Mielink info...mid 1950's?

NatSafeMatt

Hello…this is a safe I bought “site unseen”…the guy said it was “antique and has wheels and a big dial on it with a handle”…I figured he knew what he was talking about…I was wrong. Anyhow…I repainted it and pinstriped it up a bit. I would like to sell it…does anyone have any suggestions as to what to ask for it and/or where to sell it? Ebay? Here? I believe it is from the mid to late ’50’s. The sizes are as follows: 16.5 inches wide, 23 inches deep, 22 inches tall (incl. wheels). Has metal drawer inside. Combo works great…just don’t want to keep it as I am interested in “older antiques”. Thanks a bunch…I appreciate it. Matt (Nahum 1:7)

Dean Nickel

If I was to guess I would place it sometime between 1965-1980. I can be wrong about this. Can you get a closer/clear picture of the tags? The tag might narrow the year.

You did a nice job. Now for the bad news. I do believe that isn’t a safe so much as a fire box being it is a sheet metal box with fire fill between the outer and inner sheet metal. Also the fire rate material is expired (back then it was only good for 12 years) on it so don’t count on it to protect against fire. My father had one just like it in the 1980s…. granted yours looks MUCH better! It would keep kids out… little kids.

BTW - are you using a wet paint or a powder coat?

NatSafeMatt

Thanks for being honest Halflock. I hope these pictures help. I used enamel sign paints on this one. It is an “on a budget” project. The Nat. Safe (pictured in other post) is painted with high-end aftermarket automotive paints. The one tag I noticed does say “…Fire resistant only…for one hour. ” There is a catolog on ebay now that has a picture of a “SAFE” (or, like you said…“fire box”) in it that looks alot like this one. The seller said the cat. is from 1959 or so which is why I figured it is from that era. though…they all somewhat looked alike back then. I would rather go with your estimation as you are clearly more up to speed on these things. The dial and handle are plastic on this one…that just doesn’t make much “fire resistant” sense. If in a bad fire (and it was to survive) they could prob. fairly easily just cut it open, eh? Not very visible in picture of serial # …It has a “B” stamped infront of printed serial # as in “B72…” and a # “1” stamped as the model #. Anyhow…hope these picts help. Thanks again for your time and wisdom. Matt (Nahum 1:7)

Dean Nickel

FireKing Technical Support : FireKing Security Group
You might be able to pin down the month it was made. Go and ask them when it was made. FIreking now owns what was Mielink. They would need the serial number.

Marketing is a wonderful thing. You can have an advertisement make you think that something is what it is just by how it looks. So you have a safe. Yes it is a safe as it does have a relocker. A relocker is a device that will act when the lock is punched off and it fails by locking the bolt work so the attack fails. It is a light armor safe. It was designed to protect against fire and light attacks to protect documents. This container wasn’t designed to store cash or such. Even though many do anyway. That other safe you have is much better for heavy attacks but little or no protection against fire. Todays modern safe can have both. The modern safe fire fill also doesn’t expire or is toxic like the old stuff.

I don’t know everything. I know just enough to be a good locksmith. I learn a great deal everyday. When you think you know it all…. you are just starting to scratch the surface.

NatSafeMatt

Thank you Halflock.. I went to the website and “chatted” with a tech there. Gave her the numbers and she said they can tell me nothing on it because it was prior to their taking over of Meilink. Bummer…it was worth a shot, though. Wonder when they took it over? I didn’t think to ask. Matt (Nahum 1:7)

Usually when you think you know it all…that is when you lock the car and the keys are inside. LOL

Dean Nickel

NatSafeMatt wrote
Usually when you think you know it all…that is when you lock the car and the keys are inside. LOL

You and a hundred others….

[unknown]

Doug MacQueen

Meilink was started in 1898 I think in and were based in Toledo, OH. That little box is the type they were selling when I started working on safes so Dean sounds right with the dates. The models were 100S, 200S, 300s and XD for extra deep and they were geared for home use. Meilink’s ad had one put in a small bungalow that was burnt to the ground and the papers survived. Pretty good testamony huh? Since all fire safes regardless of age contain insulation material of one type or another there is no real expiration date as such. Many do contain moisture designed to steam the inside and this may disapate over time so they will not be as good as when new but then again fires like burglaries come in all sizes and durations. The 1 hour fire rating test is by putting the box in a furnace cranked up to 1750 deg F and this is quite a bit hotter than the typical home fire. Even the monster Corliss cannonball which was made entirely of cast and wrought iron was marketed by Mosler in the early 1900’s as having fire protection. They didn’t say how much but they were virtually air tight and so thick that it took quite a while just to heat it up. Fire King took over in the 1990’s I believe.

NatSafeMatt

awesome…thanks Doug. BTW…just received my “re-print” of the Diebold-Brett add from e-bay…(with the lil devils trying to break in it). Very nice print.

Matt (Nahum 1:7)