HVAC antitheft Tool/Equipment Cage - Oxide00 Project #1

[Oxide00]

My schools HVAC class had been having some serious problems with high value equipment being stolen or disappearing. My welding class received the task of building a secure enclosure to put an end to the "sticky finger" problem. I and another student were the main fabricators for this project.

[Oxide00]

Here is a picture of some of the unsuspecting parts

[Oxide00]

Parts of the frame

[Oxide00]

Bottom all framed up and ready to go.



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[acourtjester]

HI oxide00
you may see about a cage for the whole AC outside units too. Might be a good business for you when you finish school! (welding cages I mean)
Here is Fla we have had a rash of clowns stealing the outside AC units for the copper in them. Nobody is safe churches, small stores, big stores, and anything not protected.
They put this units behind the place and out of sight people come in and the place is hot and they find out the units gone.
Sad state when a group thinks they are more important and take from others.

[Oxide00]

acourtjester It's horrible over here too, can't go a single day without reading something in the police beat about someone stealing copper tubing or in fact today I read someone stole a $4000 York air conditioner from a downtown office building in broad daylight!! As for my schooling I finished on the 3rd of June and started college the Monday after that. (all students who graduate from the Midwest Technical Institutes welding program are welcome back anytime to weld(That means more posting from me!!).

[DaveO]

Congratulations to the new Graduate! Good on ya!

[Oxide00]

Thanks DaveO!!

[Oxide00]

Here's the partially finished frame with one of my instructors.

[Oxide00]

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[Oxide00]

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[acourtjester]

Hi Oxide00
Sounds like you picked up welding to help work your way through college. That’s much better then building a large debt of college loans. I cannot believe the amount of debt some people start their working life with. I come from a different time period and am now retired I picked up my training in the Navy in electronics. Best of luck to you and your career choice.

Have fun
Tom

[Oxide00]

Thanks acourtjester!! I'm trying really hard to get a job at Bunn in my city (Next time you go to McDonald's look at there coffee machines-Bunn makes them) hopefully my time at MTI helps me stand out a bit among the others.

[Oxide00]

Top storage shelf door hinges welded on



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[Oxide00]

Side Door laid out on expanded metal with chalk



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[Oxide00]

Getting there



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[acourtjester]

Hey Oxide00
Looking at your work it reminded me many years ago I worked for a military contractor and we needed to build a secure cage for the Navy's disc systems. I welded up a similar cage for the computers and discs. It was about 25’ X 14’ X 8’ tall. I fell into the job, as I was the only one on the crew that could weld and had my own mig.

[everlastsupport]

Nice job Oxide00

Everything looks straight.

Do you have a cost of the materials or can you estimate what you spent on them (comparing prices to my area). We had issue here a couple years back. They would get on the building and take the fuses. Surprised no one got shocked, maybe they did

Nothing like getting to work and no AC. And fuses are not cheap, copper is like $3.50/lb here, fuse us $12.

The building had really bad access from the outside as well, but never found a body on the ground in the AM, so they got up there.

[Oxide00]

Hey thanks for the reply!!! I'm not real sure about the total cost, I'll be sure to ask when I visit the school to fool around . From what I know the lead instructor had bought 2 kinds expanded sheet metal (thick stuff for the pipe fitting area, thinner stuff for the cage). I remember asking him and he said something about it being really expensive (but then again he ordered ALOT of it). More pictures to come!!

[ogorir]

expanded metal is really high right now. I bought a few sheets of 1"x1/2"x16ga and they ran me $47/ea. I don't know what the deal is, but that's about 2/3s what I pay for a solid sheet of 16ga from the same supplier.