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Safe dehumidifier

I basically do that, but everything is in a sock.

These go on sale for about 1/2 price a couple times a year. I usually put the link in the OSR deals thread when they do.


My neighbor who has a large collection for a collector has his safes in an outbuilding similar to mine and said he has never had a problem and he doesnt use a sock. Said the sock traps moisture.
 
My neighbor who has a large collection for a collector has his safes in an outbuilding similar to mine and said he has never had a problem and he doesnt use a sock. Said the sock traps moisture.

they're silicone impregnated and they are specifically designed NOT to hold moisture. THat doesnt mean they dont but you know, the thing....
 
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My neighbor who has a large collection for a collector has his safes in an outbuilding similar to mine and said he has never had a problem and he doesnt use a sock. Said the sock traps moisture.
What Texas said. Also, your neighbor isn't stacking them as deep as I am or they would have a problem.

I'm not using socks for moisture, desiccant has that covered, I'm using socks for padding, so all the pokey bits aren't scratching and dinging other guns.

I've got a brand new, never fired, Henry lever .22, that has a lovely scratch along the receiver just from storage in my over crowded safe, that prompted me to get a bunch of socks.


There's a company out of the St. Louis area that uses recycled fabric and builds decent really cheap socks and soft rifle and pistol cases. They usually have a booth at Wanenmacher's, something like $5 a piece or 4 for $15. I've got all but maybe 3 pistols in one of their zipper soft cases or the really cheap Midway brand ones that seem to be permanently on sale.
 
My neighbor who has a large collection for a collector has his safes in an outbuilding similar to mine and said he has never had a problem and he doesnt use a sock. Said the sock traps moisture.

is his outbuilding insulated? it makes a difference, climate controlled or not.
 
What Texas said. Also, your neighbor isn't stacking them as deep as I am or they would have a problem.

I'm not using socks for moisture, desiccant has that covered, I'm using socks for padding, so all the pokey bits aren't scratching and dinging other guns.

I've got a brand new, never fired, Henry lever .22, that has a lovely scratch along the receiver just from storage in my over crowded safe, that prompted me to get a bunch of socks.


There's a company out of the St. Louis area that uses recycled fabric and builds decent really cheap socks and soft rifle and pistol cases. They usually have a booth at Wanenmacher's, something like $5 a piece or 4 for $15. I've got all but maybe 3 pistols in one of their zipper soft cases or the really cheap Midway brand ones that seem to be permanently on sale.

I dont even think his building has doors on it. I was using socks for padding when the rust/moisture problem became a thing... only difference between our setups was the socks... and I have a garage door. I suppose his safe is more like a bank vault so its likely more moisture proof in general but he has nothing extra to help with moisture
 
two safes in an unclimate controlled garage. all my other steel rusts, but everything in the safes do not. i use the dessicant steel canisters you recharge in the oven. i also have hygrometers in the safes and in the garage to monitor.
What reading do you watch the hygrometers for.....or what % humidity do you want to me lower than?
 
It's about the large swings. That's when you get the condensation. So high humidity in a sealed container and it condenses at a certain temp. Going to have a bad time.

I see most of my stuff pretty consistent between 45-50% humidity. If you can keep that while the temp swings outside, you should be golden
 
Safes are my income ,that said my first choice would be a " Golden rod " or like product ( if) your safe has a hole or fire proof outlet installed . if it doesn't have a hole for power i absolutely would not drill one because of fire proofing reasons . there is a product i use called "Eva- Dry" looks somewhat clam shell filled with bead type dessicant balls , when the beads change color you plug it in overnight then drop it back in the safe . my area ( So Cal ) i can go 4-6 months easy before i need to recharge them . as always the key is to keep them clean and oiled .
 
I realize I wasn't using them as intended, just leaving one plugged in 24/7 and swapping them out as needed, but Eva-Dry is what got hot enough to discolor the wall around the socket it was plugged into.

Much happier with the desiccant that recharges in the oven. That can I linked from Midway has way more desiccant in it than the Eva-Dry E-333
I was using, and lasts 5-6 times longer. When the beads you can see in the window start to change color, I give it a shake and it's still full of dry beads.
 
so did you boil the brown iron oxide into black iron oxide and card it off to see how bad the pitting is without ruining them further, or did you toss the wire wheel on the 4.5" and then hit them with a coat of bbq grill paint

Does that work on a parkerized finish? I ignored an old mauser too long and the park is all brownish.
 
Does that work on a parkerized finish? I ignored an old mauser too long and the park is all brownish.
give it a go
parkerization is done in hot/boiling water and hot phosphoric acid solution (with some additives like manganese or zinc phosphate powder and some free iron in the form of steel wool), so it isn't like boiling water will harm it
 
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