anti theft marking of tools

[sardine]

What's the best way to permanently mark power tools that cant be removed or ground out or covered over, against theft, and is it worth the bother ?

Can you get a metal stamp made to melt your code deep into the plastic ?

 

[Bsmith]

Suppose you could buy letter punches, heat the ends and press into plastic. Would probably knacker the punch temper though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stamps-Le...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2c98923d5e

 

[Parm]

Engraving is the simplist way to go. Just make sure you engrave on multiple parts of the tool so it becomes a pain to remove and obvious if anyones had a go.

Enragvers are cheap enough to buy

PS, if anyones that determined to take your tools and then hide any markings they will find a way, its more really to stop the opportunist

 

[Maker]

I bought my welder with "Northrop yacht club 2002" engraved into the top. I've also got a couple of boxes of Dremel accessories with something on them. I would say it's not worth the bother of doing it because I bought both from eBay, they both had plenty of interest so people clearly don't care about buying something potentially stolen and it certainly wouldn't stop them using it. I suppose if you had something stolen, then you found it again and could prove it was yours then it would help but you would need proof that it was once yours (A picture of it showing your marking?) and to find the item after it's been taken.

 

[the snooper]

even engraving them, nothing stops people from filling it in wit a smidge of body filler and applying some paint, why does it have paint on it ? to prove it was mine a good strong box and padlock is about the best you can do

 

[sparkysy]

I engrave all our kit with a dremell and try and keep it in similar awkward places to fill eg inside battery slot or inside handle just initials but as has been said could be filled and repainted, if they find them! At least you know where you marked it and how many crims look inside something before they flog it on?! Other than that like Mr snooper says metal box with big lock and hope for the best!

 

[cumbriasteve]

Marking tools does not prevent the theft of them, all it does is decrease the resale value, reduce the potential size of the market for resale and with loads of luck guide the police in the right direction if they ever raid the lowlifes house.

I mark all mine with a dremel tool, nice and deeply engraved postcode.

 

[Shox Dr]

It's worth remembering the type of person who buys stolen gear really doesn't care if the cases have been damaged by grinding the owners details off. So I don't bother.
Hand tools I mark with my Initials and yellow paint stick. For easy identification, while working with others.


The best anti theft solution is; Don't let them out of your sight when using them. Keep them safe when not.

 

[mike os]

I was told by the plod to mark obviously and put an identifiable mark or marks on it discreetly. .. Make them all the same to prove it

 

[sardine]

It would only help if the police recovered the tools at some point I suppose, and you needed to identify them.

Still better than nothing I suppose .

 

[mike os]

that's all its for.... sometimes I wonder why we bother with a police force for all the use thay are at times

 

[the snooper]

It would only help if the police recovered the tools at some point I suppose, and you needed to identify them.

Still better than nothing I suppose .

its a chance in a million you will see them again, I never did when my garage was done, they police state garages and workshops are too dusty to get good finger prints

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

What's the best way to permanently mark power tools that cant be removed or ground out or covered over, against theft, and is it worth the bother ?

Can you get a metal stamp made to melt your code deep into the plastic ?

I'm new here and as this hasn't been mentioned i thought i would.

You can buy anti theft marking dye, yes sorry you have to buy it but it cannot be removed as it can only be seen under UV light and the mix would be unique to you i saw an ad about it when i updated my trailer insurance.

I think there are at least two suppliers which you could find on an internet search

I apologise in advance if i got any details wrong

 

[Wendelspanswick]

All my chainsaws and Stihsaw have had the soldering iron treatment, melting my post code into all the plastic pieces.
One good thing about buying industrial equipment rather than hobbist or DIY kit is its so bl00dy heavy you'd need a HIAB to steal it!

 

[MrFluffy]

I bought my welder with "Northrop yacht club 2002" engraved into the top. I've also got a couple of boxes of Dremel accessories with something on them. I would say it's not worth the bother of doing it because I bought both from eBay, they both had plenty of interest so people clearly don't care about buying something potentially stolen and it certainly wouldn't stop them using it. I suppose if you had something stolen, then you found it again and could prove it was yours then it would help but you would need proof that it was once yours (A picture of it showing your marking?) and to find the item after it's been taken.

No, its so when its on ebay its unique and I can select collect in person and go persuade them to give me the rest of my things back.

I engrave in multiple places and I have a distinguishing mark that Im not saying thats easy spot. And a lot of my stuff is so modified or got home made bits you couldnt sell it without attracting someones curiosity. Im considering a gps tracker for my box trailer when its got the bike and tools in.

 

[sardine]

I might dip everything in orange paint.

 

[T0rnado69]

I might dip everything in orange paint.

your devalue them, as people with think they are tools from B&Q

 

[Bill Edwards]

Might make them less appealing to a thief then!

If you've a van with a big tool chest in with 'Snap on' visible you'd probably think more carefully about letting people see in if in a dodgy area.
However, if it's 'power craft' you'd probably feel, and be, a little less at risk.

 

[ukracer]

Checkout lake watch UK on Facebook. Something called selectaDNA

 

[DAPPH]

I have the words , STOLEN FROM " GO/ HOUSE NUMBER /POSTCODE ie. " Stolen from ..GO /46 SA236HP " on all my kit. No it's not the real data I've got on things just an example.
This is the recommended police method of marking though three policemen who have seen them didn't recognise what the coding on my tools was .

It is deeply engraved on the tool cases, the tool bodies & handles and also on the inside of the plug and on the plug outside where possible . The engraving marks are then lined out using one of the fluorescent security marker pens
The electric cables are also marked with a fluorescent marker security pen every 500 mm or so . Some bit's of interesting gear have also got several micro dots popped in the supplied glue to hold them in a small hole I've drilled in the bodies etc.
Most of my tools are also photographed from several angles with security devices well indicated by the use of paper arrows pointing to them . My brother has a copy of the pics on a 4 gig memory stick , as do I of his tools.

Several people who have visited me have said what are those those markings for so I tell them ..hopefully the word spreads .
The method & places for marking were suggested to me by a young man who'd spent several sessions as a guest of Her Majesty The Queen. He said most thieves will know what it means and don't want to be caught with anything that can be proved to be stolen so they leave the kit alone.

Another thing he said is that don't leave you tools in nice neat handy to walk away with tool cases , tool cabinets or tool boxes or have them all nicely laid out on shadow boards so someone can see if it is a full set . Having tools mixed up and not in cases increases the risk of a thief having to spend time getting them together thus increasing the chances of them being caught .