# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  So You Want to Build Your Own E-Cat Safe..

## 308

TL;DR    Buy one

For those of a more bloody-minded nature, press on

Prices are very rough and from memory
2x sheets 6mm steel = $550?
Extra steel about $70
2x Ross 5-lever locks mebbe $200
Welding shield gas and consumables around $180


If you haven't got a cutter get the factory to cut it but check, check and check again.

----------


## 308



----------


## greghud

nice work!
greg

----------


## peril 787b

How are you planning to do the hinges?

----------


## Dynastar27

awesome dude

----------


## 308

Hinges are farm gate type - easy to shim with washers for height - it's not obvious in the second pic of the door but there are angled steel sections that hook in behind the frame when closed so if the hinges are cut the door can't be forced on that side

----------


## ishoot10s

And a nice big pair of speakers so you can still listen to Talkback over the crackle of the MIG...  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Eion

Nice work mate!!

----------


## veitnamcam

Good stuff , I would have folded the main body save a heap of welding. Could also have folded a return around the door opening to make it stronger.

----------


## ChrisF

NO

----------


## 308

Chris F - whut?

VC - yes a folder would be great but I don't have one - I have seen some safes made out of steel column section but they seem to only go up to about 400mm each way roughly? 
 I didn't think of using a folder service if the steel place had one but I should have - as it is I've gone and recessed the keys so deep I'm going to have to weld a 6inch nail on to make them longer.. rough but fuck it, so long as it works.



Will finish the lock housing this weekend and fit a heater bar thingy, I'm lining the interior with felt but only after it's in place.

One point for anyone else considering such a build was the possibility of lining the compartment and door interior with fireline gib or similar to make it survive a half-to-one-hour fire - not my requirement at the moment but it's an option

----------


## ChrisF

No I donot want to build my own E cat safe , safe's are too small , I need a walk in vault .


Later  Chris

----------


## AzumitH

Me and a guy at work are building ourselves one each, CAD designed so one sheet of 6mm per safe (though this does limit you to a 1220mm high safe), and I can get 5 lever locks that meet the required standard through my wifes work for ~$35 each.  We have a 100 ton CNC press brake but it'll be more accurate to cut and weld it, the sides are even jigsawed together.

I like the idea of the fireline gib, I might borrow it.  Since mine is gonna be installed lying down under my work bench I will line with felt or similar with added egg-container foam like you get in a gun case.  Assuming I can find some of course lol.

----------


## 308

That foam might be available through music retailers for its acoustic properties? Someone in China will make it cheap


One trick I can think of with the firegib is that, in normal building, it has to be screwed to the wall as glueing it won't work cos fire melts glue, gib drops off, fail.

The only thing I thought might work would be to glue in the four sides then the end piece as a "spacer" pushing them all back against the outside.

Good luck with your build

----------


## stumpy

nice work , I was just listing all the bits and bobs I was to need to do my own safe when I saw your costings ...... yikes .... I will proberly go the trade me way , some of the e-cat safes (using bisalloy800) are only 4.5 mm and are certed and accepted , ... hope more of them come on TM soon , when I was looking at doin my safe I was going to use gearbox gears from a motorbike to make a mechanism to use 4 bars to lock the door , and then use a 5 lever mortice lock to lock the mechanism .... 
at least with your one you have made it how you need it , ... I was thinking of welding in an ammo box as well if I bought a safe . 
cheers

----------


## 308

Yeah unless you can get the steel and locks cheap like Azimuth above, it's not financially worth it - I just wanted a B-cat and E-cat together

I like the idea of the motorbike gears, that's a good one - does bisalloy require any specialised welding? I've not worked with it before

Some guys have got old ATM safes, welded them together and cut out the centre to make one large one but you'd need a damn forklift to move that...not that there's anything wrong with that approach..

----------


## stumpy

I looked at the website for bisalloy and it didn't give anything much in the type of rod for welding , ... all  mine will be done with tig , so I will have to, look at the specs a little harder .

----------


## muzr257

Don't want to burst anyones bubble but just remember it has to have a certification letter before the police will accept it as suitable for B/C/E use.
Basically a registered engineer must put on a piece of letterheaded paper that it meats standard xyz etc.

----------


## P38

> Don't want to burst anyones bubble but just remember it has to have a certification letter before the police will accept it as suitable for B/C/E use.
> Basically a registered engineer must put on a piece of letterheaded paper that it meats standard xyz etc.


Not so.

My home built E cat safe has been accepted without any such certification.

My mate built one last month too and this has also been accepted without any such certification.

He has welded 6mm plate almost the same as shown here.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## AzumitH

Mine and my buddies understanding is that cert is only needed if you intend to sell it.

It really just have to have the required features, as long as AO can tick off all the boxes (plate thickness, locks, method of securing) then you should be sweet.

----------


## stumpy

IF I REMEMBER FROM READING THE REGS ( I MAY BE WRONG)  that the cert is needed if the safe is anything less than the minimum of steel (6mm) ... such as the bisalloy I mentioned , because the safe was only 4,5mm  it needed a cert to confirm it meet the same strength/toughness as 6mm steel (not sure if mild or cold rolled) ... but as I have seen by reading a lot of the forums here that there is a national policy that doesn't seem to happen in all places    as in some AOs will ask some will not etc etc ....

----------


## Baz

> Me and a guy at work are building ourselves one each, CAD designed so one sheet of 6mm per safe (though this does limit you to a 1220mm high safe), and I can get 5 lever locks that meet the required standard through my wifes work for ~$35 each.  We have a 100 ton CNC press brake but it'll be more accurate to cut and weld it, the sides are even jigsawed together.
> 
> I like the idea of the fireline gib, I might borrow it.  Since mine is gonna be installed lying down under my work bench I will line with felt or similar with added egg-container foam like you get in a gun case.  Assuming I can find some of course lol.


Any photos AzumitH?

I need to build a safe to fit a specific space in my house. needs more height tho. 

Then I will sell the SentrySafe® Fire-Safe® 24-Gun 59" Electronic Lock - E Cat Gun Safe.

----------


## AzumitH

Rushed first one through build stages on Saturday to get AO thumbs up before we finish it.  Half an hour on the laser, four hours to weld sides together, position hinges and machine bushes for them, tack the back on.  Will get some photos of the next one in progress.

Width and depth are easily adjusted (within sheet length), height is limited by sheet width (1220mm).  Could be made higher by stitching a box onto the top which is what I did with my 3mm A-Cat one I made a few years back to fit the Mosin in it.  So if we were to offer these for sale (which has been ok'd by the AO as we are certified to sign them off anyways lol) then it could be completely custom dimensions.

----------


## AzumitH

Oh yeah, and the AO informed us that there is quite literally a checklist for safe inspections, if it has the required features (thickness/locks/method of securing) then it's good.  Cert for safe circumvents this obviously.

----------


## 308

Cool, looking forward to pics.

If I did mine again I'd probably do as VC said earlier and find an engineering shop to fold the sheet twice so as to end up with sides and back done at least but yours sounds different.

I did look at Fletcher Steel initially to find their largest 4-sided square sections with 6mm wall thickness but from memory they only went out as big as 300-350mm wide. A couple of those welded together would be a cheap option but probably too small for most.

----------


## AzumitH

Ok, so you want to make a safe.

First you buy some steel, a forklift to move it around is good too if you have one.



Then get a laser cutter, or a grinder with about 55,000 cutting discs.



Mash the buttons on the laser repeatedly until it cuts some shapes.



Your shapes should look like a gun safe, only flat and in pieces.



Put some of the pieces together and weld them a little bit, not too much at first though.



Some more pieces, and a little more welding.



Then you put on the door piece.



Then you wait for your locks to turn up, which should be early nest week.

----------


## AzumitH

Got three of them to this stage now, locks should be here tomorrow.

Could be looking to sell some of these, currently in talks to get them into stores here in Hamilton.  As I said above custom dimensions wouldn't be a problem, can even go up to a 3000x1500mm sheet size for a 1490mm approx high safe.

----------


## Baz

My version of a closet hybrid. (to go into a specific space behind a door i put into side of closet)

Edge safe 1450mm H, $660 delivered (doner door)
Supply, Cut and fold 191Kg of 6mm steel $750
3 hrs to put together.

1800mm H x 560mm x 550mm

Will powder coat, add shelf at height required to fit longest firearm (shotgun with mag extension). Add 5m of LED light strip and marine carpet. 

The door was the widest I could find pre made that would work with the closet door opening. Cuts out the wasted space from the door closing inside the safe. If I had made my own door I would have been at $550-$600 worth anyway and only gained 80mm in width.

----------


## 308

Bloody good looking build there Baz

I'm waiting on an inspection then will glue felt to the interior and have bought a 5m lightrope too
I ran one of these mini-heater thingies - they cost about $80 at Bunnings
[ATTACH=CONFIG]24253 

The top cable is for the light

You guys have some pro looking setups

----------


## nzfubz

> One point for anyone else considering such a build was the possibility of lining the compartment and door interior with fireline gib or similar to make it survive a half-to-one-hour fire - not my requirement at the moment but it's an option


Just as another idea that will give you up to 120min fire proofing would be to coat the exterior / interior with an intumescent (Fireproof) paint. Expensive per litre but would be effective and a nicer finish than gib. Can be easily over coated with water or solvent based paints  :Have A Nice Day:

----------

