Ask me a question about security!

Thought I would join in! lol
Perhaps we should make a single thread that people can list their occupation in the first post so that anyone with a question relevant can ask away??

Meanwhile, I am a qualified locksmith and I specialize in safes. I have a pretty good knowledge of all areas of physical security products and 'bypassing methods'.

Currently, I am building up a safe/security product manufacturing/importing/wholesaling company.

If anyone has any questions about their own security, or ideas for security, or just general questions about the industry, feel free to ask. (Sorry, I will not let you borrow my lock picks).

I need to start my own "ask me a question about being a student who has 1-2 days class and spends the rest of his time playing music/watching movies/skating or in Japan" lol..pretty much my life

I know how to pick a padlock with a paper clip..... Somewhat relevant me thinks.

I dropped. A safe on my tow once... Ouch! Those damn thinks r heavy! >

Adam, what would you recommend for a home safe. Also, as far as locking mechanisms what are the benefits of combo v key v digital.

Dave

Say I wanted to build a bat cave,

Is it possible to have a security book case where pulling on the right combonation of books will unlock the door to my poles? Also I would want some sort of sliding boulder mechinisim that was concealed with in the mountain and leads onto the highway when I take the batmobile out for a spin. I would probably need some sort of eye scanning and facial recognition software aswell.

Could you fix me up?

hey Adam can u put in a door handle in a door? i cant do it for the life of me lol

matty83 said:

I know how to pick a padlock with a paper clip..... Somewhat relevant me thinks.

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Very relevant! haha, I have picked door locks with bobby pins a few times, when I didn't have my picks with me, or when drinking and one of those 'challenge accepted' moments arise!

bomber5 said:

I dropped. A safe on my tow once... Ouch! Those damn thinks r heavy! >

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If it was light enough for you to be carrying in the first place, then you haven't got the right safe!

devo said:

Can you hack a combination locked safe with only a stethoscope?

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hahaha! The ol' stethoscope!

I can 'manipulate' locks open, however we tend to do it by feel, not sound. It is a fairly long process to learn and in reality, you don't get to use it too often. Most of the time we have to drill safes open and/or use scoping tools to see inside!

tak35bne said:

Adam, what would you recommend for a home safe. Also, as far as locking mechanisms what are the benefits of combo v key v digital.

Dave

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Everyone's requirements are different. If you only want to prevent someone from being able to EASILY grab something off the table and run, then I would suggest you just spend $40 at Bunnings on an el cheapo. If you want to protect against someone who actually wants to try to open the safe, then you need to look at a 'specialist' design of safe, like the ones I manufacture, or a few other brands in the country. The more secure safes will be made from a composite of steel and 'concrete' type fillers that provide strength and insulation, giving fire resistance as well as security.

Many safes/brands will still use a 'cash rating' as a way of indicating the strength of a safe. Years ago, insurance companies would only insure cash if you had a safe rated to the value you were planning to store inside. These days, the insurance companies have their own rules, however the ratings are still a great way to compare apples and apples across the brands. Things like the type of lock, internal security devices (glass, hard plate steel etc) and the density/weight of the safe will affect the cash rating.

My biggest selling domestic safe retails for $799 and is 82 Kgs, with a quality electronic lock, 1 hour fire resistant and glass relocking devices inside! Possibly the best value safe on the market! (And no bias) lol

As far as locks:

Key Locks -

Pros: Easy to operate, cheap
Cons: If you lose it, someone else can find it. Wearing parts from physical contact. Unique mounting patterns (not easily swapped to combo/digital)

Combination Dial Locks -

Pros: If you lose the code, no one else can find it. Very reliable. Universal mount pattern. Hard to guess the code (guessing the numbers is one thing, but you also need to know the method),
Cons: People always forget the method! Has to be dialled accurately. Long winded procedure.

Digital Locks -

Pros: If you lose the code, no one else can find it. Easy to use. Easy to maintain. Universal mount pattern. Able to have multiple codes/functions. Adaptable to alarms/duress.
Cons: CAN be expensive. can be damaged by moisture.

Overall -
Digital, hands down! A lot of people tend to use them more frequently when they are easy to open.
I started out stocking 90% digital and 10% combination in my safes, however since the first order (4 years ago) I haven't ordered a single combination lock as I still have some!

kiwi_in_melb said:

Say I wanted to build a bat cave,

Is it possible to have a security book case where pulling on the right combonation of books will unlock the door to my poles? Also I would want some sort of sliding boulder mechinisim that was concealed with in the mountain and leads onto the highway when I take the batmobile out for a spin. I would probably need some sort of eye scanning and facial recognition software aswell.

Could you fix me up?

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I don't understand why you are giving the impression this is hypothetical??? You had blueprints in the envelope you sent me last week! PS - I already told you, a shelf full of Zoo Magazines won't work as a bookcase!

wasportsfan1 said:

hey Adam can u put in a door handle in a door? i cant do it for the life of me lol

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haha

Yeah, mate! I can install any type of lock/handle! It really is just a case or having the right tools and knowing the way they go together! Oh, and sometimes you need to be able to read instructions in 'broken English'! lol

I used to be a Key Cutter/In-store Locksmith!!! I do enjoy keys.

They fascinate me.

So are you guys involved in any sort of biometric security systems? What's the deal with those? Still a long way off from securing our houses with it I'm sure!

Matty4292 said:

I used to be a Key Cutter/In-store Locksmith!!! I do enjoy keys.

They fascinate me.

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That's funny.... after 8 years, they bore the s(*& outta me! lol

skip20 said:

So are you guys involved in any sort of biometric security systems? What's the deal with those? Still a long way off from securing our houses with it I'm sure!

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In the last 5 years they have come a loong way!

The first biometric locks for houses were made by electronics companies that didn't have much to do with locks until this, so while they had semi decent electronics, the locks themselves were pretty average. From memory, they used to be 99/100 accurate, however they could incorrectly let in the wrong person.

Since themm a company called Kaba has brought out a few variants that are pretty good IMO. They are called E Flash and are definitely affordable for your home. Kaba is a very reputable lock brand from Europe. They use thermal technology instead of just contact, so they are 999/1000 accurate and the 1/1000 is a false negative, so it won't let the wrong person in.

I actually have a biometric lock on my safe!

Are padlocks useless?

A_Iverson_I said:

Are padlocks useless?

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Not at all! Some of them are virtually impossible to open, but they are not cheap!

The main problem is when people put an expensive padlock on a cheap hasp or padbolt. Why bother? They will just cut around the padlock!

Say you had a grand plan to rob a bank, but didn't realise the bank was abandoned and you only discovered there was nothing in the safe once you managed to get inside. Now imagine the door locked behind you and this was a few days ago. What is the best way of getting out of here?

If you could answer this asap, that would be great. I'm getting quite hungry in here

Ok so, My boss always told me Mortice locks were secure, some more secure than modern locks. Is that true? Even though almost every key is a pre-cut?

Do you know much about securing luggage when traveling!? I know putting padlocks on them is pretty much useless as people have ways of opening the luggage without even needing to open the padlock; is wrapping the luggage in saran wrap the best method!? haha

Electronic locks or combo dials?

Matty4292 said:

Ok so, My boss always told me Mortice locks were secure, some more secure than modern locks. Is that true? Even though almost every key is a pre-cut?

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A mortice lock is any type of lock where the main 'lock body' is morticed into the edge of the door. There are plenty of different varieties on the market and they still make them.

The ones you are referring to are 'lever locks' where the locking components inside are a series of levers with different shapes. The style of key used in these locks are known as 'flag keys', where they have a main stem and a flat blade or flag hanging off the edge.

As far as the key security goes. In the 70's it was very common to have Lane brand mortise locks on a home. These were referred to as the 1000 or 3000 series. The 1000 series used a precut key with only 8 different possible keys. The 3000 series was slightly more secure with 48 different keys. There were also a few other brands like Efco that also had their own precut key locks. In most cases, these locks were only used on internal doors so it didn't really need to be too secure.

There are several other brands that made/still make lever mortice locks that are VERY secure, such as Chubb, Legge, Delf etc. These are ones where the number of possible keys exceeds several thousand and they need to be cut from a sample, or from the lock. Also, these locks can be very hard to pick or manipulate open. This would be the type of mortice lock your boss was referring to.

As a general rule, look at the edge of the lock and it should say how many levers are inside. 2 or 3 levers are typically the precut key type and 5 or more levers are usually the higher security type!

A_Iverson_I said:

Do you know much about securing luggage when traveling!? I know putting padlocks on them is pretty much useless as people have ways of opening the luggage without even needing to open the padlock; is wrapping the luggage in saran wrap the best method!? haha

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You are right about the padlock being 'pointless'.

Most bags with a zip can be opened without needing to touch the lock, however it depends what you are securing from! If you are talking about the possibilty of getting 'Shappelled', then the wrap is one of the only ways to know if a bad has been opened, but you need to use a wrap that will not be available elsewhere, otherwise they will just re wrap it!

If you are just wanting to make it hard, then use the combination padlocks. There is a range that are 'TSA' approved, which means that they are able to be opened by SOME customs staff around the world, mainly the US. Otherwise, if they need to check inside your bag, they will cut it off!

I just follow the rule that whenever I get asked "did you pack the bag yourself" I say "no" lol