I recently acquired an old Macey safe.

It is about 24" x 28" x 60" and military green in color.

The safe is not heavy (maybe 200-300 lbs.) and is well constructed.

While I may use it for a gun safe to keep prying little hands off my
guns, I seriously doubt it would slow a determined robber.

The questions I have a

- Does anyone have any links to Macey, their history and their
products? I am coming up with nothing.

- Because the safe is so light, I assume that it is a fire safe (I
would like confirmation on that). The space between the exterior and
interior walls is about 2". Other fire safes that I have been around
have been very heavy because of the fireproofing material in the safe.
Why isn't this safe as heavy? A different and much lighter material?

- Finally, what is a safe like this worth?

I would also be interested in links to sites where one can learn more
about older safes and locks...it looks like an interesting subject.

Finally, as I consider this safe to be more of a locked box than a real
safe, what would you recommend for safekeeping of firearms and other
valuable trinkets.

Thanks

TMT

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently acquired an old Macey safe.

It is about 24" x 28" x 60" and military green in color.

The safe is not heavy (maybe 200-300 lbs.) and is well constructed.

While I may use it for a gun safe to keep prying little hands off my
guns, I seriously doubt it would slow a determined robber.

The questions I have a

- Does anyone have any links to Macey, their history and their
products? I am coming up with nothing.

- Because the safe is so light, I assume that it is a fire safe (I
would like confirmation on that). The space between the exterior and
interior walls is about 2". Other fire safes that I have been around
have been very heavy because of the fireproofing material in the safe.
Why isn't this safe as heavy? A different and much lighter material?

When it comes to gun safes, there are actually three considerations:

1) Safeguarding your guns from prying little hands. Your safe if probably
fine for that as long as the key and/or combination are unobtainable. Remember,
in some important ways your kids are smarter than you are!

2) Safeguarding from a determined thief: The best you can do it the "belt
& suspender" approach, with the idea that you have no real defense against a
determined, equipped, professional thief, but it is not likely that you will
ever be bothered by one. A) Put the unit in an unobtrusive, securely locked,
closet and, B) wrap a hardened chain around the safe connected to eyelets in the
wall. Now they can't carry the safe away and they can't get the door open even
if they defeat the safe's lock.

3) Fi You probably don't have a great fire safe there. Buy one of
those portable fire files and keep it inside the safe for your important papers;
again, belt & suspenders.
I actually took the trouble to use some bricks and ceramic floor tile
to imobilize and enhance the fire protection of my family's cheap fire safe.
The effect actually looks pretty impressive. That said, it would make a
professional thief giggle.

- Finally, what is a safe like this worth?

I don't have a clue. Most people would only be able to collect a few.
Bear in mind that any old safe is probaby is filled with "deadly" aesbestos.
(IMO not a problem as long as it is safely contained between the walls).

Vaughn

it may be for storing classified stuff - in which case the purpose of hte
safe is more to reveal tampering than to prevent entry


"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently acquired an old Macey safe.

It is about 24" x 28" x 60" and military green in color.

The safe is not heavy (maybe 200-300 lbs.) and is well constructed.

While I may use it for a gun safe to keep prying little hands off my
guns, I seriously doubt it would slow a determined robber.

The questions I have a

- Does anyone have any links to Macey, their history and their
products? I am coming up with nothing.

- Because the safe is so light, I assume that it is a fire safe (I
would like confirmation on that). The space between the exterior and
interior walls is about 2". Other fire safes that I have been around
have been very heavy because of the fireproofing material in the safe.
Why isn't this safe as heavy? A different and much lighter material?

- Finally, what is a safe like this worth?

I would also be interested in links to sites where one can learn more
about older safes and locks...it looks like an interesting subject.

Finally, as I consider this safe to be more of a locked box than a real
safe, what would you recommend for safekeeping of firearms and other
valuable trinkets.

Thanks

TMT

In article , Vaughn
says...

2) Safeguarding from a determined thief: The best you can do it the "belt
& suspender" approach, with the idea that you have no real defense against a
determined, equipped, professional thief, but it is not likely that you will
ever be bothered by one. A) Put the unit in an unobtrusive, securely locked,
closet and, B) wrap a hardened chain around the safe connected to eyelets ...

Another approach is to put a couple of long carriage bolts through the
safe bottom, through the floor, in to the room below. Steel plate as
a large washer, weld the nuts on the bolts.

Slow 'em down a little more. Many small safes come with the hold-down
holes already drilled.

Jim


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"jim rozen" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Vaughn
says...

Another approach is to put a couple of long carriage bolts through the
safe bottom, through the floor, in to the room below. Steel plate as
a large washer, weld the nuts on the bolts.

Slow 'em down a little more. Many small safes come with the hold-down
holes already drilled.

True enough, or use lag bolts. If the box is supposed to function as a
fire safe, there is a small concern with bolts conducting heat past the
insulation and into the interior of the safe. A dab of concrete inside the safe
and over the bolt heads might help, or a layer of brick in the bottom would be a
simple solution that would also make it that much harder to haul off the whole
safe. I suggested the chain because the safe is 60" high. Unless the ceiling
is very high, there is no way that you are going to get the safe out of the
closet, and the chain will also help to secure the door.

Vaughn