Need help with a Yale lock on safe

[Kingman]

Alright here is my situation: I have a 3 foot by 3 foot safe with a Yale Lock on it which will not open. It is my understanding the lock is a 4 number combination. Would you believe I even have the combo and still can't get it open? Does anyone know the secret to this?

I was told this is how that particular combination should be entered

5-R
4-L
3-R
2-L

Can someone give me a hand? Thanks!

[Kingman]

Ok maybe i need to clarify: The first # is entered 5 times and turned to the Right, secon # is entered 4 times and turned to the Left and so on...I'll give you the combo and maybe you can tell me what i'm doing wrong:

First #10 5-R
Sec #20 4-L
3rd #30 3-R
4th #40 4-L

Obviously i'm a NOOB and don't have much experience here but someone has got to know how this safe is suppose to open! Maybe there is a way to tell if the combo has been changed by someone? I've searched and haven't found anything. Please help!

[iworathong]

this isnt safecracking 101 but even so if you bought it from someone get your money back in my opnion but if you really want it open call someone who has lotsa experience with safe locks or drilling em. maybe call a local locksmith and ask if he/she services safes or if he/she can refrence you to a person who does

[Buggs41]

You are correct in the number of rotations. Try them the other way. The handing of the door might be just the opposite of what you've described.

[hzatorsk]

Yale made a lot of different locks. Many were: 4R, 3L, 2R, 1L

After dialing the last digit... generally you'll reverse direction and turn the dial to retract the bold and/or turn a seperate handle or knob.

We can point you to the manufacturer's dialing instructions if you can give us more detail on the lock, age, container and type of throw, etc. The model of the lock itself would do wonders and a 'pic' wouldn't be unreasonable.

Cheers

[hzatorsk]

Yale made a lot of different locks. Many were: 4R, 3L, 2R, 1L

After dialing the last digit... generally you'll reverse direction and turn the dial to retract the bold and/or turn a seperate handle or knob.

We can point you to the manufacturer's dialing instructions if you can give us more detail on the lock, age, container and type of throw, etc. The model of the lock itself would do wonders and a 'pic' wouldn't be unreasonable.

Cheers

[Kingman]

Ok maybe i need to clarify: The first # is entered 5 times and turned to the Right, secon # is entered 4 times and turned to the Left and so on...I'll give you the combo and maybe you can tell me what i'm doing wrong:

First #10 5-R
Sec #20 4-L
3rd #30 3-R
4th #40 2-L

Obviously i'm a NOOB and don't have much experience here but someone has got to know how this safe is suppose to open! Maybe there is a way to tell if the combo has been changed by someone? I've searched and haven't found anything. Please help!

[Kingman]

Its an old Yale lock on a E.R. Morse Safe Co. from Boston that isn't in business anymore. The lock has to be at least 60 years old. So that would make it from somewhere in the 1940's. It has a dial in the middle going up to 90 numbers with a handle/knob to the left about 6 inches. When turning the dial it seems to be giving me tension but only certain times and not really on specific numbers.

I understand this isn't safepicking 101 but i cannot get into the advanced topic section which deals with safes (for obsvious reasons).

[MrB]

Maybe you are not entrering the combination correctly? Have you followed hzatorsk's suggestion? In other words, try entering the combination as four turns to the right, three turns to the left, twice to the right, once to the left. As you enter the last digit you should fill a kind of click as the mechanism engages, and then there will be some resistance as you turn the dial to retract the bolt. Also, to be really sure the lock is properly reset before you start, spin the dial to the right more than four or five times.

Note also, that you don't technically enter each number of the combination two, three or four times. What you do is turn the dial back past the last number you entered three times, twice or once before entering the next number. And for the very last number, you don't necessarily make a full turn of the dial at all. After entering the second last number, you just reverse direction and turn until you get to the last number.

[Kingman]

Thank you very much Mr. B for your help and to all the others that posted replies as well. I will post back when i try again.