How much is TOO much dessicant/silica gel?

[John Q. Pirate]

I have a small (approx. 3 cu ft.) dry box, with the gasket-rimmed, snap down lid, where I keep a few of my handguns, and have been using one of those 40 g. square aluminum dessicant packs in there to help fight off moisture build up.

It works well enough, I suppose, but I seem to be having to "recharge" these packs every month or so, which seems to me to be a bit short-lived for its reputed ability, at least to me. anyway.

The instructions provided with the aforementioned packs advise that they're good for approx. 3 cu ft., but given the onset of the summer months (and attendant humidity, which is a problem in my area,), I've purchased one a 200 gram box which works up to a 15 cu ft. container.

My question: Is there such a thing as using too much dessicant for a given size of container? Can I expect any adverse effects (such as rust, as counterintuitive as it may seem) if I put the 200 gram unit in the 3 cu ft box with my guns?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Thors Hammer]

Don't worry, Silica Gel is designed to remove humidity from the air until equilibrium is reached or the gel is saturated. You cannot "overdry" the air by adding more desiccant.
Rust forms when oxygen, humidity, and bare steel/iron react with each other. If one component is missing or in very low supply, no rust will form, so dry air is quite efficient at preventing rust damage.
I have never heard of good-quality desiccant causing adverse effects on stored metal goods.

Re your question: Yes, you can use too much desiccant. When there is no more space in the box for your guns, then you've filled in too much

 

[MrCleanOK]

Dang it, Thors Hammer pretty much gave you my response word for word! Can't have too much dessicant unless you can't close the box.

 

[everallm]

Had 2 CZ's that went swimming when my basement flooded......

Had a big old box of silica gel cat litter, stripped them, wiped them down, buried them in the silica litter, closed the lid. Once the rest of the problems were addressed took 'em out, dry as a bone, not a spec of nasty.......

I use this type of cat litter bagged in muslin all the time now, cheap and easy to buy anywhere.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Does it say on the bag: "silica gel cat litter" or what? Is it in the cat litter aisle?

 

[DHJenkins]

If you wake up with chapped lips, you've used too much.

 

[everallm]

Dr Tad

Petco carries their brand "crystals"

http://www.petco.com/product/107848/PETCO-Crystals-Cat-Litter.aspx#description

I had the Pestell sealed bucket

http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_id=3063318&cm_mmc_o=2mHlCjCVdKCjCVdK2tzEEwklCjCWR2RJVRW&zmam=90031077&zmas=13&zmac=74&zmap=3063318

There is also Tidy Cat Crystals

http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Crystals/

 

[Sheldon J]

And you can recharge the stuff in your oven, just heat to 250 for an hour....

 

[MachIVshooter]

When you run the faucet and the water streams toward your gun cabinet, it might be too much.

 

[paradox998]

Great tip! Any suggestions on the type of bag to use or put the desicant in?

 

[paradox998]

Found the answer on bag. Go to ebay and you can buy muslin bags for 100 for $13 and make your own decicant bag that can ge regenerated. With the cheap kitty l can made up packs for my cans for a few cents a pack.

 

[John Wayne]

And you can recharge the stuff in your oven, just heat to 250 for an hour....

Just make sure not to do that with any previously used silica cat litter!

 

[everallm]

This money saving tip brought to you by the letter Pee

 

[musick]

Great tip! Any suggestions on the type of bag to use or put the desicant in?

A pair of pantyhose w/ desiccant placed between knotted off sections works well and is cheap. You could create at least 10 custom desiccant "bags" per pair.

 

[stchman]

Are these handguns that affected by humidity?

I would just make sure the guns are cleaned and oiled.

If you are that worried about humidity then vacuum pack them.

 

[Lightninstrike]

Chuckle. Silica cat litter. That's a great idea. Wish I had thought of it. :banghead:

 

[22-rimfire]

High humidity does not cause rust. The oxidation the iron in metal results in the formation of rust (iron oxide).

Warm air has a higher capacity to hold water than cold air.

Dunking a firearm in water due to a flood or a trip to the lake is a no brainer.

Surface condensation of water is the enemy of folks who want their firearms to remain rust free.

Rust will eventually form on an iron or steel object from the iron reacting with water sourced from condensation when the firearm temperature is lowered relative to air temperature. Basically the air adjacent to the firearm metal is cooled and the dew point of the adjacent air is reached.

This is what happens when you bring a cold firearm into a warm house in the winter... water condensation on the firearm from water contained in the warm indoor air. The reverse does not happen.

So, as long as firearms are stored in a relatively constant air temperature environment, there will be no condensation on the metal.

A coat of oil adds a layer between the metal and the air initially and allows you to easily wipe off the surface water. Eventually the oil is released from the surface of the metal and floats to the surface of the water. You have water-metal contact and oxidation of the metal can begin to occur producing rust.

For these reasons, it is generally not a good idea to store your guns on materials that absorb and hold water from whatever source. The material; fabric, foam, soft gun case, foam lined hard case, etc., retains the water and allows for constant exposure of the metal to the wet material resulting in formation of rust eventually.

A dessicant is used in a closed container to capture water vapor or water. It is not necessary in a well ventilated home. You can regulate the indoor humidity level with your HVAC system.

 

[basicblur]

Didn't know if you were aware of these (or if you're interested)-not as cheap as some of your options in the short run, but since you just plug 'em in (22 watts) to recharge instead of having to fire up your oven, they may be cheaper in the long run? They're also a lot more convenient.

Remington and various others also sell a copy of this unit-I've seen 'em at Dick's Sporting Goods etc. Think I got a couple of Remington units from Midway when they were on sale?

 

[stonecoldy]

I use 1 lb. plastic margarine containers with ventilated lids in my gun cabinet, switch them out once a month in the winter, more like two weeks in the summer if I can keep the windows open.
I use silica gel with environmental testing that I do as a living, one concern to keep in mind is dust from it, a paper filter mask is not a bad idea if you're pouring it from container to container. Can cause silicosis.
Something to keep in mind.
Regeneration has declining returns, it does degrade and is not as efficient over time. I have indicating (Blue when dry, turns pink when saturated with moisture) mixed with non-indicating, when the indicating is regenerated it will be a paler blue than brand new.

 

[xsquidgator]

cheap dessicant

I've been using these "dry closet" things that I found at Walmart, in the same section with the clothing irons and ironing boards. They're intended to be put in closets to keep the closet dry, and once it's collected full of water you throw out the old one and replace it. It's some sort of crystals held inside a blue plastic box with foil sealing the top, you tear off the foil when you're ready to use it.

I keep one in the gun safe, in a big ammo can that I want to keep dry, and also inside a big toolbox where I store my primers for reloading. These things only cost may be $2 or $3. I may try the kitty litter idea though, I like the idea of cheap and quantity.

 

[deano186]

I used to install electronic equipment at work that came with a fairly large desiccant bag each time. I totally lined my gunsafe with those bags and didn't have any problems.

 

[don]

I use a product called Driveway Heat. It is calcium chloride and sucks water like a sponge. When it liquidifies, get rid of it. It is cheap and available at most auto parts stores. I used it in analytical chemistry to dry samples of chemicals I was working on. I use it to protect my photographic equiptment as well as guns.

 

[John Wayne]

If you want to monitor the humidity level, you can purchase a hygrometer intended for use in humidors for fairly cheap ($5 analog, $30 digital). I like about 70 percent humidity for cigars, not sure what's ideal for guns

 

[JohnBT]

The NRA says 50% humidity at 70 degrees is considered ideal "Arms Museum" storage conditions.

The GOA says it will accept 0% and only 0% and that the NRA is once again compromising. Okay, I made that up.

I'd rather use VCI tabs or paper than mess with dessicants.

John

 

[CWL]

If you want to monitor the humidity level, you can purchase a hygrometer intended for use in humidors for fairly cheap ($5 analog, $30 digital). I like about 70 percent humidity for cigars, not sure what's ideal for guns

Don't go trusting analog hygrometers, they aren't accurate and need to be calibrated often if you live in a humid area. If you really need to monitor humidity, then get a digital one. They can be had for ~$15 from electronics shops, pet stores and online.