So I just bought my first safe

[TulsaBandit]

Yesterday I bought and installed a pretty good sized safe and now I'm on the hunt for lighting and a dehumidifier. Anyone have any recommendations? Right now they would have to be battery powered as there is no outlets near the install location. Also I was wondering - I have a bunch of leftover aromatic cedar planks used to line cedar chests and closets with. Would those be ok to stick a couple inside the safe for the pleasant smell or could any residual oils cause any harm to gun hardware?

 

[gunnut]

I use one of these for a dehumidifier.

http://www.eva-dry.com/products/eva-dry-333-mini-dehumidifier/

 

[Werewolf]

Silica Gel in a box with the color coded sections. Midway sells it in many different sizes.

Works great in mine. OK isn't all that humid anyway (though some may think so) and the electric dehumidifiers have always seemed like overkill to me.

As an aside: Did you get your safe bolted into the floor?

 

[Sanford]

+1 on the Silica Gel - I have one of the perforated cans in the bottom of the safe. May not be completely necessary on for an indoor safe, but figure it can't hurt.

As for lights - I use 12V LED strips from the auto store powered by a couple of 6v lantern batteries in series, wired through a button switch epoxied on the hinge side of the door to turn them off when it's closed.

 

[turkeyrun]

Cedar - no harm, but never had a problem with moths destroying any firearms, but the aroma may be a great mask for oil smells wafting from the hunting blind. You may be onto something here.

 

[TulsaBandit]

I'm bolting it to the floor tonight. Got a hammer drill from work today.

 

[BlackRifle]

I'm bolting it to the floor tonight. Got a hammer drill from work today.

Great idea. A few weeks ago,I set my safe on 3/4 inch plywood and then bolted it down to the garage floor.

 

[Yourshoesareuntied]

Great idea. A few weeks ago,I set my safe on 3/4 inch plywood and then bolted it down to the garage floor.

Why the plywood first? Moisture barrier?

 

[BlackRifle]

Why the plywood first? Moisture barrier?

You are correct sir.

 

[Arin Morris]

I would think the plywood would retain more moisture in the event your garage floods.