Mungo \"two sheds\" Toadfoot wrote:

Any suggestions on ways to lock it? I don't want a hasp and padlock coz they
look horrible.

A couple of door-bolts on one side and a mortise lock on the other (a
little one)like on office furniture. There is little point in anything
more robust as the cabinet is made of chipboard or mdf and will succumb
to a screwdriver. A locksmith can supply two matching locks i.e. same
key for both. A dog's check-chain and a couple of P-clips screwed into
the cabinet and hardware will possibly frustrate the burgular into going
elsewhere. Of course, it is only the amateurs that steal stuff like
this. Also indelibly postcode it all. I think the order is like NN3 4DR
12, house number last.

Allow me to provide a parable. Some years ago at an educational
establishment ahem not far from me, a gentleman turned up in the
obligatory white Transit and a white coat with a bag of tools early one
morning to fix a fax machine. After about fifteen minutes, with much
sucking of air through his teeth, he said that it was a workshop job and
took it off to his van. Then he said that there was a callout on the
photocopier, could he get into the other office? The caretaking staff,
being obliging chaps, acceded. Guess what? Another workshop job. This
was a large photocopier and needed not only the "engineer" but three
caretaking staff, huffing and puffing, to load it into the van. It was
when the office staff arrived that the realisation that all was not
right sunk in. They had not made any callout.

Here comes the punchline: A week or so later, the police stopped a Ford
Cortina (clue as to how long ago this was) driving erratically. In the
boot they found a fax machine with a postcode on it. This corresponded
to this educational establishment and the officers invited the gentleman
to their interview room for a cup of tea and a chat. On obtaining a
search warrant, they went around to his house and in his lounge they
found one large photocopier. I am not sure whatever else they found, nor
what punishment was meted out, but this shows the virtue of postcoding
your valuables.


John Schmitt