Safes, guns and rust
- Thread starter Jim NE
- Start date
- Status
crackshot258
Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2015
- Messages
- 44
Keep in mind that silica gel is saturated when it turns white. You can bake it to restore it's absorbing qualities. It will turn to various colors when you bake it.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
So this thread got me to thinking what's new inside my safe? I haven't checked my descant for awhile which is just a matter of looking at my indicator cards and baking out my descant bags as needed. For those using indicator cards or bags of descant keep in mind the container volume be it a small low volume or large volume container. For those really curious what conditions are in there, as mentioned you can place a hygrometer in there with a thermometer or buy an inexpensive (inexpensive being a relative term) little data logger. Available from dozens of distributors and capable of storing quite a bit of temperature and humidity data they can be a handy little tool. Left one in the safe last night and considering this is December in NE Ohio humidity is not an issue, also the safe is against two outside walls in an old front porch area.This chart represents about 13 hours during last night through this morning.
About 60 F. and a RH below 40% so I am not about to worry about things in there. We don't want the RH getting too low as wood stocks can dry out and crack or split. Anyway, before I would or would not worry much about relative humidity and my guns taking on an orange look I would first get an idea of what the RH actually was. Living in Miami, Florida is one thing and living in Phoenix, Arizona is an entirely different animal.
Ron
About 60 F. and a RH below 40% so I am not about to worry about things in there. We don't want the RH getting too low as wood stocks can dry out and crack or split. Anyway, before I would or would not worry much about relative humidity and my guns taking on an orange look I would first get an idea of what the RH actually was. Living in Miami, Florida is one thing and living in Phoenix, Arizona is an entirely different animal.
Ron
OP
OP
Jim NE
Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2011
- Messages
- 1,888
That data logger is cool. What can a person expect to pay for one, and where do you get them? If it's 100 bucks or less, I'm interested.
Thanks.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
The unit I linked to is about $82 from the supplier I linked to. Here is the link and the software provides dozens of options. I took a sample reading every 5 min in the chart I provided but it is up to the user. The longer the gap in sample time the more samples which can be recorded and saved.
Ron
Franky50
Member
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2017
- Messages
- 60
Thank you Reloadron for such nice glance into the secret life of your safe
. I enjoyed it and it made me recall those old mechanical loggers (thermohigrometers) that were usually found in labs. There were two recorders on a moving cylinder of calibrated paper. As they were into a bell-shaped cage they were thus colloquially called "parrots".A RH about 40% seems perfect for weapons. I do not know enough of the wood of rifle stocks but I enjoyed reading Larry Fine's book on pianos, and he considered the 40-60% RH the ideal range for woods. Lower than 40% can affect the crown and, as you said, produce cracks, while RH higher than 60% would likely expand the woods bringing other problems.
Franky50
Member
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2017
- Messages
- 60
Yes, sure. Mine is dehydrated with an intense blue color and turns pink. I was surprised to see it had lasted three years. It means the safe is almost hermetic methinks. I do not bake silicagel but with a few minutes of a hair dryer it recovers that nice blue color.
I have never had an issue with guns in a safe and rust and I live in Georgia where we have a tiny bit of humidity. I use the rechargeable moisture things (Remington I think) and switch them out when it occurs to me. I generally wipe down my guns with CLR or Rem Oil on a rag once in a while
I have some guns that I inherited that have never seen a safe, are 50-100 years old, and don't have a drop of rust.
I have some guns that I inherited that have never seen a safe, are 50-100 years old, and don't have a drop of rust.
- Status