Posted: 9/5/2011 11:46:05 AM EDT
|
So now that I actually have a generator, I want to keep it. The problem is that there is nothing on my postage stamp lot to secure it to, and since I rent, I can't put something in. Before I sink money into this, I wanted to get your opinions on my plan.
My idea is to take a 1/4" plate of steel or aluminum (for weight savings) 12" wide and 18" long. At the corners, punch 3/4" wide oblong holes at opposing angles. Down the long center line, weld or bolt some HEAVY DUTY D-Rings. Something along these lines: 
To employ it, secure the plate to the ground using 18" long 5/8" diameter tempered steel stakes, driving them in at opposing angles. The ones I have have a double head on them, so they stick up about 2 inches above the plate. Thread a hardened chain through the D-rings, and roll the genny on top of the plate. I would have less than 1" of clearance between the top of the stakes and the bottom plate of the genny frame. Wrap the chain around the frame, and padlock from underneath. I figure that at 300lbs, nobody is gonna lift the genny and pull the stakes at the same time. The padlock underneath would prevent someone from getting leverage with a set of bolt cutters, and with the proper chain, bolt cutters aren't very effective anyway. But this way, I can secure my generator anywhere, anytime, provided there aren't any utilities underneath it. What do you guys think?? |
|
Can you chain to a car, or run the chain inside the garage?
SS wire rope (and braided wire rope in pareticular) is hard to cut as well, as is recomended by DOD Security Engineering. I order swaged cables (no thimbles, that makes it easier to cut) from marine supply places in Miami. Arround here you have to order the cable from McMaster and have a local rigging place swage it. They are willing to do this if they don;t stock the cable. In Miami, everyone does 1/2" and 5/8" or 3/4" is available most places. |
|
you have overly egineered yer contraption and i bet it costs ya a might penny too. dig a big ole hole about 3 feet deep. drop in two concrete blocks. run a heavy chain through the blocks. fill that hole up. attach the genny to the chain. nobody will dig all that up either and it only cost you the price of the chain. do this in an area, so you can access the chain ends anytime you want. when you move out, dig about 6 inches and bury the exposed chain and leave it. |
|
Quoted:
you have overly egineered yer contraption and i bet it costs ya a might penny too. dig a big ole hole about 3 feet deep. drop in two concrete blocks. run a heavy chain through the blocks. fill that hole up. attach the genny to the chain. nobody will dig all that up either and it only cost you the price of the chain. do this in an area, so you can access the chain ends anytime you want. when you move out, dig about 6 inches and bury the exposed chain and leave it. this is the way to go.if you really want to get fancy use two bags of quick crete in place of the blocks. |
|
Quoted: you have overly egineered yer contraption and i bet it costs ya a might penny too. dig a big ole hole about 3 feet deep. drop in two concrete blocks. run a heavy chain through the blocks. fill that hole up. attach the genny to the chain. nobody will dig all that up either and it only cost you the price of the chain. do this in an area, so you can access the chain ends anytime you want. when you move out, dig about 6 inches and bury the exposed chain and leave it. This is the most amazing thing I have ever read.  |
|
Quoted:
you have overly egineered yer contraption and i bet it costs ya a might penny too. dig a big ole hole about 3 feet deep. drop in two concrete blocks. run a heavy chain through the blocks. fill that hole up. attach the genny to the chain. nobody will dig all that up either and it only cost you the price of the chain. do this in an area, so you can access the chain ends anytime you want. when you move out, dig about 6 inches and bury the exposed chain and leave it. Not sure what you mean by overly engineered, but as for the cost, it's basically free using materials I already have on hand. The only thing I might have to pay for is for a shop to punch the holes with a press, and that's only if I want to go pretty. Otherwise, everything else is pretty much ready to go, and most of it was salvaged from one scrab bin or another. I do like the whole buried concrete idea though, much more secure. But in this area, I'm not sure I want to be digging much more than I have to. I tilled my front lawn two years ago, and turned up 3 Garand clips fully loaded with LC 38 headstamped 30-06 and 2 grenades, which turned out to be dummies. Going down 3 feet might yield something I'd rather not find. But let's look at it from another angle: a portable means to anchor the generator. With this contraption I can take it with me anywhere, anytime, and within minutes have me generator locked down tight. Despite alternatives, how well would this set-up work? |
|
Quoted: buy a couple of these. they are about $5.00 each. they drill themselves down very easily, unless you have really rocky soil. add a lock and chain and your set. http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp58/buck19delta/earth-anchor-597.jpg buck, thats a pretty good way to do it, unless he hits a landmine. 
|