Gun Safe Lighting help please

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seanYsean

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Hey THR,

First post, been following for a while though!

I am going to purchase, when it goes on sale, a Canon TS6040 safe. I found this website when I searched for ideas on lighting the inside of the safe up. I found the DIY safe light thread and really liked a few of the ideas so I am looking for help on two different scenarios.

1. I like the idea of using rope lights and running them inside the front panel. So up both sides and on top. I'd like some sort of switch, either a flip switch or preferably a 'refrigerator' type push switch. There is a power plug in inside this safe in the bottom back right, so I can plug in the rope light into it, but I have no idea how to rig this together. I'd use rope light track as well to make it look nice, but electrical work is over my head. If someone could point me in the right direction on how to wire a switch to a light like this I would be grateful. The rope light will be a 2 wire LED clear, 18 foot. The excess fee I'll run back along the floor from the front panel and even it out so it is the same length on both sides.


2. Not on thatDIY thread, but on youtube a guy used infrared motion sensored LED light strips that he used by putting velcro on the back and sticking the lights in his desired spots. For the life of me I cannot find these lights like this. This could be an alternative to the rope light, but I like the rope light idea alot better.

Again, I appreciate any help and I am glad I found this site!

Sean
 
You might send a PM to KevininPa and ask him to comment here. He's one electrician here that comes to mind. He's cool. If I can think of another one, I'll post back.

Anyway, electrical work isn't too hard. I'm not an electrician, but I've found my way through the wiring involved in finishing my basement and an out-building that I built. I'm just not knowledgeable enough to give instructions.
 
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actually I just found remote control outlets and I could plug one of those into the outlet in the safe and then the rope light into the outlet and use the key fob to turn the light on and off..win/win unless someone sees a problem?
 
Get a switch setup similar to a refrigerator. Just don't close yourself in while checking to be sure the light goes off when the door closes. :D
 
Lighting...

Sean Y. Sean--I'm with Brandon-Mcg on this. What do you care for "looks" inside a safe?? You want to open the safe, turn on the light(s), be able to see the item you want, get it out, turn off the light(s) and close the safe. Cheap, simple, and reliable is the way to go.

Same category as my wife (bless her) worrying about colored bedsheets--What do you care for the color and pattern of the bedsheets--Almost all the time when you're in the bedroom (a) the lights are off, (b) you're asleep, or (c) you're dressing and leaving, as expeditiously as possible.

Worry about how it looks some place you spend time looking at.
 
I bought a set of 6 halogen under counter lights from Lowes. They came with a 3 brightness touch dimmer. It made a simple install and is nice and bright.
 
Home Depot sells all sorts of movement sensing AC powered CFB and battery powered LED lights to use inside drawers and closets. My wife and I were looking at them last Saturday. Some are in the light bulb section and some are back in the lighting department. There must have been 25 different ones.
 
I'll second (third?) the last two ideas. They're basically stick on night lights with motion sensors. Would be great for inside a safe. No worries about turning them on/off.
 
CoRoMo...

.....thanks for the vote of confidence and the compliment! :) And here all this time I thought I was typing and spouting just to relieve pressure, never thought anyone was actually paying attention! ;)
 
Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Smokey Joe, thing is... I do care and what I am going to do would be inexpensive. Also I don't want to see any lighting/fixture, reason I like the lighting to be tucked in the front corners of the safe and why I won't go with the tap lights.

Just trying to find a solution to what I want to do. I appreciate the help and thank you for the PM KevinPA.

Sean
 
What do you care for "looks" inside a safe?
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Prerogative. I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to organization and order. If my eyes are going to fall upon it, I want it to please them. I'm weird. When I get around to lighting up the steel box, I'm going to want it simple but interesting. I was thinking something along the lines of those motion activated light switches. Open the door and the lights spring on by themselves.
CoRoMo...
.....thanks...
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You're mighty welcome, and keep it up!
 
CoRoMo

I am the same way..I want some nice light in there without a fixture or whatever taking away from the guns/ammo/whatever is in there. Personally, I enjoy looking at gun collections in my friends safes and soon my own collection in a safe...to each their own.
 
ive used the stick on lights that you press on and off. cheap and easy.
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+1.

The new LED stick-up lights last a LONG time! I have one in my safe that was accidentally left on for over three weeks and it is still running bright as the day I bought it...
 
I don't think so...

CoRoMo--You said
I'm weird.
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Respectfully beg to disagree. It'd be awful if we all liked exactly the same things! As the man said, "De gustibus non disputatum est." (Of taste, there is no argument.) You're unique, not weird.

Roy Weatherby sold a whole bunch of what I think are the gaudiest, ugliest-looking hunting rifles ever made. So what do I know, besides that I wouldn't give you 10 cents for one of those hideous old Weatherbys?
 
I used Xenon puck lights from Lowes and connected them to a small power strip. The puck lights are a little more trouble to mount inside but you can place them where you want.

As far as your electrical question, the switch has to be between your power source and the lights just like the light switch on your wall or a switch on a lamp. Hope that makes sense. It really is easy to do.
 
I've looked at that website.. I can do the same thing, if I can wire a switch for 1/3 of the cost lol
 
These are a set of stick on lights from Harbor Freight for $10. They are light activated and you can also turn them on with a push button. The bottom 2 i have mounted with a screw and the top one sticks to the safes carpet liner via velcro.

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Regarding having the wired lights turn on/off, why not just leave them on all the time and rely on that to provide the heat instead of a goldenrod? You save the cost of the goldenrod and you don't have to wire a switch... That's what I ended up doing.
 
I also lay my first go to gun on a white towel, anything white will do though. So I can see the gun easier in the white backround.
 
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