thinking of building a safe

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Has anyone successfully built a safe before? I can get some plate for .30$ a pound. I was looking at safes that are considered "good" and they only have 11 gauge walls... that's pretty thin. But I dunno, is that enough? I'm just looking for something to buy maybe 30 min of attempted break in. Advice?
Reply:what is the safe for? you want to protect your stuff from fire or burglars? make it large enough so it can't be carried out and or sandwich stainless/copper sheets between layers of plating to discourage torch wielding crooks. maybe even incorporate a re-locking device if you want to really do it right.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Like Doc said, it needs to be big/heavy enough that 2-3 guys cant carry it away.  It should also be in a spot that someone cant wrap a chain around it and drag it out with their truck.  I think the most economical way would be to make a hybrid out of steel and concrete.
Reply:Figure Out how much volume you want to keep safe and the increase it by 30%. That will stave off frustration by two years.The hinges are the trickiest part. I rebuilt a large freestanding safe as a gun locker. Looking over the engineering made me realize that building one that will resist attack until help arrives is not for an amature.Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:Originally Posted by mike837goFigure Out how much volume you want to keep safe and the increase it by 300%. That will stave off frustration by two years.The hinges are the trickiest part. I rebuilt a large freestanding safe as a gun locker. Looking over the engineering made me realize that building one that will resist attack until help arrives is not for an amature.
Reply:I would start with a really good quality latex and water dissolvable lubricant. It needs to be something that stretches a good 12 to 14" without failing, and small ribs would be an interesting addition, maybe even a reservoir in the tip. Not sure about all this talk about making it something a man couldn't lift though... Oh yea, Happy Friday!250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:did a little more research, and it seems like just buying one is the better way to go. Making a lock that's as good or even close to a commercialy sold safe seems difficult at best. Im no engineer so it would be a head scratcher for me....
Reply:Originally Posted by OxfordLike Doc said, it needs to be big/heavy enough that 2-3 guys cant carry it away.  It should also be in a spot that someone cant wrap a chain around it and drag it out with their truck.  I think the most economical way would be to make a hybrid out of steel and concrete.
Reply:I've been looking at gun safes for the last month or so.  I think i've decided on this one:  http://www.samsclub.com/sams/stack-o....ip?navAction=It is a Stack-On brand which I'm not overly excited about but for the money, size, and features (especially the fire rating) I can't beat it locally.Sometimes Sam's doesn't show the price without logging in.  It is $599.GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:I would bolt it down. And use 1/4 or thicker steel. And put a dehumidifier in it to. Have fun
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelI've been looking at gun safes for the last month or so.  I think i've decided on this one:  http://www.samsclub.com/sams/stack-o....ip?navAction=It is a Stack-On brand which I'm not overly excited about but for the money, size, and features (especially the fire rating) I can't beat it locally.Sometimes Sam's doesn't show the price without logging in.  It is $599.
Reply:Link to a gun safe I built.   http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...light=Gun+safeAlso have built small safes out of 16" pipe. Can take some pics tomorrow.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveMine is approximately that size - I got one with the digital lock so I don't have to try and read the tiny numbers It's also much faster to open for me.
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelI have a small 2 gun Fortress that opens with 4 fingers in 2 seconds. The big one will be in another room anyway.Hard to see but this one has a digital lock also.
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelI have a small 2 gun Fortress that opens with 4 fingers in 2 seconds. The big one will be in another room anyway.Hard to see but this one has a digital lock also.
Reply:@ shaynoak - best course of action is to "hide in plain sight".  Morph the safe into your 'surroundings'.  No safe is fool-proof, no safe is safe.  You never stated your REQUIREMENTS, but best case is to have your safe blend into your local scenery.... Attached ImagesLast edited by ManoKai; 01-23-2015 at 08:38 PM."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Originally Posted by ManoKai@ shaynoak - best course of action is to "hide in plain sight".  Morph the safe into your 'surroundings'.  No safe is fool-proof, no safe is safe.  You never stated your REQUIREMENTS, but best case is to have your safe blend into your local scenery....
Reply:That is some great looking furniture for hiding valuable.
Reply:Check out this 1800 lb military surplus safe near you. I guess you would have to fab a new locking system.  I have scrapped a 300 lb I got for $25.00  for a smoker firebox i plan to build one day.http://www.govliquidation.com/auctio...&convertTo=USD
Reply:Originally Posted by bumpqueCheck out this 1800 lb military surplus safe near you. I guess you would have to fab a new locking system.  I have scrapped a 300 lb I got for $25.00  for a smoker firebox i plan to build one day.
Reply:Originally Posted by ManoKai@ shaynoak - best course of action is to "hide in plain sight".  Morph the safe into your 'surroundings'.  No safe is fool-proof, no safe is safe.  You never stated your REQUIREMENTS, but best case is to have your safe blend into your local scenery....
Reply:Make a steel box that looks like a fairly secure safe and put in a semi hidden location but light enough a thief could remove it if they really wanted to. Then put your valuables somewhere else that's well hidden. A thief will automatically think the safe is full of something valuable and if they can remove it without too much trouble, they won't look anywhere else.
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveMake a steel box that looks like a fairly secure safe and put in a semi hidden location but light enough a thief could remove it if they really wanted to. Then put your valuables somewhere else that's well hidden. A thief will automatically think the safe is full of something valuable and if they can remove it without too much trouble, they won't look anywhere else.
Reply:I would fill the "decoy" with bricks (or used cat litter) just for fun
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveLike this?Originally Posted by docwelderdave; that is one cool shelf. i think this would baffle the average neighborhood kid gone bad or crackhead but a professional burglar would see that a mile away.
Reply:I would give it a shot.  Seems like it would be a fun challenging project.
Reply:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...-into-gun-safe12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Safe made from 16" pipe 18" long. The most challenging part is fitting the hinge and the dead bolts. Needs to be done before you weld the back plate on. It helps to have a nice big lathe also.  This is my extra safe that I will eventually install in the basement. Attached Images
Reply:nice work. i see you even put it on wheels for easy portability. maybe too easy? also very cool lathe.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Originally Posted by VPThttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...-into-gun-safe
Reply:Originally Posted by docweldernice work. i see you even put it on wheels for easy portability. maybe too easy? also very cool lathe.
Reply:yea I think it is a dead give away that the frame and shelves are so thick !
Reply:Howdy, new guy here. Building a safe door for a concrete walled closet in basement. Being in basement, fire wasn't a big concern, tho maybe it should be. Ill see if I can post pictures. The lock will be a Sargent and Greenleaf combo lock. If the lock is "punched" I added a relock device, the round tube, it has a spring loaded 1/2 pin that hopefully will lock it up. Attached Images
Reply:As most of you can tell, welding is not one of my top skills, but I never let that stop me! I made the door as small as I could and still get in. The frame it fits in is in the background. The hinge side of the door has a full length strap on it that hooks behinds the jamb. I'll add a couple passive pins also. Where this isn't Fort Knox, I think it should take someone a bit of time to get in. That is after they get past the locked door to the house, 150lbs of fur and teeth, a security door with 2 deadbolts, a solid core door with dead bolt, then this thing. Most thieves are druggies in a hurry, so hopefully it will sway them to move on. Might add a Pepper Spray boobie trap hooked to door.The spray with the permanent purple dye. If I was to do over, I would change a few things, go to 2 inch tubing, not 1 1/2, try to find heime joints for pivot ends, I have nylon bushings in the pivot points now.
Reply:Originally Posted by jsmithAs most of you can tell, welding is not one of my top skills, but I never let that stop me! I made the door as small as I could and still get in. The frame it fits in is in the background. The hinge side of the door has a full length strap on it that hooks behinds the jamb. I'll add a couple passive pins also. Where this isn't Fort Knox, I think it should take someone a bit of time to get in. That is after they get past the locked door to the house, 150lbs of fur and teeth, a security door with 2 deadbolts, a solid core door with dead bolt, then this thing. Most thieves are druggies in a hurry, so hopefully it will sway them to move on. Might add a Pepper Spray boobie trap hooked to door.The spray with the permanent purple dye. If I was to do over, I would change a few things, go to 2 inch tubing, not 1 1/2, try to find heime joints for pivot ends, I have nylon bushings in the pivot points now.
Reply:Originally Posted by docwelderif as you say you're not much of a welder i do get the impression you know a little about safes and or locksmithing. the tear gas in the door is an old time safe feature which has gone out of vogue.
Reply:Originally Posted by jsmith Sargent and Greenleaf make several better grade locks including fingerprint reading type. But I wonder how well people like us have fingerprints that match from one week to the other, between burns, cuts, calluses?
Reply:i did a lot of thinking when i made gun and ammo safes..given that a thief might have  time and a torch or a thinwheeled angle grinder, its hard to come up with a design that cant be breached. unless you have access(=$) to special materials. im a scrappile guy, so i made it from 3/8 plate and angle, bolted it to a concrete wall, covered the hinges and locks with boxes of more 3/8 plate..made it hardeer to get into..  .but the commercial stuff like the stackon for $600 is only some tengauge..
Reply:Only thing any safe is doing is buying time. The real security at FortKnox is the military troops surrounding it. So how much time is needed? Who knows. I read where when the two kids from the Columbine School shooting did their thing, the parents of the victims sued the guy that owned the guns used, and won. The kids had to break in to his house and break into a gun cabinet, not a safe. The courts decided he shared some of the blame for not doing more to keep the guns safe. I believe most thieves are druggies ages 15-30 and in a hurry. Most know how to use a GameBoy but not a torch. The tools they use are what they find at the scene. I don't think any of the store bought safes would hold up to someone skilled with a torch or grinder. What someone can build, someone else get tear apart. Perhaps the question is what level of security can you accept?
Reply:http://www.scoutingny.com/scouting-a...e-adirondacks/"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Originally Posted by ManoKaihttp://www.scoutingny.com/scouting-a...e-adirondacks/
Reply:Originally Posted by jsmithBut they took out the ICBM ! That was the best part. Talk about being able to subdue a bad guy!
Reply:Some nice work, and interesting topic.  Something I can personally reccomend:Use a military tactic with my firearms, keep bolts in a separate safe, in a separate location....that little tactic help recover a lot of collectables for a friend of mine.Regards,Andy
Reply:Just a few rambling thoughts on what a gun safe is suppose to do. One thing as I mentioned above, is meet he legal requirements for safe storage. Keep your liability low. Next, who is it you are trying to keep out? Kids, curious untrained sorts, mentally deficient, either due to birth defects, mental illness or drug/alcohol issues. Throw anger management  in that group too. Aren't these issues most of us face first . before fire and theft? If so then dam near any safe, no matter how cheap meets these ends. Fire is a tuff issue as knowing what temps and for how long the exposure will be is tuff to guess. Seems not all safes are tested/rated the same there. More is better. In my case, location becomes a factor. I believe being in a concrete basement in a corner make fire somewhat less of an issue. But water from fire suppression steps up to the plate. Theft is very different for all of us. People living in poorer areas tend to be robbed, broken into more, but by less trained crooks. Wealthy people tend to be robbed by pros and have more dollars to protect. To keep a 17 yr old crack head from breaking into a safe becomes very doable. But a 35 yr old  sober pro that has planned it out, hmmm, may not happen. A good home owners policy suddenly becomes your best bet. A friend of mine owned a few gas stations years ago, he answered the door to a gun. One guy stayed with his wife and kids other went with him to the bank. Never caught the perps. I guess my point is there is no way to be 100% "safe". Think about what you need, not what you want. Banks rent safety deposit boxes for jewelry, papers etc, at a cheap price, take advantage of it. Nothing I own is worth my life. If someone wants it bad enough, it's their's. The dog might be an exception. Live long and prosper.
Reply:Last pictures of the finished door. Not installed yet, but will have 18 lags or redheads holding it in place.  Going on a closet in the basement with concrete on three sides. The handle comes off and can be hidden. Tho all it is ,is a 3/8 socket extension. Thought of using a security torx, but couldn't find one locally. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out. After it is mounted I will make some trim out of hardwood to cover the edges. Holes on bottom are air vents. I have a bathroom fan on a timer in the closet and a Golden Rod safe dehumidifier on the floor. The handle is a  shifter knob from local auto parts. I'm into it for about 600 bucks including drill bits, taps, paint and stuff, beer not included. Also included was 75 bucks for gas to drive to nearest steel yard. seems a bit much, but it gives me a safe 39 inches wide and 33 inches deep, 7 feet tall. Attached Images
Reply:As another thought on something similar to this, where my handle goes into a socket welded to the lock device, a security lug nut fo wheels would work better and maybe not even need a combination lock, just a good place to hide the wrench, or take it with you.
Reply:In my situation i am in the middle and process of building a safe at school however have a tank proof safe in the garage that i bought for much cheaper.If you give me some time i will show you some pictures.VictorPraxairAir LiquideMillerLincoln Electric
Reply:Originally Posted by docwelderdave; that is one cool shelf. i think this would baffle the average neighborhood kid gone bad or crackhead but a professional burglar would see that a mile away.