So what was the trick, I just bought a house and it csme with van old safe hidden in a back room, the combo is on the handle but what “sequence” do I need to follow? It’s a herring- hall Marvin safe
Turn the dial at least five full turns to the right.
Stop on the first number of the combination.
Then turn the dial to the left, pass the second number two times and stop the THIRD time the second number comes up.
Then turn the dial to the right, pass the third number once and stop the SECOND time the third number comes up.
Then turn the dial to the left. If you've done it right, the dial should lock up and stop turning somewhere near the zero point before you make a full turn.
Turn handle and open the door.
If the lock has a small silver butterfly-shaped insert in the middle of the dial it's a bit different.
There's no handle to turn on the herring hall Marvin safe I'm trying to open. Will it just click and unlatch at zero?
UGH! I can't get mine to open. I have a small "portable?" safe with HHM dial and just a little knob instead of a handle. the combo is written on the outside in two places, and no matter what method I try I cannot get it to open. the combo is 44, 1, 64, 5. here are some pics of it.
Turn the dial counterclockwise at least four complete revolutions and stop at 44. Then turn it clockwise and stop the third time it gets to 1. Then turn it counterclockwise and stop the second time it gets to 64. Then turn clockwise and the dial should stop turning on its own around number 5. Pull the door open using the little knob.
If the dial indeed locks up and stops turning, the lock itself is open. You may need to pry the door open if it is stuck shut with rust or debris.
If this doesn't work repeat but swap clockwise and counterclockwise throughout.
If the dial doesn't stop on its own you probably don't have the correct combination.
To re-lock, close the door, then spin the dial a few turns opposite the direction that caused it to stop turning. However, once you get it open it might be worthwhile to take it to a locksmith to have the lock inspected and serviced before closing the door. It's far easier and less expensive to work on a safe that is open compared to one that is locked.
Thank you for getting back to me Jay. I have tried this method many times. The dial never stops on it's own. :( Question: how forgiving are these combinations? IE, how much wiggle room is there on the number? can I be off by one in either direction? If I could, then I could try some "trial and error" permutations of the combinations... - are their any common patterns of these? IE, could I reduce the number of different numbers to try if say, the pattern usually had some specified variation between the 1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, etc?
How sure are you that those numbers are indeed the combination? Did it ever work to open the safe?
Typically less than a full number. If the correct number is 44, dialing
43 or 45 won't work. 43 1/2 or 44 1/2 probably will. You could try increasing all numbers by one or decreasing all by one in case the dial ring has slipped.Another thing to try, after dialing the last number, 64, tap the door with a rubber mallet before turning the dial to open, then turn it about
3 numbers, tap again, etc. What's going on inside is a bar (called a "fence") resting on notches (called "gates") in the wheels. You might be able to nudge it into dropping in if something's a bit sticky. Even tapping on the dial with something like a rubberized screwdriver handle might do it. I'm not suggesting "beat on it with a hammer" by any means, use relatively light taps.PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.