Pickup tool box --> Gun Safe

>>1045439
$1,300? You can get used gun safes for that amount of money. I'd look into that first.

>>1045439
Truck toolboxes are easily opened with a screwdriver.
You need to install a much better lock and latch system.

The smash and grab burglars just pop them open in seconds.

It is not unheard of for people to actually steal the whole box.
And if someone found out you had guns in there, they would be grinding your shit and running off with the whole box.

Its a poor idea. you would be much MUCH better off hiding your guns in your apartment.

>>1045439
>Ceramic plates?
Brittle. Less resistant to the "smash" part than a store-bought box unless you have a way to get ballistic ceramics.
>thin hardened steel?
Why thin? Why hardened?
>Chain mail? lots of chains?
Useless. Bolt cutters.

From your thoughts of reinforcement, it's not very clear to me what kind of intrusion you expect the box to withstand. A typical truck tool box is welded steel or aluminum already more tamper-resistant than what you mentioned, with the weak points being the attachment to the truck and the mechanism to secure the lid. Use hidden fasteners, and get a box with multiple latch points that can't be pried open. That will resist bolt cutters / pry bars, and you won't be stopping someone with power tools without a lot more.

If you want to actually stop a reasonably-determined thief, though, maybe something like this: double-layered stainless steel with an inch of concrete between layers, with all hinge and locking mechanisms inside beyond the reach of an angle grinder. Though at that point, it would probably be easier to just steal the truck.

>>1045449
I see my post was too long for folks to actually read/reading comprehension is kinda low today.

I want this to be lightweight because the floor in my apt will probably yield to something as heavy as a real gun safe.

>>1045453

>From your thoughts of reinforcement, it's not very clear to me what kind of intrusion you expect the box to withstand.

Well, I'd say the burglars probably won't know what's inside, so I hope they just assume its a bunch of tools. , so I'm hoping to resist burglars with bolt cutters and pry-bars, like you said. I have no hope of resisting someone with serious power tools, though hopefully something like a drill or low-power grinder.

>Hidden fasteners
Do you mean no exposed bolts and such?

>Actually stop a thief...
Yeah I'm counting on them not being very determined, since the place doesn't look like it has lots of valuables. Though I'd love to make a concrete crypt for my guns, I need this to be lightweight (see above)

>>1045452
>Its a poor idea. you would be much MUCH better off hiding your guns in your apartment.

I can see the drawbacks you mentioned. Perhaps a hiding solution would be best. What if I hollowed out a bed? Is that even remotely possible without making it impossible to sleep on? What if I have an extra bed/couch somewhere?

>>1045439
The whole point of having a gun safe is that it's too heavy to carry off.

>>1045462
>Do you mean no exposed bolts and such?
Yes. Anything exposed can be cut in seconds. Using hidden fasteners would force a thief to cut either the truck bed or the box, which is a lot more work. Not enough to deter a thief who knows there are guns in there, but it's more like a few minutes than a few seconds.

>low-power grinder
Cordless power tools have made enormous advances in the last few years. A cordless grinder with a cutting wheel can cut any metal, and it would open any normal truck box like a can opener.

>>1045463
>Is that even remotely possible without making it impossible to sleep on?
If you use the bed base instead of the mattress, yes. A couch might be easier to build it into, but these are still well-known hiding spots. If you can disguise it to evade a cursory ransacking, it would probably be all right.

>>1045498
So, back to my original question: what can be done to a truck box (or something similar) to harden it against intruders?

>>1045465
Well, what if I U-locked a lighter box to something like a bed or a large desk? Would at least make it unwieldy.

>>1045506
Hidden fasteners and a pry-resistant lid is about the best you'll be able to do unless you build it like an actual safe. And unless you want to up-armor the truck itself, even that won't make it very hard. A car alarm and a box that would take more than a few seconds to open/remove would probably be adequate.

File: e0dad1ca-5ced-47c1-8b3c-b61b4a1f6f9f_1000.jpg (119KB, 1000x1000px) Image search: [Google]

119KB, 1000x1000px

>>1045439
>Budget is, say, $600-$1000 in materials, including a ~$300 tool box.

for that amount of money get a jobsite box and bolt that fucker to the frame

>>1045463
>What if I have an extra bed/couch somewhere?

How about a sleeper sofa?
Remove the actual mattress and build a box into it that would fold out?

>>1045531
That makes things look like you are carrying expensive tools in it
Why not bolt the regular tool box into the frame?