Is it normal for my father to order me to stay in the basement for?
No. On the other hand, he has found a way to teach you without beating you, to leave his personal material alone. I have no idea what he does or what it was but if it was kept under lock and key, there had to be a reason. If you didnt like spending 2.5 hours in the basement and losing 50 per cent of your savings, you wont do the same thing again. Locks and keys are there for a purpose. They should be respected. They are boundaries.