Chubb 175th Anniversary Edition Safe

Timbo

[LEFT]Hi all,
If you read my previous post as a newbe to the site, you will have read that I was lucky enough to win the 1931 Round Door Chubb safe that was the prize at the MLA Expo in Telford in September, thanks to the generosity of Gunnebo.
I am about to post some pics of this great piece of Chubb’s Engineering in the 1930s. Hope that you enjoy looking at this safe. While I am writing this, I would like to thank Gunnebo for putting this safe up for the draw, the guy’s that restored the safe and the guy’s who did the terrific paint job. Many thanks again to all concerned. [/LEFT]

darryl.k

I like the round door!

Is the paint work re-done like it once was?

Timbo

Hi Darryl,
The paintwork was specially designed for the 175th anniversary complete with logo’s. I don’t know what colour it was when it was new, but perhaps there may be someone can tell us. I believe these were designed for either the Co-Op dairies or United Daries and were nicknamed the Milkchurn safe (hence the round door). I would also like to know what the correct name of this type of safe was when it was manufactured. Can anyone help ?

Dean Nickel

Nice win!:8): Love the top.

Tom Gordon

Does the boltwork slide or shoot?

Timbo

Hi Tom,
The boltwork rotates around the door, I have seen boltwork working up and down but never around the door before. Do you have any knowledge of this model of safe ? because I am having difficulty finding out the original model type when in production.
Cheers
Tim

Tom Gordon

Whereas Chatwood made the Chatwood bomb for Northern Dairies (a round door with round shoot bolts but otherwise based on the American onepiece cylindrical cast body), chubb then made this traditional boxlike safe but with an American type of door for the Coop dairies. Why dairies needed one off American influenced safes I do not know. No other round door safe on this scale, was made with radial shooting bolts.

Timbo

Tom,
Many thanks for information. It’s nice to know some of the history about this type of safe, as I have not seen this configeration of boltwork before.
Whether american inspired or not, its a fine piece of mechanical engineering.

Tom Gordon

If you think that is great engineering-look at this!

http://www.antique-locks.com/advertising-material-catalogues/345-mosler-salesman-sample-corliss-safe.html

Timbo

Thats really great but I don’t like the wheels !!!!

Tom Gordon

That is just a demo model-the actual safes were BIG and HEAVY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The wheels were a great help to the locksmith of the time especially as they only had horses and carts and trains and …various squashed and killed employees

Timbo

Thanks for the info Tom,
I know there are many great safe’s out there from the past. Its a shame they don’t make things like they used to do, but its all down to cost again.

safe 98

Posting some images of the milk safes major heart and lung surgery.

safe 98

Sorry try again

Dean Nickel

In these rebuilds if you can show the insides of the lock I would love it!. Nice paint job on the safe! :8):

Timbo

Safe 98,
Many thanks for the pictures. It obviously took an awful lot of work and effort to get the safe looking as it does from original condition. You did it proud 🙁clap):
I am just about to renovate an old Stephen Cox safe which was given to me last week, although I cannot compete with your skills !!!
Tim

Doug MacQueen

Timbo, if the situation in the UK in the early 30’s was anything like it was here in the US, it was painted very plainly. Round door safes were extremely popular here for decades, mostly resulting from the superior fit that could be made in protecting against nitro attacks. Thanks for posting your very nicely restored Chubb. I am posting pictures of a Herring Hall Marvin that is very similar to the Chubb but in another thread. It uses the same type of rotating ring boltwork. Doug

Gary Stephenson

This is what yours looked like when I drilled it open at wolverhampton if I can upload pictures.
Gary

Timbo

Hi Gary,
Are you really saying that this is the same safe !!!!!
If so, it’s changed quite a bit. How long did it take to drill and open ? I would imagine that it wasn’t a quick job. As you know, they don’t make them like this anymore.
Thanks for the pictures.
Tim

Gary Stephenson

It wasn’t too bad to open except the lock had several broken lever springs and I couldn’t find any info on the lock so had to take a SWAG (scientific wild arsed guess) as to a drill point. bolt number was 99013, sure it was the same one, it was in reception area at Chubbs in Wolverhampton for a while.
Gary