If you really don't trust him to touch the box, reach an agreement with him that you won't pay him for the work he has already invested (and wated), let it go at that, and go hire someone whom you do trust to tackle it from scratch. This will cost you more than having him continue to try to deal with it, but you won't be second-guessing him (and yourself).
NG's each have their own local culture which determines how much offtopic discussion folks will tolerate before they start killfiling people. This one's starting to push that boundary. Time to drop it if you want folks to answer your future posts.
The locksmith came back this afternoon and pried around the edge of the door with a little bar, gave the door a couple of whacks with a hammer,then dialed the combination and "click!"
I thought I was never going to see that door open again.
He tells me that the problem was that the "finger" that contacts the metal fist that holds the door closed was slightly too long -- it was pressing against the lock too tightly and wouldn't allow the lock lever to drop and pull that metal fist back to release the door.
A bit of my lovely ASCII art may clarify this as I'm sure that I'm not using anything close to the correct terminology:
------------ | ------ |
------------ | finger fist
Anyway, after opening the door again (WHEW!) he ground that finger down about 1/8" and now everything is running smoothly.
I told him that I feel much better now; he said that's nothing to how much better he feels now.
Anyway, all's well that ends well, and it appears that everything is now working like it should be.
Thanks to everyone here for all of your help and advice! I have never met a nicer or more helpful lot anywhere on the Internet before, and I wish all of you the best. Thanks to you, I certainly know a lot more about locks than I ever did before.
Thanks again to one and all. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to meet you all on the other side of the ol' computer screeen.
That'll do it! Cam pressure on the lock bolt... Hmmmm. We never thought of that! ('course we weren't _there_.) Makes sense though.
Told ya.
HOPE THE TROLLS HEARD THAT!!!! :)
Stop back and say "Hi" every now and then.
Tell you locksmith friend to give me a call anyway or email me. The SAVTA convention's coming up in March. Maybe he'd like to go. I figure, this incident has either peaked his interest in learning more or scared him so bad, he'll hang up on the next person that mentions the word "safe". ;)
Actually, I did think of the pressure-on-boltwork issue, but didn't think to mention it; I assumed he'd already hauled out the dead-blow hammer and tried shaking things loose. You all know what "assume" means.
Well, that's the difference between someone asking a legitimate question and a bogus one. We *can* tell the difference, and that's exactly what the trolls are unhappy about. <smile/>
I still don't think he should have slammed the door like that.
He's a nice fellow on a personal level. Very accommodating, very anxious to do a good job.
I think he's learned a valuable lesson from this. So, as I said, all's well that ends well. He's probably a better locksmith now than he was before, I have a working safe (finally), and I have had the opportunity to learn a lot more about a subject that I really knew nothing at all about before, i.e locks.
I am more more of a computer person, generally -- system integration, standardization and process control, custom programming, and the like. The subject of locks has never really entered my consciousness until now. It looks like a really fascinating subject, similar to programming in that it requires a bit of patience and a one step at a time approach.
You folks have really opened my eyes to a technology that I never really paid much attention to, until now.
So thanks once again. It's been a truly fascinating experience.
well, the reality is that YOU don't own this thing, nor have you been elected ruler, nor are you paid to police it.
further you speak ONLY for yourself not others, so I don't have any idea what you mean by *folks* in the above quote.
now, if you are trying to say that a man that sneers at organized religion, and lets that fact be known, shouldn't hope to get help with his lock questions here, well, sorry, but I beg to differ. Lots of people knowledgeable in lock work don't give a shit about religion. They know a scam when they see it and simply turn a blind eye to it.
You see, deeply religious people have zero capacity for thought (memory maybe, but thought, no), that being the case, there is scant chance they will be of any assistance anyway.
Now, I respect that you have posted here for a long time. But there again, there is no credit or title to be awarded to you or anyone else as a result of that fact.
As for "kill files", hey, bring'em on, yclept.
As far as god, well nobody knows. Personally I believe in ALL religions, past, present and future, that way, I'm covered. I just don't give them any time or money. I have read several books of the bible if that makes you feel any better. But comparing contemporary religion to CERTAIN parts of the bible is like comparing rap music to Liszt. Apples and tarbabies wouldn't you say?
He called me today. Seems like a very nice guy and was very receptive to the suggestions I made regarding education and certain (rather expensive) books to buy if he wants to seriously start doing safe work. I also suggested Clearstar which he seemed interested in joining.
He's supposed to email me and I'm going to give him a bunch of links that will help him on his way. He's a good guy who had some bad luck, learned a very valuable lesson, and *most importantly* he stuck it out where many in his shoes would have "forgotten how to answer the phone".
I call it bad luck because I don't even consider it a "mistake" any more. He probably did try the lock several times first and it was working find (with the door open). The problem wouldn't have occurred until he actually closed the door and locked it up. So what lesson did he learn, you ask. Besides the one about bolt pressure, he persevered, and found the information he needed to solve his customer's (and his) problem. That's called doing the right thing.
Cost to open will considerably exceed cost of a 6730 and installation. The "locksmith" is lucky if he just gets to walk away from it.
He owes the difference between the original bill IF the lock was even installed correctly and IF the lock is any good to start with and the cost to have it opened. Either way the locksmith will be in the red on it.
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