Posted on 12/09/2005 10:49:04 AM PST by Travis McGee
That 48,000# was from was my mistaken 100# per bar estimate for EACH pallet, not the entire room.
I thought somebody said typical gold bars were more like 27 pounds. That would make the value about double what they need. That's the same ratio I got calculated a different way - about twice as much as they need.
"I'm just guessing, but the ingots in the photos look longer than 7 inches long to me."
But, gee...they look shorter than 7 inches to me.... :)
It looks like the load is pretty much carried by the beams. And it would probably take more weight than this to compress the 4"x8" beams.
Look at the pictures with the humans in it - those pallets are not the familiar size of pallet I'm used to seeing.
"Woof woof!"
And another thing, the wood grain looks pretty tight, probably oak.
Let's look for some size reference. Paper labels maybe?
Not a billion, but I'd take it in a pinch!
For an accurate assessment, just dial: 1-800-007-BOND
"Let's look for some size reference. Paper labels maybe?"
Oh actually I agree with you about the length...I was trying to make a joke..apparently a bad joke.
The weight does not appear to add up to what is presented. If somehow the weight is true, no one should be allowed in that room...the domino effect is in play.
all that glitters is not gold
I agree with you. From what I'm seeing, these pallets are only maybe 24" squares. It looks like the pallet supports are maybe 2 x 6's. Most everyday pallets are nominally 1 x 4's.
1/3 of the entire weight is two tons ...
Those tops and bottoms are NOT plywood. take a good look ... they're 6 one-by-four(?) natural boards. Each board is taking 1/6 of two tons or 333 pounds ... approximately the weight of one Michael Moore.
I think it would hold.
I think 100 # is too much.
I visited a gold mine on Northern Luzon in my younger days. My wife and I just showed up in our bright red volkswagen and they gave us a royal tour. I guess they figured two young Americans showing up un announced in the remote location made up de facto important.
Any way, they took us to the vault and handed my wife an ingot. It was so heavy she nearly dropped it. Had it been 100 # I know she would have.
If you check Kitco, the bar they have is 400 oz or 25 pounds.
The pallets would definitely be ok with these size bars.
Check Kitco.com bullion
I disagree.
I see an interior picture with taken with flash: note overhead fluorescent lighting.
Presuppose this is a vault with no other illumination, and the flash is bouncing off the gold in the foreground and hitting the gold immediately behind it.
The small flash on a pocket camera will do that ... the foreground is slightly overexposed, the background slightly underexposed.
The bottom line: Special "things" need "special" pallets.
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