Humidity management in safe, or "Ugh!!!"

[RangerEric]

You might want to look at getting a humidity sensor as well. You can probably get an Oregon Scientific basic temperature/humidity sensor for less than $50.

elsie

I discovered this afternoon that we actually got an Oregon Scientific "Weather Station" as a wedding present that I knew nothing about, my wife's had it set up in another room of the house. It was showing ambient humidity in the house as being 66%. I moved it into my closet on top of my safe a couple hours ago, and it's now showing 30% humidity. (And 94 degrees!) There's also a good amount of moisture collected in the "Dry-Z-Air" tray. My glasses no longer fog up upon entering the closet, and my rice even feels a little moist!! I think the plan will be to continue to run the space heater over night, then maybe tomorrow seal the safe up with the Dry-Z-Air and the Goldenrod and the sensor, (but no guns just yet), and get an idea for what it's going to show for humidity after a few hours. I'll keep everyone updated.. Thanks again for all the support.

 

[rsmccsman]

You can buy a dehumidifier advertised in many gun magazines I think even sportsman's guide. You might also check out static dehumidification bags. You put them in and they absorb moisture. see website.

http://www.multisorb.com/products/natrasorb.html

 

[RangerEric]

25%!!!

 

[Ding]

just stick a handful of moisture packets in the safe.I save them from everything.pill bottles,food etc.and just toss em on the floor and shelves of the safe.

 

[A2theK]

I have studied this a bit and use an electric dehumidifer. Dry-Z-Air can be very bad if it vaporizes or spills. Like having a bucket of salt water in there. The golden rods just raise the temp. Remember humidity and temp are like Volts/Amps. VCI powder, emitters, or bags are awesome and work. I keep my guns at 50 deg 25% H all year. Watch your leather goods and wood at 25% though. They may get to dry. As temp goes down the humidity seems to goes up because water extraction is harder. Fire safes have concrete/gypsum in them and can hold water longer too.

 

[Cougfan2]

As another precaution for you, I have been using the Sentry Tuff Cloths for years to protect my blued guns from rust. Contains no silicon or oils and works much better than either for corrosion protection. You can get them from Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=12801/Product/SENTRY_TUF_CLOTH_trade____TUF_GLIDE_trade__LIQUID

You might want to check it out.

 

[pirateer2007]

just stick a handful of moisture packets in the safe.I save them from everything.pill bottles,food etc.and just toss em on the floor and shelves of the safe.

This works great! Also works on cell phones dropped in the lake

 

[RangerEric]

This works great! Also works on cell phones dropped in the lake

Hey Pirateer, that's the voice of experience there, now isn't it?? . (Never did get those AR parts, btw.) :-/

So, after sealing the safe back for a day with the goldenrod and the dry-z-air, it's leveled off at about 68 degrees and 53-58% humidity, w/o the space heater cooking everything anymore. Not great, but a big improvement. Looking forward to seeing what the dehumidifier unit I ordered from Cabelas does to things in a couple days once it comes in the mail.

 

[ch139]

... submersed in WD-40.

Isn't WD-40 a rust remover and bluing is a rusting process?

Had something similar, but not as extreme, so I kinda feel you pain. When I moved back to Oregon I kept my safe in my folk's garage. It was all good through the summer, but as fall came on I started noticing a kind film of light rust on everything. Got it all outta there immediately and into the warm house. Got em all cleaned up and all is well.

Sorry to hear about you firearms, hope you get it all corrected.

 

[jordanka16]

blueing is an oxidizing process, so is rust, but they form different iron oxides.

in humid climates, keeping guns from rusting is a constant battle, I love the time I spend in eastern oregon, so dry...

 

[tionico]

you need to keep the heat on to drive the moisture out of the lining material. It firdt needs to vaporise (heat helps with this) then it will migrate to an area of lower humidity (the space in the body of the safe). I'd get about four of the Drizair black plasyic bowls, two in the bottom, two up higher. It will take considerable time to move the moisture out of the liner and into the space inside the safe. You can get a dry reading one day, think you've won the game, only to find more water migrating in another day or two.

Drizair crystals are nothing but calcium chloride. It takes VERY high heat to evaporate. Only risk is spilling the liquid that drops to the lower chamber of their bowls. Benefit of their bowl is that you can see, daily, exactly how much water was extracted from the air each day when you empty them (safest, as there is less danger of spilling)

Keep heat on and safe closed, dumping collected water daily until there is nothing in the bowls for a few days. Only then can you consider moving your treasures back in. Even so, I'd leave one Drizair unit, up high, for a few weeks, somewhere air easily will circulate yet is out of the way enough it will not get spilled. Check daily for a week after no new water collects in the lower bowl, then weekly for another month. After that, switch to something innocuous and accident proof like silica gel.

Bottom line: it took a few weeks for that water to saturate the safe's liner, it won't be popping out in a few days just on the strength of your eviction notice. You have far too much at stake to try and rush it. Patience, and be thorough. Anything less you'll pay dearly.

As my bona fides, I have had professional training in water damage and removal, specifically relating to structures, carpets, furniture..... learned the science of telling moisture where to go after flooding, fires, etc,