humidity Control !!!

[ColtM1911]

Hi everyone. Where i live it is very humid. To protect my firearms i have a Rem-dry pack in my gun safe. However, i worry about my early canvas webgear and bayonets which are stored in foot lockers so I was thinking about running a dehumidifier in the summer months to suck out the moisture in the air. This would definatly help out the guns and bayonets and anything else metal. However, would a dehumidifier completely DRY out the canvas webgear?? or cause any other harm to the webgear and firearms??

 

Thanks for any imput guys,

David.

[shrapneldude]

I've always been told to keep a light (a relative term I know, but not "dripping") coat of oil on any firearms, especially any parts you touch and any moving parts. Running a dehumidifier is ok in the summertime, especially if you store the stuff in a basement or any other damp areas, but not 24/7 as it will dry everything out...leather and canvas are gone once they get too dry. It's a fine line to keep the right parts moist enough and the right parts dry, so you gotta keep it all in balance so to speak.

[capa]

Hey David,

Good thinking on your part, but do you know for sure if the RH is too high? You can buy inexpensive monitors and as long as it remains under 60%, when mold and mildew start to bloom, you should be okay. If it is higher than that, there are dehumidifiers that you can dial their settings. If you keep them in an air conditioned house, they should be fine. You might want to wrap and store them in acid free tissue paper to act as a buffering layer between them and the environment.

Hope this helps and if you have more questions email me.

capa

[Bob Hudson]

The Smithsonian did a study and it's applicable here because they tested, among other things, the canvas used in paintings. It appears that overall too much humidity is the thing to worry about as are large fluctuations in relative humidity. The Smithsonian standards for display and storage areas is between 37% RH and 53% RH and 66 and 74 degrees Farenheit. Based on my reading of the study it looks like an RH of as low as 10% is not stressing the canvas tested.

[Nkomo]

As someone suggested earlier, you need to go to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap humidity and temperature gauge. You are talking about $7-$15 for a cheap one. Best money I ever spent for my collection. :thumbsup:

 

Next, if you live in a warm, damp climate like I do, then a dehumidifier is a necessity. I run one year round in my room. On average, in the Summer months, I get roughly 2-3 gallons of water out of the air a day in my room. The humidity in the room stays right at a 40% and the temperature stays right at 70 degrees.

 

I can't stress enough the importance of a humidity/temperature gauge and a dehumidifier. You can find dehumidifiers at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. for right at the $150-$200 mark. If you hit flea markets, you can find used ones cheaper. Whatever the case, dehumidifiers are a necessity in my area and from the way it sounds, it is a necessity where you live as well. Once mildew starts growing, it is hard to get rid of.

[hawkdriver]

Ditto. I run a dehumidifier year around at well. I set it for %44 and that keeps it about perfect. I run a hose to the floor drain and forget about it. Never a problem.

[gpw_42]

Another + for running a dehumidifier.

 

Another option (really more for the short run) is to get a product called Damp Rid, available in Walmart, usually in/near the cleaning supplies; search for it on the forum, there's a pic posted somewhere. You can use it in your footlockers or the closet(s) where you store most of your gear, but it absorbs moisture out of the air - similiar idea to the dessicant pack in your gunsafe.

 

Steve

[bayonetman]

As I store (by necessity) a fair amount of the odds and ends of uniforms, web gear, etc. in a basement, I highly recommend a dehumidifier. As stated above, most of them have settings that allow you to maintain a level and not get it too dry. I stay at about 45% and it has worked well for me. In West Virginia, the summer humidity in my basement can get quite high in the summer, much less in the winter, so it often goes for months in the winter without running, but it runs most of the summer.

 

I also use a humidifier for the winter months when due to the heating of the house by forced air, the humidity drops to a fairly low level. I try to never let the humidity go below 40% or above 50%.

[ColtM1911]

Hey David,

Good thinking on your part, but do you know for sure if the RH is too high? You can buy inexpensive monitors and as long as it remains under 60%, when mold and mildew start to bloom, you should be okay. If it is higher than that, there are dehumidifiers that you can dial their settings. If you keep them in an air conditioned house, they should be fine. You might want to wrap and store them in acid free tissue paper to act as a buffering layer between them and the environment.

Hope this helps and if you have more questions email me.

capa

 

Hi capa, at the moment i keep my webgear in acid free paper and like you said it works very well! In BuffaloNY in the summer the humidity level can get very high. Yesterday it was at 70% so i think i will get a dehumidifier to play it safe. Thank you for your help, David.

[ColtM1911]

First, i must thank everyone for posting their opinions and from what i gather a dehumidifier would be a good idea to protect against mold and rust. I also am definitly going to also invest in a humidity and tempature gauge.

 

(Just as i side note i store my collection two floors above the basement.) Im not shure if this matters or not, but i would run the dehumidifier in the basement and not directly in my bedroom where i store my collection. Would that be best??

 

Just so i have this right it would be best to keep a dehumidifer at 45% and the house tempature at 70% for the summer months.

 

Also, how long should i run the dehumidifier 24/7, every other day, etc. I want to protect the canvas and leather but not let it dry out??

 

Thanks again, and you guys are a real lifesaver. David.

[Sgt Saunders]

My 2C here. Our Historical society keeps our vault between 35/40 RH. We have a lot of paper as most do.

We installed an air exchanger and run a dehumidifier. This seems to work for us. Exchanging the air every week or so keeps keeps the air from getting stagnant. It wouldn't hurt for you to open a window once in a while for a short time. As out vault is under ground we don't have that option.

If you set your humidifier on the lowest setting that gives you the desired humidity target you want,

it will should cycle on and off to keep it at that level.

[Nkomo]

Mine isn't stored in a basement and I STILL run the dehumidifier 24/7 in the Spring and Summer. In the other months, I run it most of the time as well. I have invested too much money in my collection to have it destroyed by mold and mildew.

[Red Devil]

As Forum Support pointed out, Smithsonian experts recommend a relative humidity of 45% ±8%. US Army regulations for their museums/collections vary slightly from the Smithsonian's recommendations with a requirement of 50% ±5%. As for temperature, Smithsonian recommends 70° Fahrenheit ±4°. The US Army regulations call for a very similar range of 68° F ±5°. If anyone wishes for links to these sources for further reading please let me know.

 

I use a $7 thermometer and humidity gauge from Ace Hardware to see where the levels are at. I just moved next to Lake Michigan and the humidity inside my apartment hasn't dropped below 65% yet, which is why I haven't unpacked most of the collection yet. Next step will be a dehumidifier!

 

-Johannes