Why you need a humidity trap/dehumidifier in your safe...

[AnotherMisfire]

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Welcome to Queensland folks...

This is three weeks in a safe. Indoors and in a relatively new house.

[sandgroperbill]

yup. Its the same here. I use the damp rid traps and also insert small silica bags (like you find in new shoes) in each pack or container of ammo

[bigfellascott]

Just put some sort of heating element in your safe, much better than those things that I reckon draw water into a safe and the other thing is don't let one of those spill in your safe, you won't be happy if it does especially if you put your barrels facing down!!

I just run a Reptile heater in mine, seems to keep things happy and I also run a seal around my door too to help keep any moisture out.

[Chronos]

What BFS said. Don't EVER spill that corrosive crap in your safe, you'll have no end of issues. Believe me I know. I've had one barrel shortened because it was pitted after being stored barrel down and looking at another now.

I ended up replacing the safe and fitted a gold rod heater my gunshop was nice enough to throw in with the new safe


Chronos

[AnotherMisfire]

No concerns that the heat from a reptile heater might warp anything or be a fire hazard (safe is carpeted)?

Having never had reptiles I'm not sure how warm they are haha.

[bigfellascott]

No mate they only get warm not hot as such just warms the air in the safe.

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Yep bought a safe dehumidifier off eBay a few days ago because my barrels were starting to show some rust, it's just so dam cold here the air must freeze and heat up during the day and condense.

[Die Judicii]

Crikey,,,,
What sort of houses do you guys live in ?

Where I am, I have never put anything like crystals, dehumidifiers etc in my safe, and have never had any issues with dampness.
Summer or Winter.

The house has concrete floors with carpet and tiles.
The walls are cavity brick.
The roof is galv iron over all steel trusses, and is well stocked with insulation.
All doors are left open with just the screen doors closed from sunup till sunset during our winter (which is our dry season).

And,,,,,,,,,,,,,, as I said, no dampness issues whatsoever.

[MR. WINCHESTER]

Just use a good corrosion inhibitor, like Lanox ... unless you live in a submarine, or god forbid - in cane toad country !

[Wylie27]

I live in Sydney near a beach on a hill and every day my car is covered in this salty crust.

The garage is a damp mouldy place where items go to die and unfortunately that is where my safes are.

I use the silicon gel packs in the safe and swap them out regularly.

I also religiously take out every firearms and re oil them on a monthly basis..

As like most of you I have a rifles that get used once or twice a year so I have to ensure that there is a good barrier on them.

Even my Crosman 1077 air rifle gets a lube job every month!

[petemacsydney]

is this the goldenrod heater you talk about? looks like it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Golden-Rod-24-i ... 1397345208

interesting, so i need to drill a hole in my safe to power it? not sure i want to do that, but i'm keen to get rid of the damp bucket thing. ive dropped it once on the floor of the safe. very hard to soak that stuff back up!

[AnotherMisfire]

One word to sum up this thread...

"Moist..."

[snag]

I buy similar moisture traps from the local discount shop for $2 each and have found them to be perfectly adequate as long as you check them regularly. Depending on the humidity you're experiencing, they can last from 3 weeks to 2 months and keep my guns rust free. I have discovered, however, that different gun safes attract different amounts of moisture. My brand-name 12 gun safe seems to fill its collector in half the time that my two home-made heavy steel safes do. Interestingly, the guns and bits that I store in a big old solid timber cupboard (properly locked and secured as per Qld regs) never rust but mould grows on the woodwork. Never been convinced about heating rods..... worried about a "baine marie" effect if moisture does get in.

[WayneO]

news paper crumpled up in the bottom of the safe and a proper rubber seal on the door. No more mess and no fuss.

[Varmtr]

is this the goldenrod heater you talk about? looks like it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Golden-Rod-24-i ... 1397345208

interesting, so i need to drill a hole in my safe to power it? not sure i want to do that, but i'm keen to get rid of the damp bucket thing. ive dropped it once on the floor of the safe. very hard to soak that stuff back up!

Or http://www.dampsolutions.com.au/store/d ... pp-chasers
Before you drill a whole in the side of the safe. Take the rod down to your local elect wholesalers and get a compression gland to suit to size of the cable. Then drill hole to suit put gland in and tighten the lock nut, you will also need to remove the plug so you can get the cable through the gland. Once the cable is through and everthing is in position tighten the compression nut this will squeeze the rubber down on the cable thus sealing also will stop the cable rubbing on the steel, lastly fit the plug.
Or call your local volts and jolts to fit it in.

[dugachelli]

I have 2 gun safes and I have installed 2 x 240vac lamps connected in series in each of them, so they glow softly and they are located at the bottom and at the back of the safes and they keep the air dry. The rifles are stored but down and barrel up as normal, they are fitted with scopes and I have had no issues. I have been doing this for over 40 years now and it works for me.
The inside cabinet has 2 x 15 watt lamps and the other cabinet has 2 x 40 watt lamps......remember they are connected in series so the lamps are at roughly half power and last forever.
Of course you run and earth wire to the cabinet wall and the house system should be protected with a RCD for your safety.

[MalleeFarmer]

Aha the joys of living well inland down south (3h from the nearest ocean) no salt in the air and very rarely excessively humid having said that I did have an issue with rust on firearms when they were stored in a tin partially open shed. Which is why I moved my safe into a brick enclosed building and put 1kg of those silica crystals in the safe.

[VICHunter]

What sort of houses do you guys live in ?

It's tough keeping an igloo dry in that hot climate

[stockliman]

Where is everyone? It would be interesting to see what local climates do. I only have 50% humidity at the moment which is pretty standard for year round. Temperature outside fluctuates greatly (snowing at the moment ) but inside is with 4 degrees year round where my guns are stored.

[stockliman]

Aha the joys of living well inland down south (3h from the nearest ocean) no salt in the air and very rarely excessively humid having said that I did have an issue with rust on firearms when they were stored in a tin partially open shed. Which is why I moved my safe into a brick enclosed building and put 1kg of those silica crystals in the safe.

Interesting
You'd be similar to me then,guessing i have altitude on my side. The crystals are my choice.
My walls are a Styrofoam box.

[Cape_Yorkee]

For someone who lives in the tropics I'm certainly concerned how moisture will fare with my cannons. I've only got a 5 gun Lokaway safe however it's in a well ventilated room that has the air-con on for 5 or so months of the year. I have a Hornady silica gel dehumidifier that I have to reheat in the oven say every 3 weeks for it to be useful though I've also stuck a bowl full of rice (don't laugh) into the safe as another measure. Rifles get a liberal coating of Ballistol every month to keep them in order. So far so good, though I do worry it's not enough sometimes...

[cadet]

I've wired an incandescent light globe up from an extension lead inside a safe before. Worked well at gently warming and keeping the space dry, and helped me see what was in there. Probably not very compliant with some sort of safety standard though...

[Oldbloke]

I've wired an incandescent light globe up from an extension lead inside a safe before. Worked well at gently warming and keeping the space dry, and helped me see what was in there. Probably not very compliant with some sort of safety standard though...

Probably not. But if you ensure the lead is well protected with additional insulation (rubber grommet?) where it's likely to rub against the steel (the hole) should be fine.

[Beno]

I put the blade of a front site through one of those crystal moisture absorber packs. That will learn me from cramming firearms into a small safe. The result to the rifle was more or less catastrophic. Lucky it was just a gamo airrifle that was damaged. It was very corrosive and i could not recommend their use in any firearms safe.

[on_one_wheel]

I'll be removing my dehumidifier tonight after reading these disasters stories.

I'll settle with a oily rag wipe down and a oily patch through the barrel from now on.

[Oldbloke]

I'm currently trying lanolin grease. Sticks like sh1t to a blanket. Seems good in hiden areas, but being so sticky has its down side too. Esp exposed areas.

[Peter988]

I use two of these in the safe. Just recharge them every 6 weeks.

https://www.innovations.com.au/p/home/l ... gJGIfD_BwE

[Wapiti]

Remember that keeping the moisture/salt-laden air from getting to the metal surface is what will stop corrosion. A good film of anti-corrosion, high viscosity synthetic oil will absolutely do this.
A good coating that doesn't dry out, therefore opening to the effects of the atmosphere. Thicker, high viscosity synthetic motor oils do just this, cling to the surface, do not dry out readily and are probably in everyone's garage, especially gun owners who generally are a handy bunch. And don't ruin timber, although everyone needs to keep all contaminants away from wood anyway.
Not being a smart-arse, but I often see people being conned with all sorts of (what I reckon) are unsuitable products. I'd say, if you are having problems, your product selection needs looking at being changed.

[Oldbloke]

Remember that keeping the moisture/salt-laden air from getting to the metal surface is what will stop corrosion. A good film of anti-corrosion, high viscosity synthetic oil will absolutely do this.
A good coating that doesn't dry out, therefore opening to the effects of the atmosphere. Thicker, high viscosity synthetic motor oils do just this, cling to the surface, do not dry out readily and are probably in everyone's garage, especially gun owners who generally are a handy bunch. And don't ruin timber, although everyone needs to keep all contaminants away from wood anyway.
Not being a smart-arse, but I often see people being conned with all sorts of (what I reckon) are unsuitable products. I'd say, if you are having problems, your product selection needs looking at being changed.

Agree. Most "gun oils" and other product etc are just rebadged commonly available oils.