Old water tank into gun safe

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Started a project of turning an old water tank into a gun safe the other day. I figure it will make a nice inconspicuous safe.  I only got a few cuts in and had to go.  Stay tuned for more.
Reply:Like Gone in Sixty Seconds eh ...( in the original they use a water heater for storage of documents etc). How often do regular houses have more than one water heater??Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:Put a lable on the second one that says "Water Softener"...the average thief probably couldn't tell the difference.  Run a dummy pipe to and from it.  Now if you already have a water softener, then you have a problem...
Reply:Put a sign on there that says "not a gun safe". "The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Stick this on the side
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyPut a sign on there that says "not a gun safe".
Reply:Ha ive been plotting the same idea with a water heater350P 30A spool gun cut master 51  syncro 250 other stuff " take a dog off the street and make him prosper and he will not bite you sad the same cannot be said for man" i didnt use punctuation just to piss you off
Reply:Originally Posted by umahunterHa ive been plotting the same idea with a water heater
Reply:I couldn't take it, I went out and did the 4th cut just to get the door off and see how the inside was. The bladder holds the water so the tank wasn't slimy from water but it has a rust covering all over. Some gravel tumbling for 20 minutes would probably clean it right up nice. I'm gonna have to figure out some way to roll the tank with the gravel.
Reply:Originally Posted by DemonSpeederHow often do regular houses have more than one water heater??
Reply:Years ago i had two shotguns and had them locked in a gun cabinet in the Loft, the Cartridges i kept in a safe in the shed in the Garden.You have very strict gun laws in the UK, about who knows and where your guns are kept. Police go round to inspect them regularly and i remember one case where a farmer had lost his shotgun certificate because when the police called round to inspect his guns, His wife showed them to them. She was not a License holder and should not of had access to his keys or guns.In the UK its now Very hard to get legal ownership of a gun, you got more chance of buying one illegally. How sad is that
Reply:Now thieves will steal the tank and scrap all your guns instead of selling them Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugNow thieves will steal the tank and scrap all your guns instead of selling them
Reply:You have very strict gun laws in the UK, about who knows and where your guns are kept. Police go round to inspect them regularly and i remember one case where a farmer had lost his shotgun certificate because when the police called round to inspect his guns, His wife showed them to them. She was not a License holder and should not of had access to his keys or guns.
Reply:I have my loaded AR leaning against the bedroom wall........Tim Beeker.
Reply:Actually, it isn't a water heater, it's a pressure tank for a well pump or cistern.  Since some house have both, it really isn't out of place at all in most any house.JackFort Loramie, OhioMilermatic Autoset 180
Reply:put a sign on it that says "sewage pretreatment tank "Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by jmhoyingActually, it isn't a water heater, it's a pressure tank for a well pump or cistern.  Since some house have both, it really isn't out of place at all in most any house.
Reply:I was really hoping this tank was going to be of the 2000 gallon walk-in variety.
Reply:Originally Posted by cd19I was really hoping this tank was going to be of the 2000 gallon walk-in variety.
Reply:My cabin had 2 40gal heaters and 1 80 gal heater. and no less than 5 pressure tanks, previous owner did a lot of their own plumbing. The large heater was hooked up to an off-peak power panel and was original, when that wasnt enough they wired a second one to the off-peak and a third to the service panel. Every time the bladder in a pressure tank popped they would just hook up a new one and leave the old one in line. Also found 20' of hydraulic hose buried as the service line from the deep well pump to the house (found that when it popped and the pump ran for 3 days straight.
Reply:I'd rather get a 20 gallon propane tank, weld a fake door and lock on it, then actually fill it up,with propane.  Put a sticker on it that says, "Dad's gun safe, keep out!"  Then leave a hand truck right next to it.  ....read all about the explosion that killed the thieves, "trying to cut open a propane tank."  Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Originally Posted by jmhoying
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWDang, those scrap thieves will steal anything won't they!
Reply:Maybe somehow the ring went around where the thieves were selling the man hole covers back to the city?Originally Posted by 7A749Flint had an epidemic on their hands awhile back. Thieves were stealing sewer grates & manhole covers as fast as the city could replace them.What I can't figure out was how the scrap yards kept taking the stuff. Padnos looks over everything you bring in quite thoroughly. The paper said those guys got about $28 for a manhole cover..Cost the city something like almost $300 to replace it.
Reply:Originally Posted by SteelwillWe had a rash of people stealing storm sewer grates, that cost us a bunch also. The castings were so old we had to cut them out and install all new frames and grates.
Reply:My house had 2 water tanks when I moved in.Took one out and put a water softener in its place.Probably what sat there originally...With a Wife and Teenage Daughter, I would not mind having two Hot Water Tanks!
Reply:With just a wife I want a second water heater...with a teenage daughter added into that mix I'd probably want three.  Luckily for me, my first child (a girl) isn't due until April...so I at least have a while before I have to worry about the teenage daughter problem...although I do plan to take her boyfriends out on a boar hunting trip before they get to date her when she gets to that age.Back on the topic of the gunsafe being made, how are you going to secure the door shut?  Are you putting a pin locking system like an actual safe door on it (if so, I'd love to see the machinework on that).--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteBack on the topic of the gunsafe being made, how are you going to secure the door shut?  Are you putting a pin locking system like an actual safe door on it (if so, I'd love to see the machinework on that).--Wintermute
Reply:Got some stuff done. Got about 10 pounds of crap out of the tank with the super tumbler set up.I decided to go with sliding pins instead of plates to keep it simple. There will be a third pin yet right in the middle of the door.Made up a ring for the handwheel "valve".
Reply:ok, I'll bite. Why tumble it, and how many RPM is the tank getting?There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:It was pretty chunky inside and I didn't want to scrap and brush and stuff. I just wanted to tumble it with some junk inside to break the crusty stuff off and have just surface rust ideal for por15 or the like. Then after that dries I can pour cement in the bottom for weight and throw in some sort of soft stuff. I was actually looking at some dark gray (pin pressed or pin hole or the like) carpet stuff the other day. I like gray but had thoughts of other colors like blue, the normal green, black, tan, so many choices...Ah yes, the tank rpm was about 30ish give or take 10
Reply:I like the tumbler trick.  Looks like something I'd do...
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTthrow in some sort of soft stuff. I was actually looking at some dark gray (pin pressed or pin hole or the like) carpet stuff the other day..
Reply:Originally Posted by KelvinI'd be careful choosing what to use there. Foam rubber and carpet backing type stuff will absorb moisture and rust your guns.If it was me, I'd just paint the inside and leave it bare. Air circulation around guns is a good thing. Leaving them in foam padded gun cases is the fastest way to turn them into lumps of rust.
Reply:A good friend cleaned his rusty VW gas tank by strapping it to the wheel of his tractor.  He put in some chain and gravel and then used the tractor normally for a week or so.  The tank was all "shiney" inside after.  The noise while driving the tractor was incredible."G"ConductorX - The Volkswright Shophttp://volkswright.blogspot.com/http://bugwerks.blogspot.com/Miller DVI w/Spoolgun - Miller Plasma Cutter
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingMachineWhoh, hold the phone!!The cops come to your house, for no other reason but to check your guns?!?!No crime committed, just, eh let's go check this guy out?!?How much $$$ do they waste a year in manpower alone?That's just wrong.In the United states the police have no right entering your house without a warrant.(unless of course you have NFA weapons on file) .
Reply:Finally had a little time to work on the tank project again. Its coming along slowly.Red felt glued in and just poured 100# of cement in the bottom.
Reply:I have a sweet locking mechanism if you want to check it out
Reply:Originally Posted by justinTI have a sweet locking mechanism if you want to check it out
Reply:What a fake out, great hiding place for one's artillery, I like it.Magazines have issues, everything else has problems
Reply:Originally Posted by justinTI have a sweet locking mechanism if you want to check it out
Reply:Originally Posted by dswdang, those scrap thieves will steal anything won't they!
Reply:Thats  coming along real nice, VPT! How do you plan to hide the door? Or is that even anything you are planning?Safety 3rdGump
Reply:Originally Posted by GumpThats  coming along real nice, VPT! How do you plan to hide the door? Or is that even anything you are planning?
Reply:on the atlas, what is the rotating stop thing used for?  Is that hand made for a task you do repeatedly for positioning?  Do tell more?miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:I believe the stop is a factory piece. I received it with the lathe and it has the push in oiler and stuff just like the lathe does. The wheel is numbered for each stop but I never did see a line for them to line up with so I just made a line with a sharpie.I actually rarely use it and when I do it just stays on the lathe until it gets in the way one day and then goes back in the drawer till I need it again. I am sure the steps would come in handy for doing repeated production work of multi steps in a bar or the like. I am sure it would be super handy with a tool turret.
Reply:The USA is one screwed up mess. Even so, I am glad I don't live, nor never will live in the UK. Just saying. Originally Posted by gav0994Most Police Forces in the UK have dedicated Firearms licensing departments to carry out MANDATORY checks on all potential Firearms and Shotgun license holders.In the UK if you wish to own a firearm you must submit a Firearms License application to the Police, which must include names of two referees who can vouch for you and also state the reason for requiring a firearm and where you intend to use it. Additionally you must state what type of firearm you wish to have and maximum amount of ammo you will hold and purchase annually. The Police then carry out background checks on the Police computer systems and contact the referees named on the application to check they are genuine.  Based on all the info gathered a decision is made on whether or not to grant the license - which lasts 5 years.  A condition of the license is that the police can carry out inspections of your firearms cabinet at any reasonable time.The above, very strict, procedures ensures almost 100% of the time that firearms and shotguns are kept out of the hands of people who should not ever be allowed possesion of them!I know all of the above as I am a former police officer that was involved in many firearms checks/applications!