That's right, I have digital pics of my walk-in bunker now, I just need help in sending/posting them.

Anybody got time to help a (computer) illiterate? You get to see a cool setup in my basement!

I click onto your e-mail icon and my computer says it cannot find your address.

??

Is your e-mail address: "[email protected]"

He's a paying member, so yes, he has an Email account with AR15.com

edited to add:BTW if you can't get through, you can send them to me and I'll post for you.

Brou, did you get the e-mail? It should have one pic in it.

Computers and the internet kick some serious ass. Thanks, brou.

Anyway, this is it. Should be seeing a few more pics I sent through e-mail.

Inside dimensions: 3'6" x 6'4"
x 6' ceiling height.

I made the door frame and door system. Set the frame in forms and poured it into wall itself.

Walls and cap have 1/2" (#4) rebar in 1' grid.

More details later.

Killer!

Walls are 8" thick. Cap is 5" thick. Oops on the sideways pics.

Brou, you da man. Gotta go now, be back tonight or tommorrow.

W-G:

Let me pick your brains a little.

I just picked up a GAWDAWFUL heavy vault door and frame.  It will sit in storage until I win the lottery, or graduate and complete a residency, and subsequently, build a house where we settle down permanantly.  

The Door is about (don't have the exact dimensions here at work) 8" thick, 36" wide, 78" tall.  The Frame is about the same thickness, and about 42" wide, 82" tall.  

The Door is probably on the heavy side of 700 lbs (my earlier 600 lb estimate was way off), the Frame aproaches 300 lbs.  

If I was to do something similar to what you did, what kind of dimensions am I looking at--I figured on a 8' Square room in the corner of a basement?

Is it possible to do something like this in an existing house (assuming I can get the door to the basement)?  Is it easy enough to do, or enough of a hassle that it is better to do it during new construction?

Can this be done on a house on a solid slab--no basement?

And, finally, what kind of cost would you estimate to make the room (either using an existing corner or wall of the basement, or making it free standing?  (Please estimate the cost for me paying someone else to do it--I have enough trouble building things out of Play-Doh with my kids).

Sweet.  The door looks like the weak point.  It doesn't seem to be a vault door, more like one of those doors from a gun cabinet you buy at Walmart.  

Next, you need to put a false wall to hide the bunker.  That way, nobody will know there is anything behind there.  

I want one.  [:)]

WG:

I hope that vault wasn't too expensive, cause your runnin low on ammo [:D]

Nice job, BTW!

SRM

I want one too (need a house first though) [bounce]

"Conspiracy Theory Time"
[peep]        [whacko]

  Notice that no pictures of certain corners or the floor have been made.  That is because Wobblin doesn't want us to see that there is actually a staircase leading down from there that goes 300" straight down into a Large Underground C3 center Featuring a Small Nuclear power plant, MAINS and INTERNAL POWER SWITCH, HUGE AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION.  120'x120' Dry Goods Storage, 10'x40' Freezer, One Fully Automated Machine Shop with Lathes of various types , CNC, Mills, and CAD/CAM SETUP, An Amory stocking all the essential hardware, a Elevator which lifts into the garage that hoists his HumVEE and Apache Gunship up.  The C^3 center houses, one Cray Superscaler Muliprocessor System , Advanced MicroWave Transmition, ELF-ULF Transcievers,  Also controls the Synthetic Aperture Radar and Pulse Dolpler Fire control systems which is linked into the Nike Missile Silo and the Dual (one on each side of the property) Aim-120p Amraam Batteries, with GAU-8 30mm Cannon for AAA.
Underground Fuel Depot, and 15M Gallon Water Storage Vacility. All on Springs.
___________________________________________
Seriously Now, Nice work. I am just dreaming of my own.

Wobblin-Goblin, awesome setup!! The only weakness I see is your hinges for your door are on the outside.  That would not be real hard to get past if one just "had" to get in. Other than that I am very envious!! DAMMIT I need a basement!!! My safe is in the damn garage!!!

[beer]

thats pretty cool!

Given how some of us think here at AR15.com, LMAO!!!

Now, to respond to everybody else's comments:

AFARR- Sell the door and frame you have. It would cost a small fortune just to get it where it has to go and then set it in place securely enough not to move during construction of your vault.

You guys would heap loud insults at me if I told you how much it cost me to build this thing. Hint: I am in this business and the concrete was free. Something similiar in your basement would run $2,500-$3,500 approx. I recommend doing it in new construction, it will be much easier and cheaper.

7- What you think you see (door) is not what you really see. I could tell you what you really see but then I would have to kill you. Would I go through an effort of this magnitude and build a cheap door?

SRM- I just finished the vault and decided to put only the ammo I had in my house inside it. Notice you didn't see any rifles or such either. I am still cooking the moisture out of the walls and don't want to risk the good stuff rusting.

HighlandMac- BTW, there are no hinges of any kind in my basement, let alone the bunker. See my response to 7's post.

All in all, it gives me a warm feeling to have this thing. Storing guns and stuff is now easy and pretty darn cool 'cause it's like having my own little armory.

Concerning the door system, it is just that. It's full of "wild turkey surprises" for anyone willing to challenge it.

Garandman should be posting another pic or two I sent him via snail mail.

Hey Wobblin, nice job, wish I had something even close to it. The only thing I notice is no air vents. Without a vent, I think that you may have a continuous moisture problem. You probably need some small air circulation to keep the moisture from building up. You could install a dehumidifier, but would still need to empty the pan regularly, or install a drain pipe.

The vault is not airtight. I do plan on augmenting the little heater (in the pics) with a dehumidifier, though.

I wonder if that bunker could take a nuke hit.

Great job! How did you fill the forms..doesn't look like there's a lot of room between the BM ceiling and the top of the walls..and how did you do the cap?

BTW does your cell phone work inside with the doors shut?

I did it [b]the hard way![/b] By shoveling it in the 6' high forms. The cap was done the same way. By shoveling the crete up and over.

I purposely built the door system so you cannot be inside and lock the door behind you. The cell does work inside, though.

After the Tornado of May3rd here in Okie country FEMA was given those things away for free.  But I don't blame them, I have never seen so much destruction in my life.  We went back home after the Tornado was through, came to our block from a side stree and turning that curve to see what was there was incredible.  150 foot north of our block it looked like the pictures from Hiroshima Everything was utterly destroyed for 3/4 of a mile.  The neighborhood was totally unrecognizable.  Minivans wrapped around what was left of trees, said minivans were around 3 feet tall at the highest.  Trees were twisted as they went up which created a swirl pattern in their bark that spiraled up what was left of the tree.  Had a piece of plastic that was Jammed clear through a pine tree trunk.  Amazing.  I remember my dad and I taking blankets down to the first Aid checkpoint further down the road that divides our edition.  I have never felt so small in all my life, it was dark, gass was hissing out of every broken pipe, Fires were illuminating the sky and there was nothing but blocks and blocks of rubble. You would walk down the middle of the block and you would FEEL like you were looking UP at the mountains of debrey, even though you were looking straight across at it. This is the kind of impact it had. So I have a little experience with your run of the mill FUCKED UP BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION SCENARIO.  Here is what happened after the tornado as far as local services.

-TORNADO HIT MOORE AT 6:30-6:45?? My guess.
-WENT BACK HOME AT 7:30 or s0
-One hour , emergency crews were already at  work, EMT,FIRE,and POLICE (at least those who could get throught. They were merely rescuing.
-Hour Two, Same thing, you can freely walk around the neighborhood but police are directing traffic away from neighborhood. (If it was a bio attack there would be no rubber neckers)
-9:45-10:30 Emergency Services still being conducted.
We Went to bed about then. You can't sleep all you can do is close your eyes and see the tornado.
Next morning, up bright and early, to start helping ourselves.  NO GAS, NO ELECTRICITY. Out comes the coleman Stove (nice) Find empty coffee can and make CAMPFIRE COFFEE. Fry eggs and Bacon (Perishable , We don't have a generator)
7:00am Work starts LEO's and HIGHPRO's have blocked off all entrances and exits East and West in our square mile.  IF YOU LEAVE YOU CANNOT COME BACK IN.  SO there you are.
No electricity no telephone, no nuthin.
9:00am Start cleaning up yard, going around making damage assessments. We were lucky , every window in the house is gone but Someones roof took out the Garage door in the Backyard SHOP. Cracked ceiling, Debree everywhere.
By 10:00 am National Gaurd shows up, HUMVEE's no rifles, but they may have been instructed to keep them in the Hummers.
Also, Rescue dogs are working the scene throughout the day. I got found by one, he was pullin hard because I was alive working in the backyard.

CONTINUED..


Benjamin

Bens Continued.

We we tend to our business until about 12:00 where we break for lunch. Police going down Navigatable streets saying that The ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD MUST BE EVACUATED AND ALL PEOPLE ARE TO LEAVE A GO TO xxxx WHERE THEY WILL BE SHELTERED.
My DAD and I look at one another and the REPLY comes instantly BULLSHIT.  We aint goin nowhere.
By God we take care of ourselves!
Many people start packing up and leaving there perfectly good homes like a Good SHEEPLE should. We stay along with the old Farmer Across the street Travis.
The excuse was a fire danger from gas leaks, well that came down from on high from the Govenor (or so they said), we walk outside and realize that the city has already turned off the gas at the mains. Bullshit again. Were staying. There is no more discussion about this.

Martial Law is declared and you must be indoors by 10:00pm.  That goes on for one week. We manage very well. After the first week people are allowed back in to get there personals. The next week I went back to work but came in to late from work and the National gaurd wouldn't let me in, luckily I remember the navigation routes my friends and I took when we were growin up playin war and I got to my house through those.

Anyway there you have it.
That is a run down of FEMA, LOCAL AUTHORITY , National Gaurd Playbooks, from a person who has been there. Now you know what to expect if there is a Disastor,
If it were Biological/Radiological. Well you would have to evacuate and there is nothing that you can do about it. At that point its not about Doing or not doing what you are told by the Authorities but about your Very Survival. So unless you have a proper shelter you have to leave.

Nuclear Damage would look like the Tornado Damage, but the Radiation components would produce the same constraints as above.

And a little bit of my .02 cents worth

Benjamin

I'm curious, do you think it is practical to cart bags of concrete mix to the basement manually, run a hose through the window and mix small batches in a wheel barrow to build one of these?

Another thought, what about building with concrete block with rebar inserted in the spaces?

You can tell I'm not a 'crete person. [:)]

I haven't (and won't) make any claims about how secure my bunker is, but:

1. The walls are 8" of steel-reinforced concrete
2. It is in the corner of a concrete basement
3. The cap on top is 5" of steel-reinforced concrete
4. The door is poured into the walls and is pretty secure. 100% secure? No. But short of someone who is very good in the trade of breaking and entering and has some time at his disposal, I am confident my stuff is safe.
5. In the event of a natural disaster like Ben001 described, we would ride it out inside the bunker. Where else would be safer?
6. I also have a double-throw switch for my generator in case power is out for a long time.

7. Commercial gun safes are pretty secure but small. They cost alot and are small. If you don't plan on moving soon I recommend a small concrete room like this one.

Ben001- Wow. What a story.

No, go with pre-mixed. It is stronger and easier to use.

[b]Do not use block![/b] With rebar or not, give me 20 minutes with an 8 lb. sledgehammer and I am walking away with all your stuff. Trust me.

Ohhh yeah... ALSO , ELDERLY WILL HAVE TO HAVE MEDICATION.  

AT THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THERE WAS ALMOST A RIOT FROM SCORES OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OUT TO GET MEDICINE. THE HIGHPRO AND POLICE LET THEM OUT BUT WOULDN'T LET THESE PEOPLE BACK IN. SO THEY ALMOST TOOK OUT THE GUARDS, TRYING TO GET BACK TO THEIR LOVED ONES. THE GUARDS AFTER A WHILE AND NOTICING THAT TEMPERS WERE GETTING HOT AT THEIR NON CONCERN(WE ARE JUST DOING OUR JOBS SORRY). THEY STARTED GETTING THREATENED AFTER A LITTLE WHILE AND RELENTED AND LET THE PEOPLE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. They new they lived there because they had let them out. So be prepared with what you will need. And the Ederly have the hardest time with this kind of stuff. Several people in the neighborhood became suicidal. It always helps to have a scanner, that is almost required, as it gives you some since of control over the situation as it progresses. You will have a hunger for information.  A generator is a must for these scenarios. I have heard that a 7000 watt is the upper limit of what you will need as it can run most of your house on at a 100%, if you want to waste the gas.  See during the day you don't need lighting. At most you will have a freezer you are trying to keep.  That requires a 2-4 hours on 6 hours off, Ongoing cycle which will keep it cold forever.
If youre house is gas well that helps and hinders. If you don't have gas, then a Charcoaler and wood is all you will need or a coleman stove. If you have total electric, then your needs maybe a little higher if you don't have proper cooking equiptment. YOu can get by with a small generator in most cases the 7kW is the upper limit.

Benjamin

goblin
howmany yards of concrete did u say it took im thinking of building one of my own.

If memory serves me, it took a total of 3 1/2 yds.

Personal Response (internal) to this was.

I wasn't even paying attention to me, I was just working. There is a Stress that is different then job stress. It is a form of stress that I have never experienced before or after. It is a survival stress. There is work to be done, there are things that have to be accomplished. There is not what should I do about this or that. It is all reaction. EAT/WORK/REBUILD continously till you are done. Smokem if you gottem.  It is an amazing thing really. Its as if you are closer to your core being or something. There is no hesitation at all. In these scenarios the UHH UHH UHH doesn't even exist.  Everyone is in exactly the same mode.  

I was extremely DEFIANT, NOT OF THOSE AROUND ME BUT OF THE SITUATION AND THINGS.  FUCK YOU MOTHER NATURE YOU AINT BEATEN US!! Is exactly the response.  

We heard that the flags WERE AT HALF STAFF Around town.  Your thought is not , OH how sweet. IT IS RAISE THOSE GOD DAMN FLAGS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP OF THE FUCKING POLE AND LEAVE THEM THERE! Your not angry at the flags or the pole heavens no. It feels insulting that people would do that. Now I realize that they were doing it for the dead, but I was alive and I took personal offense IN THAT SITUATION, BECUASE BY GOD I WASN'T BEAT, NOT BY A DAMN SITE.

Information travels oddly. It is quick and hurried and travels at lightening speed. Everyone is friends. The whole idea being that anyone and everyone could have information.  It was like a bunch of ants communicating with Pheromones. That is all it was about, Travis(mentioned above) was our true friend, but these new friends you suddenly find yourself having are different. They are information friends and you are part of the network and you must communicate.  And that is what you will find yourself doing. Information is taken Matter of Factly , No Bullshit, No lies. Every drop of information will be used.  What else..

It would be better to hire a pump truck and run the hose through a window, or knock out a block. Actually this project is an excercise in stupidity. If you really want a secret, secure room you don't post pictures on the Internet, and its not obviously placed in the middle of a room. A better way is to buy a new septic tank made of 'crete and tar the outside before you bury it. Make an entrance that nobody can find. Its large enough for 4 people and lots of stuff.

You are so correct, sir. However, "secret" never entered my equation. No matter what you do, more people will know more than you want them to. Building such a bunker would be better in a "newly-constructed" house, but I, and others, did not build a house, we bought one. Also, I did not want to pay hundreds of dollars ($300-$500) for a pumper so yet another person would find out what it is that I am doing. I moved the crete by hand for free.

Since few of you folk live in New England and only one of you knows exactly where I live (let alone what my name is), I am not worried.

"Secret?" No. "Secure?" Yes. To a point.

PS
I could tell you of my plans for a similiar bunker in our next house (hopefully that will happen), but...just imagine!

thanks goblin thats not to bad.

Gobblin,
Thanks for letting me ramble-on in your thread.

Benjamin

Here is a pic of Goblin's bunker BEFORE the concrete.

Its a 1' grid of #4 rebar.

So yes (in answer to an earlier question) his bunker COULD withstand a direct nuclear hit. [:D]

[img]www.images.ofoto.com/photos215/3/75/43/56/43/0/43564375303_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.images.ofoto.com/photos215/3/75/43/56/43/0/43564375303_0_ALB.jpg[/img]

Goblin is a friend of mine, and has inspired me to do my own lil' bunker.

It'll be a while before any pics are avaialble of mine.

OK, then - pics not working. Try this link to album "Mark 1"

[url]http://www.ofoto.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?UV=142595814332_81305375303&US=0[/url]

That's not a bunker...

Now this, [url]http://www.silohome.com/index.htm[/url], THIS is a bunker!!!

WOW!!!!!

You must be [B]VERY, VERY[/B] close to my cousin and her husband!!!!!

They live in Moore and their house was the only one left standing on their block!

Do you know Yvette and Ronnie Lewis?????

BTW sometimes i'm in Norman just a short drive away on Hwy 9.

Very nice indeed.....
I want one too.....

Ahh, I see what I thought I saw was wrong.  The photo is just of the FRAME.  It looked like a cheapo door at a certain angle.  My bad.

Wow, thick. [:D]

I'm surprised somebody dug this thread up.

Anyway, it is a wonderful feeling to have yer stuff all tucked away in a very secure walk-in bunker.

You ARE joking, right?