How would you open a safe with conventional tools?

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 14:59

As title. No damaging what's inside. You can assume things like coins, paper money, important documents and all the top limited edition snacks which are no longer being produced. Real contents will be announced in the near future (i know what's inside but telling would ruin the fun)

To your disposal you have standard DIY tools and anything you can buy from the shops for up to £278. Bonus points for methods which would open the safe quickly.

At the risk of ruining the fun in the thread: the safe is not stolen, It is our office's accounts department safe. About a month ago it decided that our key no longer fit in the safe (after operating happily for decades). We have tried drilling the lock mechanism and various other things like getting lock smiths and such out.

Getting it open isn't hard but time consuming. We are almost done with getting into it but its taken quite a bit of my colleague's time.

So what would you do differently if you had to get it open?

Not after advice in this thread but rather want to provoke creative methods. I imagine the safe will have a large hole in it by the end of the day, if the thread is still alive, i will announce the contents with pics. If my colleague gives up, then I will announce the contents early.

peterwalkley · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:03

How tall is your office building ? mavity ..... no tools required.

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:04

https://www.reddit.com/r/WhatsInThisThing/

Lord-Jaffa · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:04

What I first do is ask how old the safe is, then pending on that knowledge, I wouldnt go smashing the top/sides of it off, seeing as how it could potentially be lined with asbestos or have asbestos rope.

Have fun

Ayahuasca · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:07

Open console and type unlock.

Bobbypins if I want a challenge.

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:07

Lord-Jaffa said:
What I first do is ask how old the safe is, then pending on that knowledge, I wouldnt go smashing the top/sides of it off, seeing as how it could potentially be lined with asbestos or have asbestos rope.

Have fun

The picture shows its lined with 3" of concrete. It is about 30 years i would say

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:07

maybe have some fun with a small amount of thermite to begin with - not an excessive amount but enough to cause some damage/weaken the safe... then go to town with that chisel/drill etc... (I'd probably be attacking the door rather than the top tbh..)

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:08

peterwalkley said:
How tall is your office building ? mavity ..... no tools required.

3 stories and it was the first thing we tried. Carpark now a bit dodge lol

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:09

dowie said:
maybe have some fun with a small amount of thermite to begin with - not an excessive amount but enough to cause some damage/weaken the safe... then go to town with that chisel/drill etc... (I'd probably be attacking the door rather than the top tbh..)

Door is solid steel, so not an option.

I have offered some thermite but there is now way we can use it without burning the contents. The smallest amount required would still need to melt through

panthro · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:10

Thermite on the lock.

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:10

you could always try some amateur lock picking...

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:11

Avenged7Fold said:
I have offered some thermite but there is now way we can use it without burning the contents. The smallest amount required would still need to melt through

why would it need to melt through?

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:11

panthro said:
Thermite on the lock.

That would just break the lock not unseal it. Unsealing with thermite isn't an option for the reasons mentioned before

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:12

dowie said:
why would it need to melt through?

How would thermite get in without melting the steel?

Also i am a deft hand when it comes to lock picking but this is no normal lock. If we can free the key later, i will post it.

Ayahuasca · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:12

Avenged7Fold said:
How would thermite get in without melting the steel?

Just use jet fuel instead.

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:13

Avenged7Fold said:
How would thermite get in without melting the steel?

but you don't want the thermite to get in do you... it would burn the contents

Rroff · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:14

Ayahuasca said:
Just use jet fuel instead.

Oh you didn't...

Avenged7Fold · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:15

dowie said:
but you don't want the thermite to get in do you... it would burn the contents

Like i said, thermite not an option. An amount used to open it would be enough to burn the contents. The paper inside would burn before the steel would melt through, just because of how quick the safe and its contents would heat up.

SciNeT · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:16

Get this guy to do it. Found this fascinating :

dowie · 13 Nov 2015 at 15:17

Avenged7Fold said:
Like i said, thermite not an option. An amount used to open it would be enough to burn the contents. The paper inside would burn before the steel would melt through, just because of how quick the safe and its contents would heat up.

but I'm not suggesting melting all the way through with it - I've already pointed out that would burn the contents :confused:

if you're hammering away at the top you could weaken the top too with it - a small amount covering a small surface area not sufficient to melt all the way through isn't going to turn the safe into an oven - you could create weak spots that way and then smash your way in