I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

On 10/09/2014 16:42, ss wrote:
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

The traditional way of fireproofing stage scenery is a solution of borax
ann boracic acid, IIRC. Quite impressive painting both sides of some
cardboard, drying, and then trying to ignite it

On 10/09/2014 17:09, N_Cook wrote:
On 10/09/2014 16:42, ss wrote:
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

The traditional way of fireproofing stage scenery is a solution of borax
ann boracic acid, IIRC. Quite impressive painting both sides of some
cardboard, drying, and then trying to ignite it

That stops it catching fire, but what the plasterboard will provide is
some thermal insulation so that the inside stays cool enough, assuming
the fire brigade sprays the outside within half an hour or so.

Check eBay, there were quite a few "genuine" fireproof safes for
reasonable prices last time I looked.

Wont the electronics or plastic bits melt so you cannot operate it?
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"ss" wrote in message
...
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is concerned
however I would like to use it as the base to make a small fireproof
locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe a bit of
inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned about
water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

On 11/09/2014 07:56, Brian Gaff wrote:
Wont the electronics or plastic bits melt so you cannot operate it?
Brian

Not bothered about that. As an aside it could be a good thing as its a
Yale safe and so far I have 3 different methods (apart from keypad) I
have used to access it, they are a piece of junk although to be fair I
do some lockpicking as a hobby, just basic level.

On 10/09/2014 16:42, ss wrote:
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

Feasible but you would have to experiment to be sure it would be
fireproof. You have two problems in a fire thermal conduction and
radiation transfer the latter tends to dominate in a big blaze.

You need a layered structure of materials that will not burn and on the
outside of the object preferably an intumescent paint.

http://www.astroflame.com/intumescent-paint-steel.html

But you also need a reflective aluminium film (not an ideal choice since
its melting point is quite low but easily available) radiation barrier
on the inside and on the outside of the inner protected enclosure to
minimise radiation transfer and a glass wool or better higher melting
point rock wool lagging too.

Getting it right is something of an art form since the heat will always
find the easiest path through any gaps to destroy the contents (and the
dirty water used to put out the fire has a tendency to find them too).

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 11/09/2014 09:23, Martin Brown wrote:
On 10/09/2014 16:42, ss wrote:
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.

Feasible or waste of time.

Feasible but you would have to experiment to be sure it would be
fireproof. You have two problems in a fire thermal conduction and
radiation transfer the latter tends to dominate in a big blaze.

You need a layered structure of materials that will not burn and on the
outside of the object preferably an intumescent paint.

http://www.astroflame.com/intumescent-paint-steel.html

But you also need a reflective aluminium film (not an ideal choice since
its melting point is quite low but easily available) radiation barrier
on the inside and on the outside of the inner protected enclosure to
minimise radiation transfer and a glass wool or better higher melting
point rock wool lagging too.

Getting it right is something of an art form since the heat will always
find the easiest path through any gaps to destroy the contents (and the
dirty water used to put out the fire has a tendency to find them too).

Thanks all thats given me some ideas.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2014 4:42:45 PM UTC+1, ss wrote:
I have a small digital safe pretty useless as far as security is
concerned however I would like to use it as the base to make a small
fireproof locker. There wont be anything of real value in it, just maybe
a bit of inconvienence if lost.
I am going to use materials at hand so not going to go and buy special
fireproof materials.
I was thinking of casing the outside of the safe with a layer of
plasterboard, then a layer of plywood, then a layer of plasterboard and
finally a layer of 3/4 inch chipboard. Possibly with slight gaps between
each layer. I`ll probably have it bolted to a cut to size paving slab to
make it heavy.
I would like to obtain maybe 1 hour fire proof and not too concerned
about water damage.
Feasible or waste of time.

I don't know why you include ply. I'd cast the plaster fill in one lump, mixing some glass fibre in so it lasts longer. Steel inner, steel outer, plaster filling should last a while, the plaster absorbing latent heat as it chemically desiccates.


NT