Humidifier and rusting

[Cory]

I have been suffering from nose bleeds, and some other minor irritants. I'm thinking it is the dryness in the new apartment. This is our first winter here and it's the first time I've ever suffered frm nose bleeds. I grew up in a house with a wood stove, we always had a pot of water on top. So I though about getting a humidifier.

I'm worried about my guns. I keep them in my bedroom (the ideal place to have the humidifier?). I've already fought to get my grandfathers shotgun back from rust that was jsut short of pitting, and the first shotgun I ever bought had some pitting on the spare barrell when I bought it... both took alot of work to reduce to the lowest possible level. I care alot about my guns.

I don't keep them in a gun safe that is air tight. So a dehumidifier rod or something like that is likely to be over worked and wear out pretty fast right? So how can I stop them from rusting if I get a humidifier?

[thughes]

$6 for 4# of pure silica gel + $5 for 10 pair of L'eggs knee high nylons = lifetime supply of desiccant packs for $11.

Wegmans Cat Litter, CrystallizedÂ*- Wegmans

Kmart.com

Hang one in your gun safe, put smaller ones in your ammo cans, etc.

[24Pink14Stink]

$6 for 4# of pure silica gel + $5 for 10 pair of L'eggs knee high nylons = lifetime supply of desiccant packs for $11.

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=692941&storeId=10052&lang Id=-1"]Wegmans Cat Litter, CrystallizedÂ*- Wegmans[/URL]

Kmart.com

Hang one in your gun safe, put smaller ones in your ammo cans, etc.

^^^this^^^

My safe is in my basement, up on cinder blocks. Have a dehumidifier running down there anyways so keeps it ice and dry.

[Lord Timelord]

Get yourself a Remington Model 500 Mini-Dehumidifier to keep the moisture levels in check inside your gun safe. When the color coded window changes and show's that it's saturated, you know it's time to plug it into an outlet for 12 hours to dry out the material that is inside it. They can be re-charged to expel the moisture for many years before they wear out (if ever).

I've had mine in my gun cabinet for the last ten years with no rust issues whatsoever. Just remember to check it every couple of weeks to see if the window indicates if you need to dry it out again. As long as you keep track of it, you'll have no issues.

[Cory]

When I said I don't have an airtight gun safe what I really meant was I have a gun cabinet that I bought used, which has sliding plexiglass that isn't cut right. They are pretty much open to the entire room.

Should I put a humidifier in another room?

[VARMINT223]

Get an electronic hygrometer. In summer i shoot for 60% RH. I get no rust on my irons. In winter my dehumidifiers shut down and RH goes to 20%, I can't get RH into my house. Low RH is bad on wood stocks, oil for storage w wood oil.

A hygrometer will be specific as to your houses needs.

[GUNSICK]

Normal humidity levels shouldn't effect your guns, it's excessive humidity that does. Like a damp basement. Just run a humidifier, if you can't see through the fog or have water running down the walls turn it down a little. If your really worried get a Golden Rod, it elevates the heat in your cabinet to keep the moisture out.

[Chicken Shoot]

I have those dehumidifiers that you see available for sale that are around the $25 mark. I just check them once a week or so and plug them in as needed to dry them and back in they go. No problems thus far BUT I also use Gunslick grease on my gun metal which helps alot I'm sure. Very Very fine layer of it to coat the metal. That silica idea sounds pretty cool too.


This is the same style I've been using for years.