Safecracking challenge

[unixronin]

Tangentially related to the previous post ...

About seven years ago now, we were given a safe.  Manufactured by the York Safe Company, it is (very) approximately a thirty-inch cube, weighs a couple of hundred pounds, and bears two markings besides the manufacturer's name: a serial number, 15246, on a metal plate affixed to the right side of the safe, and a sticker which may be a model number, R-2741, on a hinge just above the serial number plate.  (The sticker may not be original, and may not necessarily convey anything useful at all regarding the safe.  It could be an asset tag, for instance.)

The catch:  The combination to the safe is unknown.  The safe was given to us by a second party, which whom it was left by a third party, who moved to Alaska and left no forwarding address or contact information.  The condition was, "If you manage to get it open, and there's any identifiable documents or instruments in there that can be traced back to their owner, do your best to return them.  Anything else is yours."

Frankly, mostly, we're interested in having the safe usable.  Anything valuable that should turn out to be inside is gravy.  But first, we need to get it open — and do so non-destructively.  We've talked to locksmiths; drilling it probably isn't an option, since it may have asbestos insulation, and they want $60 per hour to crack it with a dialling robot, with a three-hour minimum and a probable cost of at least $300 to get it open.  For $300, we could buy a new, fire-rated safe.

But, we know many geeks!  So ... any of you ever built a safecracking robot?  Know anyone who's built one or has one?  Could we borrow it, for a share in any resulting loot?  Any other ideas?  We've tried opening it by manipulation, without success, and tried all reasonably probable combinations we can think of derived from that R-2741 sticker just on hthe off chance.  There's enough roughness and play in the mechanism that manipulation does not seem feasible.

So here's our challenge.  If you can successfully help us get the safe open, resulting in a usable safe, we'll give you a fair share in whatever (if anything) it may turn out to contain.  (Over and above providing food, beverages and entertainment for the attempt.)

Anyone up for it?

Update:

I've actually just gone and measured the safe instead of relying on memory of its size.  My "very approximate" 30-inch cube estimate was rather more approximate than I realized.  Actual dimensions of the safe are approximately 27" high by 21" wide by 20" deep, not counting protruding parts.

Comments

[bfudlmint.livejournal.com]

Two major questions:
How many numbers are there?
Do you know the combination scheme?

The combo scheme for master locks is twice around clockwise to the first number. once around counterclockwise then the second number, straight to the third number.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

We do not know for certain how many discs the lock has. As far as I can determine by feel, it APPEARS to be a three-disc lock (therefore, three numbers). The dial is, as usual, calibrated from 1 to 100, but probably has at most 50 functionally distinct positions. We don't known whether it has a L-R-L or R-L-R combination scheme.

[guppiecat]

Have you used a stethoscope to identify where the tumblers may be?

Also, be aware that some safes have larger "bins" than the dial would indicate. For example, if a combo is 1-16-50, a combo of 2-15-49 may also open it.

Also, check out http://www.textfiles.com/anarchy/LOCKPICKING/

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

We've tried stethoscoping it. The lock is so rattly we found it impossible to gain any useful information from it; there seemed to be something like 8 or 9 possible bin positions, and we tried all combinations of them without success.

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

If the safe is a 30" cube, that's...large. Large enough, in fact, that I'd question my assumption that the combination only has three numbers.

Perhaps it may have four?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, I did say that was very approximate. Spurred by the question, though, I've just gone out to the garage and actually measured it again instead of relying on approximate memory guesstimation. The actual dimensions are approximately 27" tall, by 21" wide, by 20" deep, not counting protruding parts.

talk to these guys

[andrewh.livejournal.com]

http://web.mit.edu/kvogt/www/safecracker.html

Step 1: Contact students at MIT who crafted the above device.
Step 2: Purchase cases of beer.
Step 3: Invite students (and robot) to Merrimack for consumption of beer and cracking of safe.

/Andrew

Re: talk to these guys

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Actually, something like that was exactly the sort of thing I had in mind.

[arasirsul.livejournal.com]

Man, I wish I had more free time these days. This sounds like one hell of a Lego Mindstorms project...

Some thoughts: York Safe and Lock apparently went out of business in the 1940s. Upshot of that is it's almost certain that it's got asbestos in it...

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yup. As mentioned above, that is a definite possibility, and precludes drilling it.

[bfudlmint.livejournal.com]

Have you tried turning the lock to the
left 4 times stopping on 50
right 3 times topping on 25
left 2 times stopping on 50 and right to zero or slightly past zero to open the safe?


50/25/50 is the usual default.

Also does the lock look like it is the same age as the safe or have any other markings?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

There are a number of common default combinations; we tried all the "defaults" we knoew of. I tried that one yesterday, without success, but LJ went down rather than allow me to reply....

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Forgot to add: There are no visible markings on the exterior of the lock. It looks likely to be of the same vintage as the safe.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I've probably watched too many movies, but would the local police department be able to help you?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Probably not. Safecracking is sort of the opposite of their business. ;)

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

Which logically means that they'd be keeping an eye on people who would...

Oh wait.

I just spotted the flaw.

"Logically."

Carry on.