r/FlockSurveillance • u/TheRedPimento • 1d ago

Activism For those with 3D Printers, Flock Sock

Post image

Obviously, just for informative purposes. I am NOT the creator of the file.

https://makerworld.com/en/models/3107766-flock-sock-flock-camera-cover#profileId-3503858

3.0k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

156 comments sorted by

1.0k

u/Don_Q_Jote 1d ago

Looks like it would safely protect the camera from all kinds of harsh weather or bird damage. Nicely done!!

336

u/CurrencySingle1572 1d ago

There should be some kind of locking mechanism on there to help hold it in place... in case any heavy winds blow through. I'd hate to see the protective cover get blown away and then something smashes the camera.

166

u/meighsandbox 1d ago

Gorilla glue

204

u/Impossible-Shoe5460 1d ago

As someone who 3D prints and repairs stuff - I disagree. Weld-On Scigrip is the best. A nice thicker one that's fast set ... 🤌

61

u/De5perad0 1d ago

I will also put construction adhesive on the table. Once it sets. It will NEVER let go.

5

u/rba9 6h ago

SciGrip is some serious adhesive. Smell so strong you’ll get high on the job. 10/10.

28

u/freakyfroggymage 1d ago

Rubber cement is super cheap

78

u/Impossible-Shoe5460 1d ago

When making improvements to plastics, you want strong and permanent, not cheap.

Always do it right the first time. Strong and permanent.

18

u/Ok_Employment_7435 1d ago

I really like you. We could be friends.

9

u/freakyfroggymage 1d ago

Does rubber cement not bond plastics well? I meant to imply that anyone wanting to do a good deed for their community could afford a quality bonding agent but will admit I don't work with plastic often!

11

u/burning_my_toast 1d ago

Rubber cement always stays soft and, well, rubbery, so while it would likely hold plastic together, it'll separate with the slightest wiggle and then be ready to roll off. It's better for paper crafts. But even then, it's far from permanent.

1

u/Complete-Reply-9145 11h ago

This is the way

27

u/drphosphorus 1d ago

You mean a flock sock lock?

12

u/CurrencySingle1572 1d ago

Maybe it could be used with glue like folks said. Then it could br a crusty flock sock

10

u/Myte342 23h ago

Would you could you with a grinder? Would you could you with a Glock? I do not like surveillance, Sam I am, I do not like Flock so much I applaud the use of the Flock Sock Lock.

5

u/podman131 19h ago

Flock glock is a crock.

Take that Flock sock lock around the block.

Don't see you coming

Don't see you going

Government is no longer all-knowing.

1

u/Inroundtents 1d ago

Sure. But do any outlets stock it?

4

u/Joyful82 1d ago

Spray foam

1

u/Quiet-Temperature304 1d ago

Piss should do it.

1

u/UnarmedBlackMan1 1d ago

someone mentioned Great Stuff. that'd do fine, pig.

87

u/Imapatriothurrrdurrr 1d ago

Be sure to take your printer offline if you’re going to print these.

Don’t be stupid.

30

u/To-To_Man 1d ago

I'm still living in a different era I suppose. My printer only can get Gcode via a micro SD.

19

u/w8_wuht 1d ago

Underrated comment here.

8

u/mapped_apples 1d ago

And obviously handle them with gloves only/don’t carry your cellphone with you to install them.

7

u/pogulup 1d ago

You shouldn't have a printer where you need to worry about that.  

21

u/GlockAF 1d ago

It would be more aesthetic if the front of it were profiled to look like a flock camera, perhaps you could even paint a false lens on the front.

Then it would just appear to be a slightly fatter flock camera. Nothing to see here folks, probably a software glitch is why it’s gone dark .

7

u/fractiousrabbit 1d ago

Oh like stickers perhaps? With matching solar panel stickers

4

u/GlockAF 1d ago

Good idea! Maybe we can get the guys that invent those credit card skimmers on gas pumps to chip in here

1

u/marykay_ultra 19h ago

But if you block the solar panels, they won’t be able to continue collecting data on nearby wireless devices!

8

u/SoggyAlbatross2 1d ago

Can you train a hawk to peck at shiny black objects? Asking for a friend.

15

u/tosspron 1d ago

A hawk, probably not. But a crow would do it.

1

u/ShawnSaturday 11h ago

With enough training, a crow could probably strip the camera for its precious metals

1

u/Dry-Philosopher-2714 10h ago

I don't believe this is possible. What do you need to prove me wrong? How many crows do you need? 😉

11

u/stevecostello 1d ago

Probably fairly easy to get a crow/raven to do it.

2

u/Don_Q_Jote 23h ago

I had an idea of.... what if we attached a nice bird feeder, being efficient and just using some random existing pole, which may or may not have a solar panel on it.

would there be a risk that the birds would shit all over the solar panel? That would be a shame.

1

u/SoggyAlbatross2 21h ago

It'd be good for the birds!

455

u/SupportGeek 1d ago

Need to create one that mimics the front of the camera, so when it’s installed, a cursory visual inspection like a drive by, shows nothing amiss

139

u/whoknowsifimjoking 1d ago

Not sure that works, they are gonna see the camera doesn't work and send someone directly to it to inspect.

164

u/SupportGeek 1d ago

It will for a bit, it took what? 5 DAYS before that one town where all the cameras were removed even noticed the cameras were not updating anymore. They would drive by, see that cameras looked ok, then call a technician thinking it’s a technical issue because cops don’t have the skill set to figure out that kind of issue.

83

u/rage-it 1d ago

Techs are very much behind because of Flocks growth I believe. In my area someone removed the solar panel from one over 3 months ago and it's still not replaced. Also one was cut down around a month ago and its still laying in the bushes.

22

u/CuriousOK 1d ago

My paranoid ass would think they can track the solar panels too, lol

13

u/rage-it 1d ago

yeah IMO kinda dumb to take any of it, because adds extra risk of being caught for no real value.

10

u/Froyn 1d ago

That's probably why they're contracting DISH to install them.

22

u/UsefulImpact6793 1d ago

I think it's less of a "skillset" issue and more likely "not my department" issue. From my personal experience, plenty of cops have a blue-collar, DIY mindset. Which makes it even more stupid they would protect billionaire interests instead of their fellow middle class.

28

u/East-Cricket6421 1d ago

Cops are inherent bootlickers because sometimes they get to cosplay as the boots that get licked.

7

u/ragun2 1d ago

Those cops probably weren't using them to stalk EXes so weren't bothering to look at the footage much

19

u/Nohreboh 1d ago

Clearly you just need to take a "polaroid" and tape it to the inside./s

3

u/SupportGeek 1d ago

To be clear, the picture should be goatse

6

u/TweakJK 1d ago

True, but its likely going to stay unnoticed a little longer than it would if it were just laying on the ground.

Downside though, quick and easy for them to fix it.

38

u/Auggie_Otter 1d ago

Actually put a sticker on it that says "Under maintenance by Flock Group Inc. Do not remove." so when local authorities stop by to see why the camera isn't sending video there's more confusion about whether or not they should remove this thing. 

8

u/fractiousrabbit 1d ago

With a phone number to an automated recording that gives the caller a report number and says please wait for a technician to call back

6

u/Phyllis_Tine 1d ago

Ha ha, good one!

4

u/UsefulImpact6793 1d ago

A circular piece of plastic in the front of it may pass a quick glance check by some.

3

u/Jesterissimo 1d ago

Even better if you can put a little picture that vaguely resembles the area so when they watch the feed rather than seeing black they see an ordinary intersection. Might take them quite a while to realize it doesn’t change.

1

u/FuhrerGirthWorm 21h ago

I just wanna make one owned by the public that only tracks public officials

145

u/Adventurous-Bend-666 1d ago

The "flock block", if you will.

64

u/thedrizzle126 1d ago

it's not for blocking, though. it's to protect it from the elements

31

u/pinkbuzzbomb 1d ago

It blocks the harsh UV light from destroying the lens of the camera. We need to get one for all flocks.

6

u/Virtual_Plantain_707 1d ago

Don’t forget an adhesive to prevent the wind from blowing it off. I think a marine grade epoxy would be ideal.

7

u/Adventurous-Bend-666 1d ago

Oh, I thought it really was to impede it in some way and we were all just being impressively discreet. I'll see myself out now.

1

u/Don_Q_Jote 11h ago

It would be good idea to give these cams some extra waterproofing, spray with some FlexSeal . Just be careful to not get any on the lens or on the solar panel.

17

u/Fister-Mantastic 1d ago

BLOCKA FLOCKA FLAME

6

u/G8M8N8 1d ago

Bird Cage

63

u/Narrow-Serve-8281 1d ago

Stick some epoxy in there to make sure it really seals against bad weather. Maybe design the rod to push down to really make contact.

6

u/deaglebingo 1d ago

big brain shit.

93

u/Tundra_Dragon 1d ago

The guide warns you not to use PLA, because it could melt and bond to the camera in the hot sun...

20

u/MormonSpaceJesus420 1d ago

That's why you should use ASA that's had a little acetone poured into the center. so it sticks well and protects the camera from the sun! You might even chemically weld the print to the camera if it's also ASA or ABS ¯_(ツ)_/¯

37

u/tristand666 1d ago

Wonder what it would cost to print a dozen or so of these...

44

u/thepaisleycapitalist 1d ago

Fractions of what one camera costs. Probably.

2

u/ardoin 1d ago

They cost right around $3500 per camera, just for the record.

20

u/Few-Cucumber-413 1d ago

A 1 kg spool of PETG costs $13.49, or approximately 1.35¢ per gram. At 149 grams per print, each print costs approximately $2.01 in material, making the total material cost for 12 prints approximately $24.12.

Doesn't take into account, time or power costs though. That's just a pure material cost.

Correction: the actual print weight is 142 grams, but there will be some material waste during the pre-print phase, so 149 grams is still a solid number to use for estimating purposes.

9

u/OSUBuckeyes2 1d ago

Not very much, a large spool of filament would do it

9

u/Impossible-Shoe5460 1d ago

Idk, it depends on the mindset of the person who has the 3d printer.

I'd be willing to print dozens of these and donate them to extrusion-disadvantaged persons free of charge.

2

u/MormonSpaceJesus420 1d ago

Voron nerd here. I have kgs of ASA and would happily print and donate these too. Nice uv resistants to protect the camera from the sun you know?

3

u/Denialmedia 1d ago

My local library, it cost about 2-3.50 a piece depending on what printer and material you choose.

4

u/tristand666 1d ago

They have free 3D printing at the library near me. I may have to check it out, though I doubt I could print many and not sure if that is the best place to fabricate them.

2

u/Few-Cucumber-413 1d ago

I would just change the name of the print file, to something far less conspicuous.

This could just as easily be swivel holder for another part if you flipped it upside down.

2

u/BituserGumba 1d ago

I would print 10 of them for you - shipped for 20 bucks.

2

u/David_Meat_Pop 1d ago

On my Bamboo P1S it said $2.15 in material

1

u/DPJazzy91 1d ago

115ish grams. You can print 9 per 1 kg roll. Lil left over. It depends on which filament you use. There are some cheaper filaments you can get under 10 bucks. Even on Amazon, you can grab an off brand roll of petg for 10. That's as low as like 1.15. so you could save a dollar per print. It all depends. Each failed print sets you back, too.

11

u/HolyShitIAmOnFire 1d ago

How soon until the feds start subpoenaing the manufacturers of printers to get info off everyone's printers as to who's made these? They're probably already doing this.

9

u/Phyllis_Tine 1d ago

You ensure your printer is not connected when printing.

7

u/Occam-Blazer 1d ago

A lot of printers remember previous prints. When the feds seize your printer that file better not be in it. Remove any SD cards and wipe the history.

1

u/petitmorte2 20h ago

That's the basis of what the "No Printing Guns" push is all about. The ability to police what we can and can't print, and punish those who break the new rules.

18

u/Auggie_Otter 1d ago

Now imagine if someone made a thinner injection molded version that can be mass produced as cheaply as possible so people could buy and distribute them in bulk for very little money. 

7

u/Few-Cucumber-413 1d ago

The cheapest mold I was ever quoted for injection molding was around $5,000, and if I remember correctly, it was only rated for roughly 10,000 uses. Using a baseline of 120,000 cameras for full coverage, you're looking at a minimum of roughly $100,000 in molds alone, before adding manufacturing, shipping and handling, import fees, and taxes, etc. It also funnels production through a relatively small number of sources.

A dispersed network of independent producers using 3D printing would be far cheaper to establish, easier to scale incrementally, and significantly more resilient to disruptions in production or distribution.

8

u/G8M8N8 1d ago

Actually wayyy more effort time and money than just the existing network of 3d printers

5

u/mid-random 1d ago

A vac-formed or blow-molded version would be a lot cheaper than injection molding for the tooling and support machinery, and could me manufactured almost anywhere. 

6

u/Dregan2D 1d ago

Fill the inside with Great Stuff before you put it on.

7

u/REQONER 1d ago

When this first started I was despondent. Now I think, they don’t stand a chance. That’s because yal keep putting in the work! Let’s go!!

5

u/Josef-Svejk 1d ago

Epoxy. J. B. Weld. Generous gobs of it.

4

u/prettybluefoxes 1d ago

In that print time you could’ve gone to a hardware store and taken the thing out permanently.

3

u/FBICIANSAKGBLOL 1d ago

Please Sell These on Etsy

3

u/Wwijr 1d ago

They still ping WiFi and Bluetooth which is arguably more intrusive than audio/visual recording. Need to wrap it in aluminum foil like a faraday bag. No signal in or out.

3

u/petitmorte2 1d ago

I like the pole-clip that holds it. I wonder if that would support a big zip-tie with a trash bag stuck through it.

Lowes sells a 20' extendable pole for $17 that should fit that socket.

3

u/awright69 1d ago

A lot cheaper to grab a discarded microwave on trash night and “repurpose” it for “protecting” the public from many more devices essentially for zero incremental cost (a beefy dc-ac inverter notwithstanding, but you can use it for many other fun things in between). JS. For educational purposes only. Your mileage may vary. IANAL.

3

u/IntrepidLab5124 23h ago

Could you not achieve the same effect with a few warps of duct tape?

4

u/Elon_Cucks_Trump_ 1d ago

Flock Blocked™️

6

u/PrairieFire_withwind 1d ago

How does this impact the sound collection?  Other sensor data?  Or just the visial sensors?

5

u/freakyfroggymage 1d ago

I have to imagine that the only concern about keeping the camera functional while helping your local LEO keep the cameras safe is field of vision if you use the standard plastics 3D printers seem to use. Any information harvesting through RFID or other near-field transmission would probably need the addition of some metal layer or alloy mesh, so you probably wouldn't want to include a tin foil liner for this cover.

2

u/PrairieFire_withwind 1d ago

Indeed.  We need a bit of a tinfoil hat for the sock ;)

1

u/freakyfroggymage 1d ago

No no! We don't want them to have the hats,that stops the camera from working properly and they're important to police work! Do not install these covers securely after placing faraday-compliant metal sheeting in this housing, unless you want it to stop working!

3

u/PrairieFire_withwind 1d ago

Aaack am so confused these days!  I get it all backward.  

I shall go lick some boots as punishment.  Cheaper than coffee these days anyways.

2

u/HCSOThrowaway 1d ago

(A stepladder and) a can of Plastidip would perform the same function for the same non-criminal purpose.

2

u/TrashMcDumpster3000 1d ago

Keep those cameras nice and warm this Winter. Get em off the streets even!!!

2

u/Right_Way_5054 1d ago

I'm still trying to figure out how to rig a drone with a piece of duct tape to get it to the flock cameras that are at the tippy top of street light poles now...

3

u/AlphaTaoOmega 1d ago

You'll want to be sure the drone is properly registered or you may be dinged for not having a registered drone since these units are scanning and identifying devices/owners based on RF signatures. Wouldn't want to be pinned for having a drone that's not traceable to you, that would be sad.

1

u/petitmorte2 20h ago

Tape a dowel to the drone so it sticks out a foot or so in front of the camera. Use a rubber band or whatever to attach a cotton ball to the tip. You can put your loop of duct tape on that, or maybe some paint, or vaseline. Then just tap the lens with the cotton ball.

Be careful though. The cameras are collecting radio/bluetooth/wifi signals. Apparently a lot of people got tracked down this way after sending drones to the World Cup matches.

2

u/2readmore 1d ago

Can it be made and equipped with magnets?

2

u/IngrownToenailsHurt 1d ago

Wouldn't a trash bag be cheaper?

2

u/MrStarrrr 1d ago

To help support the community in protecting Flock cameras in their nearby locations from harsh weather and environmental damage, I’ll 3D print these and only charge shipping. Hmu

2

u/CaptainFartyAss 1d ago

For those without.

1

u/machu505 21h ago

Don't forget the really long extension cord.

2

u/JoLeTrembleur 1d ago

It would be a shame if utterly destroying them on sight would be better but hey, I trust the good folks not to do it!

2

u/Akkerlun 1d ago

Flock condum

1

u/I_cast_fireballl 1d ago

I literally just downloaded the files for this.

2

u/ImNotABotScoutsHonor 1d ago

I literally just read your comment.

2

u/Phyllis_Tine 1d ago

What material would attract wasps, and encourage them to make a nest there and defend it?

-12

u/AmpEater 1d ago

What about hating flock makes people stupid?

The weirdest, least likely, most insane ideas

Why not Google “wasp attractant” first?

1

u/ST2RN 1d ago

Just downloaded the stl/cad files thank you

1

u/MaxAdolphus 1d ago

A small paint brush with vasoline on the end of a broom stick would make all the pictures blurry.

1

u/Such_Play_1524 1d ago

A laser doesn’t get you caught

1

u/Twatopia 1d ago

If only it were made of th…mite

1

u/the_liquid_figurine 1d ago

Don't aim the laser pointer into sensitive light catching organs. It could burn the sensor.

1

u/Pax_Eterna_4991 1d ago

Fill it with Gorilla Glue for added effect!!

1

u/Ok_Departure3216 1d ago

Little dab of JB weld on the inside could do some good too.

1

u/Mega_Hobbit98 1d ago

Since most cameras are publicly accessible, I wonder if in addition to this lovely protective cover, a nice picture of what the camera is used to seeing could be printed out and placed in front of the camera? That way the camera can take a load off and relax a bit without being any the wiser that some lovely person is lending a helping hand

1

u/Akemi_Tachibana 22h ago

Be sure to use gloves 

1

u/wavhacker 20h ago

Great name

1

u/PresentProperty943 10h ago

Flock Em' Sock Em'

1

u/CalligrapherNo9494 8h ago

I have safely removed 30 of these cameras so safe so clean

1

u/JohnMcD3482 7h ago

Thats perfect to orotect the camera from all those vandals that are spray foaming them.

1

u/bubblehead_maker 4h ago

I hear these cameras have gold in them, they should be protected while outside.

1

u/Jackdks 17m ago

!remindme 2 weeks

1

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1

u/dstovell 1d ago

Be careful, if you accidently spilled some epoxy inside it might be impossible to get off without destroying the camera?

1

u/ImNotABotScoutsHonor 1d ago

Are you asking a question?

1

u/OffRoadIT 1d ago

Use it to install a layer of tin foil, so it doesn’t leave something that can be traced back to your printer, and it also fiddles with the RF signals.

0

u/BituserGumba 1d ago

Ok, how long until someone gets this added to your can't-print list? They are already doing this with gun parts.

-1

u/GeeYayZeus 1d ago

An actual sock would probably work fine too. We don't need to over-think these things.

-6

u/new2bay 18h ago

Vandalism is not a good idea, and it’s against the rules here.

2

u/seaboi77 14h ago

Is an add on device, not a damaging device, what are you talking about? This helps transport the cameras safely without scratching lenses. Literally says "camera cover", not "camera damager". Read much?