Humblehandtooler Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Hey everybody just joined the site was wondering what anyone thinks of using a large gun safe for hand tool cabinet. Completely gut inside and redesign to a tool cabinet any ideas on how you think it would work would be great thanks for any advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome Ht. If you are worried that the government is going to try and take your tools away, then this is a sound plan. Otherwise, I'd just make it out of wood, so you don't need a forklift to relocate it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humblehandtooler Posted May 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 1 minute ago, Janello said: Welcome Ht. If you are worried that the government is going to try and take your tools away, then this is a sound plan. Otherwise, I'd just make it out of wood, so you don't need a forklift to relocate it. I'm more worried about fire my shop has a wood fire place and wood floors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Just now, Humblehandtooler said: I'm more worried about fire my shop has a wood fire place and wood floors I think you need to have a plan so that when you leave the shop you have piece of mind that a fire will not break out. Sounds like you have better things to think of than a tool cabinet. We all think about and worry about a freak accident like that.. but you have to take the proper precautions. I never leave oily rags in my shop...and If I had a wood burner, you can bet it would be out..and metal doors locked before I left the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome to the forums. I think John is right you need to concern your self with not so much protecting the tools but protection your whole shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome to the forum. The only advantages I can see are 1) you live in a high humidity area and you close the door of the safe with several moisture absorbent gel packs inside, or 2) the safe is already in your shop and you want to take advantage of the space it occupies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Coop has a valid point and I guess this all boils down to personal preference too. But for me, I like having as much floor space as possible. My machines have me cramped enough. Hand tools fit on a wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted May 22, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome in! I'll have to agree with the others it seems like serious overkill to use a gun safe for hand tools. Unless you are concerned about someone breaking into your shop, stealing your gear, and using it to commit random acts of joinery. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 I'm not sure that all gun safes are fire proof, and those that are usually say something like "fire protection for 120 minutes". That said, if you have an extra gun safe hanging around I don't see why you wouldn't re-purpose it for something. I might put my corded hand tools in there... Or you could sell the gun safe and buy some ply to make a cabinet tailored to your tools and your work flow. Half way decent plywood isn't cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome to the forums. First off, most gun safes have a "fire rating" and are not "fire proof". So, in the event of a major fire, you're going to lose the stuff anyway. Your best option is to increase your personal property insurance to cover the tools and equipment that you have. Obviously, do what you can to prevent the event but, you're just not going to think of everything and can't plan for the freak incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Larry Moore Posted May 22, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 If you want to repurpose it. It would make a better flammable material storage cabinet 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Welcome to the forum. Gun safes in my neck of the woods are rare to say the least (like rocking horse poop). However if you have it I agree with Larry to make it into a nice flammables cabinet. Some people, myself included, use non-fire rated boxes such as filing cabinets to store spirits and having a nice fire rated cabinet on hand I would repurpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Fire ratings are figured on expected contents. Cartridges will combust at lower temps than wood fixtures or paper. I have a four hour filing cabinet that would get too hot on the inside for cartridges. Having said that, I also am on the camp that says keep your chimney clean, bank your unwatched fires, tile or keep a spark proof barrier under the stove and avoid the structure fire all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 The beauty of being a woodworker is that you can build your own cabinet. Put the gun safe in your den next to your grizzly bear head, and build yourself a hand tool cabinet that is customized for your hand tool collection. And don't heat your shop in a way that risks burning down your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 2 hours ago, TerryMcK said: rocking horse poop HAHA!!! I haven't heard this before, but I'm sure to use it in the near future! OP... yeah yeah... treat the problem, not the symptom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humblehandtooler Posted May 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Thanks for all the great advice guys back to the drawling board now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 We have a safe that belonged to my Grandfather. Not a gun safe, but a regular safe about 4' tall and 3' x 3'. When I moved it, I figured that it weighed about 2500 lb. because that's the maximum my front end loader will lift, and it could barely get it done. I used to think they were so heavy because of really thick steel. When we got it in the house, and took the cover off the inside of the door to lube up the complicated combination lock mechanism, I saw that the six inch thick walls were mostly fire clay. Probably only 1/8 of the total weight is steel. Maybe they have better fire proofing materials in gun safes these days, but judging by this old safe, I'd question how effective one would be in protecting hand tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 Safes are rated by the length of time documents and money will survive a fires temperatures. Paper can be brown as long as it's still readable. I wonder if a gun safe will protect ammo from high temperatures? Tool steel could be ruined and lose its temper if cooked for too long. The only advantage I see would be theft prevention but one of my clients home was robbed and they took the entire gun safe and part of the wall it was bolted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 Unfortunately, while your fire arm is locked in the safe, it is useless as a deterrent to would-be thieves. Back to the OP's question, I can think of no reason that a gun safe would be a BAD thing to keep hand tools in, just no particular benefit to doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 One good reason to use a gun safe to store hand tools is that most good safes have a humidity control system. Rust is the enemy of firearms as well as hand tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 When I worked at a hardware store as a teen the boss was showing me how to change the paper in the cash register. I was going to toss the core and the boss stopped me and pulled out a box full of them. I had to ask what he was saving them for " assholes for rocking horses " was the reply. Never did get a straight answer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 24, 2016 Report Share Posted May 24, 2016 I recall as a kid (maybe 5), walking through the woods behind our house, near an ICRR track. That house was built prior to the Great War of Northen Agression ?, and the original owner's grave is in the front yard. Anyway, we found an old safe, with a 2' hole blown in the side of it, as if from dynomite. You can guess the kind of stories my imagination concocted for its history! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted May 24, 2016 Report Share Posted May 24, 2016 The problem with putting all your tools in the gun safe is that your AR keeps falling off the French cleat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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