Thread: Can I build my own E cat safe?

Being an engineer/fabricator, I was thinking about upgrading my A cat safe to a larger size and 6mm steel. Will take the door and replace with 6mm, make a new 6mm body large enough to hold every thing I want it to.

Anyone done this before? whats required for it the be E cat certified? cant find alto of info on it other than 6mm and minimum five lever mortice deadlock.

I will need to price everything out, but buying an E cat safe the size I am wanting would make it worth the time and effort.

Keen to hear some ideas and or photos.

Cheers

Can be done, one of my mates welded some plate onto an A cat safe and made the door sturdier. Passed the test

Hey Baz I used to be a locksmith for Chubb and we sold kiwi made E cat pistol safes. These little nuggets were pretty simple in construction so I reckon you modifying an exsisting safe will be well worth the work and money.

The lock will probably be the thing that sets you back the most. It should be easy to install though. Also, using internal plate to protect the lock and bolt from tampering or drilling will most likely be required. As Muzza said, speak to your local police or maybe even scroll through the online legislation to find exact requirements (I've just had a quick look with no luck).

If you have a local locksmith, go in and have a chat about the lock. They may just have one (I know we had plenty of these laying around!). If the spare key doesn't cost you about $40 to get copied then you don't have the correct lock. You need a safe key, ask them for that specifically.

May sound silly obvious but I also believe that the hinges must be internal.

Hinges dont need to be internal, but cutting them off cant allow the safe to be opened obviously. Have built an approved E cat safe in the past, just has to get the inspecting officers approval which MAY need a certificate from the engineer for construction and certificate from a locksmith for the locks. If in doubt to quality they will demand these. Nobody wants to look a dork if the safe gets busted into the next week with a screwdriver and hammer.

Originally Posted by compound

Hinges dont need to be internal, but cutting them off cant allow the safe to be opened obviously. Have built an approved E cat safe in the past, just has to get the inspecting officers approval which MAY need a certificate from the engineer for construction and certificate from a locksmith for the locks. If in doubt to quality they will demand these. Nobody wants to look a dork if the safe gets busted into the next week with a screwdriver and hammer.

It looks like something pretty cool to do - did your safe have bolts on more than one side of the door?

The one I built had internal hinges but I know of ones converted from ATM safes with external hinges and internal bolting on hinge side.

Originally Posted by Beavis

Can be done, one of my mates welded some plate onto an A cat safe and made the door sturdier. Passed the test

i tried to do that and Tauranga arms officer said it had to be one plate thinkness no double plating allowed

Originally Posted by Baz

Being an engineer/fabricator, I was thinking about upgrading my A cat safe to a larger size and 6mm steel. Will take the door and replace with 6mm, make a new 6mm body large enough to hold every thing I want it to.

Anyone done this before? whats required for it the be E cat certified? cant find alto of info on it other than 6mm and minimum five lever mortice deadlock.

I will need to price everything out, but buying an E cat safe the size I am wanting would make it worth the time and effort.

Keen to hear some ideas and or photos.
Cheers

i built my own E cat safe i just ran the plans by the arms officer first. 6mm minimum plate minimum 4 bolts minimum 10mm thick x 100mm long 2 bolts in the floor 2 in the wall wall bolts must be 100mm and floor blots need 6mm minimum backing plate if through wooden floor or chemset if into concrete dyna bolt wont pass. you dont have to have a hinge at all and if you do have hinges they can be external hinges as long as the door can not be removed if hinges are cut off ie door pins. the door must be rebated as not to allow anything to get behind the door for leverage. my door has no hinge at all, i simply have a tang on the bottom and the mortice lock at the top

My A cat safe has locking lugs on top, bottom and 2 each side. I was intending to remove the 3mm(?) front and put 6mm on the existing bolt locking system then copy the door jamb with 6mm and then the larger body with 6mm as well.

Cheers for all the advice and ideas so far.

Sounds like you're onto something there, should be pretty straightforward as the tricky bits are already done for you

Im. Sure you can use a 6mm
equivalent . Mild steel is soft shit as you know. Goin to the likes of biz 80 you can use less .
Pay to double Check the regs first tho.

Looks like the Yanks have a lot of trouble with robberies and safes getting busted. Found this site Commercial Safe | Thick Gauge Commercial Gun or Fire Safes -Sturdy Safe and looks like a top of the line safe company. notice the material thickness in the top of the line safe. 5/16" (7.937mm) doors and 7 guage (4.76mm) body. Am I safe to say if I build it out 6mm as per NZ code, I'll be good to go??>

I will get i touch with the arms office as you all mentioned, just to be sure.

Cheers

More research GUN SAFES "THE TRUTH" weaponseducation - YouTube

I ended up purchasing an ex-ATM safe. twas around $400 i think. 13mm thick, choice of 1 or two rotary combo locks, from a safe company in Mt roskill in AKL... I ended up though having to cut round the circumference of it, (took a day, though we wont ask how, yet tidy) and added in plate steel to lengthen. Enjoyed welding them up at work with their 32 Amp outlets... OA took one look, crossed out Lockable cabinet and circle 'Safe' - well chuffed!