Is safe work really worth it?

[AlwaysLearningDavid]

Don't worry, I won't go into the details of safe cracking here. I'm really just wondering if people who do it find it worth while.

I mean it's much more difficult than cars, requires lots of expensive equipment, is a major financial liability, costs you your back's health, and has very little work to go around.

From the work I've done it seems like it's easy and takes no time so the customer is upset how much it costs. OR it takes a long time and they're upset how long it takes.

Oh, AND good luck if you get a nosy customer that wants to look over your shoulder and you need to explain "No, you can't watch. I need to protect my trade secrets."

I've been legit yelled at for that.

Then add in relockers, glass relockers, tear gas, hard plates, broken drill bits, figuring out orientation, and fishing around a hole to work.

That just seems to add up to "screw that!"

[billdeserthills]

I hear ya, and even though I only open a handful of safes every year, on average it does pay for itself. You have to consider the cost of reference material, the tools and the replacement inventory needed in order to do a good job. When I started out opening safes, I didn't have a good drill rig, or a borescope & it was hard work for little pay. Most clients expect an estimate before their safe is opened & that can be a tough question for a newby to answer accurately. I thought I would get by with my national lock book on safes, but that idea didn't last long before I ran into a picture of my safe on the wrong page in my book-- I spent hours swiss cheesing a floor safe, before the poor thing gave up. After that I realized I needed a borescope

One thing I've noticed is starter borescope prices have fallen from the high prices I paid years ago
You can buy reference materials about just the types of safes you want to begin opening. For example Dave McOmie has a good book about just floor safes or gun safes & a couple about antique safes

I have a mini rig, and it works so well I can often use the same hardplate drill bit 2-4 times--
I could never do that free hand or even with a bar style drill rig

[AlwaysLearningDavid]

Yeah, I tried free hand once.

ONCE.

[billdeserthills]

Yeah, I tried free hand once.

ONCE.

I started out laying on top of my drill cause I was too poor for a real drill rig
Lost a lot of good hardplate bits goofing around-- they won't take much abuse

Fortunately I stacked up a pile of them over the years, cause some are really getting costly

[Safecrackin Sammy]

Ummmm.... Its supposed to be more difficult than cars.... The problem is the general public doesnt understand that... They think a safe tech and a car tech are one and the same.

It depends on the market/area of the country that you are in. Rural, less densely populated areas obviously dont have the volume of need as a metro area. It may be that where you are there is not enough demand for services taking into account shops already doing that type of work.

Remember you always have to price your job time to make a profit. Sometimes that is hard when your learning both the trade and types of safes in your region.

If its worth it is up to you. If you invest in the training and equipment you have to charge enough to make a reasonable profit. And find avenues to generate jobs. Referrals, advertising, word of mouth, accounts, etc.

[MartinHewitt]

I have seen three kinds of safe businesses.

1) A locksmith who is doing locksmith stuff and also opening safes by drilling and offering safe services. (services means e.g. replacement of locks)
2) A safe dealer who is also offering safe opening and services.
3) A specialized safe technician who is opening high security safes by drilling or manipulation.

For all of these it is certainly worth it here, but that depends on how many guys are around able to do the job.

In the city where I live there a very high density of hair dressers. I have been told it is one of the highest in Germany. I can't imagine how they can live from their work.

[cledry]

Manipulation is not cost effective in most cases. We are locksmiths who "dabble" in safes, perhaps one opening every 2 weeks. I must admit often we are not elegant. Sise punching etc.

We also subcontract a safe guy who refuses to drill a hole much larger that 1/8" I went on a call with him. I could have been in with a 1/4" hole in about 15 minutes, he took 1.5 hours with a 5/32" hole. Not sure who is more professional.

[demux]

I could have been in with a 1/4" hole in about 15 minutes, he took 1.5 hours with a 5/32" hole. Not sure who is more professional.

Depends, I suppose, on the preferences of the client. If someone specifically wants minimal damage and is willing to pay the time/effort premium for that, that's certainly his choice. If he wants the job done quickly and for minimal cost and is OK with slightly more damage, so is that. I suspect most people would fall under the latter category, with perhaps the former reserved for safes that have some sentimental value as well...

[billdeserthills]

I could have been in with a 1/4" hole in about 15 minutes, he took 1.5 hours with a 5/32" hole. Not sure who is more professional.

Depends, I suppose, on the preferences of the client. If someone specifically wants minimal damage and is willing to pay the time/effort premium for that, that's certainly his choice. If he wants the job done quickly and for minimal cost and is OK with slightly more damage, so is that. I suspect most people would fall under the latter category, with perhaps the former reserved for safes that have some sentimental value as well...

Personally speaking, I like to keep my holes under the dial ring, so what possible difference would a smaller hole make?

[MartinHewitt]

The size of the hole can make a difference with the insurance, but 5/32 and 1/4 makes most likely no difference. 1/2" would probably be a problem in Germany.

[MartinHewitt]

As I now have a proper keyboard:

The certification of a safe is relevant for the possible insurance. The maximum size of a hole which can be drilled and stuffed that does not invalidate the certificate is defined somewhere. I think it is around 8 or 10 mm. (As I don't drill I don't have to know this.) So if it is below that it can be repaired and if it is above that you need to buy a new safe. For me 1/4" hole is a perfectly sized hole which is on the good side of hole sizes and allows tools and endoscopes to fit in.

[cledry]

As I now have a proper keyboard:

The certification of a safe is relevant for the possible insurance. The maximum size of a hole which can be drilled and stuffed that does not invalidate the certificate is defined somewhere. I think it is around 8 or 10 mm. (As I don't drill I don't have to know this.) So if it is below that it can be repaired and if it is above that you need to buy a new safe. For me 1/4" hole is a perfectly sized hole which is on the good side of hole sizes and allows tools and endoscopes to fit in.

I have never met a safe tech that didn't drill.

[MartinHewitt]

It is not my main job and here are enough guys who drill. The nearest guy, I know, who can open with and without drilling, is 2 hours away.

[cledry]

It is not my main job and here are enough guys who drill. The nearest guy, I know, who can open with and without drilling, is 2 hours away.

Even guys who manipulate have to drill on occasion. For example electronic safes or a relocker issue.

[billdeserthills]

It is not my main job and here are enough guys who drill. The nearest guy, I know, who can open with and without drilling, is 2 hours away.

Even guys who manipulate have to drill on occasion. For example electronic safes or a relocker issue.

On the last safe I drilled open, the middle wheel was turning freely, I'd like to see someone manipulate it--
I had to turn it into position with an icepick, as the spindle wouldn't move it