[ToddF]

Our shop has practically open access to students passing through it. We have 3 or 4 big cabinets in which we store anything small and valuable (electronics, drill bits, etc.). These are padlocked. Only the head coach and asst coach have keys. All portable power tools are returned to their cases and padlocked into a cabinet under our heaviest workbench. This way, we are not relying on school security. We have our own.

This keeps honest people honest. Someone with a bolt cutter could still cut the padlocks off the cabinets, but no one can simply do a grab and dash. It also enforces discipline on our students to clean everything up and put it away before leaving the shop.