Light Up The Darkness... Just finished a cool mod to my Safe!

[Hanwei]

So I was at Home Depot today... picking up some things... and thought I might as well start a project I've been thinking about for a few weeks.

$40 and 1.5 hours later...

I installed 2 13" fluorescent lamps inside my safe (linked so they only use one power cord). Sometimes it's just too dang dark in there! But not any more.

Light up the darkness.

Can you tell I enjoyed I Am Legend?

Anyway...I ran the cord under the foam on the bottom.... and up to and out of the 1in hole near the bottom rear (safe came with it already pre-drilled). I didn't have to do any "fabrication" to the wiring or the safe.

The 2 lamps are secured using velcro hook to the interior carpet. Pretty simple.

And that's it! Enjoy the photos!

 

[MFP4073]

Nice!

 

[pdm]

Very nice! I should get some shots of the lights I installed.

 

[Hanwei]

Very nice! I should get some shots of the lights I installed.

Yes! It'd be cool to see how other people have done it.

 

[C-pher]

I would too. That's a damn good idea.

 

[pdm]

Yes! It'd be cool to see how other people have done it.

Took the shots, just have to get them off my camera and onto the intertubes.

 

[vellnueve]

I use a battery powered fluorescent light that's velcroed straight onto the interior lining on the ceiling of the safe. Bright enough for my purposes. I didn't want to run cords because I'm lazy and the safe's already bolted to the floor with the holes inaccessible.

 

[packingungal]

Where are the switches?

Do you have to lean in and turn the lights on, or you do it from the outside?...or better yet, do they light up when you open the door!!?

 

[Hanwei]

Took the shots, just have to get them off my camera and onto the intertubes.

niiiiiiiiiice.

I use a battery powered fluorescent light that's velcroed straight onto the interior lining on the ceiling of the safe. Bright enough for my purposes. I didn't want to run cords because I'm lazy and the safe's already bolted to the floor with the holes inaccessible.

Hehe... for once I wasn't lazy

Do you have to lean in and turn the lights on, or you do it from the outside?...or better yet, do they light up when you open the door!!?

Each lamp assembly has a rocker switch. So I open the safe door... reach in and flick the first switch on... flick the second switch on... easy. No leaning in... I just reach a quarter inch past the threshold of the doorway on the left to access the switches.

These are the lamps I got:

GE Slim Line Fluorescent Fixture

I was trying not to be lazy... but ironically... I was too lazy to install a contact switch that would turn them on once the door opens.

 

[DickWanner]

I was trying not to be lazy... but ironically... I was too lazy to install a contact switch that would turn them on once the door opens.

That and you'd spend at least 5 hours trying to see if the contact switch worked or not. I never did figure out if the fridge light ever turns off or not [sad2]

 

[packingungal]

That and you'd spend at least 5 hours trying to see if the contact switch worked or not. I never did figure out if the fridge light ever turns off or not [sad2]

Well, there are ways to find out....

 

[packingungal]

Each lamp assembly has a rocker switch. So I open the safe door... reach in and flick the first switch on... flick the second switch on... easy. No leaning in... I just reach a quarter inch past the threshold of the doorway on the left to access the switches.

Thanks for the speedy reply - I was curious....

 

[Rockrivr1]

Gun safe in the bedroom. NICE! I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that you are not married yet. My wife would never let me get away with that one. Not that I didn't try when we moved into our house.

Then again, the basement is all mine.

 

[Hanwei]

That and you'd spend at least 5 hours trying to see if the contact switch worked or not. I never did figure out if the fridge light ever turns off or not [sad2]

so true.

 

[gene]

Your post promted me to go to the kitchen and get a $9.00 battery operated sticky light my wife bought months ago and never used for under cabinets and 3 minutes later, with practically no effort I peeled off the backing of the sticky thing and stuck it to the bottom of my shelf and Wa Laa, I have light in my safe.

 

[gene]

By the way. I have the same safe or one (very) similar and the peg board is an idea I have been looking for to hold the hand guns. Where did you get those pegs?

 

[Hanwei]

Each lamp assembly has a rocker switch. So I open the safe door... reach in and flick the first switch on... flick the second switch on... easy. No leaning in... I just reach a quarter inch past the threshold of the doorway on the left to access the switches.

Thanks for the speedy reply - I was curious....

No problem!

Gun safe in the bedroom. NICE! I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that you are not married yet. My wife would never let me get away with that one. Not that I didn't try when we moved into our house.

Then again, the basement is all mine.

Hehe... I am NOT married. I agree...I doubt I'd be able to get away with it if I were. When I move into my own house with the lady (when I catch a good one) you can be sure the basement will not be called the basement. It will be known then on as the Man Room. Or Man Cave. And there will be more safes than I have now... and they will be larger than the ones I have now

 

[Hanwei]

Your post promted me to go to the kitchen and get a $9.00 battery operated sticky light my wife bought months ago and never used for under cabinets and 3 minutes later, with practically no effort I peeled off the backing of the sticky thing and stuck it to the bottom of my shelf and Wa Laa, I have light in my safe.

Hehe... Simple = Good

By the way. I have the same safe or one (very) similar and the peg board is an idea I have been looking for to hold the hand guns. Where did you get those pegs?

I went to my local hardware store to have them cut the pegboard to size... then I used some washers in between the board and the wall of the safe to allow space for the pegs to sit.

As for pegs, I just purchased pegs from the same hardware store that fit the pegboard. Then used electrical tape to tape up the areas that contact the handguns.

Some of the guns required me to drill custom peg holes... which was easy.

 

[gene]

Hehe... Simple = Good



I went to my local hardware store to have them cut the pegboard to size... then I used some washers in between the board and the wall of the safe to allow space for the pegs to sit.

As for pegs, I just purchased pegs from the same hardware store that fit the pegboard. Then used electrical tape to tape up the areas that contact the handguns.

Some of the guns required me to drill custom peg holes... which was easy.

Good Ideas!
Thanks

 

[pdm]

So here's my safe, the Sentry Safe ProStaff GPW2252H, it came pre-drilled for electrical access.

Exterior dimensions: 59"H x 28 5/16"W x 24 3/8"D

A Carton of Hate and a Wedge of Spite protects my guns!

Interior dimensions: 57 3/16"H x 26 1/8"W x 17 1/16"D

The lights are a three unit halogen set, that I picked up at Lowes.

It doesn't look it, but you can actually see the rifle rack well. I'm considering an additional light in front of the shelves for better visibility, but it's not a priority.

I took some closeups of the electrical work, will put them in a separate post.

 

[Rockrivr1]

By the way. I have the same safe or one (very) similar and the peg board is an idea I have been looking for to hold the hand guns. Where did you get those pegs?

Another option would be to buy a vecro rug that attaches to the top and bottom of the safe door. They make holsters that have velco on one side that sticks to the vecro rug. You can move these holsters around on the rug to customize how you have them hanging. Right now I have 12 handguns hanging from this rug in my safe. They range in size so that I have everything from a Desert Eagle and a S&W 500 to a S&W J Frame hanging from the door. Very secure. Definitely helps create extra room in the safe as well as speedy access to your handguns.

 

[pdm]

The three halogens are controlled by this little switch just inside the right side of the safe. I was able to run the three outlet extension cord that the lights plug into in the metal tab that the top shelf sits on (below that, the shelves sit on the usual adjustable tabs in the metal ladder).

Here's with the pistol rack removed. It hides the extension cord pretty well, and you can see the external power line (the brown extension cord). That came through the back wall between the top and second shelf and hid pretty handily in the corner. The lamps came with little plastic clips that you can see I've used to secure the power cords for the lamps to the interior. The light on the rifle side didn't need any clips, I ran it straight down to the metal tab and ran it inside that. I wanted to put a fridge-like contact switch in, but couldn't find a good way to secure it. Might still do it someday.

 

[ArmedMainer]

Your post promted me to go to the kitchen and get a $9.00 battery operated sticky light my wife bought months ago and never used for under cabinets and 3 minutes later, with practically no effort I peeled off the backing of the sticky thing and stuck it to the bottom of my shelf and Wa Laa, I have light in my safe.

This is all I have and all I have room for .

 

[gene]

Pistols seems to be the problem as don't like a lot of the ugly wire racks thay have out there and I built one from out of wood that is not doing the job now and since I keep adding space is an issue.

PS don't tell my wife I keep adding because even though she she loves to shoot and is one helluva shot, she doesn't know the difference between a semi 9mm and 40cal from 3feet away. On the other hand she did make me sell my pristine 03A3 and 303 to get the Ak's and AR's. I was hoping they wouldn't sell and they did very quick! Now I am heart broken!

 

[vellnueve]

I just line my handguns upside down on the shelf.

 

[pmb44]

Whenmy buddy wired his safe with a contact switch he had a simple solution to tell if the light was on. He turned the flash off on his digital camera, set the timer, and shut the door. Pic came out black so obviously the switch worked

 

[Dirtypacman]

Very nicely done - in under 2 hours and for $40 I am very impressed.

 

[Underwhere]

Here is mine:

A Stack-on safe.

Without lights (flashlight shining in on it)

With a 13" flourescent light. I find that it lights up more evenly than other lights as light is spread around the entire tube rather than directionally pointed with another type of bulb.

Still need to hide the wiring

I secured it by using pop rivets so it is very sturdy and a clean finish on the outside of the safe.

 

[z0mbi]

Whenmy buddy wired his safe with a contact switch he had a simple solution to tell if the light was on. He turned the flash off on his digital camera, set the timer, and shut the door. Pic came out black so obviously the switch worked

I was thinking another easy way to tell would be to set your digital camera to record video, if you have one that does, put it in the safe and shut the door, then check the video.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Here is mine:

A Stack-on safe.

Without lights (flashlight shining in on it)

With a 13" flourescent light. I find that it lights up more evenly than other lights as light is spread around the entire tube rather than directionally pointed with another type of bulb.

Still need to hide the wiring

I secured it by using pop rivets so it is very sturdy and a clean finish on the outside of the safe.

Damn, there is WAY to much open space in this safe. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to fill that sucker with new and used guns until you can barely close it by the end of the year.