 1/2 minutes. Just be careful not to go ripping through them so fast that you pass the right combination.

Now, if it's a four-digit combination, the calculation changes a bit.

ETA - Actually, that's wrong. I forgot about 000 through 099. 1000 possible combinations, average time to open 8:20.

[GilaGuy]

did the briefcase have a thumb button to open it when you got to the right number,
you can tension that lock through the thumb button you know and with tension, you can feel your way through it in the dark or a darkened tv room.

Yes, it did. But, this was many years ago before I really knew anything about locks (not that I'm that much better now, LOL), so I just used the brute force method.

[COMMANDOLOCKUSA]

I confess, with all the kid stuff we had going on this weekend, I haven't had a chance to break the code on this little box yet. Tomorrow morning I plan to do so with coffee in hand. Don't worry, I'll still have time to make locks.

This box doesn't have any lever to tension it. I was able to add tension by prying it open slightly with my fingers. I noticed that when I rotate the dials up (so that the numbers count down when I rotate), it is more difficult to turn the dials.

I did feel an area where it was harder to turn but I couldn't put it on an exact number. I'll shim it open with a little more pressure and see if I can isolate a number more accurately.

I'll update tomorrow and promise I won't use a hammer...yet.

[Oldfast]

Think everyone has pretty much covered the bases... so not much left to say.
But I HAVE been keepin' an eye on this thread anxiously awaiting an opening

Certainly a neat little box and it looks to be in great shape.