Preventing theft of welding equipment

[Bodybagger]

Miller Maxstar 150 was recently stolen. Took everything but, foot control(RFCS-6) and torch. I replaced it with a Maxstar 200 with RFCS-14 foot control. If you can use a RFCS-6 with a 13" lead please send me a PM.
No resonable offer refused !! I'll never use this and hopefully somone can before I lose it, break it or throw it out.

I hate hearing about this stuff. Unfortunately, I have a bit of experience dealing with it.

There's only three things you can do. One is to prevent theft in the first place. Two is work hard to get your stuff back. Three is to let it get stolen and do nothing about it so some crackhead can sell it for 20 dollars and go smoke a hard earned rock.

Prevent the theft
Locks keep honest people honest. They won't stop a determined or professional thief. That said, leaving your welding equipment in an unlocked garage or shop is begging to get it stolen.

If possible, set up shop near your home or in view of others. Nothing stops burglary and theft as well as real people keeping an eye on the stuff.

Avoid putting your equipment in a building where any entrance is not visible to occupied homes or a busy street. A potential entrance out of sight leaves them with all the time in the world to quietly break in.

If this is unavoidable, a cheap alarm system and monthly monitoring is a big plus.

Welding cables
Meth heads don't care that copper is down. They'll cut your cables anyway... if they can get to them. Take a few hours and make a locking box to wind your cables into.

Vehicles
You guys that have pipeline rigs... people are watching you and they want to steal your truck! All they need is for you to take your eyes off it. They know you work from dawn to dusk and when they see your truck parked at the Hotel, they know you are dead tired asleep.

Funny thing is, the Hotel people aren't watching your rig. In fact, the only person watching your rig are the guys that go around stealing and stripping them. This is what alarms are for. You will sleep through your truck starting and driving away, but the alarm gives you a chance to wake up and stop it. If it gets down the road, it's gone. Use a remote fuel shut off or a remote control battery shutoff. These countermeasures won't stop them, especially if they tow it... but if they are trying to boost it, it just makes it take longer and increases the chances that they will get caught in the act.

Don't show everything off

Don't let passers by see all your cool welding equipment. The entrance should be in sight, but keep the equipment OUT OF SIGHT. A thief has to know there are high dollar items present before the take the trouble to steal them. This is called "security through obscurity." Out of sight, out of mind.

Make sure your full name and phone number are all over everything
Put your full name, address, and phone number including area code all over everything of value, even small items. NEVER put your social security number on it because it doesn't make it immediately clear that it has been stolen because people don't associate you with your number, and it just gives the thief what he needs to also open up a credit account in your name.

If a thief is caught in posession of your stuff, your name and phone number makes is clear that it is YOUR stuff, not theirs, and raises suspicion for an officer to further investigate. They might even place a call to your number to double check to see if they have a legitimate reason to have your stuff.

RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER!!!!!!!!
This cannot be overstressed! If your stuff was stolen and you don't have the serial number, don't even bother calling the police because there is nothing they can do. It won't even be "hot." Thieves take stuff to pawn shops knowing that they'll walk out with cash because the property hasn't been reported stolen yet (they often steal at 5-6am and sell at 7-8am to the pawn shops) or that it cannot be properly reported because so many people fail to record the serial number!

Report theft immediately
Make sure your stolen property is entered into the NCIC database ASAP. Only a police officer can do this, and they have to have an official report to do so.
In NCIC, there is a data field for other identification numbers (other than serial numbers) Have the officer enter the phone number you wrote on your stuff.

PROSECUTE THEFT
If someone is caught with your property, crucify them! This may sound easy, but unfortunately it's often someone you know... an employee, and uncle, a nephew.

If you let them get away with this, they will steal from you again. I have seen this over and over again like a broken record. It only stops when they go to jail, flee town, or die from their drug addiction. I have seen all three outcomes... taken the collect call from jail... talked to the police when they came looking... and went to the funeral. And I can tell you that especially if they are family, jail is the safest place for them and if you don't send them there, you may live to regret it.

[FusionKing]

Great post...and now we have a little more insight as to the origin of your NAME maybe

[enlpck]

A couple of other things from when I lived in the bad part of town:

thieves like nice, shiny, hand carryable stuff. It sells for more. If you can't keep it all out of site, the ugly, hard to move things are what you want visible.

A couple of bolts does a wonderful job to slow or stop a thief. Bolt things down if they don't need to move. Cripes, Ive been known to throw a chain through a wheel of my truck. Just run it through the rim and around the tire a few times on one side. Make a good, off balance bundle. This makes it impossible to drive, and harder to tow (need a dolly). Doesn't even need to go around a phone pole or anything, and is harder to cut off if it doesn't.

Side note: when my Max is in the truck, it is either in the tool box out of sight, or a chain goes through the handle of the case to the steering column.

[Flyingpig]

I wish Id read this before all my stuff left town.

[fun4now]

this may be a bit extreme for some of you but when i was in AZ. with my own construction comp. i painted all my hand tools PINK as funny as it seems its a great way to keep people from taking them and a quick way to see them if they are around with another crew.if you know most of the guys around town as i did, they will let you know if one of your tools show up. AZ is a high theft area for construction tools and mine were safe. i also did the usual, chain the big stuff and lock the smaller stuff in my tool box.
a good friend of mine almost got hurt showing up on a job with one of my worm drive saw's i let him use after his was stolen. the first day it hit a job site i got a call from one of the other Foreman's asking if this guy should have my tool's.
you can also etch in a # on the tool. most pawn shops wont take a tool with any type of identifying #'s on it. they see it as a company tool and suspect it stolen right off.

[fjk]

this may be a bit extreme for some of you but when i was in AZ. with my own construction comp. i painted all my hand tools PINK

i once worked with an electrician who had the same problem (tools
growing legs) and adopted the same solution (painting 'em pink).
she said it worked great.
except when she was working in san francisco

frank

[srl_welder]

great post!
tool theft in AZ is terrible! my buddies dad had his tool box bolted down and the theives snapped the bolts to slide the whole box into another truck. then another friend who was working with his dad walked out on someone trying to break the locks off of their trailer to get their weed eaters.

The only thing i dissagree with is the cop thing... here in tucson you will be very lucky if they even show up within 5 hours of seein the theft happen.

[sailor]

Dogs

My dogs are the best security system I have, but I do employ most of the prevous listed methods especially the chain up.

[Bodybagger]

Great post...and now we have a little more insight as to the origin of your NAME maybe

I used to drive an ambulance about a half a lifetime ago!

[Bodybagger]

A couple of other things from when I lived in the bad part of town:

thieves like nice, shiny, hand carryable stuff. It sells for more.

That's what worries me about my spectrum xtreme... the blue plastic case that says MILLER might as well say PLEASE STEAL ME!

[enlpck]

That's what worries me about my spectrum xtreme... the blue plastic case that says MILLER might as well say PLEASE STEAL ME!

When my 150 is in the truck, it looks like an old gym bag. A few minutes with scissors and sewing machine turned an old nylon gym bag into a slip on cover. Covers the lock and chain, as well. Considered sewing half a sock on like it got caught sticking out the zipper, but decided that might be too much. Slips on loose and lumpy.

Another trick came to me at a job: Brand new tools came to the site in shiney cases. First thing done was empty the case, lay it on the ground inside down, and hit it with paint slop. New on the inside, 20 years old and beat looking on the outside.

[fun4now]

Bodybagger

That's what worries me about my spectrum xtreme... the blue plastic case that says MILLER might as well say PLEASE STEAL ME!

enlpck

a quick coat of pink paint on that thing and they will just think its a make up kit for a big guy with an unusual habbit.. well unless your in LA. then it may be a bigger target!!

When my 150 is in the truck, it looks like an old gym bag. A few minutes with scissors and sewing machine turned an old nylon gym bag into a slip on cover. Covers the lock and chain, as well. Considered sewing half a sock on like it got caught sticking out the zipper, but decided that might be too much. Slips on loose and lumpy.

Another trick came to me at a job: Brand new tools came to the site in shiney cases. First thing done was empty the case, lay it on the ground inside down, and hit it with paint slop. New on the inside, 20 years old and beat looking on the outside.
that really works well, good advise

[metalmeltr]

if you can devise complicated mecanicl latches to frustrate theives they will overlook your equipment and move to the next victim.

[davedarragh]

"Pink Panther"

Hey Fun4Now: I live in the Phoenix area, and our illustrious Sheriff (Joe Arpaio, "America's Toughest Sheriff") does the same thing at the County Jails, makes the inmates wear Pink Underwear! There was such a theft problem (of all things) he had 'em all dyed Pink! All these postings are great. As proud as we all are of our "toys" the less the thieves (for that matter the general public) sees or can see, the better.

[FormerTankSarge]

Great ideas, really like what the sheriff does!