Securing a shipping container

Safety First! Precautions/procedures and equipment.

Moderators: richardh08, Boophoenix, Lloyd

Post Reply
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

Locky, this might be right up your alley. I've got a couple of containers I'd like to be fairly secure. They are just storage of supplies and tools, but I tend to like my stuff secure since I've had some things walk away before. Back in 1990 I hung out with a lock smith for a brief time and figure out how unsecured many locks are with sme basic tools. He handed me some picking tools, half a dozen locks and went to tinker with something. I walked up a short time later he had thought I had given up, but I had acomplished the task faster than he expected. It was funny a fileing cabinet lock gave me more trouble than a master of quickset lock, lol.

I'm thinking a monoblock lock for under the shroud and picked up some Abus disk locks for the handles. Here are photos very similar if not exactly like mine.
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Lloyd
Posts: 1902
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:43 am

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Lloyd »

The real 'key' (excuse the pun) to that is to provide enough clearance under the hood to get a real key in, but not enough space for even an agile lock-picker to work his tools.

I make my hoods the minimum size possible to still allow me to get the key in the lock.

I ALSO carry a can of bug Bo#b with me when approaching my magazine, because paper wasps like to make nests inside the hood!

LLoyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

I currently have padlocks in use under the hood, but they're a little anoyng since the shackle turns sometimes if I miss the alignment. The ones I am using are just barely long enough and ya have to fiddle occasionally to get them to clear to remove them.
Locky Smith
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:43 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Locky Smith »

I worked for a company once that had a 40' with a huge padlock under a Lock box. This was cut through with a disc cutter. Inside these doors was another set fabricated with 2 x 5 lever deadbolts. These were forced open with a 'jaws for life' type mch. My point being, if they want to get in they will.
With reference to picking, if you were to use a good a section of key ( see pic to follow), these are incredibly hard to pick.
We use Mul-t-lok, the locks can be repinned to provide keyed alike (one key, multiple locks) and any master system. We have just provided a firework company with a four level master system.
Don't forget hinge protection aswell
User avatar
Lloyd
Posts: 1902
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:43 am

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Lloyd »

Locky,
I don't agree with your basic philosophy. That's akin to saying, "Well, since they can get in if they REALLY want to, we might as well not lock it at all!"

The locking is a deterrent. The more difficult you make it, the more of a deterrent it is.

As an aside -- most Conex-style boxes have exterior hinges, but of a sort that are 'locked pin' (tamper-proof -- again, only as a deterrent).

Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

Glad ya brought up the important part of if they want in they'll get in. I'm not worried about the guy that has the means to figure out how to get in via excessive tools. It's the one that can get in quick I want to deter. Was't it Houdini that said " locks are made to keep honest people honest " ?

I've got a friend who has been wanting to replace the doors in her home. She has recieved the doors and started shopping for new locks. We looked last weekend at locks on the net and as I scrolled I got the " stop, go back command " I had seen the price and zipped by. It was hard for me to even consider almost 4 digits for a lock on a door with 70+ percent glass. She was looking at the visual aspect. Luckily she is smart enough to understand that is what she was paying for is pretty not security.

I stopped at a locksmiths one day last week and we had the discussion momentarily about security. He mentioned that a lock is only as good as the door and I couldn't leave it alone there and added a comment about the ajoining wall as well.

With responce times of the officers in my area the more time I can make ya waste trying to get past the security maybe one of my neighbors or friends will drive by first. The last time I called the local keystone officers at an hour I got tired of waiting for them to show up. I live four miles from there offices. They must have been busy sleeping, eating donuts, or writing speeding tickets to worry about the strange care visiting all of the neighboring driveways after midnight multiple times. I even made the oops of telling them I greeted them from the top of the hill at my driveway on there third turn around armed and they had no hesitation. The forth trip back they could see I was on the phone I'm guessing and they drifted another house or two up in the direction I can't see very far. I could still hear them for another 30 minutes while waiting for the patrol car to give me static about my greeting method.
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

Lloyd, I don't believe that was his point. I believe it was to share that most people are not aware that a lock is just a deterrent. As my original inquiry could be misunderstood to mean I want to totally secure the containers which my budget will not allow. I can however spend a little extra to slow things down. Any rational criminal will overlook something taking to much time and move on.
User avatar
Lloyd
Posts: 1902
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:43 am

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Lloyd »

Boo, that probably WAS what he meant. If so, he should have said it.

We know better, but some rank beginner might have come away from that thinking that locks are worthless.

So -- SAY, "Locks can all be picked, but the better the lock, the less likely it is that anyone will bother."

You know that words are important to me -- they're part of my tool kit.

I read on Facebook this a.m. that "Police awarded a teenager who walks to work with a new bike." Being a self-proclaimed word smith, I immediately asked, "Why would he walk to work with a new bike, when he could have been riding it?"

"Police award a new bike to a teenager who was walking to work." Hmmmmm?

Just a turn of phrase or a change of punctuation can alter the entire meaning!

LLoyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
User avatar
richardh08
Site Admin
Posts: 2226
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:54 pm
Location: Bedfordshire

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by richardh08 »

...and here is a picture of Bradley's missing container, which I took last week! :lol:
Even when I'm wrong, I'm convincing.
User avatar
Lloyd
Posts: 1902
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:43 am

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Lloyd »

I should probably lighten-up just a little, because Locky might not know me well-enough to understand that my intentions are good.

I'm not usually an exact copy of the stern-end of a cow!

I've been in this as both a hobby and a profession long enough to know just how literally beginners will take things said by a more-experienced person.

From my perspective, it would have been better to say, "Use the best locks and lock hoods you can afford to use. None are 'pick-proof', but most would serve as a reasonable deterrent to break-ins."

My gut reaction is that a Conex box is so easily broken-into, that it would be 'extra work' to attack it at the locks!

Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
sambo
Posts: 957
Joined: Sat May 16, 2015 6:04 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by sambo »

Just taking this in a lateral direction for a second.... The HSE "requirements" for magazine storage for high-value goods, arbitrarily deemed to be high explosives and black powder ( but curiously not flash ) in terms of locks are quite conservative. However, for ALARMS, that's another matter entirely. You might be better placed to lock it reasonably well but have a very effective alarm / cctv system. Ken probably has some good ideas on the latter I would think.
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

I know ya well enough to know you're tool kit Lloyd, :-) We certainly are a different sort aren't we, lol. Although often times I wish I had that clarity of the written word.

I saw the same story a little while back I do believe. They're playing that one up or it is slow to hit FB one. Teens car was Brien so he walked each day to and from work. Officer stopped him late one night walking home and gave him a ride home. The officer was touched by the teens character to walk to work that he discussed with the officers club ( don't recall the actual name of the group ) and they decided to get the young man a bike. Sounded like a pretty nice one too. They when to his place of employment and asked to speak to him and presented him with the bike there.

Richard, clean it and organize it please, lol. I have plenty more items to toss in there when it gets back.

Lloyd, I've got to share a little of the story of our first meeting. Hope ya don't mind.

Lloyd is going to be teaching a shell building class and mentions it on another forum. I comment they ( attendees ) are lucky to have that class. I get an informal invite to join which I jumped at the chance having never built a shell before. Now Lloyd has to check to see that I can attend and it works out. Since I'm gonna be there anyway I inquired about hanging around a day or two to see what other wonderous things I might learn to which Lloyd agrees.

So I make the 9 hour drive to Lloyd's nervous as all get out being the country bumpkin I am. I pull up to Lloyd's shop and within minutes I realize it's gonna be a fun weekend. I think we hit it off pretty well and had some laughs even when I told Lloyd he was a " freak of nature ". He shouldn't be that smart and be able to apply that knowledge to practicle exercise.

We've picked back and fourth at each other ever since.

I have to add this part too. I've been quite honored to call Lloyd a friend even when he might cringe a little when he sees my number pop up on the caller ID weekly. He's one of the most experianced and helpful people I've ever met. Very unique at times with his answers being simple unlike many people with his knowledge. The time he's taken out of his day for years to share and try to help others in the art of pyro and in general is astonishing to me. He could even pass as a good ole country boy when he's not trying to be clear in his wording, lol.
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

Sambo, I plan to hopefully add a surveilance system as the containers can see my home so they could cross watch each other. I also have a commercial security system I aquired from a demo job I did I inquired briefly about at the recent lock smith visit since he had some signs up for the system.

The containers are mostly just storage of supplies and sme consumer products. One does serve a dual purpose as an outdoor work area along with tool storage since I currently don't have a garage or anything.

I live on a hillside if ya can"t tell from the image it took a little effort to cut the spot for them into the hill, but I think it's gonna be a nice location for them.

image.jpeg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
richardh08
Site Admin
Posts: 2226
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:54 pm
Location: Bedfordshire

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by richardh08 »

Boophoenix wrote:The time he's taken out of his day for years to share and try to help others in the art of pyro and in general is astonishing to me.
Well said, Bradley. I've never met Lloyd (nor you, either) but that's exactly the impression I get of the kind of person he is.

I know his comments have proved helpful to me on more than one occasion, and I just hope that something of value goes in the opposite direction from time to time.
Even when I'm wrong, I'm convincing.
User avatar
Boophoenix
Posts: 968
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:49 pm

Re: Securing a shipping container

Post by Boophoenix »

Richard, Lloyd has always claimed he learns a lot even from the newbies as myself. I'm aware of one such instance were my continued nieve ideas triggered a light bulb that helped solve a problem once for him.

To be honest he does really enjoy helping newbies. I've seen that smile on his face when a new person see's there first shell lift and break. I've seen that same expression in Scott Smith's face when I inquired about some future Cobra features as we were driving to a personal shoot of his I assisted him and his staff on. Tom Rebenklau ( TR's rockets for those that don't know his name ) has that same desire to share and help others.

When someone has a true passion for things you can't help but notice it. I'm just glad this art attracts so many of them.
Post Reply