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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Humidity in a gun safe (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/3/2007 5:38:27 PM EDT
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I have a 16 gun fireproof safe at my parent's house that I store all my guns and AR's. I've had the safe in the garage where it is nice and dry. Three months ago, the water heater in the garage broke and flooded the garage. For the past few months I did not notice any signs of oxidation or hints of rust until last week. I took out a AR and notice that there was a thin coating of water on all my firearms. Luckily for me I alway place a few drops of Break-Free on all my guns, so there was no rust on any of them except for my Mini-14 magazines. I saw that humidity must have entered the safe through the open ports where one anchors the safe to the floor (the plugs for the ports must have come off when I was storing some of my rifles. I placed a devise in the safe to gather all the humidity in the safe, yet it is still gathering humidity. Is there a way to dry out the safe quicker so I can store my guns? Any imput would be helpful. |
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If there is water in your safe you need to leave it open and dry it out with a fan. For normal use I use one of these: www.amazon.com/Remington-Remington%C2%AE-Model-365-Mini-Dehumidifier/dp/B0007LOXYQ Once a week I plug it in to dry it out, and back in it goes. |
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Once again, more money than brains and once again, this is why you don't have your safe next to your furnace or water heater/softener or plumbing. A garage is not "nice and dry" unless it is air conditioned. And I don't know anybody that has an air conditioned garage except myself and my uncle. Waiting 3 months after a water heater broke to worry about this is just  How much other shit to you have around your house that has been there for 40 years and is not worth shit? You don't deserve to own firearms. |
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Here is a repost from the last time this came up (An ARFCOM Classic by Scottryan) that went to five pages and a lock because some couldn't handle the fact that the 9 points I have posted below are the truth. Most of these people that experience these "accidents" is due to their own stupidity. This person will usually fit most if not all of the following 1. They have an above average income/life style 2. They have no concept of science or anything mechanical (no concept of rust or exposure to the elements) 3. They just lack common sense period. 4. Controlling wife. 5. They usually have an attic or garage full of shit that isn't worth shit but they can't seem to get rid of it because "it is worth so much" 6. Their firearms (or anthing else in their posession that is actually worth shit) sit neglected until its time to sell them. 7. When its time to sell them (oh boy!) now they really give a shit. They get some "expert" advise as to what their firearms are worth. 8. When you tell them their firearm isn't worth shit because its been rusting in the attic, they get on the defensive real quick. 9. I will try to screw these type of people over as much as possible. |
i think the "you don't deserve to own firearms" thing went a little over the top, the guy asked a question about something that he apparently didnt kno anything about. ...the first two lines of your response were just fine  just let ur safe dry out really well before putting ur guns back in... get a goldenrod, they pretty nice. Also, u might wanna look for a new location for ur safe, the garage isnt the best place Humidity, security etc.... thank god nothing was ruined |
I know the phenomena of rust is just such a hard concept to grasp Let me make is clear then: Water + Steel = Rust There, is that clear? |
I won't deny it, but I also won't shove it in the guy's face. Hopefully the rust on his weapons can teach him that; he doesn't need me to spend time doing it 
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| Well its quite obvious that he should face a punishment of nothing less than a firing squad for his stupidity. How dare he do nothing for 3 months when for 3 months, there were no signs of any effect. That's just silly. He surely should have taken action when everything seemed like it was ok. |
Damn man your being harsh on this guy , what he did was dumb , I agree. Still you can still be a little nicer. |
For what it's worth, my safe is also in the garage--there wasn't any reasonable alternative. Its in Arizona, so humidity and condensation are not the issue that they would be elsewhere. I use dessicant , recharge it regularly, and have a piece of unplated, uncoated, unlubed mild steel as a witness coupon as a crude check on rust potential. Have had no problems of any kind. If the non-metallic liner of your safe has been saturated by wicking water, it may not be possible to adequately dry it with normal processes--fans, heaters, etc. It may have to come out of there, discarded, and replaced with new material after cleaning up whatever crud there might be on the internal steel surfaces and repainting/re-finishing as required If your safe is a "name brand", they may have a customer service dept. with some suggestions. I'm sure not an expert on safes, but it doesn't sound to me like there's an easy long-term solution. At least your weapons were not damaged. Good luck. |
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Quoted: Once again, more money than brains and once again, this is why you don't have your safe next to your furnace or water heater/softener or plumbing. A garage is not "nice and dry" unless it is air conditioned. And I don't know anybody that has an air conditioned garage except myself and my uncle. Waiting 3 months after a water heater broke to worry about this is just How much other shit to you have around your house that has been there for 40 years and is not worth shit? You don't deserve to own firearms. Sir: I read your post and like everyone on this board, you do have your opinion based on the 1st Amendment of our Constitution. You can insult me all you want, and that's okay because I have pretty thick skin. But I'm going to clarify some facts that I omitted because I didn't expect your response. My safe is not at my house and stored at my parent's because I live in on the third floor of an apartment building by the beach. I can't carry a safe up three flights of stairs, plus my neighbors wouldn't appreciate it if a 600 lbs safe came crashing through the floorboards. I have a small safe in my house that weighs about 125 lbs to store my "work" firearms. My parent's live in a very "dry" area in the Southwest, plus they have a sealed garage door. I do not go to visit my parent's as much as I would like because of work and other personal commitments, but when I am at their house, I usually check my firearms to make sure they work and ready when I need them. Plus, I am always traveling for work, so that makes it a little tough. My safe is on the other side of the garage but not next to the water heater. I did not know the water heater exploded until a week ago when I saw water marks on my firearms. My parent's are in their 70's, so they forgot to tell me that the water heater exploded. I can't fault them because they are my parent's and because they are a little mature. As far as the comment that I should not be allowed to own firearms, I think that is rude and presumptious. For the last nine years I have carried a firearm professionally for my work. Everyday I wake up, I put on at least one gun and walk out the door with two more, the third being a my work rifle. Carrying a firearm is a fact of life for me; in that regards, I have to clean and maintain all my firearms because not only my life depends on it, but those of my partners as well. The reason none of my guns didn't have rust because I maintain and clean them when I am at my parent's house, even if I haven't shot some of them in years. Sir, you are entitled to your opinion and that is fine. But I asked a simple question and got insulted by you. I needed some help because I have never dealt with something like this, and actually, some on this board have helped me. So to all of you that gave me that advice, I thank you. You do not know me and I don't know you; that's okay because we don't have to like everyone we encounter in this life. I'm sure you would not have said some of those things if we were face to face because I won't travel to Nebraska to stoop to your level. I know who I am, and I make no apologies for it. I don't have to prove my manhood by being insulting towards others or how many firearms I own. Been through the door and will continue to go through the unknown until the day I retire. All I know is that my partners trust me with their safety, and that is all that is important in my life. Have a nice day
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…OK, I can’t help myself…
Well “ScottyBoy”, I don’t know exactly where it is you “got to”, but I can only assume that whoever you work for must have awfully low standards. You seem to assume that anyone that is not an assh*le like yourself must be a failure. Well let me tell you, I have held several high-level corporate positions (to include COO) and I’ve never had to resort to demeaning and humiliating my peers or subordinates in order to meet my goals and objectives or those of my employers. I just have to say: Wherever it is you “got to”, I’m glad I’m not there with you! |
Well said and Thank You for Serving. |
+1 |
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quote]Quoted: For what it's worth, my safe is also in the garage--there wasn't any reasonable alternative. Its in Arizona, so humidity and condensation are not the issue that they would be elsewhere. I use dessicant , recharge it regularly, and have a piece of unplated, uncoated, unlubed mild steel as a witness coupon as a crude check on rust potential. Have had no problems of any kind. If the non-metallic liner of your safe has been saturated by wicking water, it may not be possible to adequately dry it with normal processes--fans, heaters, etc. It may have to come out of there, discarded, and replaced with new material after cleaning up whatever crud there might be on the internal steel surfaces and repainting/re-finishing as required If your safe is a "name brand", they may have a customer service dept. with some suggestions. I'm sure not an expert on safes, but it doesn't sound to me like there's an easy long-term solution. At least your weapons were not damaged. Good luck. Thank you for the advice; it was well appreciated. According to my father, because the safe was far enoughfrom the water heater, it did not get flooded, which is a good thing; I believe that condensation got into the safe through the bolt holes on the bottom of the safe that have now been sealed shut by my father. My father is a retired engineer who's specialty was metals and metal fatigue, and based on the advice on this board, we examined the inside and outside of the safe (was able to lean the safe tonight with help from my friends before I left their house). There is no rust in and out of the safe, and it looks like everything inside was dried out. The fans will be on for the next week and my father and I will be taking all the precautions before I store my firearms inside of the safe again. I also purchased a humidifier tonight and I think that would help also. Thank you for all the advice, because it is well appreciated. |
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Yesrs ago I got advice from the curator of the arms and armor stuff in the Smithsonian. I asked him what humidity I should store weapons such as rifle at and he told me between 45% and 55%. Too dry and the wood will shrink and crack and pull away from the metal and of course too humid and the metal will be prone to rust. I have followed that humidity settings in my vaults for years and every thing has been perfect. FYI PS Get a humidty guage of quality and keep an eye on it, adjust your de-humidifyer as necessary, D. |
| One last thing. Before storing your guns get RIG grease. Go over all your guns inside and out. It's a light grease that can be wiped off before shooting. They make a RIG rag which is a sheep skin cloth, which makes it very easy to apply. Use a bore swab for the bore. For guns stored in a garage this would be much better than any oil. |
As a CEO of a major company, what book did you get your managing skills from? |
| If it has to stay in the garage, for starters-get a golden rod, works really well. Then either put it on 4x4 skids or at the least have a piece of plexiglas cut and put underneath it. What would be great is to make a small raised pad and seal it, then put th esafe on it-along with the golden rod. |
Make that four. And my safe sits four inches above the floor on a wooden platform. You must have come to me in my sleep and told me how to install it. 
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What does this have to do with anything? You don't think I could figure it out that you were in a situation such as this?
This is also irrelavent
Doesn't matter. You put it in a location where a water heater (if it leaked, as it did) will have water getting to the safe.
Someone that uses firearms for a living should know better. The safe should have been inside the house. The last time this exact situation happened, the guy has a bunch of transferable MGs and he got a pass until I came along. |
Sir: Like I said before, you are someone very ignorant and someone that has to always have the last word. And on top of that, you always have to be right!! Personally I am not going to get into a "pissing" contest with you because it is not worth my time. So this will be the last time I address any of your comments and then you can make fun of me all day because I don't care!!! How can what I said not be relevant? I know that you could not figure out that I lived on a third story apartment because I never said anything about it!! You must psychic!!! As far as putting it in my parent's house, where would I put it? In the kitchen? The living room? I can't put it in my childhood room because that is also on the second floor. It's my parent's house!! I have to respect their wishes and keep it where they want me to store it. I am not going to stick a 600 lbs box in the middle of their living room because I want to. They would not allow this because they still have company over all the time and I have to respect their wishes. As far as the safe being in the same location, my friends and I placed it somewhere in the garage not even near the water heater. Again, it's a question of convience. I would place the safe inside because it it would keep the humidity levels down. But cannot do this because I have no place to put it inside my PARENT's house (remember, this is not my house!!) I love the comment "The last time this exact situation happened, the guy has a bunch of transferable MGs and he got a pass until I came along." It makes me wonder about some of the comments that were written since I enacted this post yesterday. I have a feeling that you are a real tough guy when you are far away but when you are near them you probably have the personality of paint drying. But when you get a little power in you, you try to take advantage of the situation and bully people around. You are most likely the most hated person in your office, because you are a know it all!!! As for me, I'm just an average guy in his 30's that is neither small nor big. I have nothing to prove, to either you or myself. I had an unfortunate incident and there were several people on this board who helped me; I am grateful for this fact. So, with that note, I am going to do the three "s," change into my work clothing, pick up my real issued machine gun, and drive to the office. I have real bad guys to deal with today. Sir , what are you going to do today except make fun of me and attempt to clown me all day online? To all my brothers and sisters in blue and green, stay safe today!! |
Just ignore Mr. Scottyran. I'd be hard pressed to take advice from someone who air conditions their garage. Anyone that does that either has more money than sense, or a controlling wife that makes him stay out there. There's some honesty for you. As to your original question about drying out the safe, If you're serious about saving it, I'd open the door and put some dry heat through it for a couple of days somehow, maybe a space heater or something. Then I'd close it up put in a bunch of dessicant for a few days and see what that does. Whatever you do, move the safe to a better location. Good luck. |
| I would like to say that, while he (scottryan) has the tact of a freight train hitting a car, and he acts pretty childish most of the time he is very knowledgeable in the useless information department (things that no one else takes time to learn about) and he is pretty smart on everything else as well. I do feel this is the only reason he has been allowed to exist on this forum as long as he has, so after you weed through all of his bullshit you can count on his answers to be correct. |
Yeah cause I'd rather have all my tools and other stuff rust. |
I could figure out that you lived somewhere that didn't allow you to keep your firearms at your own home. Most people don't keep their firearms at someone elses house so it wasn't a great leap of thought to conclude this was the case. I find it hard to believe your parents only have a living room, kitchen, and one bedroom in their house. And I also don't see what you do for work has anything to do with this internet topic. |
 Jesus dude, you must be living a misreable life.
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| This is just the usual for ScottyRyan. Anybody reading here for very long knows that. To me, the interesting thing is that he behaves like an a$$hole, insulting people and calling them names all the time, and the Moderators of the board never edit his posts or anything. I have seen them edit other people's posts for very little cause, and lock threads.....but not old ScottyRyan's.....he says whatever he wants on this forum and the Mods never say dick to him. I guess he must secretly own the forum. |
I thought the tech forum were where people came for help and to share information. Ol' SRs first post in this thread is just a fucking insult to the OP. Par for the course, and he gets a  out of .
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You guys have garages? Lucky bastards. Some people aren't as smart as we wish they were. But a smart man will do his best at educating these people to the best of his ability. A key to teaching is never make the student feel he's inferior, because once he feels that way, he will not learn any further. That's why when you yell at your kids, they don't listen, and you wind up having to yell at them for the same things over and over. I never have to tell anyone anything twice. I give them the same respect I demand from them, and they listen when I speak because of it. It's a key ingredient to leadership. That being said, please move your safe to a controlled climate, such as the inside of your house away from anything that carries liquid through it. Anytime something goes from one temp to the next, it tends to sweat, and that is what causes the humidity in your garage, especially now that your garage has undergone the water heater incident. If the area surrounding your safe is humid, then you can expect your safe to be that way as well. To dry out your safe quickly, take everything out of it and use a wet vac to pull as much of the water out as possible. Then take a blowdryer on a low setting to the inside until it is no longer damp to the touch. Clean all of your guns and free them of any water that might have collected on them. Ensure the temp of your guns are the same as the temp of the inside of the safe before putting them back in. That will prevent them from sweating. Lastly, make sure you have some desiccant inside the safe, and limit your opening and closing of the safe as much as possible. This will keep the temp of the safe a constant, and that will prevent any humidity from rusting your firearms. |
I love your post-classic |
Sound leadership advise right there chris157c. I sit and explain things to my kids and they listen very well. Now soldiers are another story  I smoke my guys if they mess up bad, and sometimes for the fun of it, but I dont ever talk down to them and they will do whatever I say, when I say it. I see so many NCO's in the military try to demand respect or talk shit to their soldiers and it gets them results to a point, but all I have to do is to look at my guys and they are all over whatever I want them to do because I treat them with respect.
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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Humidity in a gun safe (Page 1 of 2)
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