I've looked at metal bike sheds on the net and they are £500 +!
A mate of mine is pretty handy at welding and says he will help out, but I would have no idea where to source steel plate and steel tubing to basically make a crate for the bikes. Obviously this would all be locked up too.
I'm thinking of the crate being inside the existing shed.
Has anyone done such a thing and what was the cost?
What should I be googleing?
Thanks
rightmove.co.uk
google steel stock holders in your local
Your cage will be as good as the locks you use.
Fixing a very solid frame you can lock you bikes to, to a very solid lump through the floor of the shed may be the way to go.
We could make you one, out of just about anything you fancy. But I guess the best/ most cost effective is a frame out of angle iron with plate bars welded as a cage internally so yeah you can get your hands in there, but the bike/componants aren't going anywhere. Then secure by bolting to the floor with Hilti's & a big mutha of an armored padlock on the front.
I'd say £300-500 inc vat is probably the cost of something like that (a day and a bit in the workshop) + materials.
http://www.garden-security.co.uk/AsgardAccess.aspx
That sort of thing?
Waste of space. Too many accesses to it/ can be opened with a hammer and crowbar in any of the moving parts. Don't bother with them.
Barrat steels at Dudley Hill Bradford will sell you cheap plate ao sheet steel.
also A.S.D at Stourton Leeds.
Something like this for the frame
Something like this for uprights every 100mm within the frame
Possibly even with something like this welded into the panels before the uprights
Your cage will be as good as the locks you use.
Fixing a very solid frame you can lock you bikes to, to a very solid lump through the floor of the shed may be the way to go.
True, but there are plenty of cases of people coming home to find small bits of frame left behind where the thief just cut the frame to get the components, at least a steel box would require them to open the box to get anything, and you could use a normal D/chain lock inside as well.
Waste of space. Too many accesses to it/ can be opened with a hammer and crowbar in any of the moving parts. Don't bother with them.
Agree, but something similar and simpler might work, I've been thinking something a little bigger than a chest freezer, stick a plywood lid on it and you've got a nice solid workbench too.
A former neighbour of mine had one in his shed made from [url= http://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/reviews/viewcompanywebsite.aspx?firmaName=expamet-building-products&companyId=16877511 ]Expamet[/url] which was also rawbolted into a couple of concrete blocks under the floor. He had one break-in & they didn't get into the cage - they never came back either.
IIRC it had internal hinges on the door & a steel box over where the padlock fitted.
It was light enough that he took it with him when he moved.
Depending on if you're able to pick the materials up yourself, you could go to your local scrapyard. I was going to suggest old scaffolding bars but it would take more time preparing the joints for welding. They'd probably have plenty of angle iron and box section as well though.
ebays pretty expensive comparatively rustymac - postage cripples
I source steel for my welding exploits from the local blacksmiths - largely because most of the stock holders in ABZ are not interested in dealing with joe public !
Sheet steel I get from the motorfactor in massive sheets for peanuts !
Thanks for all the info, will check those local suppliers, and motor factors
The local scrapyard may well be an option, seeing as I used to work at the local one a few years back as a summer job!
Cage is probably the wrong description, as I imagine steel plate is cheaper... but basically I'm thinking of a rectangular metal box with a hinged door on the front and using a steel rod to secure the door, secured by a circular padlock behind protective steel plate box with only just enough room to get your hand inside to undo the lock....
As above the key is trying to eliminate places where levarage can be used.
That said if they come armed with an angle grinder well, fair play to the b@stards and hopefully the noise would wake me up!
When i was doing my apprenticeship, the contract painters had a steel hut installed and fixed to a metal floor plate, with bolts doewn the side and some huge locks on the doors, some of the other workers who wanted some paint, simply groung the bolt heads off, lifted the shed tok the paint and then re welded the bolts back in place.
Just make sure all bolt heads are on the inside, hinges covered, and hinge bolts fitted to stop the doors being forced off from the hinge side.
If they want it, they will have it. I have seen hydraulic cutters (fire brigade style) used to access Corten containers with the lock boxed in. You can only discourage the moderately well equipped, the determined will only be deterred by death or serious injury and society won't allow that.
This could all be naivety, but I was thinking of just welding the sheet frame to the angle steel so therefore no need for bolts, the exterior would be a seamlesley welded box.
The hinges is an area of concern, but its function over astheics having a door that glides shut so I already have a crude idea of how to weld hinges on to the box that would need a pretty hefty crowbar to force open, but as I say I'm no expert as to what can be welded etc.
I think it might be a bit of a make it up as we go along 'A Team' type approach. Should be fun and the only time I can justify to Mrs FD spending hours in the shed messing around with lots of tools and fun stuff 😆
I wasn't meaning buing the bits from ebay, more they would be the type of bits i'd use. Maybe i miss-understood the OP.