Break ins.

[Wayne]

The museum I regularly demonstrate in was broken into again at the weekend.

CCTV shows a chap at about 23:30 departing with a small rucksack and carrying a chainsaw he stole.

Odd pattern of behaviour, broke into the stick makers and stole a load of whilstes made of horn. Then into the polelathe shelter where he cut the padlock to a van safe and got the chainsaw. Then onto the rake makers cut a padlock to the tool store but nothing was taken probably didn’t recognise what was valuable or has no way to move it on quickly.

My area remained unscathed but I always ensure my area is cleared of all tools etc when I leave which is a faff.
So apart from man traps etc what ideas of you folk got for secure discreet tool storage?

 

[Janne]

I am sorry to hear that. I know how that feels, I had my barn/garage/workhop burglared and cleaned out by a gang of b-stards back in UK.

Lockable steel cabinets ( old filing cabinets?) under work benches if space.
All possible entry ways should be well secured.

 

[Billy-o]

I've found filing cabinets just make things inconvenient for opportunists. If people have time and intention, they'll get in them easy enough. Try it yourself.

Get a proper big grunty tool safe, with a big hardened padlock. Cast a big a concrete pad on the ground and (expandable) bolt the tool safe to it from the inside. Can't get into it. Can't cart it off.

 

[Janne]

Not if you attach a holder for a padlock.

same with doors and the so called lockable windows. A joke.
Every thief worth his salt can Open a door lock in seconds, or just break open the door.

My solution in UK was to get a door lock that was made in US and not sold in UK, plus have extra padlock at bottom of door.
Here I have a door lock made in Sweden, and another dead bolt thingy at bottom of door.

 

[Billy-o]

Not sure what you mean, Janne. This guy had a cutters that went through a padlock. They'd slice up a filing cabinet in a second. Filing cabinets just bend apart if you take a crowbar to them. If the site is abandoned like the OP is saying and making a noise isn't a problem for the guy in the mask and stripey jumper, then filing cabinets provide no security. None.

 

[C_Claycomb]

How about disguising the tools storage as something a lot less interesting? Same idea as those key safes that look like rocks that you leave in the garden. At my old house I made a key safe from some old wood in such a way that when it was closed it looked like just a chock of planed wood, with all the other odd bits lying around the shed.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Wayne,
You might like to try to get hold of Ed and ask his opinion, seeing as how he is all interested in locks these days

 

[Robson Valley]

Valuables come in all shapes and sizes. Some things, like fancy jewelry boxes, promote theft.
Best here are fake light switches and central heating vents = actually locked bins for valuables.
But, you'd never fit a chainsaw in any of them!

Weld a 3/8" thick pipe steel shroud over the lock.
All you can get at is the key hole in the lock.
Bolt cutters are useless.

 

[Broch]

HT wired to all metal surfaces?

 

[Janne]

Not sure what you mean, Janne. This guy had a cutters that went through a padlock. They'd slice up a filing cabinet in a second. Filing cabinets just bend apart if you take a crowbar to them. If the site is abandoned like the OP is saying and making a noise isn't a problem for the guy in the mask and stripey jumper, then filing cabinets provide no security. None.

Wow, those were desperate guys!
For not much....

It is easiest to try to prevent entry into the premises.
I was a horrifying vid where the "thief" easily lifted out the glass panel cassette from a supposedly safe window.

The problem (as usual) is that to secure a building or a home costs big money.
To get a proper front door - steel frame, steel door masked as a normal door with wooden veneer,is scarily expensive.

 

[sunndog]

I'm not a thief but I cut a lot of steel, no padlock or site box will keep me for long

Any real security measures need to include all the suggestions in this thread to slow the scum down a bit....all you can do is make things as difficult as possible for them with at least three barriers between your stuff and them walking off with it

One of the best tips is that they can't steal what they can't see

 

[Wayne]

Thanks for the suggestions. I thought I had it pretty much covered. Nothing new on the market then.

Back to the drawing board and a some clever design.

 

[slowworm]

You can register power tools on something like https://arbsafe.co.uk/ so if they're recovered or sold on people can check.

I wonder if microdotting or similar is of any use, or if signs saying tools are protected is any help?

 

[Broch]

There are two problems 1) the law of diminishing returns applies (costs go up dramatically for small increases in security) and 2) the more visible security the greater the assumption that there is something of value (and, therefor, the more professional the thief).

I took the view a long time ago for all my work premises that there will be sufficient security to deter a casual/amateur attempt but not so much that the determined would do a lot of damage getting in. So, basically, we had doors and windows alarmed, IR/movement sensors in each room, CCTV and good quality locks on the doors. Anything else would have been more than the insured risk.

 

[Robson Valley]

Small electric engraving pens are sold here. Tungsten carbide tipped.
The police recommend us engraving our Social Insurance ID numbers on valuables.
Small suggestive signs in your house windows do much the same

May be unsightly but such items can be checked against an online police data base in mere seconds.
Second hand stores exercise fair diligence with such goods.
Been some big time thieves picked up that way.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Smart Water for marking things.

Smoke Cloak or similar to prevent the thief from being able to see
https://www.protectglobal.co.uk/

very loud siren mounted inside, loud enough that it is painful to remain in the same confined space.
https://www.powersaver.co.uk/master...ery-loud-127db-outside-sounder-for-alarm.html

Like this:

 

[Billy-o]

Nothing new on the market then.

Back to the drawing board and a some clever design.

Nope ... nothing new under the sun

Get a portcullis and an old geezer with a brasier

 

[sunndog]

A local business got ram raided a while back and now has smoke machines that go off if a window breaks

 

[crosslandkelly]

Smart Water for marking things.

Smoke Cloak or similar to prevent the thief from being able to see
https://www.protectglobal.co.uk/

very loud siren mounted inside, loud enough that it is painful to remain in the same confined space.
https://www.powersaver.co.uk/master...ery-loud-127db-outside-sounder-for-alarm.html

Like this:

Ear defenders.

 

[Trotsky]

If someone absolutely wants your stuff there's nothing really you can do about it, even if you're sat there watching, rifle in hand, they'll simply wait until you nod off from exhaustion. You can however do a great deal to dissuade the less determined and the opportunist tea leaves. Get better padlocks, don't worry too much about pick resistance, just resistance to brute force attacks and bolt croppers. The thicker the hardened shackle and the less of it you see the better. Then shroud the hasp and staple of what you're locking so there's something else to defeat before you get to the lock. If you're using a chain and a lock, avoid letting the chain sit loose especially near the floor as it opens it up to brute force attacks also. Aside from that, make sure your efforts cannot easily be bypassed by attacking something else other than the lock, such as removing pins from hinges or some such. Above all don't go too mad, making things like fort knox will not only mean a determined thief will cause more damage before getting your stuff, it also is like hanging a sign saying "expensive precious stuff stored here!" Think of it like Adrian Mole's grandmother leaving Radio 2 on loud in the kitchen rather than having a house alarm, only the boldest will enter a home showing signs of life and they wouldn't care about an alarm anyway.