The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - What are you using in your safe for dehumidification?

johnbt · June 30, 2010, 02:43 PM

The Brits said it was sub-tropical 200 years ago, but that's splitting hairs. I went to high school in Rockville fwiw.

Richmond is at least as humid and my basement has leaks through the 14-inch-thick solid brick walls when it rains really hard. It was built in 1916 in what is now the Museum District. My house does not have central AC. A large safe is in the unfinished basement next to the water heater and boiler for the radiator system and the guns are fine after many years.

I use 2 Golden Rods and wipe my guns down lightly with a Rig Rag. You can't even see the grease or really even feel it unless you're looking for it. Once a year I throw some vapor chips (or those Remington vapor emitting plastic bore thingies - whatever is on sale) in the safe too.

One GR is across the front of the floor by the bottom of the door and one is at right angles running front to back under the shelves. I pulled the shelves away from the back wall a 1/4 of an inch or so for better air circulation.

I have some in-the-white steel scraps in the safe playing mine canary. No rust or discoloration at all.

It gets really humid in the basement when I run the washing machine, but then the gas dryer pumps some of it outside.

John

edited to add: I initially tried the 2 Golden Rods AND a large tub of flower drying crystals AND a large box of the crystals that are sold for gun safes. I never got the crystals to last as long as a week, so I gave them away.

June 30, 2010, 02:43 PM	#26
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	The Brits said it was sub-tropical 200 years ago, but that's splitting hairs. I went to high school in Rockville fwiw. Richmond is at least as humid and my basement has leaks through the 14-inch-thick solid brick walls when it rains really hard. It was built in 1916 in what is now the Museum District. My house does not have central AC. A large safe is in the unfinished basement next to the water heater and boiler for the radiator system and the guns are fine after many years. I use 2 Golden Rods and wipe my guns down lightly with a Rig Rag. You can't even see the grease or really even feel it unless you're looking for it. Once a year I throw some vapor chips (or those Remington vapor emitting plastic bore thingies - whatever is on sale) in the safe too. One GR is across the front of the floor by the bottom of the door and one is at right angles running front to back under the shelves. I pulled the shelves away from the back wall a 1/4 of an inch or so for better air circulation. I have some in-the-white steel scraps in the safe playing mine canary. No rust or discoloration at all. It gets really humid in the basement when I run the washing machine, but then the gas dryer pumps some of it outside. John edited to add: I initially tried the 2 Golden Rods AND a large tub of flower drying crystals AND a large box of the crystals that are sold for gun safes. I never got the crystals to last as long as a week, so I gave them away. Last edited by johnbt; June 30, 2010 at 02:49 PM.