[2008-04-17] PVC pipe key stash
Here's a clever way to stash a key or other small object outdoors in a place that's easy to find but not likely to attract suspicion. Take a piece of large-diameter pipe and cut it at a long, shallow angle along its axis, as shown in the lower photo, to make a kind of hollow cylindrical wedge. This is easily done on a table saw with the right jig. Resting with the cut face down in soft earth, the wedge looks just like the end of a long, buried pipe that has been in place a long time and would not be easy to pull or dig up. A slight incline of the terrain supports the illusion but is not essential. It's easy to find again, because of the bright white plastic, but, unless somebody trips over it and knocks it away, no-one is likely to suspect it. Position near a wall or other obstacle to alleviate the possibility of the "trip" scenario. The stash object, of course, should be well up from the open end of the pipe, so that it won't be noticed from an approach angle.
last modified 2008-04-17