Please help I.D. this safe.

matty · 2010-12-23T03:58:20+00:00

Hello, I would like to find out what this safe looks like in original condition, I have been told it is a Silas Herring or Urban McNeil approx.1840? But I can’t find any photos, I’m not trying to sell it, I just like it and want to make it look good, it doesn’t have the inner doors, so I need to fabricate a pair. So here is some pics, (hopefully) since taking the pictures I have sanded off one of the western paintings to reveal the fruit basket with the red bird diving toward it, (with 320 grit on a d.a.) when I have the time I was planning to do the outside, also I have wire brushed the leafing around the outside, and the base color is red? The lock looks similar to a Brahma circa 1784? seven blades, with a barrel/bit key? The door jam area is cast iron, the door handles are brass, with “298” stamped in them? Another thing is that the wheels are not mounted perfectly square, so maybe from England? I have spent a lot of time searching for a picture of this thing, I really appreciate anything you have to say! Thanks, Matt.

Paul Prescott

I have experience of making good keys to Bramah locks. So if you wish to sub the keymaking out drop me a pm.

Cheers

Doug MacQueen

Thanks for the offer Oldlock but making keys for antique locks is somewhat of a specialty of mine. Doug

Paul Prescott

No problem, enjoy making them. Many people make keys but there’s not many of us who can do a good job of making Bramah type keys from scratch.

matty

Hi,
I seen one of the keys one of you guys made in another part of this forum, very very nice work!!!

Mine is very sloppy, I know, I did very fast though, I will find a better blank to make the next one. (in pic, a utility key for a German made machine thing (pot metal) and a break-away for the inner doors) I seen a couple perfect one’s at a thrift store, but he wants $15 each for them, they are large brass ones!

(I just remove the spring, align the sliders and use the tire tread depth gauge, in pic)

also in pics, Wells Fargo gold miners security chest,

Evans and Watson,

And Wilcox….(that Butch Cassidy and Sundance blew up?)

well, thanks again in advance if anyone gets any ideas!

matty.

matty

I found this pic. “Until it’s safe” , has a good story with it of Rocky Springs Mississippi?

Until It’s Safe | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I don’t know if anyone might get an idea from it about the one I am trying to i.d..

Hard to believe this one has the top hinge on it.

Thanks, Matt

matty

Did this one more carefully with 400 wet paper, hated to do it, liked the western ones….
The right door totally disintegrated, (I’m sure it was facing up during the fire) well, here are some pics of the still life? and a couple of the right panel before I touched it, with a close up of a cowboy.

Also, did some sanding on the outside and the same tan/gold border line appears on a couple of the panels on the left side. (haven’t had much time lately)

Hope everyone is doing good!

Thanks, Matt

matty

It sure is a slow process, I had a few moments so I started to clean the outside of this thing, then some shinny gold appeared? I could have sworn that there was nothing left, but it looks like a white vase with a gold flower in it on both upper squares of the left side? (probably won’t mean anything) also has the same boarder colors of the inside paintings?

Also played around with some spray paint, just to get an idea of a good (if not original paint scheme)

Hope everyone is doing good!

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