Of passing interest to me (or) another dumb crook story.

[Jeff]

Since I am so far outta the loop now, I had to hear about this on the T.V.  apparently the guys got caught the very next day when Fair's salvage, only 20 miles away, called the Sheriffs department thinking that sumpthin wasn't quite right. :D

I don't think the guys at the mill got much done for a day with their forkless loaders.


CLARE COUNTY - Tips from the public led police to two thieves suspected of stealing from a local business two days in a row. Police say the thieves took a set of steel forks used for heavy equipment from Billsby Lumber in Clare County's Hayes Township Monday. Another eight forks went missing Tuesday. Working on a tip, police arrested a 33 year-old man and a 16 year old man, both from Clare. Police returned the $4,000 worth of stolen property back to the business.

[Modat22]

*CHUCKLES*

[Jeff]

Gotta be an easier way to make a buck.  Two sets of those forks had to be the 6 footers. NOT LIGHT!   PLUS, the only way to remove the forks would be to start the loaders, and lift the forks at least a couple inches off the ground.  The loaders always had the keys in them, but they are parked inside, in two buildings, always with the forks down.

[Coon]

They gotta be pretty stupid if they got caught with them there forks.  What were they plannin' ??? Gotta be stupid if they hit the same place two days in a row......... :D :D :D :D

[Jeff]

They were at Fairs salvage trying to sell them as scrap metal.  Thats how they got caught so quick.

[Modat22]

ya know, that would be some good steel to use on a mill somewhere  ;D

[Jeff]

Not really, forks are built to be forks.  They are thick, and tapered and really, not suitable for much of anything other then being forks. We have broke them, and once broke, they aint fixable, at least not to where you can trust them to do what they did before.

[Corley5]

Some people :  Stealing them was stupid enough but then to attempt selling them at a local scrap yard :  Really, Really dumb

[Modat22]

those forks would be nice for a log loader on a mill..

[farmerdoug]

I have always stated that if theives figured out the time, risk etc. in stealing something and selling for 10 cent or less on a dollar they would be better off working for minimum wage.  They do not think about the risk of being caught by the police or shot by the owners.  They should have work gangs again for the loafers.


Farmerdoug

[etat]

Well, I've got a homemade anvil that the top plate on it is cut out of a piece of forklift fork, not the tapered part but got a square section out of it where it turns back up to attach to the fork lift.    It's real good steel for that. I 'did' know the exact grade of steel they are but seem to have forgotten, I know it's real hard stuff.


Started out with the piece of fork, (bought a extra one when I bought a pair of em to fix up to attach to the blade on the back of my tractor.  Then I took a piece of six inch hydraulic rod and cut and ground it down for the body of the anvil.  Used a piece of broken tractor axel to make the horn out of, and the piece of fork for the top plate as I said.  Due to the curve in the hyradulic rod I was able to do a one hundred percent penetration weld underneath the plate.   Also I ground the tractor axel down to a point where I attached it so also I could get one hundred percent weld there too.

EVERY time I welded on it I heated it up to almost red hot so the welds wouldn't be over stressed and then packed it in oil dry to cool down slowly.  Did it all as a hobby one winter and got WAY too many hours in it. 

One of these days I'm going to heat it all back up and retemper it but from what I 'understand' the ONLY way to properly retemper it would be with a steady stream of water such as from a fire truck hose.   I did extensive research on this one time to.  Even suggested maybe I tie it to the back of my little tractor backhoe and swing it through the water of the pond, experts said that wasn't enough water pressure to properly cool it quick enough. Even so , it's pretty hard just as it is  has served me well just as it is. 

Oh, i'm glad they caught them crooks!!!!!!!

[Modat22]

I've said it once already today. "I hate thieves with a passion."

If you have to feed your family ask someone, more than likely they'd give you something so you don't have to steal.

[Jeff]

They gave the older guys name that was arrested on the news so I know I can give it here, just in case anyone comes across the guy in Mid Michigan.

Rusty Eberhart.

[Bibbyman]

We made our rounds today delivering buckets off Christmas goodies to our best regular customers.  One is a steel fabricator.  In front of the office building were two steel lawn tables and sets of 4 chairs around each.  They were all cabled together.  Mary and I talked about that.  Then Mary pointed out the chain link fence they had put up around the shop yard area this summer.

I guess they were trying to keep things from walking away.

[J_T]

Maybe Rustey wanted a warm home for the winter ???

[Jeff]

He got one.  I wonder if he has kids, what their home is like.

[J_T]

I know to us it is stupid but to some it is a way of life they are doing life on the instalment plan : Here wife and kids get on gov. aid house the works .My wife's aunt needed a kidney transplant would you beleave a man on death row got one before her ???

[D._Frederick]

Out here in the left side of the country, the crooks are going out in the woods and cutting the extruded aluminum railing off of Uncle Sams bridges. So far have not heard of any crooks being caught.

[Frank_Pender]

Don, they got some down here in the East Marion County area some time ago.   A scrap metal yard supervisor has told me of several they get in from thime to time and stallthem on getting theri dollars until the police arrive.   They then get three square meals a day, a roof and clothes, and the tax payers expense. >:(


As to the quality of the steel in forks , I believe it is 4140 steel.  I have used some for wedges on my splitters.  It really holds an edge.

[DanG]

Jeff, he probably wonders if he has kids, too. ??? :

[Ianab]

We had a group of local geniuses here that decided to steal aluminium road signs for scap  :

Same deal, scrap metal dealer got suspicious about a woman trying to sell him 200 nearly new road signs and called the cops  :D

[crtreedude]

Most thieves are just plan stupid. You wouldn't believe how stupid unless you listen to them for a while.  My software career has been working in the callrecording business - and some of the systems are installed in prisons.

You would think you would know that if you are in prison - someone might just be listening to the phone  ???

Nope, the geniuses are always confessing crimes. 

[sawguy21]

A real idiot held up a convenience store here the other day and fled on foot. He got caught when he returned for the stolen car right in front of the investigating officers. DOH. I just wish they would be as ambitious at finding a job but that would cut into drug time

[Modat22]

We should be thankful that most thieves are stupid. Its the smart ones that worry me.

[moosehunter]

A local news station has been following some thieves in Syracuse NY that are taking the plumbing and wiring out of empty houses. They got cought when they thought they were in an empty house and the seasoned citizen that lives in the house called the cops to report suspisous noises in her basement