securing shop safe

[zkdiesel]

stole this sterling safe for $300 today been looking for affordable one for a while but no luck. extremely heavy, long fire rating, question is, how do I secure it in my shop? has external door hinges, but construction wont allow door to open or come off if they torch hinges off.

do I just bolt it to floor when I figure out where I want it to be and thats that? I mean there is a torch, welder and sledgehammer laying in close proximity............ or any ideas to prevent that?
weighs in at over 2K by scaling my truck with it loaded vs normal empty weight

 

[jhelrey]

Doesn't matter how well you secure it... The seller knows where it will be and the combination. Change that first!

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Doesn't it bolt down from the inside? The bolts are secure as long as they are locked inside the safe.

 

[srmofo]

yeah you want it bolted down in a corner so the thieves have to work it in an awkward spot. if they are able to flip it on its back they can pry the door open much quicker. but given enough time they will get into it regardless

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I'd try to hide it.....Take some old carboard boxes make it look like they are stacked up on one another and write something like "Grandma's clothes", "old home movies", "srmofo's well used *** toys, whips, chains,etc." No one will mess with them.....Just kiding srmofo...

 

[zkdiesel]

Doesn't matter how well you secure it... The seller knows where it will be and the combination. Change that first!

The seller doesnt know where it's at, I don't know the guy, and I picked it up myself, and the name/adress on my trucks door is 14 miles from where the safe is located now

 

[jayrush13]

Gut out an old freezer and put it around the safe what thieve would look in an old freezer

 

[NUTTSGT]

Under the stairs ? I'd bolt it to the floor and box it in under the stairs.

 

[zkdiesel]

Under the stairs ? I'd bolt it to the floor and box it in under the stairs.

That sounds like a good idea with maybe a pair of cabinet doors to uncover the real safe doors

 

[NUTTSGT]

Cabinet with a false front. Open the cabinet doors to expose shallow shelves but then have a release inside to open the entire front and access to the safe.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Under the stairs ? I'd bolt it to the floor and box it in under the stairs.

That sounds like a good idea with maybe a pair of cabinet doors to uncover the real safe doors

If you do this, just make sure you don't have any trolls living under the stairs.... Troll's can be very mean at times, when they think their home is in jeopardy.....

 

[ar2stp48]

There should be mounting holes in the lower safe. Bolt it to floor. Change the combination; always a good idea on a used safe. I can't see the dial, but a good chance they are key change locks. Is there a faint index mark at approx 10:00 position on the outer dial? If so, key change; less than five minutes per lock to change. You can pay a safe tech or buy a key on ebay.

 

[akdiesel]

akdiesel

Nice purchase. Since this is in a shop i would use some sort sacrificial lower frame work to set on or maybe stainless. Shop floors tend to acquire water on the floor from project or bad drainage and it **** to have bottom rust out.
And (sorry for change of subject) the angle of the first pic looks like the bed of the truck slides back. If so what would be the reason for that?

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you do this, just make sure you don't have any trolls living under the stairs.... Troll's can be very mean at times, when they think their home is in jeopardy.....

Better trolls than leprechauns.

 

[zkdiesel]

German Shepard lives under stairs, but she still has side access

 

[zkdiesel]

akdiesel

Nice purchase. Since this is in a shop i would use some sort sacrificial lower frame work to set on or maybe stainless. Shop floors tend to acquire water on the floor from project or bad drainage and it **** to have bottom rust out.
And (sorry for change of subject) the angle of the first pic looks like the bed of the truck slides back. If so what would be the reason for that?

Bottom is 1" thick, take forever for that to rust out

That's a rollback tow truck. Bed rolls forewords and back and then tilts down. I had the stinger pushing on ground lifting up rear of truck so bed matched dock height, then rolled bed back to match dock to drag on safe with winch cable and pallet jack

 

[shooting4life]

Bolt it to the floor and even the wall. Then hide it. I built a cabinet around my gun safe so that when my garage door is opened you cannot see the safe, plus additional storage for ammo. Plus having the wood frame around the save makes it harder to use a crow bar to open the door. Any safe can be broken into, you just want it to take as long as possible. The first step is preventing others from even knowing you have one.

 

[buddyboy]

bolt it to the floor.

then put chains on all your tools so they cannot reach the safe, just like banks do with their ink pens.

lock the tanks to your torch on a far wall and make sure the hoses are not long enough to reach to the safe.

just messing... but seriously protect your safe just like a bank does, with armed guards.

lol

 

[HoosierMark]

Has anyone considered two safes? one easily found dummy with a few things in it and one hidden away with the real stuff? How many people have two safes in the same place? Will the crooks take time to look for a second safe if they find the first one quickly?

 

[TerpnGator]

OK--I've got a good size safe in my house. We travel a lot so house is empty quite a bit. Been broken into 2x and every time they tried to move the safe and break into it, both times with no luck at all.

Once loaded, that thing is going to be HEAVY. Run of the mill thieves will NEVER get into that safe and they will NEVER move it either!

Now---if they are motivated enough, nothing will keep them from getting into it. Just fill it up set up some video security and forget it.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Has anyone considered two safes? one easily found dummy with a few things in it and one hidden away with the real stuff? How many people have two safes in the same place? Will the crooks take time to look for a second safe if they find the first one quickly?

I think a crook will stick around as long as they feel nobody has noticed their activity.

As others have said, get a locksmith to change the combo... If it's a modern style they just use a special key on the inside and it's quick to do.

Are there bolt holes in the bottom of the safe? If so then find a spot and use some expansion bolts. You probably don't need to go too overboard on size, if they bump the safe and it doesn't budge, they probably figure it's bolted down good.

A location that limits access to the safe is always good. If you can prevent access from the sides and also limit to area in front of the safe it makes it harder for them to work on it.

Being an older safe it's probably more heavy duty than what you find today. I saw one safe recently where thieves robbed a cell-phone store, the used (what looked like) an angle grinder and just cut a big square in the side of the safe and grabbed the phones and stuff that way.

If people want it, they will eventually get in. A safe is just meant to slow them down for X amount of time.

 

[shooting4life]

OK--I've got a good size safe in my house. We travel a lot so house is empty quite a bit. Been broken into 2x and every time they tried to move the safe and break into it, both times with no luck at all.

Once loaded, that thing is going to be HEAVY. Run of the mill thieves will NEVER get into that safe and they will NEVER move it either!

Now---if they are motivated enough, nothing will keep them from getting into it. Just fill it up set up some video security and forget it.

You would be surprised at how easy it is to move a safe with a little ingenuity when you are not worried about damaging the floor.

 

[TerpnGator]

You would be surprised at how easy it is to move a safe with a little ingenuity when you are not worried about damaging the floor.

I watched them move this thing in here. Without proper equipment, which a crook isn't bringing with him, I don't care what ingenuity you have, you will never get that safe out of the house before ur discovered.

The crooks will grab everything they can within reach. Stuff they can move quickly, and then run. HOWEVER, like I said, if they came specifically for what's in that safe, nothing you do will keep them from it.

 

[shooting4life]

I watched them move this thing in here. Without proper equipment, which a crook isn't bringing with him, I don't care what ingenuity you have, you will never get that safe out of the house before ur discovered.

The crooks will grab everything they can within reach. Stuff they can move quickly, and then run. HOWEVER, like I said, if they came specifically for what's in that safe, nothing you do will keep them from it.

All you need is a few wooden dowels or golf balls and you can roll a safe out. I read someone that had a safe stolen and the perps laid down some ceran wrap on the floor and pored some cooking oil on the wrap and slid the safe out of the house.

 

[jomobco]

All you need is a few wooden dowels or golf balls and you can roll a safe out. I read someone that had a safe stolen and the perps laid down some ceran wrap on the floor and pored some cooking oil on the wrap and slid the safe out of the house.

Roll it to where? A pickup? You got to lift it. I wouldn't be worried. If they're in your house that long perhaps you should install an alarm system?

 

[nmcqueen469]

Bolt it to the floor and even the wall. Then hide it. I built a cabinet around my gun safe so that when my garage door is opened you cannot see the safe, plus additional storage for ammo. Plus having the wood frame around the save makes it harder to use a crow bar to open the door. Any safe can be broken into, you just want it to take as long as possible. The first step is preventing others from even knowing you have one.

That's nice. I'll steal that idea, thank you very much!

 

[JASONFB123]

Leave it out in the open with a plasma cutter right next to it andfireworks inside. I just read about this in the news. Two theives got early retirement.

 

[Flivver250]

Paste pictures of Nanci Pelosi all over it as man repellant.

 

[Vinci]

You got an amazing deal on that safe!

The best thing you can do is anchor it to the floor so that it can't be tipped/moved.

I don't know about your garage, but if you have a corner to place it in where the walls/structure around it can't be easily torn out from the outside, that would be a good place to put it. The reason being that if someone wants it bad enough, they can cut a quick hole in the wall next to the safe, throw a chain around it, and yank it out of the floor with a truck. Then they just need to winch it up to take it away (kinda like the tow truck you brought it in on).

 

[Jay Sco]

I just have mine bolted to the floor. I did put some cabinets on the side to block it from street view when the garage is open and painted them gloss black to somewhat blend everything so it's not sticking out like a sore thumb.
This is just a temporary setup. I did have plans to build a cabinet around it like shooting4life did but I just haven't got to it yet. Once I get a couple more projects done in the house I'll get on it.
I too have a torch and multiple power tools laying around but try not to worry about it too much. As stated if someone wants it bad enough and has the time and skill they'll get it.

 

[shooting4life]

I just have mine bolted to the floor. I did put some cabinets on the side to block it from street view when the garage is open and painted them gloss black to somewhat blend everything so it's not sticking out like a sore thumb.
This is just a temporary setup. I did have plans to build a cabinet around it like shooting4life did but I just haven't got to it yet. Once I get a couple more projects done in the house I'll get on it.
I too have a torch and multiple power tools laying around but try not to worry about it too much. As stated if someone wants it bad enough and has the time and skill they'll get it.

Nice looking safe. Another forum I visit someone with a safe was robbed. Here is a picture, looks like the robber used a portable bandsaw or sawzall and just cut right into the side and lifted the rifles out of the safe. Keep your power tools away from the safe if you can.

 

[dbonne]

Bolt it down (above any possible water) and load it up with heavy assets. Looks like a 10x better safe than any of these mass produced types.. Someone is going to have to work up a sweat to get anything out of that!

 

[rambo19]

I hid my tools in a steel cabinet marked 'paint and thinners, keep locked'.
When the garage got broken into they only took the old broken power tools that I left out on purpose.
I put the old broken tools in the boxes that the new tools came in and left them on the bench.

 

[Machine2]

I bolted down mine with 5/8" anchors and then packed the floor with reloading gun powder and primers if they use the wrong tools like the torch next to it we will be reading about it in the front page of the paper.

 

[buddyboy]

I have several of those cheap coin albums filled with pocket change. I keep some in dresser drawers, some in the closet, easy 'hidding' spots.

my hope is that if I ever get robbed, they'll find these decoys first, feel satisfied and take off thinking they have my treasure.

with guns, it's a little harder... once they see ammo or any hunting clothes or antlers on the wall they will be looking for guns. You have to make your 'decoy stash' look real. that means you need both guns and ammo and hunting gear all together so they'll stop looking... if they find a .22 and see a climbing tree stand in the garage they know you have a bow or a muzzleloader or 12 gauge or 30-06 with ammo hidden somewhere else.

I have a closet that has a cheap stackon locker. inside the locker are a few inoperable guns and a few boxes of ammo. in the closet is my old hunting clothes that don't fit me. anyone that opens that closet will think they found my 'stash' (i hope)

now with tools, the stuff on pegboard is for the wife and kids and neighbors to use and borrow. good stuff is locked up in toolboxes, but really those can be carted off. and i don't really have any real expensive tools. if they get taken I'll go tool shopping with the insurance check.

my 'impossible to replace' stuff is so well concealed that it would take an fbi search with metal detectors and infared heat guns to find it.

 

[shooting4life]

I have several of those cheap coin albums filled with pocket change. I keep some in dresser drawers, some in the closet, easy 'hidding' spots.

my hope is that if I ever get robbed, they'll find these decoys first, feel satisfied and take off thinking they have my treasure.

with guns, it's a little harder... once they see ammo or any hunting clothes or antlers on the wall they will be looking for guns. You have to make your 'decoy stash' look real. that means you need both guns and ammo and hunting gear all together so they'll stop looking... if they find a .22 and see a climbing tree stand in the garage they know you have a bow or a muzzleloader or 12 gauge or 30-06 with ammo hidden somewhere else.

I have a closet that has a cheap stackon locker. inside the locker are a few inoperable guns and a few boxes of ammo. in the closet is my old hunting clothes that don't fit me. anyone that opens that closet will think they found my 'stash' (i hope)

now with tools, the stuff on pegboard is for the wife and kids and neighbors to use and borrow. good stuff is locked up in toolboxes, but really those can be carted off. and i don't really have any real expensive tools. if they get taken I'll go tool shopping with the insurance check.

my 'impossible to replace' stuff is so well concealed that it would take an fbi search with metal detectors and infared heat guns to find it.

I agree, that is why all of my gun stuff, including ammo is locked in the cabinet posted above. The only thing out is my reloading press but most would not know what a partially broken down reloading press is anyways.