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To secure something like this:
Unpickability, size, and then cost. In that order.
Thanks in advance.
A hammer would open that whatever lock you put on it!
got to agree with that. no-one is going to waste time trying to pick the lock. I would just find the biggest key lock that will fit from a decent manufacturer such as Abus.
squire make a self-locking hasp - no idea if:
A) It'd fit
B) It's very secure
A zip tie meets all three criteria and will be as effective as any padlock meeting the same.
What exactly are you securing against? Precisely no-one is going to rock up with lockpicks, a crowbar would open that in less than seconds assuming it's even affixed to anything and can't just be taken away.
Any security is only as good as the weakest link. The best thing you could do to secure that is hide it.
zip tie meets all three criteria
Except you can 'pick' it with your bare hands.
OP: as above, What's to stop someone just walking off with the box? Is it for something seriously valuable in a place where strangers will have access to it, or just for the office biscuit supply?
I'm pretty sure screwdriver would pop the hinges off that thing in a minute or so.
Except you can ‘pick’ it with your bare hands.
Depends on the zip tie.
I secured my tool box for years with a wide zip tie cut down to an inch or two. But it was a releasable type, you could 'pick' open the pawl with a fingernail and reseal afterwards. Normal ties you'd have to either cut off or slip something between the pawl and the zip.
It's why I asked what the OP securing against, I wasn't being facetious. For us it was just a case of stopping someone quickly robbing a screwdriver when no-one was looking whilst out on site. It worked well for that. Someone walking off with the entire box would have been obvious. If you want to stop folk robbing from a van or a shed then that's a different use case requiring a different solution.
Thank you for your replies.
I’ve been getting a bit fed up, carting around the spare house keys and other vital faff.
i could drop a couple of stone by rationalising the excess baggage.
a pukka key safe would work, but at those prices (sub £15), I can’t imagine the lock would be up to much…
Seems like the way to transcend any problems re hinges is to buy a toolbox that allows both handles to be padlocked together.
but, such toolboxes tend to be bulky affairs.
What about army surplus ammo boxes?
They're not much use in this regard. The hinges can easily be tapped out.
So, a fairly pick proof lock, and a fairly dinky box.
moon on a string?
I'm still not clear what you're trying to do. You're walking around with 14 kilos of keys?
So, a fairly pick proof lock, and a fairly dinky box.
Key safe?
https://www.toolstation.com/master-lock-combination-key-safe/p64605
Those Master lock key safes can be opened in 15 seconds (there are videos on YouTube).
The push button ones all work in the same way and you can open them with any combination of the code. So if the code is 1234 then you can open it with 4321, 2143 etc.
You can make it more secure by filling the plastic case with cement before you fit it.
Yep. That Masterlock is one of the worst of a bad bunch.
The push button ones, despite the obvious weakness you mention, are IME better than traditional combo dials. The one fitted at my mum's has a clutch on the knob (quiet at the back) making it difficult to decode. But it's not £20.
https://keysafe.co.uk/products/supra-p500-pro-key-safe
Even then, I had it installed out of sight. No-one's breaking into it if they don't know it's there.
Yes, it’s not quite 14lbs. All the house keys and their duplicates.
Then any bank cards.
Passport.
Bike lock (s) duplicate keys.
E-bike battery keys.
Should be quite a simple task to find some kind of lockable storage box on Amazon (preferably without a combination number).
Gap in market?
Hang on...
What... ?
You take your house keys, and duplicates, and passport, and e bike battery keys out with you..on the bike or otherwise?
Is that right?
Where exactly are you planning on putting the red toolbox with literally your life's valuables in?
Could you not, perhaps, not bring all that stuff and, erm, leave it locked in a car or house. You know, like most people!
DrP
I'm very confused by this scenario.
Given the size, weight, and value of the box and its contents, the best way to half inch it will be to just take the box somewhere the ne'er do well has all the time in the world, and at that point the padlock (and the box itself) is pretty pointless.
Why are you putting all these eggs in this one basket?
To all but the OP... how are we going to manage if the OP NEVER posts again... and we're left wondering WTAF is going on.
So..what do we know already:
-stuff can fit in a medium red tool box. BUT..
-"a pukka key safe would work", so could also fit in a key safe.
-the keys and passport (PASSPORT!) weighs about 6kg
-but...a passport won't fit ina key safe.
-unless.. TARDIS key-safe. But again, that technology WILL be more than £15.
I might actually write a book - "The red tool box of dreams" or something...
DrP
Is this another one of those veiled analogies like the neighbour's border thread from a few years back?
Gap in market?
No, what you need there is called a "safe."
lol. The question really concerned fairly inexpensive padlocks.
the actual container for the valuables, that’s a secondary concern. If push comes to shove, a pukka tool box should suffice, if somewhat bulky.
From a search on Amazon, there seems to be a gap in the market for small, secure metal boxes that can be secured with a padlock, without having to worry about the hinges being tapped out.
I’ve actually got a cash box, but I’d guess that the lock is a joke.
So, as the post outlined, any small secure padlocks that aren’t pants?
So, as the post outlined, any small secure padlocks that aren’t pants?
Depends on the threat. Years back I worked at Halfords and towards the end of my time there there was a tv program saying how easy it was to defeat bike locks. The device used was a heavy duty boltcropper and about three foot of scaffolding pole to give additional leverage. A few really, really industrial locks held out but nowadays I suspect they would be taken out quickly with a battery powered grinder. Even if they werent your box would be.
Unpickability is a pointless requirement. Whilst its fun to pick locks if I wanted into someone elses property quickly I would just use a long handled screwdriver or the grinder (assuming I was interested enough in other peoples property to invest in the tools for the job).
To try and answer your question more directly that sort of box is useless for security regardless of the padlock unless you have someone watching it or it isnt overly important. If you want secure then buy a proper safe although then dont rely on it protecting your property for long without supervision.
You don't really need any lock, just hide them somewhere out of site, like the attic, under a heavy piece of furniture, underneath the bottom drawer in kitchen/sideboard/chest of drawers. Or under a floorboard inside a cupboard for example.
Or fit one of these inside a cupboard ceiling and hide your stuff above it.
https://tradeaccesspanels.co.uk/product/fire-rated-access-panel/
Or fit a deep double socket box inside a walk in cupboard with a blank plate over the top, you can access it easy enough but won't be obvious.
https://www.toolstation.com/appleby-dry-lining-boxes/p48850
Just buy a safe. Even a shite one attached to the wall with chemical anchors will be better than anything you've described thus far.
https://www.safe.co.uk/products/phoenix-ss0721k-cupboard-safe.html
I've searched and not found it 10 pages in but the
"What's in the safe?/ New house/business and there is an enormous safe with no key" thread was very funny and the suspense built up admirably by the OP over several weeks.
Do people not just chuck these things in a drawer any more?
Am I missing something? Just get a small safe, you can get them operated by a key if you don't want a combination.
Like this :
I’m assuming it is to stop the kids finding the sex toys.
What I picked up from a charity shop for about £20 is a small filing cabinet with a junk drawer on top. Fits under a desk, has a lock, and is very useful.
Yeah.
i think I’ll just go for one of those small safes.
initially, I figured that something compact with an included hasp would make sense on the foreign trips. Not much fun trying to swim, with that level of accoutrement.
its really that bad! House keys, window keys, bike lock keys, e-bike battery keys, bank cards and soooooo much faff!
turning up at gigs, the poor door staff have one look inside my man bag, and nearly faint at the sheer amount of crap inside.
hotel safe? Perhaps. But what about self catering accommodations?
And I’ve got a feeling that if I snap my femur whilst out and about, then is prefer less faff to check in at hospital.
I think it’s a common sentiment to wish to embellish any cash box with a fairly solid padlock.
id have considered one of those tiny padlocks that you see on the end of motorbike chains.
but, I’d rather the semi-circular part was about 8mm in diameter, just to broaden its compatibility with steel boxes like the one in the original picture.
that box was only for illustration purposes, just to articulate just how small a lock I was looking for (that’s not crap).
so, if there’s any small padlocks (not crap)…
and a very big thank you for your comments:)
I literally don't know what's going on here in this thread any more.
And for that reason, I'm out.
DrP
I literally don’t know what’s going on here in this thread any more.
I'm not sure anyone does!
The struggle is real. When I go to a gig I too never know what to do with14kg of keys.
Unless I'm missing something obvious here, you don't need a padlock, you need professional help.
I think it’s a common sentiment to wish to embellish any cash box with a fairly solid padlock.
Taking a cash box swimming with you, less common than you might think.
Taking a cash box swimming with you, less common than you might think.
It is? Might explain why my triathlon times are so poor.
initially, I figured that something compact with an included hasp would make sense on the foreign trips. Not much fun trying to swim, with that level of accoutrement.
its really that bad! House keys, window keys, bike lock keys, e-bike battery keys, bank cards and soooooo much faff!
turning up at gigs, the poor door staff have one look inside my man bag, and nearly faint at the sheer amount of crap inside.
I think we live very very different lives.
Hate to pile on but the curiosity has got the better of me and would love to know why you can't just take your main house key and leave everything else at home?
Genuine question.
Why do you take all that stuff out with you?
Surely going to a gig with all that stuff put yourself more at risk than less. All your keys etc in a bag that (based on everything you have posted here) will also have enough personal information to find your house.
I concur with everyone here. Get a safe. If you are concerned get two, put them in different places and split stuff between them.
What about a lockable briefcase with a built in handcuff?
Like you see on the movies!
What about those false electrical socket safe things?
Or others have said, a proper safe? Bolt it to a wall or solid floor.
its really that bad! House keys, window keys, bike lock keys, e-bike battery keys, bank cards and soooooo much faff!
Whereas I have house key, car key and phone. Done.
Indeed I've just been issued with a bank card that will read my thumbprint as part of a pilot at work, it's all very clever, but I'm literally never going to use it, I haven't used a plastic card since Covid.
How about
? (Bit sweary)
I figured that something compact with an included hasp would make sense on the foreign trips.
...
Unless I’m missing something obvious here, you don’t need a padlock, you need professional help.
FFS - it's been a long time since I've laughed out loud here but holy crap......!!
Thanks OP [if you're real and not some new comedy AI bot]
Whereas I have house key, car key and phone. Done.
Seriously though..... this ^
Umm, unless I have missed something, how is the red box of keys and sex toys going to remain secured to something in a hotel room/ vehicle / gig venue to stop someone walking off with it? Or does it go in a hotel safe?