The same direction of adjustment was necessary for this bolt to extend. After a few adjustments, the handle would smoothly lock the bolt in place. Adjustment was needed to angle the bolt towards the body of the safe. The door was closed and the attempt made to extend the bolt. The boltwork and the bolts were lubricated with white lithium grease. They would be installed individually, making the necessary adjustments one at a time. Once the links were removed, they were the same length. The four links were numbered and removed from the safe door. Turning the handle counterclockwise extends the bolts out of the door. Turning the handle clockwise when the safe is dialed open retracts the bolts into the body of the door. The handle is connected to an elliptically attached disc, which is linked to the two discs that operate the links. The lower two are controlled by the lower disc. The upper two links are controlled by the upper disc. The boltwork is comprised of four links with welded bolt tips that are attached to two rotating discs located along the middle of the safe door.

The dial was removed and the spindle was cleaned and lubricated. To prevent an accidental lockout, the combination lock wheels were removed. Since the safe door could not be locked with the door closed, the wheels of the combination lock were trapped. The links with welded bolts were bent, not allowing them to be extended into the safe body. To gain access to the boltwork and the combination lock, the screws and the cover were removed from the inside of the door. However, when the door was closed, the boltwork could not be extended. The handle would extend the bolts with the door open. It appeared the combination had been dialed, and the boltwork was still retracted. Examining the exterior, the space between the door and the body of the safe was about even on the top and the swing side of the door.

There was no rust on the exterior or the interior of the safe, and it was clean. He figured the safe would provide security for interim needs. He did not care as he kept most of his papers in a safe deposit box anyway. I explained that fire safes have a limited warranty life expectancy, and the Model 5560 is out-of-date and no longer an active part number for Sentry. He was so excited as he spoke, telling me the safe was open, so repairs could be even faster as there was no 'additional' time needed to open it. A friend obtained a Sentry ® 5560 Fire-Safe ® at a 'bargain price,' figuring that I could make the minor repairs and he would have a safe.

How to open a sentry safe open door