Slammed the door to my gun safe like an idiot...

Amps are a product of resistance and voltage, E=IxR. You have no choice on this planet but to increase the voltage on a coil to increase the amps and thus increase the mechanical power.

For a short period of time. And by someone who understands this.
 
While safes are a good idea, one that breaks something when you slam the door, isn't.
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Safes are designed to break when exposed to force, which is the entire point. The safe doesn't know the difference between you slamming the door, and a bad guy smacking it with a sledge hammer, or flipping it on its back to begin to pry on it.

quality safes have a key over ride once you remove the face of the digi-pad.
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It's actually just the opposite. Quality safes use UL rated locks, which precludes any type of over ride. A redundant lock is about as close as you will get while still maintaining a UL rating.
 
Amps are a product of resistance and voltage, E=IxR. You have no choice on this planet but to increase the voltage on a coil to increase the amps and thus increase the mechanical power.

But on this planet when a solenoid kicks on it has a strong tendency to DROOP the battery voltage, thus reducing the amps; hence the CORRECT statements by G_P that using an external PS with say 15amp capacity might help ( instead of 4pc aaa batts, clip in 4pc D cells for same result), but doubling the voltage will likely fry some electronics in the lock - remember, the batts arre not tied directly to the solenoid, but to the microprossessor and transistors and ICs CONTROLLING the solenoid too.

Now 10%-15% higher voltage for very short period should be ok... so if this were tried, I would use 5 D cells instead of 4 for instance, but certainly not 8. A locksmith who took lock off and got access to the disconnected solenoid wires directly - that's different and I would hit it with 3-4x rated voltage. But the electronics MUST be not connected.
 
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If that circuit was designed to pluse the solenoid and not hold voltage as it should be then its most likely a cap discharge circuit that will not drop voltage on a pluse. Increasing voltage is the only way to increase mechanical power. But I would call the manufacturer and discuss this before I tried it.
 
This is why proper diagnostics by a professional is worthwhile. If the lock is not opening due to pressure, it will not open by increasing the power, or tinkering with it. The only way to get the lock open is to decrease the pressure against it.

If you start messing with the lock, you may cause a new problem that you do not currently have. More problems equal more holes in your safe, and certainly equals more money.
 
I don't think he should tinker with it. As already suggested, call the manufacturer and or find someone who knows the design of the lock.
 
A BIG thank you to a1abdj and shortwave! I do appreciate all of the other helpful responses too, but I did exactly what those two suggested and IT WORKED. A 4x4 just shy of the length of the door and a ratcheting strap top and bottom around the whole safe and cranked down really tight allowed the stuck bolts to free up enough to release. You guys saved my butt!

Any automotive questions I can help with. PM me. I'm more than happy to return the favor.
 
So - don't keep us in suspense...

Is it back to working order or did you just manage to open the door?
Did you find out what was causing the problem?
 
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. There was a box of ammo at the bottom right where the single bottom bolt goes down, but the upper and lower "adjusters" for the closing side bolts were tweaked as well. I can't see how the 4x4 trick would have worked if it was the ammo (no marks on the plastic box) and after getting everything adjusted it really wasn't that far out of whack. All I know is the handle was tight as hell before cinching down the ratchets, and it got a little easier the tighter I cinched that block of wood. It opened right up with the code when I figured it was sufficiently loosened up. I've tried it several times since and it works like a champ!
 
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Might be worth mentioning...

When my buddy called about his safe, the first thing I asked him was where the operating manual for the safe was at? It was locked in the safe....so he wouldn't loose it. :rolleyes:

Made a suggestion to him to find another place for it for 'safe' keeping. :D
 
Now that you have access to the safe, I would check the inside of the door (Remove the panel) and make sure nothing looks bent or shaved.

Glad you got it opened.
 
Just now caught the thread -- awesome that you got out of this jam unscathed! I'll bet you sweated off a few pounds worrying over this debacle!
(oh yeah, can't believe I'm the first to say it... but nice socks in the picture, man! :p)

Anyway, though the problem is solved, I have to make a comment on something brought up earlier:
While safes are a good idea, one that breaks something when you slam the door, isn't.
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Safes are designed to break when exposed to force, which is the entire point. The safe doesn't know the difference between you slamming the door, and a bad guy smacking it with a sledge hammer, or flipping it on its back to begin to pry on it.
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I'll have to second the motion on this one. On my former safe (which I sold to a good friend when I had to move) began to act up a bit (manual S&G dial lock), I got really familiar with the inside of it and I got a -very- good look at the re-locker and the fragile little plate and the awfully strong spring loading the re-locker pin. This entire little gizmo set-up was specifically designed to lock the safe up CLEAN AND DONE if it gets assaulted by some kind of drilling.

In looking at how it is designed... YEAH, I would not (at all!) recommend you violently slam the (ungodly heavy) vault door for any reason. But the point is... don't call your safe "weak" or "fragile" if it doesn't want to have it's heaviest moving part violently slammed shut.

The parts inside there truly are designed to shut down and lock up under assault. That's not "weakness", that's inherent security and defense from attack that's designed in to the safe.

Now then, OP, since you DID get out of this jam...

Why don'tcha share with us why in the heck you got mad enough to slam the door on your safe... with all your favorite stuff inside it?! :confused::eek: :p

If I ever did that, I'd probably break my left wrist because I changed my mind about slamming it -- and I'd stick my stinkin' hand in there to stop it from happening. :o
 
(oh yeah, can't believe I'm the first to say it... but nice socks in the picture, man! )
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Well Sevens...I saw those as well in the reflection of the safe door but didn't want to kick a 'feller ' when he was down. :D

Had another friend of mine stop by the house years ago with a medium size safe(not a specific 'gun safe') in the back of his pickup. The safe had come from his fathers ( then, recently deceased) house. Nobody had the combination and the family wanted it opened. He wanted me to use the plasma cutter or torch and cut the thing open. Being a long time friend of mine and having gone to his dads funeral, I knew the safe was legit and had no problem helping him with it.

But was NOT going to use heat on it.

I told him I wouldn't do it cause he couldn't assure me of what was inside. I had concerns of using any kind of heat to open it. He thought I was speaking of damaging the possible valuables inside(money, important papers, jewelry, etc). While the valuables were a concern and I could not guarantee their safety, I was more worried about the possibility of something explosive being in the safe.

People store all kinds of things in safes and you just never know. To burn into any safe without knowing its contents can be risky business. Setting off a jug of gun powder or something else explosive inside a safe could surely ruin your day. :eek:

We ended up using a die grinder with a carbide cutoff wheel, hole saw and a sawzall. Ended up, nothing explosive inside.
 
Well talk about cliff hangers shortwave.
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Sorry bout that ChasingWT91. :D

Sometimes we see guys in the movies on TV cutting into safes using torch's. In real life that could be very bad mojo.

Just wanted to get it out there that in case someone is ever in the same situation...stop and think before firing up the torch. Could be anything from a can of Zippo lighter fluid inside to C-4. Enclosed in an all steel safe could = a rather violent explosion. :eek:

Ya just never know.
 
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