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by XDgal
Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:10 pm
Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
Topic: any idea how to bolt down a safe?
Replies: 14
Views: 1895

Re: any idea how to bolt down a safe?

Drilling concrete is no different than drilling anything else, you just need the right tool for the job. You will need a carbide tipped masonary bit the same size as the bolts( ie: 1/4" bolt- 1/4" bit, 3/8" bolt- 3/8" bit, you get the idea). You can use any drill motor( corded or cordless) with a new bit, but, a hammer drill is the best ( again, corded or cordless). A hammer drill will cut your drilling time considerably. Make sure the bit is an inch or so longer than the bolt so that the hole is deeper than the bolt. In fact, It would be a good idea to drill all the way through the slab, that way if you decide to move the safe , you can just drive the bolt down with a hammer avoiding having to cut them off. Most slabs are 4' to 6' thick, unless you are on top of a beam, then an inch deeper will work. Vaccum the hole to get as much powdered concrete out you can, if you don't drill all the way through. I would not use powder driven nails (no matter how much fun that is), because you stand a good chance of spalling the concrete, preventing the ancoring of the safe. And, if sucsesful, would make moving the safe later a nightmare. If you are worried about mantaining the integrity of the fire rating, you can use a special fire chaulk around the bolts. It's exspensive, and, IMHO, not nessesery. The floor will stay relatively cool being the lowest point in the room. I've ancored many safes for commercial applications and this is SOP. Hope this helps.

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