Dong Bang Safe

I managed to buy another locked safe in this TradeMe auction for 30$NZ. This one might work out to be quite a nice challenge.

The safe has a key lock and a combination dial, but no handle. I don't have either the key or the combination.

The manufacturer label came off the dial when I moved the safe:

The label indicates it is from Dong Band Safe Manufacture Co., Seoul. Korea (fantastic name). It is quite small (48cm x 37cm x 38cm) and I can carry it around (less than 30kg). I don't think there is anything in it since nothing rattles or falls around when I turn it over.

Turning the dial I can feel it picking up three wheels. The last wheel adds quite a bit of friction. I can't feel any cam gate, which would indicate that the lever nose (see picture below) is held above the drive cam by the key locking mechanism. This means that the key lock has to be picked first in order to have a go at the combination lock.

This picture is from http://www.crypto.com/papers/safelocks.pdf

I will have a go at it this weekend and post if I make any progress.

Closer inspection of the safe

The safe is 50cm wide, 70cm high and 51cm deep. At the top left it says in golden letters:

Herring Hall Marvin Safe Co.
Hamilton Ohio

At the bottom of the door there is a sticker with the same information:

Underneath that there is a plaque that says:

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc
Inspected
Locking Device
Group 1 No 114275

On the top hinge is a serial number:

15542

The combination dial has 100 positions, the knob shows HHM (for the make).

Right from the dial are two drill holes. Drilling into the locking mechanism is a common way of opening a safe. The combination disks can be aligned visually or the opening triggered manually. For this reason some safes have cobalt plates embedded near the lock which is very difficult to drill and requires specialised equipment.

The right hole is only shallow. The left one is about 40mm deep but does not penetrate the locking mechanism. I don't think these holes were successfully used to open the safe.

In the base of the safe a section has been cut out. The outer hull has been cut away, the insulation (concrete) has been removed. Another metal layer beyond that has been cut out and bend to the side. Behind that there is a sheet of metal, which in my opinion, has been put there from the inside to close the hole.

I think somebody got into the safe this way and probably managed to unlock the safe through this hole from the inside. This means if there were any drawers or compartments in there, these would have been damaged in the process. Of course I don't know when that happened, but I don't think I will find great treasures (maybe a business card from a locksmith).
This is the safes weakest point at the moment. The metal sheet could easily be cut away.

The safe arrives

Today the safe was delivered by the seller. It was easier to move than I expected, due to wheels that allow it been pushed sideways. I estimate the weight top be somewhere between 100 and 200kg. I could easily manoeuvre it into the basement.

My first impression is that it looks better than on the pictures. For some reasons the safes surface appears rusty on the photos.


I am publishing more photos of the safe here:
Safe Photos

The seller told me that he bought the safe in an household auction after the owner died in a car accident. The drill marks next to the dial and the cut marks in the base were already there when he acquired the safe.

The make of the safe as stated on it is:
Herring Hall Marvin Safe Co Hamilton Ohio