From:	Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:	Re: Fun character concepts
Date:	Mon, 18 May 1998 04:48:46 -0700

Alfredo B Alves wrote:

> >> Hate to say it, but most welding equipment is a) heavy and b)
> >> expensive (meaning it's probably owned by the company and locked up
> >> at night). Since he worked for S-K, it's likely that upon his release
> >> or firing, they took away what you see working as his advantages.

> > Welding equipment (especially for cutting only) is NOT that
> > expensive, but I doubt portable versions would be laser based.
> > The equiment needed to cut 2 foot thick plate roughly comes to a few grand.
> > I'm talking about "burning bars", some tanks, and maybe some
regulators and
> > general welding torches and, of course, safety equipment. This kinda stuff
> > can and does disapeer from construction sites, and many vaults HAVE been
> > broken using such equipment.

nB: By "Ex-Saeder Krupp", I took it to mean that this guy worked
directly for them in a factory, rather than a welder on a construction
site. Very different fish. I could almost see an independent
contractor going berserk; then at least he'd own his equipment. Gives
him a lot less reason to go berserk, though; presumably if he loses one
contract, he picks up another and stays in business.

I've seen (well - heard of) stuff walking off construction sites;
nothing as expensive as a welding torch without several calls to the
authorities, though. Sort of hard to see a union guy suddenly running
amok in the shadows. More than a few questions left to be asked; but
then, these were only rough cuts.

> The Cybertechnology Tool Laser costs about 5k and is described as being
> used for small cuts and weldings, so how much for an equivelent hand-held
> version and how much for the good stuff?

By "small welds", their talking small. :) Not bank-vault stuff. (I
was going to say something like, "comparing it to the Barrier chart..."
but then I remembered how vague that thing is. At any rate, comparing
it to th Barrier chart, you get 'Average material' or 'Thin heavy
material'. Not exactly what you need to bust open a vault.)
Presumably, a lot of the cost comes from being turned into cyberware and
made really, really small.

I'd could see a welding torch and its accoutrement being a Work-kit
(500Y). The cost given for the Workshop (5000Y) is a bit steep, given
times and deflation and stuff and stuff.

I can already hear someone typing in "How much damage does a welding
torch do?", a question I'll avoid.


- Matt

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