Stolen Torch , Please Help If You Can

[gypsea]

this is posted in the slolen gear section, but i am posting it in the main room for a minute because it just happened, and i hope it may help return my friend's torch.



STOLEN CARLISLE CC PLUS

4 stud, ball mount base, L marver with notch carved out
St Simons Island, GA...nearby towns are Brunswick, Ga, Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL
Stolen June 17, 2008 PM

oxygen hoses intact
propane hoses cut


reward for torch.

larger reward for the name of the scumbag thief.


please contact gypsea by pm
__________________
peace.......kristen

[mer]

sorry to hear that kristen. good luck.

[Udai Hussien]

does he know the Serial number? Ill keep an eye out

[Ro's Glass World]

im so sorry to hear that, i hope its recovered!
ro

[FiredDesires]

I think people that do this type of thing should burn in hell...s.o.b's! Hope you have a back up torch and your income isn't affected to badly by this...I'll keep my eyes out on the bay & other auction sites. You should keep an eye out on Craigs lists for your area....damn, damn & damn. Hope its recovered somehow.

[Mecha]

Does your friend have a back up torch? I would hate to think of a fellow lamper out of work due to stolen equipment. I have a regular CC as my backup that I could lend out if needed.

Good luck.

[greenfields]

It is odd to me that Glassblowing equipment keeps getting stolen.

Cheers

[Mecha]

It is odd to me that Glassblowing equipment keeps getting stolen.

Cheers

Have you met many lamp workers (pipers in particular)? A lot are decent, honest folk just trying to get by while being creative. However, there are tons of sketchy ass, wooked out loser blowers that are into it for the "scene" and would steal from their own mothers if need be. I am very careful around other blowers that I do not know personally in regard to my studio location and what I have for equipment. You should be too if you want to hold on to your stuff! Sad, but true, as I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.

[Glass Pyro]

yes what mecha said....please be carefull guys there are many awesome people out there.....but some just plain suck....treat your studio like the bat cave to people you dont know. Tell them all you have is a national 8m or something cheap.(not that a national 8m is bad just a lot cheaper than a cc or something else bigger)

[gypsea]

My friend, Alex, does not have a back up torch. He is a young guy who works really hard full time in a kitchen, lives on his own, pays all his bills himself, has a dream to do glass for his career instead of cooking, he saved & budgeted out all his money so he could buy his torch & equipment, supplies & classes. he has been practising & learning for 2 years. the torch is only 2 years old. he just spent his last money on a liquid tank that he now cannot use due to no torch.

if anyone has a good deal on a cc or a mirage, please let us know. he is looking to buy another torch as soon as possible.

this is exactly why i don't invite anyone over to my shop except select friends. everyone, go and put identifying marks on your equiupment, & take pics of it all.

[Mecha]

Kristen,

as I said earlier, I have a cc I could lend out until he can get a replacement lined up. I cannot sell it, as I need a backup for myself, but if he needs something ASAP to bridge the gap, I would be happy to send it his way to use for the time being.

[gypsea]

mecha, that is an incredibly generous offer. I pm'd you.

thank you so much!

[Mecha]

No problem. I have been in plenty of situations (especially early in my career) myself when a stolen torch would have nearly ruined me.

[Big Jay]

. I am very careful around other blowers that I do not know personally in regard to my studio location and what I have for equipment. .

great advice. You can also invest in a cheapo alarm system that may not be linked to a call center but a 120 decibel siren will scare most people off. Wire it to everything you can think of even your phone lines. We had an attempted break in at a model home but our phone lines were wired as they cut them the alarm went off and they went running.

I know that doesn't help the dude now but hopefully it will help the next guy. Best of luck to your friend of getting back on track and Mecha your a saint my friend.

[Mecha]

Hey Jay,

do you have a link to the cheap alarm system you are referring to? My studio is on my personal property, but away from the house. It would be nice to have the extra piece of mind.

[Zed]

x2 on the cheap alarm, I remember there used to be $20 motion sensor alarms available at Radio Shack, but I went looking a year ago and couldn't find anything under $200... A keypad entry style alarm would with audio and strobe alert would be great.

Please link any deals you know about, thanks.

[Big Jay]

eatin chow at the moment but give me a few and I'll track some stuff down for you.

[Glass Pyro]

mecha you are a good dude.

[Big Jay]

hmm a few of the places that normally stocked do it yourself kits aren't stocking them.. I did find this just on a quick search though

http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezStore123/DTProductList.asp?p=2_1_1_1_0_0_365

at the bottom theres a 25 dollar 105 decibel infared system. Thats a whole do it yourself site so I'd explore what they got there. I'll keep searching.

direct link to product http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezStore123/DTProductZoom.asp?productID=899

check out the wireless systems link on that same page. They are definetly the easiest to install but you'll be replacing 9 volts at some point.

wireless page link http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezStore123/DTProductList.asp?p=2_1_1_1_0_0_110

[Big Jay]

Also Mecha if your studio is on your prop and within close proximity Wal Mart was carrying a wireless b/w camera and b/w tv for I think 50 bucks. We have two of them we used for a baby monitor. Its got terrific low light visibility but the downsides are if your too far away from the studio you won't get reception and its wireless so theoritically someone could be watching you :crazy:.
I am gonna set one up in our studio on the stairs cause my shop is constantly creaking and making noise and that way I won't have to get up all the time to see if someone is on there way up.
We also have a snooper. Trails in the high grass a gate thats been opened several times so I am trying to borrow a game camera that hunters use from one of my buddies to figure out who it is. I was thinking of using the expensive no flash ones that use IR but now I think i want the cheapest one I can get with the brightest flash so I can let them know that I know they are snooping.

don't see the camera I have but looks like wally world has a pretty good supply of other ones link http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&search_query=wireless+camera&ic=48_0

these are game cameras for anyone wondering what I am talking about http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&search_query=game+camera&ic=48_0

[Mecha]

Thanks for the info and links. The camera could be useful. Does it broadcast only to the tv it comes with, or is it on a standard wifi band? I think just a really loud alarm would suffice. Once it went off, my four dogs would go off. They love coming out on yard patrol with me when we hear weird noises outside. They are generally just deer or coons though. I am out in farm country, so the actual threat is small, but I am paranoid so every little bit of added security helps.

[Swampy]

Well I don't have access to any of that kit and I live in a good neighbourhood, everyone looks out for one another, but even so... I don't wanna loose my kit.

So what I'm thinking is simply fixing up a low-power LED flashing red light inside the studio so anyone outside at night could see there's some kind of device in there that's constantly working.

Just a deterrent really eh.

[Swampy]

Jay even if you fix up a box in a tree with a flashing red LED and an old lens glued on the front, who would know it's fake?

[Glass Pyro]

80 lb. pitbull and guns. I suggest you opt for the gun if you come messin round here.

There are signs warning of both, yet I still get solicited religion, go figure.

[Big Jay]

Jay even if you fix up a box in a tree with a flashing red LED and an old lens glued on the front, who would know it's fake?

Swampy your absolutely right. I thought about putting a camera up in the corner outside my shop that won't work outside. Put a motion sensor light under it and just put up a couple of signs.
If someone is hell bent on ripping you off nothing is going to stop them and you might as well leave the door unlocked so they don't break anything getting in. But those deterrents work great on the younger crowd.

[Mecha]

Pyro, the guns are cool, but the pits' probably not gonna help (unless you are there with it). Two of my four are pittys, and they are dumb as stumps. They make lousy guard dogs as they are quite unaware of things unless you point them out. Not to mention that every pit I have ever met is a love bug. I think people really have to beat the shit out of them to get any sort of aggressive response. My first is a stabbing victim (his owner stabbed him with a sword in the head and chest) and my second was beaten and neglected by her owner and they are both the most lovable dogs I have ever seen. It's too bad they get such a bad rap in the media. Goldens are far more likely to attack (statistically) yet pit bulls get singled out.

If You want a good guard dog get a Doberman, German Shepard or a Dalmatian. They are always aware of everything around them, and they love exerting dominance over every other animal they encounter.

[Big Jay]

If You want a good guard dog get a Doberman,.

yeah they'll bite anyone including the hands that feed them.

[phab]

...mecha my buddy has a pit i was scared shitless of but that dog was a big ol lap and lick dog. damn if she wasnt one of the sweetest dogs i had come across in a long time. she was mostly tan. another friend has a pit thats more black and gray and hes damn near the size of a mini pony. i remain scared shitless of that particular pit lmao.

[mer]

my pit is a lover (if you know him) and he's hella attentive. i know every time somebody even walks by my house while i'm working in the back because he's pretty loud. he scares the hell out of strangers. he is kinda dumb though, if i was looking for a guard dog i'd probably get a shepherd. you can be out in public with a german shepherd without people acting like your walking a monster.

[Glass Pyro]

yeah I was just messin around, bout the only thing my dog will do is lick you to death, unless I tell her to get that ass or she senses my anger. Hell she catches rabbits and toads and lets them go just to chase them again. She is a love bug for sure. But I will shoot your ass on sight, you have to make an effort to get on my property if I don't know your coming.

And in my music store all we have is those fake cameras with the blinking led and they work great. I know cause I always see kids look up at them and never have had anything stolen. Behind the register is a different story though.

As a Locksmith I will tell you straight up if someone wants in they will get in. I do it everyday myself. And I also fix the things others do to get in. shoot last week some guy came up thru this ladies kitchen floor with a sawzall, he got under the house from the crawl space door......it was left unlocked.

another quick locksmith story..

when I first started I was on call and it was 2 am, guy called me out to unlock what he said was his house. I went as a newbie and did not ask enough questions on the phone before hand.

I got there he was trying to get into his bosses landscape shop to crash out, he was drunk and very, very tweaked. So I refused him service and he told me to fuck off. So I got back in the van, and he grabbed a chainsaw out of a truck and cut a door way right through the wall. It was awesome.

i got in trouble the next day for not opening the door for him.

[Meerkat]

I am surprised that torches are so easily stolen. For me to detach my torch is at least a 10 min job. I suppose cutting the hoses makes it a lot faster though. Biggest security feature I have is that I have it bolted to the bench with a nut on the bolt so you have to get under the bench with a wrench on each side.

I would assume that most burglers want to get out of ther asap, so if you make it take a long time to unbolt the torch, plus while an alarm is going off, they wont want to take the time.

Someone on here posted on another thread how they hook a cat battery up to the handle of their shop door before they leave, thats a pretty good idea.

As for dogs, I say go rottweiler

[phab]

...i think it has a lot to do with who you let in your shop, it has to. its an ugly truth im sorry to say.

[Glass Pyro]

That is all it has to do with brotha. It is very sad indeed.

I know for a fact that if one kid who might, and prolly is on this forum came to my shop he would try something dumb. He is a dumby from around the way that is just your best buddy until you turn your back. Then Whammo

[Mecha]

Phab,

they just look scary. They were bred for fighting, so physically, yes, they are quite intimidating, but mentally, they are really stupid. What is odd is that they are pretty easily trained due to their low intelligence. I have a male (Cricket) and a female (Suzy-q) and they are the sweetest dogs ever (despite their original horrid owners). I really believe you have to seriously beat them to get them to be aggressive towards humans. Getting them to attack other animals is pretty easy, as they really just want to please you and will do anything you tell them to.

Although, mine may be a poor example, as they are now super spoiled. They both sleep on the bed with my wife and I and Cricket snuggles right next to me under the blankets.

[Glass Pyro]

my dog is definately not stupid in the least bit. Pitbulls are one of the smarter breeds if anything, in my opinion and also one of the best rescue and assistance dogs. They also make excellent drug dogs, they are easily trained indeed, how does that relate to stupidity.

[Mecha]

You are correct about it being all about who you have around. You can't be too careful. Especially when it comes to your livelihood.

[Glass Pyro]

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pospress.html

[Swampy]

Make it difficult to actually remove the torch from the bench, as in; use square-drive head screws to secure the torch. Hide the square-drive socket somewhere in a different location. I'm gonna swap out the pivot (Jesus bolt) for the Nortel with a square-drive screw.

[Glass Pyro]

good one swampy

[Mecha]

Pyro,

It relates to stupidity as they have less will. They look to their masters for constant approval on everything. When out on a walk, Cricket looks at me to double check for my approval before he does anything (unless it is chasing a deer). This was a phenomena I did not understand at first, until my wife (who is a veterinarian that specializes in internal medicine) explained it to me. So yes, they make good dogs for training purposes, but they lack the intelligence of other breeds like border collies. It makes them seem smart, but really, they are just looking to prove themselves to you.

[Emmett's Glass]

Sorry that your bud got his torch ripped off, I hate thieves. I'll dispose of any remains of the scumbag for free.

For a cheap alarm system you can go to Home Depot and Radio Shaq. Get a motion sensor light fixture(Home Depot) and a siren (radio Shaq), hook them together with parts from home depot. You can put a switch someplace hidden to turn the alarm off or just unplug the setup from the power source. I had this same setup and it cost me about $45 or so.
E

[Glass Pyro]

I understand what your saying mecha.

yes they are very trainable but lack the capability of doing things or thinking on their own. That I agree with for sure. The will thing though, I think you used the wrong word. They have a real strong will, just not a strong hmmm. cant think of a good word.

[Mecha]

Thanks for the link Pyro. As I said before, I think you must really have to beat the hell out of a pit to get them to be aggressive towards people. Cricket was stabbed in the head, neck and had his lung punctured by a sword. I met him just a few hours later in the ER and he was as sweet as can be even though he was on the edge of death.

[phab]

...i have a question tho about the wal-mart wireless stuff. do you have an option of having images on a tv screen or is it like pc only? there were 1 or 2 of those set ups pretty inexpensive with 2 cameras with night vision

[Mecha]

Yeah, I guess will is the wrong word. They do have a strong sense of purpose. They just have a need for approval from their masters. They fit perfectly into the human dog pack, that's for sure. Too bad people view them as evil when they really just want to get along.

[Glass Pyro]

Couldn't agree with you more mecha, can't we all just get along.

[Glass Pyro]

Now back to the deuschenheimer that stole the torch. Sorry for the thread jackage.

[Mark F]

tons of sketchy ass, wooked out loser blowers that are into it for the "scene" and would steal from their own mothers if need be. I am very careful around other blowers that I do not know personally in regard to my studio location and what I have for equipment. You should be too if you want to hold on to your stuff!

It's always a popular question people ask me "Where's your studio at?" and I think "Why so you can rob me"


Thieves suck!

[gypsea]

it isn't a thread jack glass pyro, it's a very useful discussion of shop security. i think there was too much public knowledge of my friend's shop...thru innocent roommates & their friends, thru neighbor's observation, etc..... people talk....and it may be innocent conversation, but it's the old loose lips sink ships effect. i think for sure it was someone who had been there before, and someone to whom it was conveninent.