Larry Jaques wrote:
I'm also thinking about building a gun safe, so...

I have neither a heavy duty brake to bend steel or AL, nor a good
enough welder to TIG the aluminum (MUCH lighter.) But I could TIG up
a steel box and have a local fabber bend me up.

Light weight is not a good attribute in a gun safe unless you really
bolt it into the house securely!

If I were building one, I would start with 3/8" steel and stick weld it
together. TIG at that thickness for steel takes a lot of current and
moves pretty slowly. Aluminum would be worse. This seems like the ideal
application for stick welding to me.

BobH