Hi everyone.
As per my last posts, it turns out my cabinet was an inhospitable place to be, as condensation caused my stock to swell. Never one to miss out on a project I set out to modify my cabinet into something a bit more suitable.
Firstly, I was disappointed at the offerings in the UK. Considering our general climate I expected more off the shelf solutions to be available.
I will say that this is very much a stage one, I already have plans in place for a better build, but more on that later.
![20221222_220206.jpg 20221222_220206.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5970-8695d2036ab911b8b7f0d5e46be03967.jpg)
This current itteration relies on passive solutions. Step one was to seal off the cabinet by using some P profile rubber draft excluder I had from ScrewFix. On the lip that the door closed against I had to slice off the tube part of the P as it was interfering with the door closing. This should help isolate the environment inside the cabinet from the rest of the attic.
The next task was to insulate the cabinet as much as possible to do the same. I got half a sheet of 5mm plywood which more than covered it, and a pack of 5mm jigsaw flooring underlay. I made templates of the top, back, 2 sides and the returns on the front in the plywood. Two layers of insulation on top of the wood, upholstered with some grey felt from a haberdashery. The bottom is a sample from ShadowFoam, a company that sells kizen foam. It happened to fit the cabinet exactly and has been in there since I bought the cabinet.
I planned out the inside of the cabinet and anywhere I needed to screw into, I replaced the insulation with 2 layers of plywood. The result was a uniform appearance, but a solid enough fixing where required.
![20221222_220210.jpg 20221222_220210.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5969-9ce15f7b72cb6a354fb97f45a6a666c0.jpg)
A Bluetooth hygrometer/thermometer from amazon only cost me £11 but gives a real time update on conditions inside the cabinet and will update even if I'm downstairs. I would recommend this for everyone with a cabinet, regardless of location!
![20221222_220151.jpg 20221222_220151.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5972-092a984dfa7cba9afbf46624ec08affd.jpg)
I fitted a motion sensor LED strip to help with lighting. It works great and really shows off the inside of cabinet.
I've installed a shelf which carries the main dehumidifier. This is a silica gel holder with built in heater. When it changes colour you plug it in and it drives out the moisture captured.
![20221222_220155.jpg 20221222_220155.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5971-61af83e0e9864953469708a00fdb0e96.jpg)
Finally, I have a VP90 sachet that will sit next to my gun on the second hook.
I just need to finish installing more foam in the door and this version will be done.
I'm already looking forward to V2. For this I'm going to use a STC-1000 temperature control unit and an electronics enclosure heater to maintain a comfy temperature inside. As it will be a controlled 18/20 degrees I don't need to worry about it getting steamy.
But, as it should be plain to see I've completely run out of room! This 3 gun cabinet can only carry 1! As I plan on having 4 guns I'm going to need a bigger boat! I also wouldn't put a heater so close to a gunstock either as I would worry about the heat causing problems.
So, what do you guys think? Any suggestions for other things I might have missed?
Also, what's the script with getting a new cabinet? Does the FEO need to inspect the new, empty cabinet before signing it off for holding your guns?
Thanks for sticking with this mammoth post!
As per my last posts, it turns out my cabinet was an inhospitable place to be, as condensation caused my stock to swell. Never one to miss out on a project I set out to modify my cabinet into something a bit more suitable.
Firstly, I was disappointed at the offerings in the UK. Considering our general climate I expected more off the shelf solutions to be available.
I will say that this is very much a stage one, I already have plans in place for a better build, but more on that later.
![20221222_220206.jpg 20221222_220206.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5970-8695d2036ab911b8b7f0d5e46be03967.jpg)
This current itteration relies on passive solutions. Step one was to seal off the cabinet by using some P profile rubber draft excluder I had from ScrewFix. On the lip that the door closed against I had to slice off the tube part of the P as it was interfering with the door closing. This should help isolate the environment inside the cabinet from the rest of the attic.
The next task was to insulate the cabinet as much as possible to do the same. I got half a sheet of 5mm plywood which more than covered it, and a pack of 5mm jigsaw flooring underlay. I made templates of the top, back, 2 sides and the returns on the front in the plywood. Two layers of insulation on top of the wood, upholstered with some grey felt from a haberdashery. The bottom is a sample from ShadowFoam, a company that sells kizen foam. It happened to fit the cabinet exactly and has been in there since I bought the cabinet.
I planned out the inside of the cabinet and anywhere I needed to screw into, I replaced the insulation with 2 layers of plywood. The result was a uniform appearance, but a solid enough fixing where required.
![20221222_220210.jpg 20221222_220210.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5969-9ce15f7b72cb6a354fb97f45a6a666c0.jpg)
A Bluetooth hygrometer/thermometer from amazon only cost me £11 but gives a real time update on conditions inside the cabinet and will update even if I'm downstairs. I would recommend this for everyone with a cabinet, regardless of location!
![20221222_220151.jpg 20221222_220151.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5972-092a984dfa7cba9afbf46624ec08affd.jpg)
I fitted a motion sensor LED strip to help with lighting. It works great and really shows off the inside of cabinet.
I've installed a shelf which carries the main dehumidifier. This is a silica gel holder with built in heater. When it changes colour you plug it in and it drives out the moisture captured.
![20221222_220155.jpg 20221222_220155.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/shootclayforum/data/attachments/5/5971-61af83e0e9864953469708a00fdb0e96.jpg)
Finally, I have a VP90 sachet that will sit next to my gun on the second hook.
I just need to finish installing more foam in the door and this version will be done.
I'm already looking forward to V2. For this I'm going to use a STC-1000 temperature control unit and an electronics enclosure heater to maintain a comfy temperature inside. As it will be a controlled 18/20 degrees I don't need to worry about it getting steamy.
But, as it should be plain to see I've completely run out of room! This 3 gun cabinet can only carry 1! As I plan on having 4 guns I'm going to need a bigger boat! I also wouldn't put a heater so close to a gunstock either as I would worry about the heat causing problems.
So, what do you guys think? Any suggestions for other things I might have missed?
Also, what's the script with getting a new cabinet? Does the FEO need to inspect the new, empty cabinet before signing it off for holding your guns?
Thanks for sticking with this mammoth post!