Goldenrod opinions and prices

[mrstang01]

Anybody use a Goldenrod dehumidifier or equivalent for their gun safe? Who's got the best prices on them, and what do you think, a buy, or is it hype?

Thanks!

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I passed on the goldenrod thingy; didn't want to drill a hole a in my safe for the cord.

But then again, I went over kill on the silica dessicant- three packs in 60x25x30" safe. Then again I live next to the ocean.

[Valkman]

I had one in my Liberty safe for 5 years and it worked great - in fact it's still in there since I included it when I sold it. :p That safe had a hole to run the cord out the back, then put the plug on the cord and you're set. The new safe I'm getting has plug-ins built in on the inside so I'll be plugging a new bigger one in there.:)

[Mike Irwin]

My college used dozens of them in the music department in the pianos and other large musical instruments. I know a couple people who use them in cedar closets.

Interestingly, I've never come across anyone using one in a gunsafe...

[redneck2]

suppose it's kinda like chicken soup...probably help and it sure won't hurt

I hit everything with a Rig Rag and keep the safe closed. Used to get a little surface rust from time to time (but again, the room I used to have it in changed temp more)

No rust problems that I know of now. Our local store sells a lot of these with their safes and promote them heavily. Liberty safes have a predrilled hole. With a cobalt bit you can have one installed in 15 minutes.

[HankL]

I got one when I purchased a Fort Knox Yeager some years back. The safe was already set up for the option. It worked very well and I live in the hot humid south. I was already familiar with with the concept as I had been using a 100 Watt lightbulb to keep down condensation in the cabin of my sailboat. IIRC the safe needs to permit some air circulation for the Goldenrod to do it's best. The Ft. Knox had a hole where the cord went in as well as a threaded hole in the center of it's top.
The safe that I use today has central air and heat. ;)

[JohnBT]

I can't remember who had the best prices, but I'd start looking at Cabela's or Midway. They do come with or without a detachable plug, so read the small print.

www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/621013

I have an 18" and a 24" GR in a large safe in a damp unfinished basement with bare brick walls and concrete floor. I also own a Rig Rag, so I didn't worry too much when the huricane knocked the power out for a couple of days.

Initially I tried a quart of flower drying crystals and a box of the stuff made for safes. During a relatively dry spell they needed recharging in a matter of days - and that was with the 18" GR running, too. Since the gap around the safe door provides adequate ventilation I decided that GRs were the way to go.

I only use one 18" on the second floor and haven't had the air conditioning on up there for years. It's nice having high ceilings and large windows. And fans.

John

[bogie]

If you wanna cheap out, and can run the cord, a 25 watt incandescent light bulb will work fine. You have to lock yourself in the safe tho to make sure it stays on when you close the door...

[zahc]

Goldenrods aren't really dehumidifiers, more like air circulators. They keep the humidity even. They should be used in conjunction with sillica gel to reduce humidity.

[mrstang01]

The silica sounds like a good idea too, best sources for that in bulk?

[JohnBT]

zahc - Do you have a reference for the need to use both a GR and silica? AFAIK, and I've done some searching, there's really no need to use the silica dessicant if you're using a Golden Rod. There just isn't. The safes I've seen are not airtight and any moisture the silica sucks up will be quickly replaced by what's coming in around the door. Try the refrigerator gasket test - take a hundred dollar bill and close the safe door on it. If you can pull it out or slide it around the door frame the safe isn't airtight and you'll be trying to dehumidify the entire room with the silica.

John

[RUT]

>>Goldenrods aren't really dehumidifiers, more like air circulators<<

They're actually just a source of heat.

[zahc]

Yeah the heat sets up convection which circulates the air in the safe. I can't document a need for both, that depends, just so you know that a goldenrod is not a dehumidifier. Just a goldenrod may be enough for you.

[JohnBT]

According to the GR site the manufacturer says to have an opening at the bottom of the safe and one at the top. The GR needs to be placed on or near the floor so it can warm the incoming air, which rises and exits.

On the other hand, the silica dessicants are made to be used in a sealed container. Exposed to a constant flow of air they saturate quickly.

I've tried the various combinations. Just trying to save somebody else the extra expense when it isn't necessary or, in my experience, even practical.

John

[shadow 1]

What's a Rig Rag?
:confused:

[JohnBT]

www.silencio.com/htfiles/accessories.html (look halfway down the page)

A Rig-Rag is a $9 piece of sheepskin in a plastic bag. Buy a small container of RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease) to refresh it as needed and you're good to go for years. The one I bought at the gun show had a sliver torn off the end and was marked Second, but it was only $6. It gets the grease into the nooks and crannies a whole lot easier than trying to use a rag or patches on a parkerized finish.

John

[CB900F]

Fella's;

A goldenrod simply keeps the interior temp of the safe above dewpoint. By and large that is an effective method of preventing rust. The downside is that you do have to drill a hole in the container, regardless if you or the maker does it. Hopefuly the hole is on the floor of the container, as in a fire it's usually cooler on the floor, unless you've put the container in an upper story of the building.

Regardless, after you've run the cord through the hole, duct tape the exterior of the hole & then pour enough plaster of paris in the hole to fill it. That at least seals the open channel into your container. True, the container does need to be elevated slightly for the cord not to be crushed under it, but that's not difficult to achieve. After all, most five foot RSC's only weigh about 600 - 750 lbs.

900F