Modern safes are remarkably good at keeping people out, sometimes defying even their rightful owners--but none yet has stood up to a determined assault by Dave LaBarge. Deftly decoding combinations and occasionally drilling locks, the Watervliet, N.Y., safecracker has opened vaults and safes for the police, military and private citizens. No, sandpaper on the fingertips doesn't work--and explosives haven't been used much since the late 1800s. "You don't just walk up to a safe and ding, ding, ding, it's open," he says. "You have to be patient." His most challenging case? This 60-ton bank vault, which took 6 hours to crack.
Read more: This Is My Job - Safecracker - Popular Mechanics
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