I just bought a golden rod for my safe. Until now, I have been using products that turn pink when they are in need of drying and then go through the procedure to dry them out.

The directions on the Golden Rod site say to put the rod as low as you can in the safe. I was thinking of placing it on the floor of my safe. My question is...if guns are fairly close will they be harmed in anyway due to the heat it produces? I have not plugged it in yet and won't until I learn more about it. My "fine" guns will be inches away from the golden rod if I place it on the floor. If I place it on the wall, they will be even closer. Interested in your thoughts on this please...thanks...

I hang mine near the wall and somewhat high - about muzzle high.

Never had a problem - so I feel it works just fine and dandy.

Brent

I've had mine on the floor for several years and guns very close. No ill effects. However, I should mention I always store my guns with muzzles down.

I have been using a golden rod on the floor with the same guns for 20 years. The only thing I have noticed is the closes stocks collect a light dust after extended periods. I wipe them down and when I feel the need I wipe a light coat of true oil over the stocks. There has been no visual shrinkage or spliting to date. The rifles are from 22-250 to 458 Win. Mag with claro and English walnut. Shotguns are 20 to 12 gauge with English walnut. There doesn't seem to be any advers effect to date.
Best,
Ron

Mine's been running for a decade, attached to the sidewall about two feet off the floor. I store most of my guns muzzle-down and in "gun socks." I also avoid having any gun come in direct contact with the rod, but they are certainly within an inch or two, and I've had no problems. TT

Jason, The Golden Rod will be more effective the lower it is placed. The air circulation caused by convection will take place mostly above the heat source. If thermometers were placed at various locations in the safe you would see an obvious laminate line ,cool air below the rod ,warm air above.
Dave

The golden rod uses from 12 to 25 watts of electricity, depending on length. Can someone explain why a regular light bulb of the equivalent wattage wouldn't do the same thing but at a much lower cost? A watt is a watt, no matter how much the cost. If light is the problem, a shield could easily be fabricated.

Dave, A watt is a watt. A 25w bulb has the heat concentrated in a 3" sq area. The golden rod spreads the heat out over a larger area.
Dave

If light bulbs are your desire try a short string of Christmas lights in the dark safe. One could spread out the heat and see what we have when we want to play.
Best,
Ron

no probs here,keep it in the back floor of the cabinet resting on that styrofoam rug.this is in an unheated detached garage.
but also a ballistol or lemon oil beeswax wipedown on each,then into a silicon gunnysack.never an issue,just inspect after a month or two in case.usually the drastic weatherchange will schedule an inspection,noted by condensation on tools in the same room.

I can see no one agrees with me. But if concentration of heat is a problem, just plug several four watt night lights into a power strip. LOL, Billyboy.

Dave, LIght bulbs burning 24/7 don't last long. I use a 40w bulb in my coal boiler during summer months.The bulbs usually last about a month or less.
Dave

I yield. I'm guess I'm gonna have to get a GR.

On-a-day, off-a-day - don't want death valley days in my cabinet!

A safe really isn't sealed up all that tight, Thorny. My Liberty has a hole in the top, and a hole in the back, I didn't splurge for the fire resistant model after examining a thoroughly destroyed fire resistant safe that came out of a really 'rippin house fire, so the door has a bit of a gap as well. The Golden Rod doesn't actually remove moisture, it warms the air, and because warmer air can hold more moisture, the net effect is slightly lower humidity then the surrounding area, assuming you limit liquid water in the area-don't put the dogs water bowl near it, for example.
An area with a stable temperature seems to be the most important thing, with a Golden Rod being the icing on the cake, so to speak. Dramatic swings in temperature lead to condensation, and, rust, G rod, or not. I found that out the hard way.
The humidistat in my safe doesn't change drastically with the G rod on, just a few degrees either side of 50%, most of the year. Hard to recreate Death Valley humidity levels here in the heartland, unless you are physically removing moisture from the surrounding air.
Best,
Ted

Its butts to floor in my hardware store cabinet, and the stocks do get a warmish feel.
AC keeps the humidity level around 50%, so its now and then with the Goldenrod.
I have silicon packets stuffed in there too!

Mine on the floor in the back. Flanged plastic baffle in front of it velcroed to the el cheapo Acousticord or whatever that stuff is to protect stocks but the back eight (all oo type) are muzzle down so I ain't worried but I never removed the baffle which I had so conscientiously installed. I also have a 15w light bulb in there for illumination. Circuit is normally open as the door is normally closed. Safe not big enuf for Yuletide decorations.

jack

I live on the moisture coast so I put the barrels down, use Galazan Nickeled Muzzle Stoppers to keep the barrels of the bottom of the safe, and Damp Rid moisture absorber. I had trouble with one barrel that was on the bottom of the safe so I went to the Muzzle stops.
jas

Any heat source would work, as long as it is thermostatically controlled, as I believe the GR is. A light bulb on a thremostatically controlled circuit would be fine, except for short life. I haven't checked, but I'd imagine that by the time you bought the parts, you could buy a GR. Otherwise, someone would already be making a cheaper knock-off GR.

An upstairs bedroom converted to gun room is warmer and drier than the rest of the house and I have never had a spot or a bloom of rust there. The guns are cleaned and wiped with oil or Balistol. The guns in use are only wiped with Lehigh Valley Gun Lube and are stored muzzel up as there is no oil to run down. In my climate, garages are not good places to store guns unless they have A/C and heat and are insulated. David