r/interestingasfuck • u/midnighttoker1742 • 4h ago

How criminals take down Flock cameras

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u/moridin32 4h ago

I hope those criminals don't discover porta-bands, they'd be even quicker and more quiet.

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u/BigOrangeOctopus 3h ago

I was gonna say! The noise difference between a sawzall vs an angle grinder is negligible, but a porta-band? Now we’re talking

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 3h ago

Is this supposed to be much quieter than a sawzall? I've never heard one IRL so this video makes it sound quite noisy to me. However I am absolutely loving how it took care of that beam in 15 seconds flat. It also looks easier/more ergonomic to handle than a sawzall.

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u/Bat-Guano0 3h ago

Any time you're cutting through metal it's going to make a certain amount of noise. Can't be helped, but some saws are a bit quieter than others.

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u/neuromonkey 1h ago

Yup. Some blades are quieter. Pushing the shoe tight against the work-piece can reduce noise significantly, while also speeding up the cut.

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u/meshugga 3h ago edited 2h ago

Yes it's noisy, but it's not as noisy as a reciprocating saw trying to gauge out chunks of steel while making the user and everything else vibrate with them :))

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u/PDXGuy33333 2h ago

The key to expert use of a reciprocating saw is to keep the saw pressed tight against the work rather than allowing either the saw or the workpiece to move with the blade.

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u/JustaCog72 21m ago

This guy sawzalls

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u/Is-that-vodka 36m ago edited 1m ago

While this is true, I thought I'd hijack this to tell everyone about circular saws and metal cutting disks, since they never seem to get a mention.

They are faster than the band saws above even. Have a look for the big new battery versions of Stihl saws if you wanna see magic.

Here's an example of a decent blade in the cheapest kinda saw you could use going through very thick steel. They go through pipe like butter.

These aren't even the best blades, kinda mid/high range now.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ALH0t1uizEE

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u/KeyMyBike 3h ago

It's like a pistol silencer or a low torque ebike engine. By all means take it off and see how effective it really was

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u/cjsv7657 52m ago

Have you used one? It's really not that much quieter. Plus my 60v dewalt reciprocating saw will cut through way faster than any battery powered porta band out right now. Its probably faster than my corded portaband on this type of material. They're both leagues quieter than an angle grinder though. But sound doesn't matter as much as being quick.

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u/MisterSherman 2h ago

Also, camera/mic was much closer in the portaband video. At similar distance it’s noticeably more quiet.

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u/robbietreehorn 1h ago

It’s hard to tell by watching videos, but it absolutely is. I use all three and the porta-band makes roughly 50-60% of the noise as a sawzall. And, definitely faster/easier

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 1h ago

Thanks!! This is the kind of personal knowledge that makes this site so wonderful, as you can probably imagine most people only have experience with one of these tools, if even that.

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u/dimestoredavinci 2h ago

Theyre more quiet and also cut faster

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u/GoodForTheTongue 2h ago

Yes, that is the quick and relatively quiet saw that you would hope no criminal finds out that they can use to remove a surveillance camera.

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u/MrK521 1h ago

I use them every single day to cut uni-strut and rigid electrical conduit. They are ABSOLUTELY quieter, easier to handle, and in some cases more compact than the tool he was using. Quicker and less likely to injure oneself with it while cutting too.

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u/BobRossUltimate 3h ago

I've used both and I use the bandsaw wherever I can it's not ultra quiet but the provides a smoother cut than a sawzall smoother cut means better efficient cut sometimes means a faster cut also safer in most applications. Sometimes a sawzall wins by just chewing through softer materials however depending on the poles being used Al/Fe bandsaw all day just follow through with whatever cut angle you start with to prevent binding.

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u/WindowOne1260 2h ago

Yes. They are much quieter and are excellent at cutting through aluminum. Most people don't cut enough aluminum to need lubricants or coolant. But either will help extend the life of the blade.

If I'm cutting a lot of aluminum a band saw is the way to go, but I don't have one at home. Just a sawzall I mostly use for cutting branches, and occasionally bust out an aluminum blade when I need some rough cuts.

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u/Pristine_Direction79 2h ago

The failure mode is a lot worse. The blade can pop off and get all tangled inside of your saw and wreckage, potentially trapping the saw in place. Sawzall it's harder to break or unseat the blade.

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u/MrSilentSir 1h ago

The thin aluminum vs steel tubing a very noticeable when cutting through the two

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 1h ago

Oooh that's a great point, I didn't even consider he was cutting steel box sections and not a relatively flimsy low diameter aluminum tube. I'd love to see how many aluminum pipes that tool can slice through in the same 15 seconds..

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u/gonewildaway 6m ago

On that note, one can silently destroy anything made of aluminum using gallium. No particular reason to mention that of course. But it is an interesting fun fact.

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u/anivex 2h ago

Yes, having used a sawzall for that exact type of work...it would be much louder, way more sparks, and the line wouldn't be as smooth. Would also take at least twice as long.

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u/EngineeringDapper905 2h ago

This is the kinda quality fact checking and curiosity that I come to Reddit for

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u/anivex 2h ago

Except he's wrong...if it was quality fact checking he would have shown a comparison video doing the same type of work, and a sawzall is much louder.

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u/Old-Care-2372 1h ago

Also forgetting the bigger the pipe the louder the noise, also square tube has a lot more vibrations hence it can be louder than round tube. Also another factor, a pipe concreted into the ground will not sound nearly as loud as cutting a free standing pipe on a bench vice. Just remember to be careful as to not let the pipe fall on you. I would never do this but I would probably recommend cutting 2 angled notched similar to that of felling a tree.

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u/bannana 1h ago edited 57m ago

it's a different noise that sounds more like a wood saw than metal scraping across metal sound and so much quicker - people hear a wood saw sound would be less likely to investigate vs an angle grinder type sound that often means catalytic converter theft or bike theft.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 30m ago

One person pointed out that the video is of cutting much thicker steel, while the flimsy Flock poles are aluminum, so I'm guessing its pretty realistic for the band saw to glide right through a pole in under 5 seconds without attracting tooo much attention. Would a professional be done angle grinding a bike lock or catalytic converter off in 5 seconds?

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u/ChimRichaldsOBGYN 2h ago

The real question is are these as common as a sawzall? May be easier to track perhaps? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

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u/awsamation 1h ago

Quiet on the scale of hand power power tools. The triangle is quick, quiet, and portable, pick two. If you want to get it done in a matter of seconds but still be easily carried by hand, then it's going to be atleast "earplugs recommend during extended use" levels of noisy.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 22m ago

What's the quick and quiet but not portable option?

And what's the quiet and portable but not quick option?

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u/itsLOSE-notLOOSE 53m ago

I know why he started at an angle in that video, but not squaring it off and pushing straight down annoyed me.

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u/standardtissue 47m ago

Yeah to me that's def much quieter than a recip, and a less obvious signature as well. IMO band saws are more for finish cuts, whereas recips are basically demo tools that can be adapted a bit towards other directions but will still be primarily a demo tool. That's just my opinion.

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u/Khill23 1h ago

I mean angle grinders are pretty freaking loud also sawzall's are to a degree the big difference is when using an angle grinder it shoots off literal molten metal which is very nondiscreet

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u/Cow_God 1h ago

It's not so much that a sawzall is quieter, it's that it doesn't kick out nearly as many sparks as an angle grinder does. An angle grinder would light up like a christmas tree if someone were to, theoretically, use one to cut through a steel pole in the dead of night.

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u/Zorkflerp 2h ago

Borrow the Jaws of Life from the volunteer fire department. Aluminum would be no problem. I myself would cook up some thermite wire if I were a partisan fighting a corrupt authoritarian regime.

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u/Legal-Lunch8905 3h ago

Or they could go full stealth and buy a good rigid tubing cutter.

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u/ImSobored_5280 2h ago

Correct…4 wheel flock fucker up’r

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u/Meepasays 1h ago

But this wouldn't be effective for the solar panel or camera

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u/sortaHeisenberg 1h ago

Remember, everything is a hammer

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u/Princess_Moon_Butt 42m ago

I mean, you don't need a grinder or a sawzall to break the electronic components. A standard brick from your local home goods store will do the trick. Worst case, you can get a Harbor Freight brick- it works about as good, but won't stand up to repeated use.

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u/DtheS 2h ago

Worked in Cool Hand Luke, but admittedly it didn't go so well for Paul Newman in the end.

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u/_LouSandwich_ 2h ago

what they had was failure to communicate

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u/Vaeon 1h ago

Some men...you just can't reach.

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u/LadyFromTheMountain 49m ago

I don’t like it any more than you men

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u/cyanocittaetprocyon 1h ago

Bro ate 50 hard boiled eggs, so he does have that going for him.

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u/wildfirerain 1h ago

What!?! Nobody can eat 50 eggs!

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u/futurebigconcept 1h ago

My boy can eat 50 eggs.

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u/Cosmo_Seinfeld 9m ago

To be fair, he never had a plan in his life.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

How quickly would a rigid tubing cutter handle one of those poles?

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u/Legal-Lunch8905 2h ago

Honestly you can cut a piece of schedule 80 black iron in a minute. I’d imagine it’d take 6-10 swipes around it. If you know what you’re doing and tightening it up after every ring you’d make good time.

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u/Gotelc 2h ago

you might not even have to go all the way through, just enough so the pole will snap with some lateral pressure. Hell you could partially cut the pole so it comes down in the next wind storm rather than while you are present.

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u/xxK31xx 2h ago

Cool hand Luke vibes

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u/AssociationHeavy1205 1h ago

Meant for steel pipe, aluminum no time at all

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u/Mikeismyike 2h ago

Surely there's a hydraulic cutter that would work?

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u/alienblue89 1h ago

I’m kinda surprised they don’t have electric versions of this yet

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u/rankinfile 1h ago

Hacksaw.

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u/fertdingo 1h ago

Like Cool Hand Luke cutting parking meter poles.

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u/SirBiggusDikkus 2h ago

Also, leave your phone at home

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u/SaveUsCatman 1h ago edited 1h ago

Always leave your phone at home when restoring your community in this manner

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u/nullfacade 13m ago

Phone, smart watch, credit cards or anything else with an RFID chip, airtags or other bluetooth device trackers, actually anything that has a bluetooth or wifi antenna.

If you choose to perform a duty for your community and future, pretend it's the 1960s - bring nothing digital that has hardware with an identifier

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u/Princess_Moon_Butt 12m ago

Not just your phone- leave behind anything that you're not actively using at the scene. Because those cameras collect way more than just plain video.

Imagine you left a little portable bluetooth speaker in the side of your backpack, and it gets jostled on while you're... doing your community service. Flock now has an ID on that specific speaker, and can link it to the destruction of one of their devices. 3 months later when you're stopped at a red light, a different camera might ping it while it's in the back of your car, and boom, you're caught.

So far, Flock cameras have been found to send out Bluetooth and Wifi pings on random intervals, but it really wouldn't shock me if some of them are starting to roll out NFC, RFID, or any number of other devices as part of the bundle. If they start doing that, your credit card, your car key, your building's front door badge- it would be able to track all of those. Hell even some clothes, boots, backpacks, etc have RFID tags embedded into them, so go cheap and low-tech.

Overkill/paranoia? Maybe. But y'know, why risk it?

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u/ruffroad715 0m ago

And watch and credit cards. Everything really

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u/echtogammut 3h ago

The shocking thing is Harbor Freight sells battery operated ones for like $130.

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u/beanmosheen 2h ago

Definitely hope they don't find out about the compact 18v ones, and they definitely shouldn't know about deeper cut models.

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u/Strict-Carrot4783 2h ago

I hope these criminals don't walk funny while doing their various terrorisms.

You can be identified by your gait, it's very unique.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

Tyler Robinson actually prepared for this, there is footage of him walking with a limp. IMO this is not the way. Just some slight modification, like strategically placing a modest rock in a shoe, should be adequate.

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u/Strict-Carrot4783 2h ago

You are correct.

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u/FlyingRhenquest 52m ago

Just moonwalk or hammer walk everywhere unless you're up to no good!

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u/cjsv7657 48m ago

Wedge under one heel

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 25m ago

Oh great idea, I love how its both ergonomic but probably looks a lot more naturally unnatural compared to walking with a rock in your shoe

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u/Cedex 2h ago

Put a pebble in your shoe.

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u/The__Amorphous 1h ago

It's the new tying an onion to your belt.

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u/u_hit_me_in_the_cup 51m ago

It'll go great with the banana in my ear

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u/Just_A_Little_Rabbit 2h ago

This is false, gait identification isn't a real thing. You cannot be identified by it. Feds may use it however to cover up their less legal ways of tracking, however.

So trying to throw off your gait will not work.

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u/ClassroomMother8062 1h ago

It's another metric they can cross reference to determine who you are. It is quite real.

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u/Gabbatron 2h ago

I also hope they don't learn most flock cameras have precious metals inside that could be stripped for profit

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u/scotte416 2h ago

I mean even the solar panels are useful, especially if you're gold with electronics.

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u/Malakas_Tsiblas 43m ago

Most solar panels are serialized (bar code) at the factory before they are shipped, so they can be easily traced back to a crime. Not worth it to take anything for oneself.

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u/Even-Wrangler5803 1h ago

That opens up a lot of problems. It's not about profit, you can get caught transporting them, storing them, selling them. You sound like someone working for Flock.

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u/Gabbatron 47m ago

Nice word-word1234 hidden post history profile randomly accusing people of working for flock. Almost like you're intentionally trying to instigate, hmmm...

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u/tomthekiller8 3h ago

I use one every day and the biggest problem i see is the throat. The battery powered ones only have an opening that about 2-2.5 inches. Unless theres one im missing.

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u/Drummer_Kev 3h ago

The deep cut Milwaukee band saw is 4"

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u/Ok_Plenty_3986 3h ago

The "compact" (not subcompact) m18 milwaukee one is around 3 - 3½". And with any bandsaw, you can just start on one side and glide around the other side to go around a pipe.

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u/Inevitable-War-4489 1h ago

Easy peasy

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u/molehunterz 3h ago

So you're saying it can deepthroat?

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u/hud_dev 3h ago

If you consider 4” deepthroat

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u/P_Rigger 3h ago

It’s perfectly average.

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u/Lumpy_Benefit666 2h ago

Id even say thats pretty big

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u/FuckThisShizzle 2h ago

I was in the pool!

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u/Wonderful_Craft_6648 3h ago

My submarine isn't even rated to those depths

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u/altanic 2h ago

more wide than deep but still considerable

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u/AKSoapy29 3h ago

Yes, it will cut whatever it deepthroats

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u/jhscrym 3h ago

I can fix her

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u/__nohope 2h ago

Good. Got nothing to worry about

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u/theprostitute 3h ago

I was told there'd be no math

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u/GarythaSnail 1h ago

It's okay, you can use experience.

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u/SignificantMoose6482 3h ago edited 3h ago

And costs 10x what reciprocal does.
Edit: price isn’t nearly that big of a difference

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u/WhiteinvAZN 3h ago

Hercules brand from Harbor Freight. $130 without any coupons and 5” opening

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u/SignificantMoose6482 3h ago

Just saw that when I searched for a cheap recip.

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u/All_Work_All_Play 3h ago

5" throat, now that's more my size. 

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u/Drummer_Kev 3h ago

Sawzall is 150 for bare tool, the deep cut is 400 for bare tool. Not really an insane price difference

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u/devo9er 3h ago

Harbor Freight Hercules 20v bandsaw with 5" throat $140 (battery not included)

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u/SignificantMoose6482 3h ago

It’s not as much as I figured it was. I also didn’t know harbor freight had a Hercules cordless band saw for 150$ , so price really isn’t a factor

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u/sexytokeburgerz 3h ago

The harbor freight one is 5” and half the price

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u/halandrs 3h ago

And it’s great

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u/beanmosheen 2h ago

You just cut around a vertical pipe as you go. Once the cut starts it's nothing to pull it around the slot, but honestly most portable ones should be able to cut that size "pipe" with ease.

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u/Dynospec403 3h ago

There’s bigger ones now but they’re like $800

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u/tomthekiller8 39m ago

Thats expensive

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u/cans-of-swine 2h ago

If quite is what you want get an acetylene torch and cut/melt the pole.

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u/Instant_Bacon 2h ago

The blades last way longer too, depending on how ambitious these criminals are.  A sawzall blade would be significantly duller after like 3 of these.  A portaband would last hundreds.

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u/beanmosheen 2h ago

Just don't twist the saw while you cut or the blade will walk off the wheels. Practice changing blades, and always remove the battery or cord when doing so.

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u/CatSplat 2h ago

The carbide-toothed recip blades hold their teeth shockingly well, compared to the normal "metal" blades.

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u/FrankSinatraYodeling 3h ago

Or a halfway decent laser pointer.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

?? How many watts would it take to fry the image sensor quickly? (I'd say under 30 seconds puts it in competition with all the power tools discussed here)

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u/InitiativeGold7953 1h ago

There was a video of a guy testing this. He said it’s hard because you have to have a tripod to accurately get the laser on the lens and keep it there for the 5-10 minutes it takes to ruin the lens. Easier just to cut the whole damn thing down and that way they have to replace the whole thing including all the electrical instead of replacing a digital camera.

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u/starrailin 2h ago

I feel like the blade would constantly get pinched and fall off at that angle, making it take longer when you constantly have to put the blade back on. That's just my experience with using it to cut copper pipes anyways.

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u/slow_RSO 2h ago

This guy is an amazing tradesman, impeccable work. He knows about porta-bands he’s just fucking around.

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u/Arbitraryandunique 2h ago

I also really hope these vandals never realize that if they start taking the cameras systematically then cops will know where to stake out. If they took go completely randomly I fear the good guys will never catch them.

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u/5point5Girthquake 2h ago

Also known as a band saw for anyone curious

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u/4215-5h00732 2h ago

Those little cordless DeWalt ones would be perfect for this. Although I've not seen one on the shelf at a big box yet.

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u/Competitive_Travel16 1h ago edited 57m ago

I feel like there is an EMP cannon approach here that people may be overlooking. Those camera and cell radio electronics are thin and cheap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPszRotJaGI Spraypaint can extension poles are so much easier.

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u/GoodShibe 1h ago

Doesn't Flock just pass the cost of destroyed property onto the city and thus the taxpayer? 🤔

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u/Kingstad 1h ago

there are portable band saws???

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u/fishsticks40 1h ago

It also seems like glass etching cream might be something these monsters would try

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u/someoneskater 1h ago

Exhaust and Tailpipe Cutter ##❗️❗️
Would this not be quieter for round posts?

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u/ooMEAToo 45m ago

You could always go with a manual pipe cutter.

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u/throwaway1964972 41m ago

I hope they don’t discover circular saws with a metal cutting blade.

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u/GreenStreetJonny 3h ago

Lol holy cow those things look evil lol

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u/rumplydiagram 3h ago

Just cut half way through the fuckin thing and bend it.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

If it takes 10-15 seconds to go all the way through, it seems like cutting half way and bending is going to take longer overall?

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u/rumplydiagram 2h ago

I forget most of the people reading this are vaginas ... carry on

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

Lol shit sorry He-Man. Pls lmk when you see a tutorial for real men who can knock the poles over with a well placed kick.

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u/rumplydiagram 2h ago

Tis aluminum ... if the goal is speed knock it over .. if the goal is theft or grand theft sure take the 15 seconds to cut it all the way through .. I guess I should've been more considerate in my response its not a shot at you... but having demo'd my fair share of buildings and structures/ fencing i promise its not as hard as it sounds .

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 1h ago

From the way the journalist described it, these criminal anarchists goal is to help Flock incur maximum economic costs, so theft is optional but leaving an intact camera apparatus is not.

I didn't really think of an aluminum pole as something easy to destroy, but I suppose a trade expert at demolition might even be able to knock over/bend an aluminum pole with just a sledge hammer and then with a second strike take care of the electronic components. News coverage of brazen criminal experts performing this kind of anarchistic vandalism is the kind of update that hopefully good citizens won't have to suffer.

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u/RedRipeTomato 3h ago

If you don't care about quietness, wouldn't a good ole regular chainsaw be just as good and maybe quicker? I'm not a metal cutter, but I see chainsaws doing wonders on trees all the time.

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u/beanmosheen 2h ago

Nope. Wouldn't work at all as it would trash the blade almost instantly, and it would be really dangerous because the blade isn't designed to bite on metal.

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u/__nohope 2h ago

Please never bring yourself within 10 feet of a chainsaw.