DIY Gun safe light system?

[mountainpharm]

safe within a safe

Yep, it's a safe within a safe, also known as Mountainpharm National Bank. I bought the small one in an effort to increase the fire protection for the cash I keep on hand. From what I've read on here, gun safes offer mediocre fire protection at best, so I figured a firebox within a firebox would be the best way to protect the dead presidents.

 

[bottom shelf]

KD7NQB de AC4ZO

Well, if you weren't at the other end of the country, I'd be happy to burn through a bunch of it at the range with you. Lemme know if you get to NC.

Mountainpharm, lookin good in that there safe.

 

[walker944]

Can someone who has added the rope light to their safe post pics? I'd really like to see how well they illuminate. I've been thinking of adding them, but not quite sure how well they would work, or how practical it would be to add that long strip off plastic rope through out the safe. Also, maybe add some comments on how in the install went. Thanks.

 

[Rembrandt]

Recently re-did mine, got this kit from Fort Knox. One of the nicest I've found, has a door switch and five florescent tubes plus wiring.

 

[Hardtarget]

This is what is so great about "The High Road"! Not just one idea...several great solutions to the common problem!

And my wife wonders why I love this place.

Did I say this is a great thread?! Well it is.

Mark

 

[sm]

Ya'll kinda fancy and hi dollar.

I mean ya'll ain't ever used a chrome flashlight with glass lens and intermittent button, has ya?

I did get fancy and stuck two, Maglites, the two AA size ones in a safe.
I could do the "candle feature" with those, ya'll can't do that.

Lemme see you take your light out and go look under a desk for something you dropped...

*sticks tongue out*

 

[ArmedLiberal]

Rope lights seemed a little dim for me. I went to Lowe's and found a bunch of xenon under cabinet lights to choose from; put them under the two top big shelves in the safe and put a new four foot flourescent light fixture in the ceiling near the safe. Good enough.

I like the intermittent button. Anyone have a good place to shop for them?

AL

 

[JohnBT]

Years ago when I was looking around my unfinished basement for a place to bolt down a new safe, what did I see?



2 or 3 of the bulbs in the basement are pretty old, but the house was built in 1916. I keep an old Maglite handy, but never need it.

JT

 

[c919]

ok you guys make me wish i had ALOT more money......

 

[AlaskaErik]

Costco sells tthese 3 packs of triangular LED lights with a motion sensor on them. When you put your hand into the safe it turns on and then it turns off on its own after 30 or 60 seconds, depending on the setting you choose.

 

[bottom shelf]

Recently re-did mine, got this kit from Fort Knox. One of the nicest I've found, has a door switch and five florescent tubes plus wiring.

Rembrandt, You Da Man! That's the best I've seen yet. Nice job!

 

[Quacker Jacker]

I know this is an old thread, but figured I post some pics of the easy way I did it. Found some skinny fluorescent lights at wal-mart for around 8 bucks a piece. They string together (up to 5) so you only have one line of wiring and only require one outlet. I used three lights chained together in my small safe, probably wouldn't hurt to have one more on each side down towards the bottom. Bigger safes definitely would want more. Anyway, since they chain together there's hardly any wiring to do and I just ran the final wire to the outlet in my safe and added a in-line switch under one of the shelves to switch it on and off. Cheap and takes very little time to wire/mount the lights.

 

[skidooman]

Wow, this is an older thread. I never did get around to lighting mine up. I moved into a 5th wheel trailer shortly after and my safe is sitting empty in my dads garage right now... I just moved into a crappy rental and I know the floor wouldnt hold up to the 800+ pounds. I cannot wait to buy a house...

 

[knockonit]

I just put a row of rope lites in the rear and one in the front with a switched three outlet strip, use it to charge radio batteries and mostly just for the switch. Works great.

 

[leadcounsel]

Anyone worry about an electrical fire INSIDE their safe...?

For me, I don't take up precious safe interior with lighting. I have a $50 floor lamp that sits outside my safe. It has a separate light that will shine a spotlight inside the safe. Easy, quick, cost effective and also lights up the room. No brainer.

 

[AmmoEqualsGold]

Awesome Gun Safe Light Kit

I was concerned about having electrical in my safe so I decided to buy a kit from http://www.lightmysafe.com. Their kits use 8 D batteries and have automatic switches...so if the electricity goes out my safe still lights up!

I love the kit I bought. It runs off these small fluorescents lights and as you know fluorescents pretty much last forever. They even sell additional lights but the 6 that came in my kit work perfectly. Not too mention, the kit was very easy to install.

The kit plus shipping only set me back $90 while the store I bought my safe from was selling their similar kit (Browning except it plugs into outlet) for $200....and it only came with 3 lights! I guess since all they do is specialize in gun safe light kits they don't have to rape you with the price.

Now, I found out that they are selling LED kits and these are easily 3 times as bright. My dad lucked out and ordered some last week...they contacted him and said they were no longer selling the fluorescents because the LED's are so much brighter and use even less power. LightMySafe said they may have to raise the price a little but since they hadn't updated their site they honored his order for the old price. The next time I go to his house I take some pictures and post.

 

[Landpimp]

look at all those safes just begging for more guns....I cant fit a box off ammo in mine(most of which are now in a bank vault)

 

[Flyboy73]

My lighting for my Zanotti ZIII is a 18" under cabinet florescent light and a extension cord for the light and my Dri rod. I bought two but one was enough to light the safe. Cost me around $15 from Lowe's.

Brion

 

[AmmoEqualsGold]

Coupon Code for $20 off - Gun Safe Lighting Kits

Here's a coupon code for $20 off a LightMySafe.com light kit. I went to the Pasadena High Caliber Gun Show today and this girl handed me a flyer that gave this username and password to unlock a $20 off coupon. I don't know how long the code will be good for since there was no expiration. I have posted before that these are awesome lights.

Anyhow, the flyer said there's a link on the bottom of the homepage that says "Gun Show Special"....when you click on that you will be prompted for a username and password. The username is gunshow and the password is pasadena (all lower case).

These pictures are of my dads safe with the 3 battery operated LED safe lights. I would think that the A/C would be brighter!?!?!

Here's some pics of his safe below. It's about 25 cu ft (about 3.5ft X 5ft X 2ft).

 

[mchaley]

Really cool thread. Nice setups!

 

[The Bushmaster]

If ever you wanted to know what to put in your safe for dehumidifying. Mountainpharm just showed you (Post #24). It's a closet dehumidifier. Works great...

 

[Triumph]

Safe Lighting Idea

Found this older thread on safe lighting and thought I would add an idea.

http://www.pegasuslighting.com/t5-low-profile-fluorescent-fixtures.html

These lights are very similar to the ones sold at Wal-Mart. They both use t5 fluorescent bulbs. The lights are "linkable" so you can run them off of one plug. They do not require each light to have it's own power plug.

The lights at pegasuslighting come in several different lengths and have different lengths of connectors you can use to space the lighting. The versions at Wal-Mart only have one length of connector.

I am still looking for a door switch similar to the Fort Knox light door switch (pictured earlier in this thread). If anyone knows where to find a switch like this please let me know.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Ya'll kinda fancy and hi dollar.

I mean ya'll ain't ever used a chrome flashlight with glass lens and intermittent button, has ya?

Actually YES! Sort of, anyway. I keep a little Ray-O-Vac Workhorse on top of my safe and as soon as the safe door is opened, it's snapped on and in hand looking for something.

I'm getting some fresh ideas, though.

 

[mustang_steve]

I don't have a safe yet but I'll throw out what I'd do if I did have one.

Get one (or more, depending on safe size, they don't take up much power at all) of these, and power it with a 12v wall-wart type adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/WHITE-CATHODE-BRIGHT-INCHES-COMPUTER/dp/B000JQ17WU

You use the yellow and black power leads on the inverter to run it, as it's a 12volt device. If you need a switch, you can put a contact switch in the doorway so it lights up as you open the door, and shuts off as you close it.

 

[Tony50ae]

Well because of this thread that I also posted in long ago while still deployed, I finally installed some lights my gun safe. I went to Lowes and bought some flourescent cabinet lighting. I bought two 20 inch and one 13 inch fixtures. Turned out pretty good, though I think I should have bought the 22 inch fixtures instead. Its nice to see inside. No dark corners anywhere!