+WhipArtist Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I have an idea for a cache that involves finding a locked container, and then solving a puzzle to figure out the combination to the lock. Sadly, the only containers I can think of are fairly expensive-- small safes, realtor's key lockboxes, etc. Box + external padlock would certainly work just fine, but I'm not sure what kind of box would work for this. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment
+Flame Tamer Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 There is a cache with an ammo box inside a welded rebar cage with a large 4 digit combo lock on it. It works. Quote Link to comment
+Vader Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 An ammo box with 2 big tabs bolted on to the side and a lock through the tabs, worked well for me Trivia Cache. It had a 4 digit combo pad lock on it. That is until some kids ended up taking it. Quote Link to comment
+Criminal Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I bought two of these and used one in a cache. It was bolted to an old 4x4 signpost. They were around $10, kinda pricey for a cache though. They're still(!) out of stock. Quote Link to comment
+Stem Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 This cache had a similar idea. It was a lot of fun. The final cache was difficult to find, because of the uniqueness of the container. The lock on it finally gave it away to me. Quote Link to comment
bug and snake Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I have an idea for a cache that involves finding a locked container, and then solving a puzzle to figure out the combination to the lock. Sadly, the only containers I can think of are fairly expensive-- small safes, realtor's key lockboxes, etc. Box + external padlock would certainly work just fine, but I'm not sure what kind of box would work for this. Suggestions? I have just completed building a box as you described. It is an ammo box with a second lid inside it which has a combination lock. My concept is to hide the box with an offset inside the lid to a micro containing the combination. The idea I have in mind for getting to the offset (not too far away) is different to anything I have seen so I don't want to give it away here. But, if you want to gimme an e-mail address I will send you a few pics of how I did the box and the lock. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 (edited) This took about 5 minutes and less than $2 worth of hardware (not including the lock). Drill a 1/4" hole, thread a hex nut, metal washer, then a rubber washer onto a 1/4" eye bolt (all the way to the end). Thread the bolt through the hole and on the other end put on a rubber washer, metal washer and another hex nut and tighten. Edited March 31, 2004 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+cache_us_if_you_can Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 (edited) This is a locking geocache we have in our area. It's clever how he found a way to lock a small ammo box without chains or modifacation. Edited March 31, 2004 by cache_us_if_you_can Quote Link to comment
CacheNCarryMA Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 This took about 5 minutes and less than $2 worth of hardware (not including the lock). Drill a 1/4" hole, thread a hex nut, metal washer, then a rubber washer onto a 1/4" eye bolt (all the way to the end). Thread the bolt through the hole and on the other end put on a rubber washer, metal washer and another hex nut and tighten. I was wondering about this setup. Couldn't a devious person just unscrew the eye bolt from the container? Or did you put some kind of thread lock on the threads? Quote Link to comment
+RPW Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Couldn't a devious person just unscrew the eye bolt from the container I probably would. It does not look that hard to do. Now if he bends the bolt on the inside of the container or crushes the threads it gets harder. But then there is the trusty old hacksaw ... doesn't everyone carry around in his/her caching bag? Quote Link to comment
Nick_T Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 (edited) Easiest way to keep that eye screw in place would be to run it down to the local welding shop and get the nut tacked to the bolt. It'd take only a few seconds to do and would keep the dishonest person honest. Plus, ya might want to add a little silicone around where the bolt goes through the box to keep things water tight. Nick T Edited March 31, 2004 by Nick_T Quote Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 This took about 5 minutes and less than $2 worth of hardware (not including the lock). Drill a 1/4" hole, thread a hex nut, metal washer, then a rubber washer onto a 1/4" eye bolt (all the way to the end). Thread the bolt through the hole and on the other end put on a rubber washer, metal washer and another hex nut and tighten. Are all the finders good about replacing the key wherever you have it hidden? Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Ammo box lock The downside to this set-up is that the locking mechanism is in two pieces (one is rather small), and both have to come off to unlock the box. This makes it easy to lose the smaller part, which renders the lock useless. I've seen this happen to one cache. The bolt idea seems better, since only the lock comes off. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Easiest way to keep that eye screw in place would be to run it down to the local welding shop and get the nut tacked to the bolt. It'd take only a few seconds to do and would keep the dishonest person honest. Some Loctite 2701 would take care of that, no welding goggles needed. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 (edited) I was wondering about this setup. Couldn't a devious person just unscrew the eye bolt from the container? Or did you put some kind of thread lock on the threads? No the rubber washers just causes it to spin. It doesn't unscrew. Of course a hacksaw will get you in, but I think I'd probably delete the find if anybody pulls that. Are all the finders good about replacing the key wherever you have it hidden? Its a combination lock. To get the combo they either have to find a TB that's circulating in the area, find partial combo numbers in other area caches, or take a long hike around a park to find several micros that have one of the combo numbers. Here is the cache. Edited March 31, 2004 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+WhipArtist Posted March 31, 2004 Author Share Posted March 31, 2004 Thanks all! Lots of suggestions there. I'm not worried about making it absolutely impossible to get the box open... if people are going to be jerks, well, let them. People who want to play the game will play the game, and the ones who don't... well, their loss. Quote Link to comment
+Desert_Warrior Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I just finished an ammo can much like the one in the photos, only I used a 1 inch stainless steel bolt - nut - washers and lock-tite 271. It ain't coming off. I am an electronics tech, not a machinist. But the machine shop has lots of machinists who need a VCR cleaned or a cassette player cleaned. Barter works. The machine shop guys can do anything over lunch.... much stronger than the major surplus locks. Those had a very small cheap key lock. Quote Link to comment
91B10 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 To get around the lock you just have to punch out the hinge on the ammo box. We had a similar narcotics box in the Army. It was basically a 30 cal. ammo can with a similar locking system as above. It didn't take much to push the pin out of the hinge. Quote Link to comment
+Staos Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 The .30 cal ammo cans I have all have three pins in the hinge. I guess there must be different makes of ammo can. Quote Link to comment
+rusty_tlc Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I like Brians solution the best. You could get away without all the washers, just wack the end of the bolt a few times with a ball pean hammer. It is true that a determined individual could get into any box. Like my Daddy always said locks just keep honest people honest. Quote Link to comment
+rusty_tlc Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 To get around the lock you just have to punch out the hinge on the ammo box. We had a similar narcotics box in the Army. It was basically a 30 cal. ammo can with a similar locking system as above. It didn't take much to push the pin out of the hinge. And you know this because????????? Quote Link to comment
mishapman Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Here in Lexington, KY, we have a cache that isn't locked, but you have to unlock the logbook inside. A very cool puzzle contains the key. I've thought of doing something similar by putting a logbook in something like this, but I'm sure this has been done 10,000 times already, since I have not had one original geocaching idea ever. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 (edited) I like Brians solution the best. You could get away without all the washers, just wack the end of the bolt a few times with a ball pean hammer. The washers were to make sure there was a waterproof seal. They were old faucet washers. The point isn't to keep people out of the box. Anybody who wants in can saw off the bolt, or just smack it with a hammer. The point is to provide an added challenge for the cache hunter. In the case of my cache, it's designed so that geocachers who like long hikes can enjoy it, as well as people who like short walks and "drive and dumps". Edited April 1, 2004 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
runner_one Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I have This cache east of Nashville TN. The final leg is a old metal trunk that is locked with a combination lock and you have to visit several locations to decipher the combination. Quote Link to comment
+Marky Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Couldn't a devious person just unscrew the eye bolt from the container I probably would. It does not look that hard to do. Now if he bends the bolt on the inside of the container or crushes the threads it gets harder. But then there is the trusty old hacksaw ... doesn't everyone carry around in his/her caching bag? If you use a small U-bolt instead of the eye-bolt, you will have a more secure setup. --Marky Quote Link to comment
+WhipArtist Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 I think what I'm going to do for the combination is a two-track approach. The puzzle will be on the outside of the container, maybe in a magnetic key-holder gizmo, or maybe just printed on the outside. The seeker will have to solve two puzzles, one to get the first two digits, and one to get the last two. Should the seeker punt on the puzzles, there will be four micros scattered around the area, each of which contains a single digit to the combination, and the locations of the micros will also be on the outside of the cache. Being the evil, sadistic girl that I am, I probably won't indicate which order the digits are in, so that the person who opts for that route will still have to try a few different combinations until they can open the cache. I'll have to find suitably rewarding goodies for the cache. Hmm... Quote Link to comment
+Fritz_Monroe Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 We have one locally that has the final cache as the locked box. It's a multi and you have to use the number on the key to figure coordinates. There are 2 keys on TBs in the area. You have to get a TB to make the find. F_M Quote Link to comment
shooter206 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I just put out a similar cache in my area ( Home Plate), I used some small diameter cable and a combo lock, the cable threads through the hole in the ammo box latch very nicely. I then put the coords to the combo numbers on the outside of the box. Quote Link to comment
+rusty_tlc Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 ... The washers were to make sure there was a waterproof seal. They were old faucet washers. ... I keep forgetting about percipitation. Could be living where rainfall is measured in tenth of inches per year has somthing to do with that. Quote Link to comment
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