When looking into a small fire resistant Sentry Safe where the correct keys would not operate anymore, I found the locking mechanism to be extremely jammed and it was easily opened without the key. This small project entailed removing the lock panel without causing damage, and then replacing the lock with another that would operate the same way as before but with higher security. Some hot glue was used to keep the fire resistant material in place after removing the lock/handle panel. From the factory, the panel is snap fit to the safe body with some minor glue around the edges and the panel has four prongs that stick into the fire resistant material. I utilized a vice and hammer to remove the original lock plate for installation on the new 1-1/8" tubular cabinet lock. The new lock was then epoxied with putty to keep it from turning in the original lock housing.
After the new cabinet lock was installed, the lock/handle panel was epoxied back to the body of the safe. The new epoxy bond is much stronger and with the panel being easy to remove prior, I suspect an adhesive similar to superglue was used.
