Stack Security

[Brice Burrell]

I have a big steel Knaack job box. They would need a torch to get the goodies.........

.......I used to live in inner city Chicago. If it wasn't bolted down, it walked.

Mike, I have one of those, they are nice. However they really aren't as secure as you think. I loaned my old 72" Knaak box to a contractor friend of mine who at the time was working in an inner city area of Pittsburgh. The thieves must have been in the trades, because they knew how the Knaak box worked and took advantage of that knowledge. I won't post on the net how they got into it. I still think jog boxes are a good idea, but they do have weaknesses too.

 

[jonny round boy]

I have a big steel Knaack job box. They would need a torch to get the goodies.

Edit: OK, well suffice to say they're not always as secure as one would like....

 

[Brice Burrell]

Jonny, let's not give any thieves ideas. :

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Brice & Jonny,
   Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I need a Rottweiler with a short leash and bad temper.
Mike

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Brice & Jonny,
   Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I need a Rottweiler with a short leash and bad temper.
Mike

Or a starving rattler or python.

Dave R.

 

[Eli]

As mentioned on Riri's theft thread, I want to figure out how to secure onsite. I challenge the group to figure out some good, not too expensive solution that's easy to integrate. I think these could somehow work:http://www.gripple.com/construction/
My proposal is a stainless cable threaded through the front corner hollow of every Systainer in the stack. The cable would be snugged up under the lid of the top systainer to a gripple and the lid of that top systainer locked.  The cable could have a loop at the bottom secured around a joist or eyebolted to the building, something semipermanent. Just one idea, I'm certainly open to others, that's the point.....

 

[Dixon Peer]

With regards to the posting about the Knack box and thieves getting into it, I'll have to think about that one.  I can see torching it, but how would one get it open otherwise?  The lock body and hasp are tucked away so as to be untamperable.  I'm not suggesting anyone who might figure this out post it here, of course.  This is just a rhetorical question.

 

[jonny round boy]

As mentioned on Riri's theft thread, I want to figure out how to secure onsite. I challenge the group to figure out some good, not too expensive solution that's easy to integrate. I think these could somehow work:http://www.gripple.com/construction/
My proposal is a stainless cable threaded through the front corner hollow of every Systainer in the stack. The cable would be snugged up under the lid of the top systainer to a gripple and the lid of that top systainer locked.  The cable could have a loop at the bottom secured around a joist or eyebolted to the building, something semipermanent. Just one idea, I'm certainly open to others, that's the point.....

You're right about the hollow corners, but that would mean drilling a corresponding hole in the lid of all your systainers. It could also be a bit tricky feeding the cable through taller systainers.

How about simply having a steel cable that wraps around the outside of the stack, and through the handle of the top systainer? I'm sure that you could find a lock that would grip the cable. The cable could then also go through an eyebolt in the floor or a wall as you suggest above.

Of course, if the thief was determined, and willing to wreck the systainers to get the tools out then they could, but obviously nothing (short of locking them all in a safe!) would stop this.

 

[Mike_Chrest]

The cable would stop a snatch and run thief. I sometimes run a thin cable through my chop saw ( a friend had his nabbed when he walked to the back porch by some guys driving by collecting "junk" in a ratty pickup).

That cable will succumb to any cutting tool. We need "flame cuttable" chain.
http://www.bicyclesource.com/bike/theft/choosing-a-lock.shtml

I lost three bikes to those crappy cables.

 

[Eli]

You're right about the hollow corners, but that would mean drilling a corresponding hole in the lid of all your systainers. It could also be a bit tricky feeding the cable through taller systainers.

How about simply having a steel cable that wraps around the outside of the stack, and through the handle of the top systainer? I'm sure that you could find a lock that would grip the cable. The cable could then also go through an eyebolt in the floor or a wall as you suggest above.

Of course, if the thief was determined, and willing to wreck the systainers to get the tools out then they could, but obviously nothing (short of locking them all in a safe!) would stop this.

I was thinking maybe the cable could have a swaged end as you'd find on a boat lifeline. The swage fitting would be say six or eight inches long. That would provide enough stiffness to thread the boxes, and have a hole in the end for a lock (under the roller boy? Under the lid of the top box, locked by another means?). I thought about going through the top handle, but that would really be for show, they could just unclasp the middle boxes and slip them out.

A cable is actually pretty rugged. You'd need a cable cutter. Hacksaw or Bolt cutter won't cut them, and cheap bolt cutter is the weapon of choice after brick or crowbar. If the cable is mostly inside the plastic, I don't even see how they'd get at it with a cable cutter. The weak link would be the loop to location. I think the Systainers would really take enough of a beating, if locked, to make them go for an easier target.

I still haven't looked around the Tanos site, but I just know they have something figured out already.

 

[jonny round boy]

The only 'security' option that Tanos do is the lock:

[attachthumb=1]

If you put a cable around the outside of a stack, through the top handle, and then somehow secured the ends together, it would be virtually impossible to unclip them & slide one out sideways - seriously, try it. Put three or more on top of each other (you don't need to clip them together for the purposes of this test), tie a piece of string around them, and try & remove one of the middle ones...

 

[Eli]

I knew they had to make a lock. So that's pretty much the whole deal. You don't even need to stack the same height or same combo of boxes, as long as you put the locking one on top. drill out all the other lids, both corners. Stainless cable all the way through and around your immovable object of choice, with no slack. Gripple the ends of the cable together under the top box lid. Lock the top box. Wa-la, as they say......

I don't think that would take too long to lock up at night, certainly quicker than a full load out. I'm still in love with rolling those stacks out to the car though. Feels so official or something. I might do this in the garage when I go away for the weekend.

 

[jonny round boy]

Also, I've now found a new item on the Kofferfunshop site - a complete Tanos catalogue. And, it's in English!!!

One of the more interesting items is on the last page - the 'Systainer strongbox'. Like a systainer port, but with higher drawer-fronts and a lock.

 

[Eli]

thanks for that. good for a browse too. I'm digging the inserts.

 

[Per Swenson]

I just can't resist my two cents again.

In the early 80s I was a two book union man. Carpenter/ Mason

We were building a embassy suites hotel in Morris county NJ.

It was lunch time. Think early 80s and who cares what you have for lunch..right on the job.

I sat down with the Iron workers on the 5th floor, sudz and budz.

When lunch was over, A Iron worker when to fire up his welder.

Nothing happened,

The welder was stolen from the 4th floor.

The only secure way on a job site is to have them next to you

and to bring them home.

Thats why I love these systainers.

You can fit a whole job in a Saturn.

Two stacks one on the vac one on the dolly

Wheel em around.

And hello every body.

;DPer

 

[Ned]

I have the Tanos lock.  It's a cheapy luggage-type lock.  No point in even talking about it in this thread.

Oh, and it won't fit a Systainer with the 2-panel tool insert lid.  They do warn you of that.

Ned

 

[Eli]

The only secure way on a job site is to have them next to you

and to bring them home.

Thats why I love these systainers.

You can fit a whole job in a Saturn.

Two stacks one on the vac one on the dolly

Wheel em around.

You're right of course. It's so much easier to move these tools than any conventional ones, and they're so much more valuable only a crazy man would leave them anywhere but home overnight (sorry Riri, but I still can't quite walk away at night without taking them with me, although it's been close when I'm tired). I had an F-350 4x4 Dually crew cab flatbed in the states. Two toolboxes on the bed. A "Western Hauler" setup. Always fully loaded with tools. I hated fueling it, driving it, parking it, repairing it, etc. Our family car here in Australia is a Honda CRV. I don't even have to take out the kid's carseats to bring all my tools on the job. But I think if there's something I can do to slow down thieves, that's just due diligence. Insurance will replace, but what about the inconvenience. Plus, why make it easy for them, the bastards.

 

[ririmarqueverte]

I have to agree with Eli that it is foolish to leave tools behind. However, let me point out that the chances that your own home or your depot stand an equal chance to be broken into. Likewise tools in a van ( even for a short period of time ) have an even greater risk of being stolen according to the insurance industry. What am i supposed to do? sleep with them? My wife won't like that...

Of course after the facts have happened it is easier to say what should have been done ;D

 

[Eli]

I was sort of looking for a home security solution when I started this thread. My dealer took delivery of  MANY sysports yesterday, but at 1k apiece, I think it might be a while before I get even one, and I need three.

 

[greg mann]

I see DeWalt has come out with an anti-theft device with built in GPS. Don't know the particulars but apparently it can be activated by cellphone.Perhaps like a Lojack type device. I suspect it is designed to be hidden somewhere, like under a systainer insert possibly, so that a thief doesn't know it is there.