Safe use of a safe, will a desiccant draw in moisture?

[Black Butte]

I have often wondered if the quest for super dryness adversely affects wooden stocks. If you have a desiccant, heating rod, and ACME moisture zapper in your safe, can you keep your stocks from drying out by simply wiping in a wood rejuvenator like Howard's Feed-N-Wax?

 

[JohnBT]

"I should add that I also used a 1 1/2 inch of magnetic tape along the safe door seams."

Then a GoldenRod is not for you. The manufacturer clearly states that the container must be ventilated for the heater to work properly.

I tried using a GR and 2 big boxes of crystals in my basement safe. The crystals had to be recharged every 3 or 4 days. Yes, I have a wet unfinished basement and no whole-house AC. I've measured and tested and researched. The GR works just fine by itself and the crack around the door provides the needed air circulation.

John

 

[JohnBT]

www.goldenroddehumidifiers.com/introduction.htm

The short version...

"How GoldenRod Works"

- "Expansion of the heated air forces the moist air outside through the vents or loose fitting doors leaving the dry air inside."

 

[a1bigtuna]

Wow, I never bothered to read the info. That would have never occurred to me that air transport was part of the deal. Now I will rethink everything I am doing. I also have bags inside to dry air. So, now am rethinking even that. I also have VCI capsules inside just for the heck of it.
This forum is great to get info on that they do not know, and some info that they should have read when they had it in hand. Thanks

I will contact Liberty about the ability for air to move in and out of their fire safe. The safe looks pretty sealed, and has that expanding seal if a fire heats the door up, which seals the safe from smoke damage.

I will use my magnetic tape on my Stack On gun locker which I only keep ammo in, and have sealed all seams with RTV. Oh, I also keep my powder and primers in 5 gal sealed buckets (use those screw on seal lids made for the purpose).

 

[wacki]

Holy internet debate insanity batman.....

Just buy a cheap hygrometer and test what happens.

Raw data >>>>> logic

 

[sansone]

desiccants are great if you live in a humid climate. They work better with a mild heat source in the winter, such as goldenrod or small light bulb. Just remember to change them or bake them when they have absorbed all they can. The idea they "attract" water seams silly, sorry

 

[Mike1234567]

I thought I'd seen small forced air dehumidifiers using dessicant but I can't find any. I suppose one could take a very small 12vdc fan and attached it (removable) to a reusable box of dessicant to force air through the media. A cycling timer seems appropriate but an adjustable humidistat would be ideal.

 

[JohnBT]

"VCI capsules"

I use those also.

Years ago when I was testing all of this stuff - singly and in combination - I bought a digital humidity thingy. It was a waste of time pretty much. The numbers went up, the numbers went down, the GoldenRod worked, nothing rusted.

Moisture doesn't hurt anything if it's not sticking to the guns. And that's what a GR accomplishes by keeping the interior warmer than the room air.


"I will contact Liberty"

First do the refrigerator door seal test on your safe. Close and lock the door on a one dollar bill. Or a $5. Slide the bill up and down between the bolts. Pull the bill out. Try it on the other side. The door on a Liberty safe isn't airtight.

Let's say the door is 2 feet by 4 feet. That 12 feet of door edge = 144". If the crack is, say, 1/32" the total area of the opening is 4.5 square inches - a good sized vent.

John

 

[a1bigtuna]

I called Liberty Safe in Utah and found that the safe is not meant to be air tight. So the info on the Goldenrod needing a way to force out heated air is valid. I will remove the mag tape I have on the safe now.

Their customer service answered my question on the desiccant use inside, somewhat. He said it will absorb any moisture inside the safe from when the safe is opened. But, could not verify if the desiccant would not draw in moisture since the safe is not air tight.

So, I will just use a couple of bags with a Goldenrod and a VCI capsule and have a min/max humidity/temp meter inside. I have ordered two more as the two I have (used in a couple of the other safes) do not track each other as closely as I would like. So, having 4 of them, I can see what the closest ones track and just add or subtract the err or difference. Temp is easy to measure, humidity is harder to maintain a closer % of accuracy. I will just try them together once a year to verify accuracy closeness.

 

[Mike1234567]

I think I'd leave tape along the sides and remove it at the top and bottom. This allows air circulation from "bottom-to-top" as the air is heated.

 

[a1bigtuna]

I think that is a great idea, makes a lot of sense, thanks.

 

[atomchaser]

I've had a safe in my non-climate controlled garage in coastal florida for the last 5 years. I use to regularly recharge the dessicant but experience has tought me that it's not really needed. I have a golden rod in the safe and use the silicon treated socks for each of the guns. The one gun that doesn't get stored in the sock is a cheap mossberg 500 that is ready for quick action. None of guns even show a hint of rust. I wipe them down before stroring them and that's about it. IMHO, the golden rod is all you really need as long as you don't put them away wet or handle them with sweaty hands and not wipe them down.

 

[AMMO&GUNS]

A tip that may help

I hate to show my stupidity... i live in New York and my gun safe is in the Basement; it is finished and has A/C, Heat and a De-Humidifier...

And now the stupidity... when i set the safe up i went on line and bought DampRid which was billed as a very good dessicant. i put a few bags around in the safe... I DID NOT PUT THEM IN A CONTAINER. After a few weeks i checked on them... the two higher bags had filled completly with water, not only was it water, it was saline. i dripped down one side of the cas and completly ate up a brand new Marlin lever action .357 i had bought for my granson... the salt water just killed it..

when i read the directions it was clear that the bag was supposed to go into a container that held the water.. its up to you guys if you want a container of water in your case.. i have since removed it all...and installed two heat rods.. i drilled the caset to feed the wire and then siliconed it up...

it works like a million buck now... i do keep my guns well oiled and protected.. the heat bars dont seem to affect the coating.

i will end up having the Marlin Dura-Coated matte black before i part with it..

the moral of the story... READ THE DIRECTIONS... AND THEN AGAIN.

Hope this helps out.. boy do i feel the fool.

not a bit of moisture or deposit since i put two rods in...

if there are any qustions or i can be of help...email me at @[email protected]

 

[a1bigtuna]

I tried that stuff, but did find out what is needed for it. The stock item is a plastic bowl with a center stud in the middle that sticks up some 7 inches or so and it supports a plastic thing with a lot of slots in it, about the size of half of a grapefruit. You put the granules in the top thing that has slots in it, and when it absorbs the water it drips down into the holding bucket.

Now for my story on stupid things, I had them in my jewelry safe and was taking out one of my watches to show my son, dropped it into the liquid, that was the end of a very fine watch. That liquid is very corrosive. I no longer use that stuff either.