The Evil Cache

My girlfriend and I have recently started geocaching and we both really enjoy it.  We've seen/been to some neat places that we otherwise would have just passed on the road or would have never visited unless we were hunting one of these things down.
We have also been stumped by more than a few of the more difficult ones known as "nano" caches.  these things are nothing but a tiny canister with a magnet and only enough space inside to hold a rolled up piece of paper to log your visit, and people get really clever when they hide them.  So I decided to try my hand at making one of these evil little things.....only more evil!

Step 1: Materials

This is a pretty cheap project to make, all you need are some hardware bits you may have lying about and some simple tools.  the most expensive material needed was the nano cache itself, cost about $10 at my local R.E.I.

Materials:

-A bench vise
-A pneumatic cutoff wheel (and air compressor of course, or a hacksaw)
-Some J.B. Weld
-A 1/2" diameter by 2 1/2" hex bolt ( I chose 2 1/2" to give me some material to play with)
-A 1/2" Nut that fits on the bolt
-Two 5/16" internal diameter washers (these are the exact diameter of the nano cache)
-One 1/2" internal diameter washer (This will fit around the hex bolt)
-A small rare earth magnet (I scavenged this off one of my girlfriend's old name badges from her job)
-A metal file
-Toothpicks & something to mix the J.B. weld in

Comments

[cannibal_hect0r]

Ok, Finally got around to placing this thing.
The Cache's name is "Asymmetrical"
coordinates are: N38 39.953 W121 31.212
Placed in Natomas CA
Happy hunting :)

[TheGreatS]

I got on Google maps and did a 360 spin to look around. "This isn't to bad" I thought "A wall, some bushes, not much that can hold a screw" I thought.
Then I saw a metal sculpture,
Then a bridge,
Then a bunch of electrical boxes, a pipe coming out of the ground, a road sign, and a light pole.

If I'm ever in that part of California I'll try my luck!

[the-police]

You should put it on a grain bin... that would be so evil.... there are 2000+ bolts sticking out on most grain bins... ;)

[Jon B3]

I hate "evil caches"!

But to help find them I always keep a "day-glo" vest and a clipboard in the cache-mobile. Put on the vest and despite glowing like an radioactive orange you can look over a structure for hours and no-one even notices you. You just look like a municipal or council worker. (And 'cause you're not actually claiming to be one no-one can hassle you for impersonating one)

Jot a couple of "notes" on the clipboard ever now and then, consult the GPS and you're set!

[WPee]

REMEMBER don't walk TOO FAST or everyone will know you are NOT a government employee...
 
("worker" does not apply here ...use employee when talking about government types)

[qualia]

i have alot of animosity towards my memories of the year i spent as a council employee. you wouldnt be that enthusiastic about working either if your job was picking up litter (mostly fast food wrappers and illegally dumped household garbage on a daily basis, garbage that you had to tear open and search through in case there were old letters indicating the identity of the culprit so they could be prosercuted.)

am seriously considering making one of these geocaches. i have a cnc mill and lathe.

and i still have the council worker uniform.

and plumbing overalls.

this could work.

could make heaps of these so they outnumber the actual load bearing bolts on a bridge and install them so overenthusiastic geocachers cause a serious disaster.

hmm.

[cannibal_hect0r]

I like that idea, very clever.
Where does one get a day glo vest?

[Jon B3]

Around here most shops like KMart have them. But specialty work-wear and safety equipment shops should have them if your local big chain shops don't.

The basic ones only cost US$5 here because classed as safety gear and just about everyone who does a manual type job is required to wear one. Gardeners, mail-people, delivery people, cyclists, builders etc etc.

[KJ4ZVQ]

if you have a local Tractor Supply Co., they will have them.

[sparrowmict]

fantastic anti muggle disguise.   never would have thought of it 

[VagsmaCutter]

Make one that looks like a piece of excrement; a bird dropping stuck on a tree or an owl pellet. Something that would take guts to attempt to pick up with a bare hand. One time I cut my hand on the lip of a cache. It was kind of anticlimactic. I was tempted to sign my name in blood but decided against it. I later died of tetanus. JK about the tetanus but the rest is true. That was truly an evil cache. And, it was by a cemetery too. Aroooooo...scary! Nice work on yours.

[Gelfling6]

I think I must've made the entire forest of animals think I lost my marbles once, when I actually found a stage of a multi-cache, when I sat-down, and saw a blob of what looked like animal droppings, until I touched it with a walking pole, and heard a metal (pole) versus stone click. They do make them, usually with a cryo-tube underneath. I've actually found a few of these 'Nut & Bolt' containers here in Connecticut. they're not that hard to make, but I imagine a bear & a half to drill-out the end to hide the cache in. Another alternative, I've seen people put a Neodymium magnet in the nut, sea it in with epoxy, then insert the bolt with the log book into the rest of the nut.

[Roflolommo]

better idea. stick of dynamite with a piece of rolled up paper inside. And have it rigged to explode at a moment notice.

[jplate1]

Woah! you violated Rule #1 of Geo-Caching.. DON'T TELL *MUGGLES!!!
( non-geo-cachers )

[BigDrig]

Awesome! its great to know there are other Geocachers here.

[cannibal_hect0r]

Front Page again! Thank you to the powers that be at Instructables Im flattered to be chosen again.

A major snag I've run into with this cache: it seems the JB Weld likes to rust in the outdoor elements and therefore snap off of the top of the internal nano cache, a simple solution is to throw away the top of said nano cache and just screw the cut & filed piece of bolt into the nut.
If you really wanted to be clever and fashion some sort or rubber grommet you could cut a circular section of rubber from a flat bike inner tube and glue it to the bottom of the top bolt piece to protect the log.

[cannibal_hect0r]

thanks for all the sweet comments.
Unfortunately the top half of the cache got lost right after i placed it.
now I have to make a new one from scratch to replace it :P

[funtickets]

I've done a few Geocaches and am a memeber of geocaching.com. If I were to come across this cache I would definiately leave it for the experts. LOL !

[mash4077]

this structible got me into Geocaching thanks!

[DELETED_jorgegunn]

I havent tried any nanos yet made or found. We just made our first Geo cache. (its here on instructables) but this is so cool. I'm gonna try my hand at finding some but this will def be the first one i make. so wonderfully Wicked

[Gottwinkies]

LOL! I like your kind of evil! When I first saw this I wasn't thinking geocache...and I find I am still wondering what else I can use this little container of evil for...Mouhahahhhaaaa

[abun1991]

I've always wanted to try goecaching, but apparently a gang called "the presidents" steals all the caches around where I live. *sigh*

[krapphace]

wow

[axmon]

you are true evil and sicken me too the core. nah cheers bro il try thaton my friends who are keen on geocashing.

[Rainh2o]

Or you can hollow the bolt out like I did, then you can put the log in a piece of straw inside...

[mossimo3]

Was it a hardened bolt? I hope not because you could wreck quite a few bits with that! I'm liking the aged look, it would definitely help it blend in

[cannibal_hect0r]

That IS awesome!

[sparrowmict]

thats just wrong.... i love it

[Rainh2o]

Then when you hide it you can thread it through an object with a hole in it.  I have made some more pretty evil ones in my day, if you want to see, contact me and I'll send you pictures of others

[Dr.Bill]

And Why exactly would you want to hide a note so completely?
I did not catch that part.

[cannibal_hect0r]

because its geocaching
thats kind of the point

[madmada]

hahaha, i like evil caches like these, i've even got three cunning,similar caches i created and hid in my local town.
its funny and rewarding to read them as when they are found people realise the work thats gone into them
Mada.

[Azayles]

You could probably make something like this by hollowing out a bolt instead of gluing a nano cache in place. Might need access to a drill press, though.

[cannibal_hect0r]

I thought about doing that at first but decided this was was easier and would work just fine.   I have a drill press but I would have needed to use a larger diameter bolt and I was afraid it wouldn't blend in with other bolts of a similar size depending on where i put it

[Rainh2o]

drill press would be nice but I did mine with a hand held drill and a vice.  Just made sure I drilled level and straight

[Azayles]

I admire your patience :P
Though it's ironic, while I have a drill press, I don't have a vice D;

[solo.card]

 Great instructable! I went out and found my first cache today!

[eblisster]

Evil! Deliciously Evil! Bwah hahahaha!!

It would be like hollowing out an acorn and leaving it in an oak grove...

[sparrowmict]

most difficult one i ever found was a mini chap stick tube camo'd with RealTree camo and stuck in  a fork in a tree  looked just like a stinking tree branch had been broken off. 

[eblisster]

THAT must have made you feel very triumphant to have found it!