Do you have a spare key hidden outside of your home and wonder just how secure it is? Perhaps you have one of those magnetic key hiders or fake rocks that have been around for so long, thieves know to be on the look out for them.
Today I’ll show you how you can build an overt key hider that can hide in plain sight and not attract any undue attention. With a sprinkler head and a few cheap parts you can easily assemble you own DIY Dead Drop Key Hider.
Covert vs. Overt Concealment
What we’re building today fits the definition of a Dead Drop, which is a discreet means of exchanging items or information between individuals utilizing a predetermined secret location. However, in this case it’s more of a concealment or a CD (concealment device) since you probably won’t be using it as a way to communicate with a confederate. You certainly could though!
Just like a Dead Drop, the location of this concealment won’t be know to those who don’t need to know. It isn’t foolproof though, it can still be compromised if you find yourself accessing it while under surveillance. Without getting too deep into the world of espionage, just maintain your situational awareness when you’re placing or retrieving items.
This key hider is an overt concealment because it doesn’t need to be covertly concealed, it “hides in plain sight.” An example of a covert concealment would be the magnetic key hider, which you’d need to “conceal” somewhere because it would stand out and be easily recognized.
Constructing the Key Hider
While the video above will walk you step-by-step through the construction process, I’ve also provided detailed photos, a parts list and full instructions below that will take you through the process. As you’ll see in the materials list, you can use a 2″ long adjustable sprinkler head like I did, or pick up a 4″ long sprinkler head for more storage space.
Materials Needed
- 2″ Adjustable Sprinkler Head (1/2″ inlet) or
- 4″ Adjustable Sprinkler Head (1/2″ inlet)
- Sprinkler Pipe Adapter (1/2″)
- Dummy Cord
- Hacksaw (to cut the pipe)
- Superglue
- Screwdriver
- Lighter
- House key
Don’t Skimp
The benefit of using a real sprinkler head for this project is two fold, first, it ensures that those that might be looking for this kind of concealment will have a hard time telling it apart from others you may have in your yard. Even if you don’t have other sprinklers, placing a few of these will add to the cover that you have a sprinkler system. I even share a tip in the video that can help to further make the sprinkler head look authentic if pulled up out of the ground.
Secondly, a real sprinkler head has a rubber gasket that can seal your concealment if there’s something else you’d like to keep in it. This could be a literal document or even spare cash you could access in an emergency like a house fire, etc. Completely sealing the unit will also require the addition of silicone to seal the bottom of the sprinkler head.
Assembly
Start by removing the locking ring on the top of the sprinkler head and pulling up on the white gasket and spray nozzle. This will remove the guts of the sprinkler head. Set the body and screw cap to the side. Pull the gasket and compress the spring to access the spray nozzle. This piece is threaded and needs to be removed for the time being.
A note here is that the spray nozzle is adjustable, meaning it goes from a closed position to a fully open position by grasping the dial looking top and turning it.If you’re going to be sealing the unit for a watertight concealment, make sure the spray nozzle is in the closed position.
Once the spray nozzle is unscrewed, pull off the gasket and discard everything else but the gasket and the spray nozzle. Next, apply a bead of superglue around the edge of the spray nozzle that interfaces with the white gasket. Glue this in place and then take the screw cap and apply superglue to the inside rim where it makes contact with the white gasket. Stick these two components together and wait for them to dry.
Now grab your screwdriver and back out the screw on the bottom of what you’ve assembled. Be careful to support the spray nozzle so that you don’t break the superglue by twisting the screw. You can also back the screw out before you glue the assembly so that it’s easier to manipulate at this step.
You’re now going to tie a slip knot of some kind in one end of a 6″-8″ section of dummy cord. This goes around the screw as is pulled tight before twisting the screw back in to secure it further. Make sure it’s fully secure and that your knot isn’t going anywhere. Next, attach your house key to the other end with a Bowline. Click here for our Knot of the Week on how to tie a Bowline.
Knock out the cutting of your Sprinkler Pipe Adapter at this time. This is also a good thing to do while your superglue is drying too. Simply cut a 45 degree angle at the desired length. The overall length of my cut was 4.5″ at the longest measurement of the 45. The purpose of a 45 degree angle here is to help when you press it into the ground. If you’re going for a full sealed device, this is the point at which you can add some silicone inside the pipe to seal against any moisture that might find its way in.
Screw the pipe section onto the bottom of the sprinkler head and add a little more silicone here if you’re sealing it, just to ensure a full seal. I outlined in materials list that you needs a 1/2″ inlet sprinkler head which matches the 1/2″ thread on the sprinkler pipe. If you’re using a different size inlet, just make sure the pipe threading matches the inlet size.
The last step is to screw the top lid back onto your sprinkler body and figure out where you’d like to overtly conceal it in your yard. Sprinkler heads are fairly rigid and can take some abuse, which means you can stand on it to use your body weight to press it into the ground if you need to.
Now that your DIY Dead Drop Key Hider is installed into the ground, all you need to do is unscrew the cap, pull the key out with it and take it to your door to let yourself in if you get locked out. The base of the sprinkler head stays in the ground and you simply replace the lid after you’re done!
What do you think, is this something you’d utilize? Do you have any other sneaky concealments you’d like to share below in the comments?