SPY TECH
DEAD DROP DEVICE
A HOLLOW BOLT
HIDES SECRET MESSAGES.
M016
BY BRIANDEREU
DEAD BOLT: Who would think this
hardware is threaded with conversation?
When spies need to pass off a note or microfilm without meeting in
person, they sometimes use a “dead drop” device. An effective dead
drop device looks common enough to blend in without causing suspicion
under the casual glances of passersby. This bolt is one such item.
It’s made from an ordinary steel bolt that’s hollowed out and fitted with a
threaded, removable head. If made to the correct size and properly painted,
it could replace a solid bolt on a fence, bridge, or similar structure. (Of course,
we don’t advocate that you remove a real bolt from a bridge! The device
described here should be considered a desktop curiosity only.)
Photograph by Garry McLeod
72 Make: Volume 16
