Newbies workshop tour - WIP - Ideas welcome

[BradNaylor]

Don't forget to change the locks and get insurance.

Oh boy, this is a can of worms...

Agree with the locks; get really good ones and make sure that the doors are sound. Get roller shutters fitted too.

Insurance...

Insurance companies basically are bookmakers. They assess the odds of you having a mishap and charge you a premium accordingly - with a profit for themselves built in. This means that the odds are stacked in their favour - the insurance company always wins in the long run. Just like a bookmaker.

Certain things you've got to insure; you've got to have public liability insurance and employers liability if you have staff. You've also got to insure motor vehicles by law.

It makes sense to insure your workshop for fire. A fire could clean you out competely and you might never recover financially from it.

Insurance against theft however, is a bit of a grey area. You could well be asked to pay £500 - £1000 per year for this. Think about it.

Even if someone got into your workshop in the middle of the night what are they going to nick?

A few power tools? Possibly even your mitre saw?

It's difficult to imagine how a couple of scrotes could get away with much more than a grand's worth of gear. This is not going to bankrupt you.

Say the chances of this happening are once every five years. It's actually cheaper to take the risk yourself!

There is a very good case for spending your money on extra security rather than theft insurance.

Oh, and about alarms...

The type that phone the police are a waste of time IMHO. By the time the police respond the scrotes will be well away. Better by far are sirens that will make their ears bleed. Literally. They will be on their toes in seconds.

Just my twopennerth...

Dan

 

[Tusses]

Don't forget to change the locks and get insurance.

Oh boy, this is a can of worms...

Agree with the locks; get really good ones and make sure that the doors are sound. Get roller shutters fitted too.

Insurance...

Insurance companies basically are bookmakers. They assess the odds of you having a mishap and charge you a premium accordingly - with a profit for themselves built in. This means that the odds are stacked in their favour - the insurance company always wins in the long run. Just like a bookmaker.

Certain things you've got to insure; you've got to have public liability insurance and employers liability if you have staff. You've also got to insure motor vehicles by law.

It makes sense to insure your workshop for fire. A fire could clean you out competely and you might never recover financially from it.

Insurance against theft however, is a bit of a grey area. You could well be asked to pay £500 - £1000 per year for this. Think about it.

Even if someone got into your workshop in the middle of the night what are they going to nick?

A few power tools? Possibly even your mitre saw?

It's difficult to imagine how a couple of scrotes could get away with much more than a grand's worth of gear. This is not going to bankrupt you.

Say the chances of this happening are once every five years. It's actually cheaper to take the risk yourself!

There is a very good case for spending your money on extra security rather than theft insurance.

Oh, and about alarms...

The type that phone the police are a waste of time IMHO. By the time the police respond the scrotes will be well away. Better by far are sirens that will make their ears bleed. Literally. They will be on their toes in seconds.

Just my twopennerth...

Dan

agreed with the insurance thing !

plus - if you were insured and claimed - you would pay it all back with increased premiums !

 

[big soft moose]

imo it very much depends where you are - if you are on a secluded small industrial estate with no residents arround to call the police....

well this happened to a mate of mine

they broke in - put a hammer through the alarm which abrutly stopped the siren (he didnt have a police calling type).

then brought up their transit van - so soco said later - and made more than one trip to take literally everything in the workshop (including his table saw, planer thicknesser, dust extractor, bandsaw, even the lathe plus several completed pieces which we awaiting client collection.

total loss about £8K, fortunately he was insured for theft - had he not been he would have been out of luck and out of buisness - had he had a police alerting alarm there would have been a good chance of the area car catching the scrotes in midtheft - as it was they had all night to rob the place.

the other benefit of the police alerting type is that insurance companies like them and thus they get your policy cost down.

at the end of the day its your decision , but i know which route i'd take.

Of course if you are right near houses - or on an industrial estate which has its own security patrols or similar (another mate of mine has a workshop that backs onto the local police station - he has only a modest siren type alarm) then a more modest set up would suit your needs.

 

[the_g_ster]

Great thread.

Be good to hear your prgress.

Watch that 3 phase though, could give you a nasty spiky haircut in seconds!!!!

 

[BradNaylor]

imo it very much depends where you are - if you are on a secluded small industrial estate with no residents arround to call the police....

Fair comment.

I guess I was thinking of my own situation - A busy high street position with houses all around - and a mate who lives over the road!

I wouldn't fancy being on a remote estate in the sticks - better all round to be in town!

Cheers
Dan

 

[kityuser]

of course there are more um"practical" ways of detering the scrotes.
I know of a place where break ins were a problem, a suspended "market stall holders weight" sorted that situation, came in the next day to an open door, suspended weight but no problems ever again.

Also door design can be very effective, a lad I know runs a car manufacturing company, kept having issues with break ins (they kept cutting the doors open) so constructed a door with some suspended "secret " ingredients sandwiched inside (falling plates, large bolts etc).
He went to work one morning to find somebody had "had a go" at one of the doors witha grinder, lots of mess (some blood also) but the door held out.

why not get a bloody great big workshop mascot!
good insurance and cheaper too!

Steve

 

[big soft moose]

hopefully this will be plenty as like you mentioned, I will be going for air tools.

What would you class as a 'decent compressor'?

apologies for the delay on this - ive been asking arround my mates ( as i'm basically a turner i no longer have an air set up myself)

the word is that the hose should be rated to 600psi and at least 3/8in (10mm) - a smaller dia hose will reduce tool power.

most tools will require 12cubic ft/min (80-100psi) also remember that this is cumulative if you are using more than one tool at once

and thirdly remember that the compressor will be noisy as hell - so if you cant site it outside the work unit you need to make a sound insulated box (if you go the latter route it might be an idea to put your dust extractor in the box as well)

 

[TheTiddles]

of course there are more um"practical" ways of detering the scrotes.
I know of a place where break ins were a problem, a suspended "market stall holders weight" sorted that situation, came in the next day to an open door, suspended weight but no problems ever again.

When I was 5 I caught father christmas that way, I made a two stage lever system so that it primed once the blighter checked I was asleep then the next time he came in it deposited the contents (lego) on him, daddy was so proud...

Aidan

 

[DaveL]

When I was 5 I caught father christmas that way

That is a really good one, should be on your CV. :lol: :lol: :lol: :twisted: 8)