1930s Vault Door Restoration...

GregM

I have an old small bank building with a vault and a Corliss in the basement. The building is from about 1895 but Dillinger’s gang blew the vault door and a small safe inside in 1931 so I am assuming they replaced the vault door around 1931. The vault had lots of ‘divots’ in the wall that I am patching, I assume from when the blew the safe! The first floor was configured as an apt. with the vault as a closet. Eventually I hope to convert the space back into commercial space.

The vault door is missing the internal locking bars, etc. and I would like to fabricate replacements. The internal (second door) is also missing. It was probably solid, like a nearby old bank, but I’d prefer a gate type.

Questions:
1) can anyone identify the manufacturer and model?
2) are blueprints available anywhere?
3) is anyone interested in assisting with a restoration and fabricating parts?

I will post photos later today.

RiemannHypothesis

Heyho 🙂

Pictures would be nice 🙂
After that we can do the talking 😉

Best regards from Germany

Maik

wylk

Confusingly, the discussion is spread across three separate threads. The other two are:

http://www.antique-locks.com/showthread.php/3844-New-member-with-an-old-vault-and-a-Corliss

which does have a couple of pictures, and

http://www.antique-locks.com/showthread.php/3861-Corliss-Blueprints

Huw Eastwood

Both the other threads and the 2 photos are the Corliss, if you now want info on the vault door then clear photos plus close-ups are essential.

There are often many unknowns and surprises involved with the old doors when missing parts. My advice would be to use someone as local as possible in order to make the project work effectively.

Without knowing the condition of wear and without seeing the door and taking specific dimensions, it’d be wishful thinking that anyone can make parts that will fit perfectly. If you use a local specialist they can measure and assess everything accurately from the actual door, and call by whenever they need in order to make checks and offer up parts in progress etc. I once made a load of 2 inch diameter vault locking bolts with the slots cut to fit the tail bars, all drilled and tapped old British imperial threads etc, done for another locksmith going by his dimensions from site. It turned out he didn’t measure the actual big Milners door they were missing from, he measured one of three similar doors in the basement and guess what- they were different!

Will be a nice project for someone, and All down to condition of the door, and what’s there and what isn’t really.

Chubby

Agreed 100% MV. It also depends on whether you want it to be an operating door, which is simple, or whether you want it to be a 100% accurate restoration- which might well be a lot more troublesome!