But wait, more of.....never mind, you know the drill; box truck, saga, yaddy-yah

[Toolmaker51]

What would thieves do with $330 worth of 12v vehicle batteries?
Well, I don't want to find out.

My lot isn't fenced yet, partially due to infrequent large trucks arriving. A lot of asking people and google hasn't generated how to accommodate traffic according to a certain arrangement of streets. That makes a secure perimeter an ongoing issue.
So, batteries got the most recent attention.
The stock tray is under the cab, drivers side. The cover has a rubber hood clamp, where top step meets frame of first step an imposing 1/4-20 stud and nut; that's ll that stood between their couple bottles and my wallet.
I combined two 1/2" cable clamps, a couple feet of 3/8" chain, four bits of C-channel, two bits of 3/16" square tubing, various hex and carriage bolts, and a helping of crude Yankee ingenuity.

The dog's eye view shows added parts.
Lower front and back have slots that slide over a stub of round stock, that with the rubber hood clamp kept it from lifting or sliding out.

Another shot details added material around those slots. Old slots wallered out, nearly round. Added material, not much security, but tightened up what was looseness creating a rattle.

Here, the chain is threaded over the top, secured at one end, bolted into a cable clamp. It would take a lot of cutting to get at it; time consuming and noise making. Not favorite atmosphere of a thief.

Here's the business end, both a large lock and last link tied to cable clamp. A little more room to work, twice the material to penetrate.


While the inboard side is open, that window is smaller than battery upright or laid down. Not to mention a nest of 1/0 and 2/0 stranded copper, another favorite target, out of reach.
--------------------------
Next I figure how to straighten tubing used to shelve cargo area, it's heavier than EMT but not quite pipe, seems about like 'rigid electrical tubing'. At 8' long, a 30" wide air over hydraulic press isn't the combination. Straightening is best done on a bed of at least .75% long as object being worked, with 'furniture' at least 1.5x height of bends getting attention. I bid once on a straightening press. Even had I won, 1700 miles from where I need it.

[DIYer]

Thanks Toolmaker51! We've added your Battery Compartment to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: Toolmaker51's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Battery Compartment by Toolmaker51

tags: battery, storage

[Frank S]

My preferred way of dealing with thieves is unfortunately seriously frowned upon by the so-called modern society. However, as our county sheriff often says just make sure the bodies are buried deep enough under new construction. So I have a hole dug 14 feet deep just in case I ever need it

[Toolmaker51]

Agreed.
However accommodations at the shop are fine for working, still not up to par of extended stays. Waiting for a prison to close, I'll bid on a machine gun tower and remodel it a tiny home, on stilts. A little get away apartment for me, and stem another sort of get-aways.

[WmRMeyers]

Agreed.
However accommodations at the shop are fine for working, still not up to par of extended stays. Waiting for a prison to close, I'll bid on a machine gun tower and remodel it a tiny home, on stilts. A little get away apartment for me, and stem another sort of get-aways.

It is just too bad that we don't have a "LIKE" button! Back when I was coming up on my first reenlistment, I was considering getting out of the USAF, and while I was doing the considering, I was building a RV from an old school bus. Put the undercarriage from a 6x6 deuce-and-a-half in place of the factory rear end, and was intending to put the front suspension from the Deuce at the front of the bus, and a 454 Chrysler Hemi to run things. Would have needed really extended drive shafts to the rear, and I was having trouble finding a couple of B-29 ball turrets for the roof. Friend of mine had a Class 3 license, and was offering a Browning M2 with 100 rounds of linked ammo for only $2000. This was Pre-1986. I could only find one ball turret, and that was going to be another $2000, at a MilSurp dealer near my former home in SoCal. Had planned also on putting a king-size water bed in the bus, but realized that a sudden stop would be surf's up! Went ahead and married the wench, but didn't separate until MUCH later, after I earned the fogie raise. The bus project got put on hold (turned out to be canceled entirely) as I got short-notice orders overseas not too long after the wedding. It's all ancient history now. Wish I'd been able to keep the wrecking yard and bus and such, but that was all doomed. Life is what happens while you're making other plans.

Bill

[Toolmaker51]

It is just too bad that we don't have a "LIKE" button!
Bill

Sure there is; it's called a response. We're far more conversationally based than clowns in faceplant, who rely on symbols and shorthand to communicate.
Which in reality, isn't communicating at all.

[WmRMeyers]

Sure there is; it's called a response. We're far more conversationally based than clowns in faceplant, who rely on symbols and shorthand to communicate.
Which in reality, isn't communicating at all.

Not everything I like is worth commenting on, and IMO, most folks probably don't want to hear about everything I think about, anyway!

[Toolmaker51]

I'll listen to anyone, that has some qualification.
IDK, like a shaper on their tailgate.
Even if it's facing the wrong way.

[WmRMeyers]

I'll listen to anyone, that has some qualification.
IDK, like a shaper on their tailgate.
Even if it's facing the wrong way.

It was the culmination of several decades of searching for a shaper. Any shaper! Though I'd have preferred a South Bend, since that's what I learned to operate in a class that was now about 49 years ago. I've had it since January of 2014, and it's still not been run for more than a few seconds. Very wild seconds! When I got it, it had been around 40 years of looking for one. I almost had my shop cleaned up enough to work on it a few months ago, and now it's stuffed to overflowing again, but I now have 4 poly-totes to put actual garbage in, and if I can separate that from the good stuff before my back goes out again...

Bill

[Toolmaker51]

Shapers are high echelon in the Rodney Dangerfield division of machinery; not getting any respect. Same with hand millers, die files, profilers, tracers, gang drills..... Maybe not for industry, not my goal. If it was good at something, probably still is, and earns space; without being $400 a month in payments.