hallboss 1 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 I am converting a closet (5x3) to a vault. I have the door and power figured out but I am a little indecisive on the walls. For fire rating I am doing 2 hour UL listed wall construction, but for security I have several ideas/options that I can't decide between. 1. Place lathe between the layers of sheetrock. 2. Place sheet metal between the layers (i.e 16 gauge). I know 10 ga or 1/4" would be great, but it would be cheaper to buy a 36 gun safe than to line it with that kind of iron. 3. Place metal strapping horizontally 12" floor to ceiling. 4. Or any other ideas you guys might have.... Most of the stuff I have been seeing guys do is putting chicken wire between the layers of sheetrock. Sure it would keep someone from kicking through, but chicken wire wouldn't even slow a down Sawzall with a dull wood blade. Thanks guys, Darin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
renegadebuck 16 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 (edited) I am converting a closet (5x3) to a vault. I have the door and power figured out but I am a little indecisive on the walls. For fire rating I am doing 2 hour UL listed wall construction, but for security I have several ideas/options that I can't decide between. 1. Place lathe between the layers of sheetrock. 2. Place sheet metal between the layers (i.e 16 gauge). I know 10 ga or 1/4" would be great, but it would be cheaper to buy a 36 gun safe than to line it with that kind of iron. 3. Place metal strapping horizontally 12" floor to ceiling. 4. Or any other ideas you guys might have.... Most of the stuff I have been seeing guys do is putting chicken wire between the layers of sheetrock. Sure it would keep someone from kicking through, but chicken wire wouldn't even slow a down Sawzall with a dull wood blade. Thanks guys, Darin Since the health care passed, you'll have to give them up in a few months anyway. If I were you, I'd just keep them ready! If you want to build a good one. Go to a scrap metal place that you can buy car hoods an trunks, or refrigerators, cut them up and use the metal for your vault. It will be much cheaper paying 6 bucks a hundred pounds for the steel than buying new. Edited November 8, 2009 by renegadebuck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DogMan 2,343 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 I am converting a closet (5x3) to a vault. I have the door and power figured out but I am a little indecisive on the walls. For fire rating I am doing 2 hour UL listed wall construction, but for security I have several ideas/options that I can't decide between. 1. Place lathe between the layers of sheetrock. 2. Place sheet metal between the layers (i.e 16 gauge). I know 10 ga or 1/4" would be great, but it would be cheaper to buy a 36 gun safe than to line it with that kind of iron. 3. Place metal strapping horizontally 12" floor to ceiling. 4. Or any other ideas you guys might have.... Most of the stuff I have been seeing guys do is putting chicken wire between the layers of sheetrock. Sure it would keep someone from kicking through, but chicken wire wouldn't even slow a down Sawzall with a dull wood blade. Thanks guys, Darin Since the health care passed, you'll have to give them up in a few months anyway. If I were you, I'd just keep them ready! If you want to build a good one. Go to a scrap metal place that you can buy car hoods an trunks, or refrigerators, cut them up and use the metal for your vault. It will be much cheaper paying 6 bucks a hundred pounds for the steel than buying new. I would think that 5/8 inch cement board used to lay tile on would give a better fire rating and make it harder to saw through. You could still bust through it with a sledge hammer, though. I'll bet when all is said and done you would come out ahead if you looked for a good used large capacity safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
diamondback 56 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 This is the neat thing about doing your own design work--I'm designing a little place to retire to where the main walls are 12" steel-reinforced concrete, and the vault walls are 24". But that's also 'cause my goal was a structure that if built on Johnston Ridge just north of Mt. St. Helens, I could toss an eruption the bird, walk back inside, close the door, and shelter in place with no problems whatsoever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 Camoflage is probably your best protection for such a small space. Serious protection from brute force entry requires steel and concrete. Stealth requires only a fertile imagination. Make it look like it doesn't exist or make it look uninteresting. An exposed vault door may be a great ego booster, but it is also a direct challenge to a thief. A paneled wall with a section held in by magnetic cabinet latches is damn hard to find. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akastormi 617 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 I don't know where you would score some, Hell I don't even remember what they called it. Last prison renovation I was on the Carps were using sheets of some wild board. It was like 3/8 fiber reinforced cement board on both sides and a 1/8 of lexan sandwiched between them. That was some hardcore shit, they had to cut everything outside because of dust and noise, it was eating saw blades by the 12 pack. They placed that over 3/4 plywood. It was fire rated for interior prison walls, and lord know they got a somewhat better life than I do, Per my taxes of course. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eric Pate 478 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 Cinder blocks, lots of heavy gauge rebar, and concrete, concrete, concrete. The ceiling is the hardest part. The door is tricky as well, hanging it being most difficult. You can buy prefab vault doors like this:http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=429584 to avoid having to make one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sly 233 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 FIRST, and FOREMOST!!!! TELL NO ONE YOUR PLANS!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hallboss 1 Posted November 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2009 Yeah all paranoia aside Sly if I had a big honkin' safe in the middle of the room or a vault, does it really matter if the guys on the gun forum know what I am building? They know I have guns, if they are coming to get them it is irrelevant as to what they are in... Secondly, thanks for the info guys...The vault entry will be hidden from view and unless you are extremely observant, you would probably never know there was something behind the "cover." What I am looking for it something that will eliminate bodily forced entry and resist tooled entry. Lets face it most of our safes out there are not break in proof. Give someone enough time they will get into it. A safe merely keeps a crook who is in a hurry from getting your crap. To me, safes although fairly impenetrable can be wrapped with a chain and drug out of the house, however a vault cannot. This and the shear size is why I am picking a vault over a safe. Believe it or not I actually had a case like that, but instead of guns the safe was full of dope. Unfortunately, masonry is not a viable option so I am stuck with building a fire wall and reinforcing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cscharlie 107 Posted November 9, 2009 Report Share Posted November 9, 2009 Get a welder and build a cage out of steel rebar. Weld in your steel door frame and hing. Cover it with what ever you choose. I assume you have some sort of weight limit, that could eliminate some materials ect... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Azrial 1,091 Posted November 9, 2009 Report Share Posted November 9, 2009 As long as it will take some real equipment to break in, don't worry about it. Thieves will move on to easier targets. Also, get insurance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
corbin 621 Posted November 10, 2009 Report Share Posted November 10, 2009 I'm facing the same issues where I want to build a vault of some kind, but I'm not sure exactly how to best proceed. HERE'S a thread I started back in June discussing ideas. Corbin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
headshot 52 Posted November 10, 2009 Report Share Posted November 10, 2009 If you are on the second level of a house, there is no point in fire-proofing. Disguise the door as an recessed shelving unit. They won't know its there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.