By the way did I mention that I hated thieves?
The last couple of times that I got a chance to visit the farm in N. East Ky. I find that someone wants "my stuff" more than me. I need some way to store tools and whatnot without having things walk off.
I can get a sea land container (20') from Mobile Mini out of Columbus for $2500.
Does anyone have a better idea or know where I can get something cheaper.
Thanks
Darin
Oh the joys of abesentee land ownership!
I haven't had that problem.... I have 2 like minded friends that built on my property now so they are there to watch.
I paid $1500 delivered for a 40' shipping container. May want to look around.
We had a 40'x9'6" h container( most are 8' h) delivered for $2000 a couple years ago, 20' ones were $1200- 1400 at the time.
A serious criminal will get in anyway- MOST padlocks open readily with a stout bar or ball pien "key".
Don't know if it will help in your situation, but we tend to post signage and tell everyone we know and some we don't all about our "surveillance system" and how neat it is to be able to watch our property from any computor, and that it is remarkable how detailed the recorded images are...... ;)
I think that you can get a double barrel 12ga. shot gun for about $300.00
No solution here, just a note. The LandSea containers are tough/ thin steel that can easily be cut through with torches on remote/ unattended locations.
I dont know what to offer except to say find a "local" where you can stash your 20' land sea container (on an axle) and drag it to the property when you are there. At least you won't have to drag the goods all the way from home.
You could always build a block bunker (fill webs w/ concrete) and a 3/4" plate door w/ internal swing hidden hindges. Dont forget to have a sign warning of an "internal door bladder of gasoline to prevent torching" or " explosion hazard/ caution gasoline fumes present" ::)
Dang thieves stole my solar powered driveway lights, set of 12. They must have liked them, came back a week later and got a different set of 4. I'm installing a video monitoring system, internet accessable. Motion detector cameras on shop, mill, and house..
I'm just across the hill from ya Darin. We probably share some of the same thieves. Can't wait to try out the new (to me) backhoe.
No mater what you do they will always find a way, with the courts the way the are are and the way kids are brought up today you can't win.
Find a monitored key/password storage unit for $100 a month with insurance, which would break even at 25 months for a shipping container. Then buy a trailer and store it in there.
With battery operated grinders, drills, and sawzalls it is very easy to cut through a lock or cut a small hole into a wall and then zip it all the way down to cut open a door.
The "pro" low lifes many times do their break ins during thunder and rain storms because it blocks or mufflers the sound and gives them cover of darkness. Unattended land with a trailer is just easy pickings, especially since they know you keep stuff there.
If you have very valuable stuff (tractor etc) they will just steal the whole container.
Sometimes you can find old railroad box cars for the same price, or less, than the containers. A neighibor of mine has one. The metal is super thick and the doors slide open, making them difficult to crush or pull open.
The only real option is to take your tools with you, if you can. Merita Bread bakery has sold a bunch of their step vans to employees here and they are reselling them for about $2000 each. I bought a Leggs 10 foot step van back in 1988 to carry tools to the property when I was clearing this place. It worked real good until I was rained in and couldn't get the van off of the property one Sunday. I went back Monday afternoon to get it and the doors had been pried open and all my stuff was gone. I don't think you ever win.
An enclosed trailer that you could haul to the site might be the cheapest way to go.
I hear there are alot of used land mines for sale out there.
But really no way to make it totally safe unless you can get it completly out of sight and locked up.
A little OT, but trap a bobcat and lock him up with your tools. He'll get hungry after a little while and when the thieves open up the container, they'll get a little suprise. ;) Better yet, get you a black bear. :D
That sounds like a fun solution, but getting to your own tools could be challenging. :o :D
I go along with Ironwood, Rebo and Tom. Put your stuff in a portable container of some kind and leave it at a nearby secure location.
When I first started building I bought a 12ga spring loaded booby trap and put a pepper spray cartridge in it. Strung a fishing line across the floor of my container but for better or worst nobody tested it. :D
i think it is against t he law to set a trap fot thieves.that does not sound right but i have heard of it costing people big time when a thief was caught in a booby trap.
I'm just across the hill from ya Darin. We probably share some of the same thieves
Hey WH,
If its all the same to you, you can just be selfish here. I don't think you should be sharing. :D
:D :D
Reminds me of the sign "Free Lunch next door" ;D ;D
..maybe somthin like it hangin on his your shed :)
Quote from: easymoney on May 21, 2009, 07:39:15 PM
i think it is against t he law to set a trap fot thieves.that does not sound right but i have heard of it costing people big time when a thief was caught in a booby trap.
I believe that's true if the trap can cause serious injury. Mine would have just gave someone a snoot full of pepper.
I did wonder if it had been tripped if I would have pepper residue on all my tools. :o
tis better to have your tools with pepper on them then not to have them at all.
Stonebroke
My brother gets the big hardened shakle padlocks and makes eyebolts out of SS then welds over them with a hard surface rod . that makes a mess of the universal key or hacksaw and make it very tough to torch it. He has several with tooth marks.
Quote from: Raider Bill on May 22, 2009, 11:52:53 AM
Quote from: easymoney on May 21, 2009, 07:39:15 PM
i think it is against t he law to set a trap fot thieves.that does not sound right but i have heard of it costing people big time when a thief was caught in a booby trap.
I believe that's true if the trap can cause serious injury. Mine would have just gave someone a snoot full of pepper.
I did wonder if it had been tripped if I would have pepper residue on all my tools. :o
What a shame, when deadbeat thieves have more rights than you. Until we (as a country) get our heads out of our @$$es it will only get worse. Personally I've lost ALL faith in my local sheriffs department, startin too believe they're just as much of the problem, as the thieves. WE really need to make the "prisons" start the chain gangs, road clean-ups and public works programs again! ;) All thats right, some how those low-lifes have more rights than me! While us TAX payin citizens have to support them. Take their gym, shops and schooling from them and PUT them too WORK. It costs what, about $35,000 A-YEAR for their keep. Most of them like their free ride. They call it; 3 hots and a cot. WORK is what they are tryin' too avoid. If we would do so, I'm positive the prison population would dwindle..........I'm in the works of startin a local organization called W.C.P (Workin' Class People) cuz, it's time to TAKE it BACK!!!!!!!!
You don't have to be out in the hills to get ripped off, I had a flat last fall and while I was sitting in the waiting room the tire crew lifted about $150 of tools out of the trunk. I didn't find them missing for over a month, by then couldn't prove nothing. They where the only people that had the trunk open when neither the wife or I were present.
Quote from: D._Frederick on May 23, 2009, 11:59:39 PM
You don't have to be out in the hills to get ripped off, I had a flat last fall and while I was sitting in the waiting room the tire crew lifted about $150 of tools out of the trunk. I didn't find them missing for over a month, by then couldn't prove nothing. They where the only people that had the trunk open when neither the wife or I were present.
*DanG! I'm going to have agree with Ironmower this country really has took a down slide.
Quote from: Raider Bill on May 22, 2009, 11:52:53 AM
Quote from: easymoney on May 21, 2009, 07:39:15 PM
i think it is against t he law to set a trap fot thieves.that does not sound right but i have heard of it costing people big time when a thief was caught in a booby trap.
I believe that's true if the trap can cause serious injury. Mine would have just gave someone a snoot full of pepper.
I did wonder if it had been tripped if I would have pepper residue on all my tools. :o
As long as it involves a wood chipper and hog feed you would probably be ok.
And the worst part of it all is the inflated prices of ammunition. ;)
a pike could be had the next time yur out in the woods....
Modat , Make sure that you wash the chipper with lots of bleach then run some branches through the thing to get rid of the bleach smell.
:D Thanks Don I've never thought it out quite that far but you are most correct :o
Ever watch the movie "Fargo" ??? Just be sure to freeze 'em first, in a perfectly PRONE position ::) ::) :D :D
frozen or not it will still make quite the mess :-X
use somebody else's chipper...
I watched a forensic file one time where the husband did this on a bridge in the middle of a snowstorm over a river. In the spring they found one tooth and the return address of a letter that she had in her housecoat when "chipped"
Passerby's wondered why someone would be using a chipper on a bridge during a storm.
He was convicted.
Oh and don't use the bridge ,drive back into the woods a bit so that you do not hold up traffic.
Well, I know people get convicted for setting trip lines with shotguns attached or bear traps and such that would maim or kill a theif.......but......I just had an idea.
The banks put some kind of little explosive device in a package of bills and when it goes off, the theif gets covered in a purple dye that won't come off. So......what if you found out what they use and rig up something that would cover a theif in purple dye. Wouldn't he be a sight walkin' around town.
Just a thought.
I like that Charlie. I like it a lot! I also think that signs can be effective. Just imagine that you were a thief, and you encountered a sign beside the driveway of your intended victim with the following verbage:
Attention visitors: You should be aware that certain steps have been taken to prevent theft on these premises. There are cameras, but you will not find them. There are registered markings on all items of value that you will not likely detect. There are tracking devices concealed within random items, which may, or may not be items of great value. Your photograph, as well as that of your vehicle and your license plate have already been transmitted to a remote device.
If none of these facts trouble you, welcome to the largest rattlesnake breeding facility in the Southeastern United States. Our snakes are raised naturally, and have access to all parts of the property. We are quite sure that you will find the rattlesnake of your dreams in short order, should you choose to do business with us. Thank you for your patronage.
Well... I usually use electricity if I can. I'm working on building my house as I can and keep my tools in various large steel toolchests. I have them connected to 480 volts on low amperage... and small batteries and inverters inside... I had an electronics major friend at the college make me some deals that tell me if they've been tripped. Works great. haven't lost a tool from thieves for a couple of years. I have lost some to absentmindedness though... >:(
I worked for a welder once who had a machine stolen.We had a sure shock electric fence charger under the cowl on the next one(just add ground) and the trailer tongue came off with pins.
Quote from: CHARLIE on May 27, 2009, 11:45:38 PM
Well, I know people get convicted for setting trip lines with shotguns attached or bear traps and such that would maim or kill a theif.......but......I just had an idea.
The banks put some kind of little explosive device in a package of bills and when it goes off, the theif gets covered in a purple dye that won't come off. So......what if you found out what they use and rig up something that would cover a theif in purple dye. Wouldn't he be a sight walkin' around town.
Just a thought.
The thief would probably sue you because the ink or stain gave him or her a rash.
that sign takes too long to read. just a sign stating this property guarded by a pit bull with aids 3 nights a week. guess which ones. :D
a friend was locating some radio equipment at a tower on a hilltop where he was concerned about thieves so he built a false wall at the back of the building with the equipment behind it. then he sat some junk radios in the front with cables going to it. sure enough someone broke in and stole the junk but never discovered the good stuff. biggest loss they destroyed the door getting in.
A friend of ours has a sign that reads:
My pit bulls can make it to this fence in less than 5 seconds. Can you?
Reminds me of the farmer in South Georgia who kept having watermelons stolen out of his patch. He put up a sign one afternoon that said "Warning: One of the watermelons in this patch has been poisoned with cyanide". The next morning, he was pleased to see that all of his watermelons were still there, but when he saw his sign, he realized it had been slightly modified at some point during the night: "Warning: One Now two of the watermelons in this patch has have been poisoned with cyanide."
What worked (at least no break-ins after) at our hunting cabin was a sign that read "Your picture has been taken".
I like some of the other ideas tho, for some high voltage wires. ;D ;D :D
I ran (8) 220 volt circuits on #10 wire all the way around the frame of my 12' x 16' building. Each circuit is approx 8 to 12 inches on center up the inside of the wall.
The idea I had at the time was the door is steel and visible by neighbors etc. So I figured a thief would go thru the back wall of the buildiing. If they do, and they use some brute force method I bet they get an exciting experiance.
modat22
How did you get 220v on one wire?
4 wire romax neutral, ground, phase 1 and phase 2.
Sorry didn't mean to make it sound like 1 wire. I should have said 1 220v circuit per romax or something.
Quote from: beenthere on May 28, 2009, 05:50:48 PM
modat22
How did you get 220v on one wire?
sed European electricity...
Update on the video monitor system. Got it installed, 2 cameras (2 more ordered) hooks to an old Dell dedicated pc. Biggest cost was coax cable to run to all the cameras. I'll have about $125 invested in a 4 camera system with motion detect and night vision, less coax. Internet accessable, but I'm still working on that. Things you'd never think about--- spiders crawling across the camera lens , moths are attracted to infrared light, moving shadows of tree limbs waving in the breeze. I'm still learning...
Just read Ironmowers rant against local sheriffs. Not all experiences are bad. About 7 years ago my brother and I were staying at a mom & pop type motel in Grayling because they had kitchettes. We had tools and saws in our pickups for about 5 weeks with no problems. The last week of the job Tim brought along a roll of cash ( about $700 mostly in small bills saved up from bottle returns, pumpkin sales, etc.) The plan was that after we finished the job we would continue south to Frank's in Linwood to buy a depth finder for his new boat. The wad of cash was too big to carry around so he would leave it in the pickup at work and take it into the motel room at night. The very last night we were there he forgot to bring it up to the room. We were leaving the room and looked down to the parking lot and Tim saw his sliding rear window was smashed. He instantly said, "MY MONEY". He had left his two way radio on the dash and we assume that's what attracted the thief in the first place. After breaking the window to get at the radio he checked the glove box and hit the jackpot. The deputy that came out couldn't find any good prints but told us there was a young troublemaker living just down the block that he felt probably did it. We got word a short time later that he had been arrested for something else and Tim's radio had been found. We found out that he went to trial because Tim was notified that he might have to testify. He said what can I testify to except that I saw my broken back window. We heard nothing for at least a year when he received a check from the court for $200. Over the next year he kept getting checks until the total amount that he claimed was returned. Apparently he was paying restitution. All this happened without speaking to the sheriffs dept. again. The funny part was the insurance company gave him about $200 for the cash as part of the settlement so he actually came out a little bit ahead.