I'm hoping to get some help here opening my father's safe. I have the combo, but apparently not the right sequence. It's an older Sears safe with a Yale combo lock that says G4 on it. It has a lever next to the dial.
Well, it sounds like you don't have the combo. We don't discuss safe opening techniques in the open forums, and even if we did, you wouldn't have the skill to open it, as it takes a long time to develop. That's why they're called "safes" and not "cartons."
"Reverse the obvious and the truth will present itself." - Carl Jung
If all you're looking for is dialing instructions check out Sargent and Greenleaf's instructions for changing a combo. If that doesn't work and you suspect the numbers are out of sequence rearrange them. It doesn't take long to work through all possible combinations of 3 or 4 numbers. If neither of these work call up a safe tech.
I've always found dialing safes difficult. If I remember right it goes.
Rotate 4 times CCW to the first number.
Rotate CW 2 times past and then to the second number.
Rotate CCW 1 time past and then to the third number.
Rotate CW till the dial stops.
Turn the handle.
THANKS to those of you who tried to help and offer ideas. I finally called several locksmiths in our area. One of them talked me through it over the phone for no charge. Turns out the safe's just a bit temperamental. I needed to do a little "jiggling" to find the final "drop" spot. Anyway, that locksmith will get all my future business!
As far as I know it could have been a slipped wheel, a bad combo change, the lock being dirty, or needed lubrication. It really doesnt matter. If it doesnt work perfectly every time, it needs to be serviced. Its a lot cheaper to service a safe then a lockout.
Great advice about getting the safe serviced. We're deciding between that and just getting rid of it and putting the contents in a safety deposit box in the bank. Dad has Alzheimers Disease and probably won't be able to work a safe much longer anyway. Anyway, thanks again. I'll look y'all up again if I ever decide to get into lock picking.
Lntscott wrote:Great advice about getting the safe serviced. We're deciding between that and just getting rid of it and putting the contents in a safety deposit box in the bank. Dad has Alzheimers Disease and probably won't be able to work a safe much longer anyway. Anyway, thanks again. I'll look y'all up again if I ever decide to get into lock picking.
THANKS to those of you who tried to help and offer ideas. I finally called several locksmiths in our area. One of them talked me through it over the phone for no charge. Turns out the safe's just a bit temperamental. I needed to do a little "jiggling" to find the final "drop" spot. Anyway, that locksmith will get all my future business! 
