The Trap Has Been Set!!!
 

Came home to find yet another sign gone. Taken at about 5 pm in broad daylight! Boss briefed the gardener today, so I set the trap.

Mixed about 2/3 of the skunk scent bottle with a full jar of Vaseline, and spread it all over the sign. There is enough Vaseline on there to make it quite clear to anyone that they should not touch it. And if they do, that will just be too damn bad . . . :lifter

Here are some pix:

First, the sign from the street.

Opposite direction:

The posts are just COVERED with jelly:

Here is a bottom corner of the sign:

Here is a top corner:

Close-up of full sign:

GO FOR IT, RL !!

And great pics ! How strong is the smell ?

RC201

Pretty damn strong! I made RL take a shower after setting the trap.

Catwoman -

LOL!!!! That's great ! Wonder what the folks walking their dogs are going to think. Better yet, I wonder what the dogs are going to do when they get a whiff !! This could develop into sitcom material !

:D
Roycroft 201

Here's hopin' that the jackass thieves have a good time with that one!

Good luck RL!

I hope the vaseline doesn't send out the 'wrong' message.

LOL

Hoepoe

LOL now I kinda hope somebody tries to take the sign, see if this trick works!

Solid

ROTFLMAO!!!! Classic...Classic stuff...:p

LMAO...A lawyer shooting guns and booby trapping signs in California.

You hit em from the south...I'll hit em from the north, we will meet up in the middle and this liberal ass state will be ours!:lifter

Make sure you work on your Spanish...no way of getting around that.:D

Note the attention to security details . . .

license plate is blanked out in the top 2 pics . . .

But in the bottom one it's not (I blurred the image). I can only surmize that the site of all the vasoline and the excitement factor had something to do with the lack of security details on the bottom pic.

:D

Not necessarily blurred- I think it might just be the flash-reflection.

Solid

RL:

You will probably cause some frustrated liberal to burn that sign in place, hope not.

Good luck.

Terry

No problemo, amigo. :D

No, neither of those cars belongs to me or my neighbors as far as I know.

Uh oh . . .
 

Catwoman reports that the jelly is melting in the heat and dripping off the sign. I'll inspect when I get home (very late tonight, unfortunately), but suggestions for mitigating this problem are welcome!

sorry, didn't think that part thru. Any shade? Also get a smooth sided object to use as a trowel and smooth the "frosting" out. I want the sucker to GRAB it!

Re: Uh oh . . .
 

So now, it will be smeared on their shoes as well?

How is this a downside?

TR

Re: Re: Uh oh . . .
 

Excellent point, although I imagine it fell straight down.

As indicated, I'll check it out when I get home.

Been thinking, if we raise the melting point of the medium that holds the perfumed frosting, then it probably won't be the right stuff to come off on the hand. I'm starting to think of a nice colored tape all the way around the edge, so it looks like part of the sign and the frosting is under the edge of the tape so it squeezes out when grabbed. Here in this shop I'd put a straight line of tape on the edge, using a steel straight edge to keep half (the long ways) from sticking down, then use the straight edge to fold that half up, put the frosting down and lay the tape over it. The tape won't stick to the frosting but it doesn't have to. Try a white colored tape. Get a disposal cake decorator to apply the frosting in a straight line!

Re: Re: Re: Uh oh . . .
 

Where do you think people stand to lift something?

You do realize, Sir, that any welding shop could quickly fabricate a holder which could not be pulled up by hand, and would be sufficiently inconspicuous to provide hours of fun watching them pull and pull (assuming you put the camera up to cover it)?

Just a thought.

TR

Re: Re: Re: Re: Uh oh . . .
 

Cheap angle iron, welded into a "U" shape, like a monster staple, and hammered into the ground to campaign sign heighth. The frame will be just big enough to fit the sign size. Now you can use the extension cord!

Pretty close.

Actually, I was thinking of an inverted 'T' with a box on top, but that would require some digging.

If he knew the site was free of utility lines, either would work well, but I would hate to interdict my power/phone/cable/water testing it.

If he goes the single long picket route, he needs a 'picket pounder' to go with it. Just ask the shop welding the iron to weld a cap on a piece of pipe slightly larger in diameter than the angle iron about the length that you want sticking out of the ground. Slip it on top and slam it up and down on the picket repeatedly to drive it into the ground. Short of power equipment, the best way I have found to stick pickets firmly in the ground, and pretty quick, too.

Then they will have to run over it to take it out.

Just a thought.

TR

It's not just the heat. We also have to deal with sprinklers! :p

Now he mentions the sprinklers... Don't worry, the sprinkler pipe underground won't hurt the steel sign post.

I didn't get a picture before leaving the house, but the sign is still plenty nasty. :D

Most of the Vaseline is in clumps under the sign, and it is quite visible. I think it still is a deterrent in that form and location. There is still more than enough on the sign itself.

Exactly.

Consider your six covered.

RL - your target analysis sucks. Sprinklers could have been a critical path item. Heat too since you went with petroluem products. Try putting a little sawdust in the petroleum jelly to thicken it. :munchin

Mea culpa, Sergeant. I am the acorn that becomes the oak! LOL

It is still working, of course, but it looks like a bit of maintenance is in order. You think sawdust is going to make the jelly opaque and obscure the sign?

Rubber cement. :munchin

It won't any worse than that 10 jars of Vaseline you got smeared on there now. Doesn't take much sawdust.

Ok, Full disclosure, had some of that special Scottish water tonight. LMAOROLLINGONFLOORSIRNDD!!! You noticed that too huh?

Tangent:

Drinking something else tonight, but we just finished the first bottle and are getting ready for #2.

TR:

I bought a new single-barrel today I had not heard of before. It was recommended highly by a trusted purveyor and it is even more expensive than our respective preferred brands. It is sold in at least five age groups; I got the 14-year to get started (that is the second youngest of the five). After I try it (not tonight unless instructed), I'll give you a full report.

TS:

Shouldn't we have a forum for food and beverage discussions? Or maybe just a leisure forum? Just a thought.

I'm going to go have another drink now. :)

Oh, the sign is still up and doing just fine.

Sir Rouge, Yes we should have both food and drink forums here, the only problem is we may have to divide this into two distinct categories, (uh, those who can spell and then knifemakers???) I mean the highly refined and cultured like NDD and yourself, then the rest of us. You know, wine drinkers and bubbas. Very good idea!

Wha'd I do to you, you gotta go and call me names?

Me Bubba.. me like Bill's idea. Just a drinkin' one would do... that cooking stuff doesn't deserve its own forum(sorry TS) . Just take away that book forum and give it to drinkin' customers. LOL