Homemade Gun Safe (In Progress)

[Pope94/IA]

New school project for me.. I am building a gun safe since our current gun safe is overflowing! Im sure some of you have the same problem. Haha. I have no intentions of this being 100% theft/fire proof as im not a gun safe engineer. I love building things and it just so happens that im pretty talented at it. Not trying to brag or anything.

I have plans drawn up already and next step is getting materials and starting it. Ive been fooling around with some scrap metal at school for a security system. Don't ask how im doing it. That's a secret

Ill be posting pictures and updates as I progress on it.

First step.

Build steel frame using 2" x 1/8" angle iron. Ill have metal tomorrow and pictures posted monday or tuesday on whatever I accomplish.
Frame will simply be a box. ( W-H-D : 32 1/2" x 22" x 60" )

Specifications:

Outside Dimensions: ( 32 1/2" x 22" x 60" )
Inside dimensions: 31" x 20 1/2" x 58 1/2"
Compartments: Two 13" sides for guns and a 5" +/- in the center for pull out drawers.
Wall thickness: 3/4" +/- walls. Materials in order: (1/8" flat steel - 1/8" air gap - 1/2" sheet rock + thickness for liner)
Lock: Keypad security with rotating handle to lock and unlock deadbolts.
Capacity: Roughly 20 rifles/shotguns + tons of space for handguns and ammo.
Finish: The steel will be sandblasted and painted either flat or gloss black. Just to prevent rust in long term since sheet rock does hold moisture. I will be putting walnut on the outside of it so I can get a little more detailed in the outside look. I will be using a router and dremel tool to cut out a design of some sort on the door. The wood kind of defeats the purpose of the attempt on fire proofing it but hopefully our house doesn't burn down anytime soon...

Hopefully I can get some pictures posted up once I get it started and then add more as I go.

If you guys have any ideas for me as I go, feel free to chime in.

[Pope94/IA]

Here is what I have done so far.

The frame is basically built like rectangle box. Made sure everything was square and the door fit in perfectly. I left a little room all around it for movement. The side opposite of the hinges I angled in so it would open smoothly.

there is a lip around the door frame that the door actually sits on.

[Pope94/IA]

Then of course the hinges that I ran through the steel lathe.

[Pahoo]

Excellent and I'll be looking forward to more of your pictures as you progress.

Be Safe !!!

[Yung.gunr]

That is pretty cool. Working with metal has always been something I've been interested in. As the son of a carpenter, if it can't be made with wood then it shouldnt be made (hah a little exaggeration).

Really looking forward to seeing more progress.

[balderclev]

Don't forget the fire safe options. Most fire safes are made with just an inch of sheet rock. Lining your safe with this will make you feel much more comfortable.

[Torch]

Cool. Looking forward to following your progress.

[Pope94/IA]

balderclev,

That was my plan, putting the sheet rock on the inside.


Here are some more pictures. I haven't accomplished too much more. Past few days have basically been thinking days.

I have tacked on the hinges just to get an idea. Two of the pictures shows the hinges (door opened and closed) and then the other two pictures show the pins that lock and unlock the safe. The whole locking system is not complete yet... Making minor adjustments as I go.

[Pope94/IA]

The pins.

[Pope94/IA]

Sorry for the continuous posts. I am going to overlap the flat iron on the door over top of the outside edges to seal it up. My dad was telling me the seal on our current gunsafe is a special gosh darnit material that expands when its heated to provide a better seal. Considering this is a gun/firearms forum and the majority of you own gunsafes, would by chance any of you guys know what that material is called or where I can find it.
I imagine a little research online would help me but ill start here with the research.

[2ndsojourn]

Look into intumescent paint. We used it on exposed steel beams that needed to be fireproofed. It expands multiple times its thickness when exposed to heat and can be painted over in whatever color you want. Here's a link to one mfgr but there are others.

http://www.shieldindustries.com/fireguarde84preview.htm

Here's another product and I think this is what we used

http://www.albi.com/cladtf.html

[Pope94/IA]

Thanks for the recommendation. I dont know how well it would do for sealing the door up when its not heated. Yeah, it would expand and seal it when its heated but what about when its not heated. I would still like to have it sealed up.

[Stukaman]

I know that vacuum oven in eat treat plants use a rope like material that's seems to be slightly shiny to deal doors to the ovens.

[2ndsojourn]

Pope, I thought you wanted something to seal up the door in a fire condition. Like Stukaman said, for everyday seal up, just use a weatherstrip material made of a braided fiberglass or asbestos rope-like product.

[Pope94/IA]

I am wanting a seal for a fire condition but also an everyday seal. Like a strip about a 1/16" thick that goes all the way around the door that will expand when heated. Plus provide the a seal when not heated.

You get what im trying to ask for? It would be easier if I just knew the name or something similar to it because I am bad at explaining things

Thanks for the help though.

[4V50 Gary]

Pope - I hope you share your plans with member a1abdj. He's a locksmith and works with safes. He can give you some insights into making a good box.

[Pope94/IA]

Okay I will send him a pm and see what he has to say. Thanks!

[FAS1]

This is the material used to seal safe doors in case of a fire. It's just cut in strips and attached around the opening of the safe.

http://www.ngflinc.com/brochures-video/palusol/

[Pope94/IA]

Thanks fas1,

I sent them an email asking for prices. I am curious if Ill have to order a full sheet of it or just get in strips. Since im just making one gun safe, it wouldn't be worth buying a whole sheet of it.

[4V50 Gary]

How about concrete filled? There are fibers you can add that improve the strength; that and tossing in copper, ball bearings and other pieces of metal would make increase its cut resistance (since they'll dull the blade and require change of blades).

[a1abdj]

For somebody who has never done this before, I think you're doing a great job. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to offer my input. Otherwise, the best way to learn is to try it and see how it works.

[big al hunter]

Door and hardware specialty companies sell strips of intumescent weather strip with adhesive on 1 side, approximately 3/8 inch wide and 1/16 thick. Should be available locally anywhere. Not sure what the cost is because I haven't worked with it for many years and never had to purchase it, just installed it.

Also on the fire proofing get intumescent fire caulk for the edges of the drywall. It will seal the gaps and increase the fire resistive property of the safe. If you can't find it at home depot look up your local Hilti sales rep. Or check at drywall supply companies for construction.

[Pope94/IA]

Gary,

That would be a good idea but for me it would be too much of a hassle working with concrete.


a1abdj,

I actually would like some input on the door handle. I will post pictures Monday of the handle but I am trying to figure out way to attach the handle to the locking mechanism without having the weld it together. After I get the sheet metal on there, it will be almost impossible to get inside there and weld it. Plus if something had broke in the future I would like to be able to take apart the door.

I was thinking of making a hexagon sleeve or even a square sleeve that the handle would slide into. Im going to play around with a software I have so I can explain that a little better.

[Pope94/IA]

Something like this. The model on the left would be inside the door with the sleeve on it. Then the handle would slide through a whole in the sheet metal and then through the sleeve. Then bolted on in the back. I dont know if that would work or not.

[JWT]

Quite an interesting project. Hope you keep posting pictures as it progresses. Nice work!