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 touchdowntodd 
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Joined: Oct 2011  WI, USA
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Posted: 5/10/2012 10:15:19 AM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT i have a very small house and a large safe isnt something my wife or I really want to look at every day ... we have an extra bedroom thats very small that my wife uses as a "dressing room" of sorts.. it has a closet we use for nothing, and have no plans for this got me to thinking ... why not try to convert it to a safe of sorts? its 24" deep, 45" wide (34" at the door), and ofcourse is the hieght of the room (8') adding shelving, and a lockable door of sorts to go behind the regular closet door would solve my issues and give me more storage than I believe I would ever use ... my wife and I have no children yet but are planning one in the next couple of years.. this, and the possibilty of a break in even though there are very few where we live make me think.. i currently have no safe but i do have a very very well hidden spot (ive challenged friends to spend a half hour in the house looking and they never found it LO) where i keep my small collection of about 8 guns, shotgun and a handgun are always on the bedside ... but i want something locked up.. we live in a middle income neighborhood, so we dont exactly get the "mastermind" type of criminal so if anyone did ever break in, a simple door lock on the closet would probably stop them if they even looked in there (room has only an old computer on a desk and a few boxes of clothes being stored in there now.. but i do like the idea of that door opening to a safe-type door ... something that would atleast have a couple of deabolt locks or something .. and i beleive there are ways i could fireproof the closet atleast to get 30 minutes of protection .. I have many friends in the metal fabbing industry so designing and welding up a door and proper frame to get it locked into the closet correctly shouldnt be difficult... either this, or i could always buy a decent safe to put in there, i just like the idea of more room, and im thinking of trying to do this around $700-900 (havent seen many impressive safes for this much unless you can clue me in) any ol ways.. any ideas? anyone done something like this? I know some have had rooms made and big expensive doors, but this is more home brew... |
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Posted: 5/10/2012 10:33:04 AM
ps - im not talking concreted in crazy shit ... i dont live near any flood plain or tornado/hurricane areas ...
simple locking security would be best, but some fire protection would kick ass... i dont think ill ever own more then double the guns i own now, but perhaps a few moer rifles.. but it doesnt hurt to look for space... a regular small safe might be more than i need even space wise... ill never have teh budget some of you guys do for this |
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ar154all
Bikini State
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Joined: Nov 2004 USA
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Posted: 5/10/2012 10:33:49 AM
[Last Edit: 5/10/2012 10:40:57 AM by ar154all]
just put a dead bolt on the existing door of the closet.
If your gonna have kids, you'll most likely be getting another home soon. Make plans for that home. Fire? Get insurance and document your stash. In the long run, it will be cheaper than retrofitting a closet (maybe; you will have to check it out). In a pinch, a few of these anchored to the floors and walls inside the closet: cabinet And 3/4 inch drywall (sheetrock) has something like a 4 hour fire rating, you could line the closet with a couple layers. I am sure someone will be along soon to clarify this... |
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Posted: 5/15/2012 8:58:42 PM
I would think you could use some chain link fencing, bolted in to the studs to add some protection for the walls. Then some fire rated drywall (like the layered idea) would help for fire protection. Triple up the studs by the door and add a nice steel door with a couple of quality deadbolts spaced evenly across the door opening and long screws into your new triple studs would help. I suppose some drywall could be attached to the back of the steel door and would help keep out some heat. I would think a good fire safe, small in size, could survive very well in these conditions (for documents). The simple wall cabinets could be covered with more drywall to provide a bit more heat protection.
That set-up should keep the less than highly motivated amateurer out. As we all know - the pro will get in, if he wants to. A steel door that opens out, would suffice. |
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ar154all
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Posted: 5/15/2012 9:07:00 PM
Originally Posted By mustb123: I would think you could use some chain link fencing, bolted in to the studs to add some protection for the walls. Then some fire rated drywall (like the layered idea) would help for fire protection. Triple up the studs by the door and add a nice steel door with a couple of quality deadbolts spaced evenly across the door opening and long screws into your new triple studs would help. I suppose some drywall could be attached to the back of the steel door and would help keep out some heat. I would think a good fire safe, small in size, could survive very well in these conditions (for documents). The simple wall cabinets could be covered with more drywall to provide a bit more heat protection. That set-up should keep the less than highly motivated amateurer out. As we all know - the pro will get in, if he wants to. A steel door that opens out, would suffice. Hog wire 4x6 or 6x6; one layer against existing wall, and another between the sheetrock. It will lay flatter and staple up. Gawd Dog I love this site!!!
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Posted: 5/16/2012 2:59:03 PM
A friend of mine did exactly what you propose. He turned an un-used closet into a gun locker by putting a keyed dead bolt lock on the door.
Subsequent to that, his house was broken into by some dope punks. They never gave the close a second look. Punks won't take the time to mess with it. I've heard this story more than once over the years. It has caused me to conclude that any safe storage is way better than none. |
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Posted: 5/18/2012 4:50:11 PM
I did the same...put a deadbolt on a closet door and it sufficed for several years as a place to keep some rifles out of the kids reach. A solid core door would be a nice upgrade too. Granted, its not a safe, but it was an inexpensive way to secure firearms from children and would probably keep them safe from an intruder that was looking for a quick grab. Buy the best quality safe you can afford as soon as possible. We all can't afford to drop $10k on a top the line safe. Something is better than nothing. Good luck!
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jtb0311
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Posted: 5/20/2012 8:49:20 PM
Originally Posted By cmc201:
I did the same...put a deadbolt on a closet door and it sufficed for several years as a place to keep some rifles out of the kids reach. A solid core door would be a nice upgrade too. Granted, its not a safe, but it was an inexpensive way to secure firearms from children and would probably keep them safe from an intruder that was looking for a quick grab. Buy the best quality safe you can afford as soon as possible. We all can't afford to drop $10k on a top the line safe. Something is better than nothing. Good luck! Good post. Too many people people seem to think the best way to secure your collection is to have a bank vault in the basement. In fact, you'll get to about 99% by having external lighting and/or motion sensor lighting and signs from ADT (regardless of whether you actually have their service). That takes care of opportunistic thieves. The other 1%, who might target you specifically for your collection, can be defended against by an atom bomb proof vault. They can also be defended against by not posting pictures and details of your collection on the internet. If I was a bad guy who wanted to steal a lot of guns, I wouldn't hesitate to come to this site. People don't realize how easy it is to figure out who someone is and where they live. I basically did the same as you. If I ever build a house and expect to live there for the rest of my life, I'd probably do more, but I'm not concerned now. |
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Posted: 5/21/2012 2:11:43 PM
My wifes grand father had a sizable collection of guns when someone broke in and stole a bunch of them. He then turned a small bedroom in his basement into what is talked about in this thread. First he double layered sheet rock on the wall with fire rated board. Then he added a layer of thin sheet metal. This is to keep someone from being able to kick through the studs easily. Then he sheet rocked it over again and painted it like a regular room. Lastly he added a steel door(and frame)with dead bolts at the top, middle and bottom of the door.
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rfb45colt
guy who taught McGuyver how to improvise
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Joined: Mar 2002 WI, USA
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Posted: 5/22/2012 11:22:45 PM
Originally Posted By touchdowntodd:
fire protection would be nice, but security is my #1 priority in this project.. i have a very small house and a large safe isnt something my wife or I really want to look at every day ... we have an extra bedroom thats very small that my wife uses as a "dressing room" of sorts.. it has a closet we use for nothing, and have no plans for this got me to thinking ... why not try to convert it to a safe of sorts? its 24" deep, 45" wide (34" at the door), and ofcourse is the hieght of the room (8') adding shelving, and a lockable door of sorts to go behind the regular closet door would solve my issues and give me more storage than I believe I would ever use ... my wife and I have no children yet but are planning one in the next couple of years.. this, and the possibilty of a break in even though there are very few where we live make me think.. i currently have no safe but i do have a very very well hidden spot (ive challenged friends to spend a half hour in the house looking and they never found it LO) where i keep my small collection of about 8 guns, shotgun and a handgun are always on the bedside ... but i want something locked up.. we live in a middle income neighborhood, so we dont exactly get the "mastermind" type of criminal so if anyone did ever break in, a simple door lock on the closet would probably stop them if they even looked in there (room has only an old computer on a desk and a few boxes of clothes being stored in there now.. but i do like the idea of that door opening to a safe-type door ... something that would atleast have a couple of deabolt locks or something .. and i beleive there are ways i could fireproof the closet atleast to get 30 minutes of protection .. I have many friends in the metal fabbing industry so designing and welding up a door and proper frame to get it locked into the closet correctly shouldnt be difficult... either this, or i could always buy a decent safe to put in there, i just like the idea of more room, and im thinking of trying to do this around $700-900 (havent seen many impressive safes for this much unless you can clue me in) any ol ways.. any ideas? anyone done something like this? I know some have had rooms made and big expensive doors, but this is more home brew... No matter how good you hide them, a fire will find them. It sounds like where you live, burglary chances are low. Probably lower risk than a fire. If I were you, I'd buy a fire-rated gun safe that'll fit in the closet. You can find some in the $700-$1,000 range that'll be big enough, plus give you more fire protection than you can ever build into the closet, and likely more security too. Then put a lock on the closet door, too. If the door is hollow core, you're better off removing the existing doorknob and putting a deadbolt there. That's the only place on a hollow core door that has a wood block inside it to securely mount the hardware. If you want even more security, go to a Menards and buy a pre-hung exterior steel door, and use that. They're only about $100 when on sale. That sounds "cheap", but being steel, they're 10 times better than a typical interior hollow core door that a 12 year-old can punch holes through. And buy a box of 3" deck screws, use them to mount the door frame and hinges, and don't skimp on the screws. 8-10 per side is not enough. Make sure you use them on the lock's strike plate too. Put a deadbolt and locking knob on it, and at first glance, it'll look just like an exit to the outside... not a locked room with "goodies" inside. |
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Posted: 5/26/2012 10:10:39 AM
[Last Edit: 5/26/2012 2:39:25 PM by archer2]
Here is my submission - "under the stairs":
Walls are insulated, contain 1/2 inch rebar every six inches horizontally, hardware cloth screening, 5/8" OSB, amd finally panneling. Door is metal with a 1 1/2" hardboard bolted to it for extra rigidity. ETA***Door swings out to help prevent "kick ins", and there is nothing on the outside of the door to pull on. All door hardware is secured with 3 1/2 inch screws, and the spring tension hinges are sealed and pins are not removable. The "vault" is not fire proof, but it will stop a smash and grab! It's remains hidden by the metal cabinet, which has an aircraft quick pin securing it to the wall via the metal pipe liquid nailed into the wall. Keeps the metal cabinet from moving. The metal cabinet is on casters to ease movement.  |
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jtb0311
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Posted: 5/27/2012 4:26:50 AM
Originally Posted By archer2:
Here is my submission - "under the stairs": http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09001.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09002.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09003.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09004.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09005.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09006.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09007.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09008.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09009.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09010.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09011.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09012.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/archer31312/variousSep-Dec09013.jpg Walls are insulated, contain 1/2 inch rebar every six inches horizontally, hardware cloth screening, 5/8" OSB, amd finally panneling. Door is metal with a 1 1/2" hardboard bolted to it for extra rigidity. ETA***Door swings out to help prevent "kick ins", and there is nothing on the outside of the door to pull on. All door hardware is secured with 3 1/2 inch screws, and the spring tension hinges are sealed and pins are not removable. The "vault" is not fire proof, but it will stop a smash and grab! It's remains hidden by the metal cabinet, which has an aircraft quick pin securing it to the wall via the metal pipe liquid nailed into the wall. Keeps the metal cabinet from moving. The metal cabinet is on casters to ease movement. Amazing. You post both pics and written details.  |
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Posted: 5/27/2012 3:42:11 PM
Originally Posted By jtb0311:
Amazing. You post both pics and written details. And your point is???? 
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Posted: 5/28/2012 7:53:21 AM
[Last Edit: 5/28/2012 7:53:57 AM by rockola]
Originally Posted By archer2
Walls are insulated, contain 1/2 inch rebar every six inches horizontally, hardware cloth screening, 5/8" OSB, amd finally panneling. Door is metal with a 1 1/2" hardboard bolted to it for extra rigidity. The "vault" is not fire proof, but it will stop a smash and grab! It's remains hidden by the metal cabinet, which has an aircraft quick pin securing it to the wall via the metal pipe liquid nailed into the wall. Keeps the metal cabinet from moving. The metal cabinet is on casters to ease movement. Great design archer2! |
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Posted: 5/28/2012 5:56:29 PM
Archer2 - Awesome storage room and camouflage.
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HiramRanger
Helldog's Nummy Nums
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Joined: Nov 2000 USA
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Posted: 5/28/2012 6:04:29 PM
I have a closet that has a dead bolted door and a separate zone for the alarm system. That way I can give friends access to my place to care for my dog or whatever while I'm out of town. They can disarm the general alarm, but not the vault. The alarm company will dispatch the police if the vault alarm is triggered without calling first. I set it off once at 1 a.m. And the police where at my place in less than three minutes.
 the alarm company does not know what's in the vault, just not to mess around if it's triggered. |
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Posted: 6/1/2012 1:44:03 AM
I just learned something I never considered: find out the policy of your local fire department. Where my buddy lives, their duty is to keep the fire from spreading to the surrounding area. They are not obligated to put out the fire to preserve what is inside.
Should be called fire containers, not fire fighters. I'll make a call tomorrow.
Another thing, you can never tell who might break in; no matter where you live. My neighborhood is decent, but one of the kids (teen) across the street got chauffeured downtown the other day. I don't know what the circumstances were, but many of us always envision career criminals as the ones eyeballing our home when it could be more of a crime of convenience by some neighborhood kid on break and bored. Around here, burglaries tend to increase when school is out. Just sayin'. |
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Posted: 6/2/2012 3:25:01 PM
trying to find a budget priced solid wood or metal door for the closet myself. i like that one with the 2 deadbolts, looks like it was self modded. currently i have the cheap ass inner doors in the house, might replace the bedroom door to i dont want to spend more than $250 for the door, so it could be a second hand door if anyone knows where to get these things from. i tried looking at lowes and home depot but while they may sell them, i did not find anything i was looking for in the store.
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jtb0311
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Joined: Sep 2007 TN, USA
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Posted: 6/15/2012 2:29:35 AM
Originally Posted By archer2:
Originally Posted By jtb0311:
Amazing. You post both pics and written details. And your point is????
When you post details like you did, you might as well put your collection on your front lawn with a sign saying "Come and Get it". |
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Posted: 6/15/2012 4:38:57 PM
[Last Edit: 6/15/2012 4:40:08 PM by archer2]
Originally Posted By jtb0311:
Originally Posted By archer2:
Originally Posted By jtb0311:
Amazing. You post both pics and written details. And your point is????
When you post details like you did, you might as well put your collection on your front lawn with a sign saying "Come and Get it". I beg you or anyone to try!
It's what I didn't tell you about that "closet" that will get you............................................................... |
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Posted: 7/3/2012 7:52:28 PM
archer2......IMHO that is just kick ass. Now you got me a thinkin.....damnit....more money......lol..
good job! |
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Posted: 7/4/2012 6:42:00 PM
Originally Posted By MODCOBRA:
archer2......IMHO that is just kick ass. Now you got me a thinkin.....damnit....more money......lol.. good job! Thanks. The money spent was worth it in my opinion. It will stop a smash and grab, and may even escape detection! Just in case, there are other surprises awaiting anyone foolish enough to try and get in........................ |
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TheGrayMan
Confusion, misdirection, obfuscation
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Posted: 7/4/2012 7:01:02 PM
I never get tired of looking at those pictures, Archer.
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gajeep94yj
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Posted: 7/5/2012 1:57:01 PM
Security through obscurity
I too like this thought as one of the tools in your tool bag |
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Posted: 7/14/2012 11:22:54 PM
I've had intentions of doing something similar in my home. What I have planned is to go into the chosen closet and strip all the existing drywall. Then I will double up all the studs (at minimum) and doing somethng OCDish around the door frame instal a hevy (steel) exterior door. The inside will get layered Hardie board ( http://hardieboard.org/ ) and then some of this... http://www.gypsumtoday.com/library/productfocus/national_gypsum/NGC_Impact_Abuse.pdf. and some Plywood also. The idea would be to do the ceiling and all and convert the closet into a "Safe Room" of sorts. This could hold me until I get to throw a good safe in there...
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