Larger Firearm Safe

**MohamedD** · 19-07-2021, 15:49

We had a 700kg empty safe stolen from one of our branches during the looting. How they managed to carry it away I don’t know.

**Bl4d3** · 19-07-2021, 18:45

Originally Posted by MohamedD

We had a 700kg empty safe stolen from one of our branches during the looting. How they managed to carry it away I don’t know.

I'm not even mad, that's just impressive.
Was it in a easy to reach location?

**MohamedD** · 19-07-2021, 20:18

No, not in an easy to reach location.

**paulnb** · 19-07-2021, 20:58

Originally Posted by MohamedD

We had a 700kg empty safe stolen from one of our branches during the looting. How they managed to carry it away I don’t know.

Oh the dissapointment on eventually opening the empty safe after struggling to move and open it!

**Bl4d3** · 19-07-2021, 22:08

So just an update, I'm probably going to turn this into a safe restoration thread as I decided to restore it aesthetically before I install it.

I've ordered some Rustrite Hammered Black to paint the safe with, I am trying to knock most of the current hammered paint job off as its super brittle, just looking at it and it starts to crack.
I'm using a wire wheel on an angle grinder.

Once I removed the door, the safe became substantially lighter, I then laid it down on its side so I could get to the bottom. The bottom was then 'sanded', cant think of the correct term, back to raw steel.
I then went over all the spots that had rust on.

Tomorrow I will start on removing the paint, this will probably take a few days though as I can only work on it in the evenings after work and obviously not for too long as it will drive my neighbours insane.
It could probably be done over a weekend.

Will post some pictures soon.

**Vaal** · 19-07-2021, 23:05

Won't chemical paint stripper work?

**Bl4d3** · 19-07-2021, 23:30

Originally Posted by Vaal

Won't chemical paint stripper work?

It would bit it would work out to quite a lot of money considering the amount of surface area that needs to be covered, additionally its quite the pollutant. I get that I'm going to paint it with a chemical but I would like to keep the pollution down as much as possible.

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**Fire-stick** · 20-07-2021, 00:06

Alternatively a heatgun with scraper to remove the paint is an option.

The method above will be less noisy and produce less dust and flying wire bristles than the grinder with wire wheel.

Where you need to take back the finish to steel and remove surface rust in the process, get yourself flap discs of 60 and 120 grit.
Start with 60 for quicker removal and finish with the 120 to smoothen.

**shooty** · 20-07-2021, 08:49

Ive found Hammerite Hammered in tin works best. To get Hammered finish. But use a roller. A sponge type and lay it on thin first coat. 2nd coat thick and you will get pattern.

**Bl4d3** · 20-07-2021, 19:02

So I mostly went over the safe with the wire wheel to knock off any loose material. Surprisingly, a good portion of the paint had bonded quite nicely.
What I then decided to do was run the sander with 120 paper over the whole safe.

Wiped down the exterior with thinners, let it air dry and then put down the first coat of Rustrite Metal paint.
I've done 1 side, the back, top and bottom. I will apply the 2nd coat in the next hour and then tomorrow once that has cured nicely, I will do the front and other side.

I'm contemplating not doing the interior purely because I might not have enough paint.