Home made Safes??

Equipment and accessories for shooting. Safes, firearm storage, bipods, carry cases, slings etc.

Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 29 Jun 2017, 8:36 am

Because I'm broke but desperately need a new safe, I'm thinking of making one and reusing hinges and locks from the little one. Anyone done this? Any comments or advice? Will it be cost effective or not?
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Supaduke » 29 Jun 2017, 9:21 am

Depends on what you are making it from. If steel , are you able to source it cheaply?, do you have a welder?.

Wouldn't be too hard to do the math.

There are some pretty cheap safes on eBay.
Supaduke
Warrant Officer C2
Warrant Officer C2
 
Posts: 1230
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by doc » 29 Jun 2017, 10:00 am

It will depend on what state you live in, and what category of firearms you are storing.
doc
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 200
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Noisydad » 29 Jun 2017, 10:30 am

Scrounge through my "making stuff" threads. There's one of my homemade safe about 3 1/2-4 years ago I think.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
User avatar
Noisydad
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1383
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Bosbefok » 29 Jun 2017, 11:01 am

A mate of mine had a home made safe made from a large gas cylinder. had the side cut out of it large enough to fit a rifle .
Winchester 250 .22lr
Remington 673 .243
Remington Cld .25-06
Ruger Hawkeye ll .308
Rossi .44 mag
Bosbefok
Private
Private
 
Posts: 76
New South Wales

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by sungazer » 29 Jun 2017, 11:17 am

I think you will find a bought one will actually be cheaper than you could build one of similar quality.
sungazer
Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
 
Posts: 1525
Other

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 29 Jun 2017, 11:23 am

* Will do, Noisy. :thumbsup:

* In Tas with CatA&B but would like to 'future proof' as i occasionally toy with the idea of getting CatC licence and would prefer to just do one upgrade to see me out.

* Yes, i have a welder but i'm not terrific at welding. From a brief search i can buy materials for an extra beefy safe for less than or similar to the cost of an ebay 12 gun safe.

Looking on ebay there are some very cheap, larger safes but i am really questioning their quality! :wtf: :unknown:

I'm thinking 4mm plate for walls/top/floor, 6mm plate for door, some RHS for a door frame to fix lock mortices and hinges. Also have some ideas how to trick out the internals to make it rather tricky to grind your way into involving ply and layers of aramid cloth..... something in about the 800x500x1200mm range. Should fit as many guns as i'm ever likely to own, meet and exceed CatA,B&C for Tas. Hell, for Tas that would be ok for CatH, if i ever decide i want to go that way. Should be well over the weight to avoid bolting it down and if not, i'll just add some weight to the base in the form of extra plating. I can use my little safe as an ammo store.
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2017, 12:06 pm

Gwion wrote:Because I'm broke but desperately need a new safe, I'm thinking of making one and reusing hinges and locks from the little one. Anyone done this? Any comments or advice? Will it be cost effective or not?



I've considered making a new safe from scratch. I've also thought about cutting both sides out of a safe and welding a box on each side to make it roomier. But I can buy 20-rifle safes from Ebay for $530 delivered, far cheaper and heaps quicker than making them. Just add the next one to the row, and breaking open two safes is twice as much effort for the bad guys.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by doc » 29 Jun 2017, 12:33 pm

Gwion wrote:I'm thinking 4mm plate for walls/top/floor, 6mm plate for door, some RHS for a door frame to fix lock mortices and hinges.


Gwion wrote:Hell, for Tas that would be ok for CatH


IIRC - Some states require a min of 6mm all round (not just for the door) for CatH, so if you wanted to be ultra safe with future proofing - 6mm all round might be a safer option. Considering what I know about Tas and it's less than common sense when it comes to firearm ownership, it wouldn't surprise me if they brought that in one day.
doc
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 200
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Bent Arrow » 29 Jun 2017, 1:12 pm

For what it's worth, I went through this process recently. By the time I allowed for buying and cutting the plate steel and allowed for welding wire, gas (was going to use my MIG), and locks, I decide I couldnt be bothered and just bought one.
Bent Arrow
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 753
South Australia

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2017, 1:27 pm

Gwion wrote:Also have some ideas how to trick out the internals to make it rather tricky to grind your way into involving ply and layers of aramid cloth...


I gave some thought to a double-skin with something in the cavity that billows smoke on contact with air.
Or pressurise it with fire extinguisher foam or something similar that is released when the skin is penetrated.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 29 Jun 2017, 2:34 pm

doc wrote:
Gwion wrote:I'm thinking 4mm plate for walls/top/floor, 6mm plate for door, some RHS for a door frame to fix lock mortices and hinges.


Gwion wrote:Hell, for Tas that would be ok for CatH


IIRC - Some states require a min of 6mm all round (not just for the door) for CatH, so if you wanted to be ultra safe with future proofing - 6mm all round might be a safer option. Considering what I know about Tas and it's less than common sense when it comes to firearm ownership, it wouldn't surprise me if they brought that in one day.


I was thinking the same thing but that would effectively double the price.

It's all academic at this stage. I'm too broke arsed to be spending any sort of cash right now.
Still, the safes i was looking at in one of the LGS (14gun ABC) was around $1200. I could do this for close to half that and have a bigger safe; it would also be more sturdy than anything you can buy on ebay for that sort of money.
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Bent Arrow » 29 Jun 2017, 4:03 pm

At $1200 it would economically viable to build your own. You can get a Spika 12 gun cat A-B safe with electric lock 6mm door and 2mm walls for about $600.
Bent Arrow
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 753
South Australia

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 29 Jun 2017, 4:06 pm

Bent Arrow wrote:At $1200 it would economically viable to build your own. You can get a Spika 12 gun cat A-B safe with electric lock 6mm door and 2mm walls for about $600.


Geezuz! These ones must have Tasmanian tax on them....
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by doc » 29 Jun 2017, 4:29 pm

Gwion wrote:
doc wrote:
Gwion wrote:I'm thinking 4mm plate for walls/top/floor, 6mm plate for door, some RHS for a door frame to fix lock mortices and hinges.


Gwion wrote:Hell, for Tas that would be ok for CatH


IIRC - Some states require a min of 6mm all round (not just for the door) for CatH, so if you wanted to be ultra safe with future proofing - 6mm all round might be a safer option. Considering what I know about Tas and it's less than common sense when it comes to firearm ownership, it wouldn't surprise me if they brought that in one day.


I was thinking the same thing but that would effectively double the price.

It's all academic at this stage. I'm too broke arsed to be spending any sort of cash right now.
Still, the safes i was looking at in one of the LGS (14gun ABC) was around $1200. I could do this for close to half that and have a bigger safe; it would also be more sturdy than anything you can buy on ebay for that sort of money.


True - but remember to compare apples with apples. When comparing with what you can buy in store - keep in mind that almost no safe is 6mm all round (unless it's a small dedicated pistol safe). I think I've come across one in my time that was 6mm everything. Most are at best 6mm door, 4mm walls which would make them potentially inadequate for pistol storage in some states. :drinks:
doc
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 200
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Wombat » 29 Jun 2017, 6:01 pm

I have seen gun safes come up at my local scrap metal dealer fairly regularly, maybe check out yours, ask the question and leave your number?
Wombat
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 564
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Noisydad » 29 Jun 2017, 8:12 pm

3 bar locking on doors isn't to hard to make- my round safe has 3 bars and 3 internal hinges on a curved door.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
User avatar
Noisydad
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1383
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by darwindingo » 02 Jul 2017, 10:15 pm

Gwion

I wouldn’t give up on this safe building idea, you could build a serious gun vault (even bigger than what you suggested), a little wood formwork some reo mesh in between and fill with concrete.. Would be tough as guts and leave plenty of coin for the door hardware etc… Would be way more secure than anything you could buy imo.. (Most gun safes I’ve seen would take me under 10 - 15 mins at best to breach).. My $1,000 10 gun lockaway took me about 7.4 minutes roughly to breach the override lock mechanism (on the first attempt) :wtf: , I can admit that the average joe scumbag is not likely to do it in that timeframe lol, but most blokes I’ve met in the lock sport arena could…

I made a pistol safe years ago for an uncle it had a checker plate exterior, layer of reo mesh in the 100mm concrete wall fill, door was 10mm plate with concrete fill in a permanent checker plate formwork with 4 x 40mm pins on the door mechanism.

Had to build it in situ, as it was a heavy son biatch..lol :D

The two top notch Kaba locks used to secure the locking pin mechanism was the weakest point lol… Good locks btw (very hard to pick).... :shock: ....

Just a thought.

:drinks:
“Accidental Discharges” DO NOT OCCUR !!

An "Unintended Discharge" is nothing more than the lack of appropriate safety procedures or the failure to follow them..!

I love my country, but fear my government.
User avatar
darwindingo
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 596
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 02 Jul 2017, 11:04 pm

I have considered the concrete idea but haven't got my head around how to do the door, hinge and locking mechanism satisfactorily.
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by darwindingo » 02 Jul 2017, 11:33 pm

Gwion wrote:I have considered the concrete idea but haven't got my head around how to do the door, hinge and locking mechanism satisfactorily.


When I get some time away from the slave driver :lol: :crazy: , I will knock up some 3d cad design's for the safe, along with some ideas on the locking mechanisms / door and send them to you for you to consider... :friends:

I have some ideas that may be of assistance in your design :thumbsup:

:drinks:

Jeff
“Accidental Discharges” DO NOT OCCUR !!

An "Unintended Discharge" is nothing more than the lack of appropriate safety procedures or the failure to follow them..!

I love my country, but fear my government.
User avatar
darwindingo
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 596
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by bladeracer » 03 Jul 2017, 1:09 am

Gwion wrote:I have considered the concrete idea but haven't got my head around how to do the door, hinge and locking mechanism satisfactorily.


Concrete is not a bad idea, as long as you never need to move it.
I would probably make a door frame and the door out of 100mm angle iron.
Build the locking system inside a steel box welded to the reo and then pour the whole door full of concrete. A sheet of steel on the outside instead of formwork could be good. Let them think they're all sorted for cutting through steel...and then find four-inches of concrete - they might decide to knock off at that point :-)
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Bills Shed » 03 Jul 2017, 7:38 am

I agree that they are not to hard to make. When I was out of work in WA I made a few for the local gun club out of steel pylons. You needed a couple of good blokes to put them in place!
I say if you have the ability and the time go for it! As to cost of a safe, that bit of water called Bass Straight is an expensive bit of water. If it comes on a boat.. Expect to pay a bit extra!

Bill
Swaging your own projectiles is the ultimate in flexibility.
Bills Shed
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 433
Tasmania

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Die Judicii » 03 Jul 2017, 7:37 pm

100_4204.JPG
100_4204.JPG (664.38 KiB) Viewed 11905 times
100_1976.JPG
100_1976.JPG (1.17 MiB) Viewed 11905 times
100_1975.JPG
100_1975.JPG (161.81 KiB) Viewed 11905 times
This isn't the 1st time I've put some of these pics up, but Hey, it saves time for other people searching.
I built this in 2007, and it served me well till I bought an American safe and bolted the two together from the insides.

And Gwion,, if you want to make your own,, here's an idea.

Use 100 x 100 x 6 or 8 mm angle iron.
Make three separate sides (a bit like door frames) and two separate top and bottoms.
Weld 6 or 8 mm plate across the frames.
Weld appropriately positioned bolts (in countersunk holes) into the sides and top, and then grind the surface flat so there is no visible sign of bolt heads.

By using other angle iron pieces, you can then bolt it all together from the inside. :thumbsup:

That way you can make each individual "wall" as heavy as you can manage,, and when its all together,, its certainly not able to be picked up.

Then in years to come if you shift,,,, simply unbolt it and move it piece by piece.
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
User avatar
Die Judicii
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3706
Queensland

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 03 Jul 2017, 9:16 pm

Interesting concept, DJ!
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by darwindingo » 04 Jul 2017, 12:50 am

I like that idea DJ :thumbsup:

Nice safe build too :thumbsup: BTW. lock looks like an analogue keypad Lockwood ?.. They are quite a good lock and can be re-coded.

Also, who the hell painted the safe door ?.. And feel free to send them by to do some work for me..... :D Impressive work !

:drinks:
“Accidental Discharges” DO NOT OCCUR !!

An "Unintended Discharge" is nothing more than the lack of appropriate safety procedures or the failure to follow them..!

I love my country, but fear my government.
User avatar
darwindingo
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 596
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by darwindingo » 04 Jul 2017, 1:26 am

Ahh... Finally found it Noisy (I previously had it bookmarked and accidentally deleted it, doh...!)....

Link to Noisy's revolving gun safe...v

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=294&p=2381#p2381

Well worth a look for anyone that's looking to build their own safe.. :thumbsup:

:drinks:
“Accidental Discharges” DO NOT OCCUR !!

An "Unintended Discharge" is nothing more than the lack of appropriate safety procedures or the failure to follow them..!

I love my country, but fear my government.
User avatar
darwindingo
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 596
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Daddybang » 04 Jul 2017, 6:53 am

When ya make ya own safe do you need to get it rated or certified by anyone?. :thumbsup:
This hard living ain't as easy as it used to be!!!
Daddybang
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2012
Queensland

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Gwion » 04 Jul 2017, 8:33 am

You guys obviously have skills in metal fabrication well beyond anything i am ever likely to achieve! :thumbsup:
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Die Judicii » 04 Jul 2017, 1:39 pm

Daddybang wrote:When ya make ya own safe do you need to get it rated or certified by anyone?. :thumbsup:


Can't say definatively ,,,,, but one would presume that as long as the "minimum" requirements are met, it would pass any inspection.

But hell,,,,,,,,, when your having fun, why stop at "minimum" ? :unknown:
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
User avatar
Die Judicii
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3706
Queensland

Re: Home made Safes??

Post by Die Judicii » 04 Jul 2017, 1:52 pm

darwindingo wrote:I like that idea DJ :thumbsup:

Nice safe build too :thumbsup: BTW. lock looks like an analogue keypad Lockwood ?.. They are quite a good lock and can be re-coded.

Also, who the hell painted the safe door ?.. And feel free to send them by to do some work for me..... :D Impressive work !

:drinks:


If you look closely at the last pic,, just to the right of the keypad latch lever (approx 3") you will see a key hole in the smaller vertical branch.
That is a manual "safe" keylock, that also locks the workings of the other lock.

Sort of a backup to the backup.

As for the artwork, I would love to be able to lay claim to doing that,,,,, but no it wasn't me.
It was done by my Tattoo man, "Bags" in Sth Aust.

All I did was show him the pic of the big red that appeared on the cover of an issue of Sporting Shooter magazine, and he painted it as you see it.

I always ask people that are looking at it if they can see the feral pig in it, can you ?
:drinks:
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
User avatar
Die Judicii
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3706
Queensland

Next

Back to top
 
Return to Shooting accessories and equipment