Homemade knife safe?

G

GaryPogueCustomKnife

Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
188
I really didn't know what area to post this in. What I am wondering is is it possible to make my own small safe to keep most of my handmades and custom knives in. Right now, I'm keeping them in a old shoebox :rolleyes:. My cousin and uncle weld and I have thought about asking them to teach me. If I made a steel plate box for the main body, a heavy duty welded on hinge, and the most heavy duty padlock I can find, do you think it can survive a burglary if I bolted it to the floor? Any input or ideas would be appreciated. :)
 
If you make it reasonably strong and bolt it to the floor it should be difficult for someone to take away.

If you use a padlock then you need to have the padlock shielded in some way so it can't easily be cut off. You can see the storage wars shows on television and how easily they cut off the padlocks with a battery powered grinder.

And similarly you need some form of hinge that can't be cut off. A real safe will have fixed locking bolts on the hinge side as well as the locking bolts on the opening side so if the hinges are cut you can't pull that side of the door out.

Before you build it you can visit some larger lock and key stores and see what they sell in the way of small safes. Stores like Walmart sell lightly constructed gun safes. I think they could be broken into pretty easily but they would be better than nothing in the case of smash and grab robberies.
 
You can get a safe from Harbor Freight for next to nothing. Unless it's someone that has some time to kill, they ain't gettin in. It'll need to be bolted to something that won't move (the floor), or something too inconvenient to haul off. Helps if you get a fire-resistant model too.

Now then, if you decide to go ahead and make one anyway, the appropriate forum would be the Workshop. Lots of oddball builds and other goodies in there. Good luck.
 
I bought a small safe for important papers at Home Depot that was not expensive and it is fire rated . You might check them out and see if they will work for you .
 
First, I would talk to my folks about this. They may not be keen on you drilling lag bolt holes through the closet floors.
Second, a burglar will tear loose almost anything not bolted through the floor joists with 1/2" bolts. A small safe just screwed to the floor is a simple task for a crowbar to deal with.
Third, a safe box like you describe may not be the best place to store knives. The environment may lead to handle problems, and possibly rusted blades.
Lastly, storing your knives in a knife roll is the best place for them. You can make one from almost any type of heavy cloth, or buy one from a sheath supply. It is just like the roll tools like wrenches and chisels are stored in. Heck, you might find some old rolls sitting in the dollar bin at a pawn shop or thrift store.
Put this roll in a hard to find place where the burglar won't waste time looking. Don't tell your friends where you keep it, or it will probably be a waste of time hiding it. Most robberies are done by someone who knows you. A fold over type roll is barely an inch thick. It could be placed between the mattress and box spring.

Extra last comment - You are 15, that is not too young to work. You can't get a job at the local factory, but millions of 15 year old boys do odd jobs for neighbors, gardening chores, mow lawns, and shovel snow ( You ARE in MI, you know). Then there are things like raking leaves, splitting and/or stacking firewood, etc. It won't hurt to ask around, and you might even get a job at a local small store cleaning up the parking lot or taking out the trash.

Obviously, you need to ask your parents before doing any of these things. They are on board with your knife, gun, and knifemaking interests.....aren't they?
 
I don't know the prices on your custom knives but if your just afraid of them walking off when you have friends over just buy a metal tool box that you can put a padlock on and screw it down somewhere.
 
Just ensure the safe is secured of the house's structure, else a thief will just carry the safe away and deal with getting into it later.
 
I would have to agree with what Stacy has said whole heartily. The only people that should know of where you keep your prized treasures should be your mother and/or father. Siblings, especially younger ones, can have a tendency to let the cat out of the bad so to speak. The fewer people know of your collection, the safer it will be. Also, I don't think most burglars would be looking for collectible knives/firearms in the room of a 15 year old. They will likely be more interested in the xbox, playstation or whatever other tech item most kids your age would prize. That is of course unless they see a safe or lock box, which I guarantee they will make sure leaves with them.

Good luck,
Chris
 
I would be in the safe you describe in 30 seconds or less. You are much better off hiding than locking.
 
agree, the shoe box is great camouflage for now. When you have a house of your own and want to make it a permanent addition then add the safe. your room is not likely to be the target of robbers unless your collection is being advertised around and even then its likely to be stolen by someone you know.
 
Not much else to say. Hiding is much better than locking. There are lots of places to hide a shoebox in a house. The box you describe would be only for keeping honest people honest. Now, I think you should go ahead and build it, even if just for fun. You might need a lock box sometime and it would be good practice anyway. And, as always, remember that loose lips sink ships.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top