rust on gun

[JohnfromUK]

Regardless of rust, the wide ranging and fast changing temperatures in a loft are BAD for close fitted woodwork and highly finished metal. there is no getting away from that. Insulation will help - as will maintaining a near constant temperature. Electric heaters with no control will get too hot in the summer - which is very bad for long term woodwork storage. The bottom line is that a loft is not a well suited place for gun storage; if your kids can get into locked gun cabinet ...... you have the next generations master criminals!

 

Best bet IF you have to remain in the loft is to heavily insulate the cabinet - and add a small (large won't be needed if its well insulated) heat source with thermostatic control. I would use a few wirewound aluminium clad power resistors bolted to the cabinet from 12V DC to give about 25W (i.e. about 6 Ohms resistance) - and under humidistat control set to about 45-50% RH. This will be both economical to run and give decent humidity control - but will still have some temperature fluctuation.

 

The problem with a thermostat is that to prevent condensation, the cabinet internal air temperature needs to be at least slightly above the local (i.e. loft air space) air temperature - and that is where the trouble lies. In summer this will be seriously high - maybe upper 30's centigrade, which is not good for wood. But it will be quite low in winter - maybe as low as near freezing in a well insulated house.

[jam1e]

Perhaps you have 'sweaty' hands. Wipe every metal surface with oily cloth after every handling.

Have a lightly oiled rag on top of the cabinet. Always wipe them over even if they've just been handled. Then put back holding the non metal surfaces.

Works for me.