HVAC cage

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Spent my Sunday afternoon putting this together, cant say I like working in such a scarey neighborhood but the $$$ was right. Same property owner wants them on all his rentals now.   Used 5/8 rebar and other bits and peaces I had laying around the shop.  Used a 12vs feeder running off a SA 250 diesel, love that set up but need a smaller welder for little stuff like this. Any one tried a 12vs off a newer bobcat may be buying one this weekend.  IMAG3132 by TheEvillOnes, on FlickrIMAG3133 by TheEvillOnes, on FlickrIMAG3131 by TheEvillOnes, on Flickr
Reply:Is that just bolted to the cement? Can't someone just unbolt it?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:What provisions did you provide for access for cleaning and corrective maintenance?Everlast PowerPro 256, Everlast W300 Cooler, Everlast Cart 250Millermatic 211, Spoolgun 100, Miller HD CartJackson W60 Truesight Digital Auto Darkening, Victor 315 Torch sitting on a Harper 830-86 cart
Reply:I have built a few of those cages.  Along the way we learned a few things.The first versions were bolted down.  The thieves just unbolted them and tool the unit anyways.  Bolting only inconvenienced them a bit and the cage was also missing, scrap steel prices you know.Gen 2 versions were set in concrete with lockable access doors.  The thieves just used a sawzall to cut the pipe and stole the cage and A/C unit.Gen 3 is the same as Gen 2 with the exception of dropping a piece of rebar into the tubes.  The rebar just spins when the thieves cut though the tubing and slows them down so much they tend to give up after the first tube.  So far so good on the Gen3 designs.The best you can hope for is to slow the process down to point where they get scared off for fear of being detected in the act.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:Saw this the other day on Craigslist. Small world and nice JD green sa200.  :-)Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller Spectrum 250DMiller Millermatic 200Bunch of old blue dinosaurs....
Reply:Originally Posted by Rog02I have built a few of those cages.  Along the way we learned a few things.The first versions were bolted down.  The thieves just unbolted them and tool the unit anyways.  Bolting only inconvenienced them a bit and the cage was also missing, scrap steel prices you know.Gen 2 versions were set in concrete with lockable access doors.  The thieves just used a sawzall to cut the pipe and stole the cage and A/C unit.Gen 3 is the same as Gen 2 with the exception of dropping a piece of rebar into the tubes.  The rebar just spins when the thieves cut though the tubing and slows them down so much they tend to give up after the first tube.  So far so good on the Gen3 designs.The best you can hope for is to slow the process down to point where they get scared off for fear of being detected in the act.
Reply:I like the idea of using tube with rebar never would have thought of that. I welded the nuts on to the frame to keep them from being unscrewed. It pivots on the outer peace of pipe so gives full access. Thanks love that welder it makes a lot of green too. May be buying a bobcat this weekend for small projects like this. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Reply:how about hollow tubes filled with an oily dye? cut a tube and get ink'd
Reply:Originally Posted by welding_kidhow about hollow tubes filled with an oily dye? cut a tube and get ink'd
Reply:Originally Posted by Rog02Gen 3 is the same as Gen 2 with the exception of dropping a piece of rebar into the tubes.  The rebar just spins when the thieves cut though the tubing and slows them down so much they tend to give up after the first tube.  So far so good on the Gen3 designs.The best you can hope for is to slow the process down to point where they get scared off for fear of being detected in the act.
Reply:Wow! I can't believe people actually steal stuff like that!? Tools and such...yea...I can understand that. Thankful I live in Maine...The Promised Land. We Mainers also like our guns...lot's of them.  We don't like strangers in our neighborhoods or near our boats...and folks who fool with our lobstah traps usually end up in them as bait. Hmmm...how 'bout 240 volts applied to the cage somehow? POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Looks great, usual maintenance items are ,fan ,capacitor and contactor.If You can find a used trailblazer 301 or 302, but they will burn more fuel than your Lincoln . The trailblazer will have 10000 watts of AC power.Last edited by guajilloweld03; 09-24-2013 at 06:26 PM.
Reply:Rebar isn't the best choice.  Bolt cutters could clip every bar on that cage in under a minute.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Make a cage that all it needs is to pull a pin to release it. A grenade pin."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:When first approached with the project my immediate response was to install a few toe poppers, bouncing Bettie and/or a Claymore or two, all of which were quickly rejected by the owners insurance company.The rebar has worked OK on the one Gen 3 that has been compromised since installation.  The tubing is 1 1/4" .095 "mechanical" tubing and the rebar is 3/4".  In all actuality it is rather easy to overcome the deterrent by just making the cut in a rotation around the tube, but the idea of intentional thought and meth/crack addicted thieves just doesn't seem to go together.  It was tested several times on the bench in the shop and worked well enough the owner said go with it, as it kept the cost to a minimum.  No insurance discounts for the cage installation but the saving in deductible pay outs has more than paid for the cost of the cages.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:If I make any more I will try the greased up rebar. I may pick up a bobcat 225 found one in nice shape I can get for 800 bucks it's one of the newer ones with 10kw ac out and only 600 hours. Any one run wire with a 12 vs off one?Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Reply:Wire the cage to the capacitors... light those boys up!"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Thomas Jefferson If the Lights are a Flashin', STAY OFF the tracks!!! It might be me at the Throttle...
Reply:"...dropping a piece of rebar into the tubes. The rebar just spins...."    ROFLMAO!!!!!!!  That'll p155 'em off!  I love it!- MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:I still bolt them down, but I use these special security nuts:http://www.tannerbolt.com/products/S...Fe1_Qgodih8AkAHave yet to had one ripped off, and I have put them in some bad areas.Vice grips are not able to get a hold on these nuts.Miller TrailBlazer 301Miller 12rc feederMiller ShopmasterMiller 22a feederPlasmaCam CNC TableHypertherm 45 cutterDrills, saws, blast cabinets etc.
Reply:Does the bobcat have CV? Are you running the 12VS on CV from the SA 250.
Reply:Originally Posted by guajilloweld03Does the bobcat have CV? Are you running the 12VS on CV from the SA 250.
Reply:The bobcat has cv my sa 250 is cc only but the vs runs really well off it. I wouldn't use it for sheet metal but for most stuff with .035 wire and 75/25 or 90/10 it runs some nice beads. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Reply:Originally Posted by whiskeyrichardI still bolt them down, but I use these special security nuts:http://www.tannerbolt.com/products/S...Fe1_Qgodih8AkAHave yet to had one ripped off, and I have put them in some bad areas.Vice grips are not able to get a hold on these nuts.
Reply:well, its still a cage with big open areas. what stops them from adapting, using a form of a hand hoe, reaching in and ripping out the Al or Cu?
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55Thieves are typically not the brightest light on the porch, certainly not the most eager to engage in extended physical labor and look for the easy targets.   for the most part a well built/anchored cage is enough to make most thieves move on to the next easy target. IMO.ok, the OP said "scary neighborhood". hmmm, are the renter's also the threat? i mean, if i were shady person i would rent the place and then steal the unit myself, then tell landlord "dunno, was missing when i came home". also, would it be easier to remove the top section and then bolt it down to concrete on the inside using some odd "security" bolt? and then replace the top section screws with those security torx screws??
Reply:Could you not just fill the tubing with black powder, then if they cut and make heat or spark it should go off.
Reply:Originally Posted by welding_kidwell, its still a cage with big open areas. what stops them from adapting, using a form of a hand hoe, reaching in and ripping out the Al or Cu?
Reply:what you could do, use tubes, insert a o-ringed piston and right spring, weld in or use some form of good one-way valve at the top or side for injecting dye (just needs to be above piston, etc). finishing welding it off, then pump in dye and pressurize the tubes. cutting into the tube will make things messy even if they cover the tube with cloth prior to cutting. no way hacker or unit is leaving w/o dye markers, etc.or, for the occasional thief, a sign that says "warning: cutting these tubes can lead to severe injury or death".
Reply:You could use steel cable inside the pipe, then you could count the blades they F d up trying to cut through it.
Reply:how about exploding dye pack that somehow gets installed inside the unit (this is w/o a cage at all). then post a sign "warning: removing this unit without specialized tools may lead to serious injury", then when they steal it the dye pack explodes and the punk now has a few unanticipated options; 1) drop it and run off to get cleaned up, or 2) s/he is brave and tries to pawn the metal which is now covered in dye and risks being detained until the police come.if they want it they will take it, the cage is easily torn away by backing up truck and using a cable to bumper, or, thief uses a quick pitch screen and uses a portable torch to cut away bars (reebar is soft and can be cut with bolt cutters).
Reply:Maybe the rental units should come with a shotgun rental as well, and the renters paid a bounty for each thief 'tagged'What kind of saws are these guys using? I cannot think of anything quiet and fast enough that people would not notice..  Maybe concrete filling the tubes would ruin a sawzall blade, but abrasive would still go through like butter...miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:I would just hard wire in a power cord with no earth to the frame  ............sit back and wait
Reply:tungsten carbide rod will really slow them down. Maybe even just using hardened rod in the tubing would add a good bit of time to their work.