As a security enthusiast/hobbyist, I've been interested in all kinds of locks for a while now (got intersted a few DEFCONs ago when I got to pick my first lock). I've got a lockpick set, etc., but don't practice nearly as much as I should to be "good". Really I'm interested in knowing how things work so I can be more secure, and because I'm curious and lockpicking is just cool.
This week I got a pretty rare opportunity for someone who isn't a professional locksmith nor a criminal: crack a safe. Here is the story:
The company I work(ed) for sold all of it's assets (
http://www.networkphysics.com/company/news/press.shtml) and we are moving out of a building they've been in for about 7 years. While cleaning up one of the cubes, we found a safe buried under a bunch of old equipment. After consulting with some of the guys that have been there since the beginning, I learned that the safe was used to store draft patent materials and notebooks, and hasn't been opened for many years. The lead engineer who was in charge of the safe lost the combination and no one else is left who might have a clue about what it is.
Recognizing an opportunity, I asked more about what they plan to do with the safe and if I could play around with it a bit. I was told I can do whatever I want with it as long as it doesn't cause damage to the building, and I'm welcome to try to open it with whatever means necessary (they don't even care about what is in it, and don't mind if it is destroyed).
Here are the details about the safe:
It is a Sentry "Media Safe" Model 6750. It has a combination dial that is very stiff to turn (much stiffer than I would have guessed). I can't find anything about this model on the Intarwebs, but I haven't spent more than 30 minutes digging for info. The safe is fairly large, about 17"W x 20"xH 22.5"D. (I'll post pics on my site if anyone wants to see them).
After doing a little research (
http://home.howstuffworks.com/safecracking.htm), I decided that I'd like to try to open the safe elegantly without destroying it if possible. Since I didn't want to spend hours and hours at the office fiddling with it, I loaded it into my car (with a little help), and it is now sitting in the middle of my living room (my wife is a little annoyed but I promised her it won't be there for long).
After repeatedly reading the above article, I've attempted to listen/feel for clicks indicating contact points, but I haven't been successful at all. I even borrowed my wife's stethoscope and listened to the area around the dial with little to no difference.
At this point, I don't really know what else to try. I know that as a total amateur and a cut-rate hack, the professionals on this list will probably scold me for not calling a locksmith or getting a serious book, etc., but I don't really want to invest dollars and days of time into this project. If I can't figure out an elegant way to open this thing, I will attempt brute force methods (it has been a long time since I've made thermite, but if it comes to that, I'll do it).
I considered simply following the Sentry instructions for getting a lost combination (send them a notarized letter and pay a small fee), but I've decided that would be cheating (but it is certainly what I would do if anyone wanted what was in the safe or if anyone cared if it was destroyed or not).
So, any suggestions? Tomorrow I might hook a microphone up to my laptop and see if I can identify the contact points by taping the mic to the safe and watching the audio on a sound meter as I turn the dial.
This is a really cool once in a lifetime chance for a total hobbyist/amateur to legitimately crack a safe, and I'd like to take advantage of it, but have only a limited amount of time and resources.
Thanks in advance for anything you suggest.
--jed
