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METHODS OF LONG TERM UNDERGROUND STORAGE BY WILLIAM N, NELSON AND STANLEY A. CATLOW Reprinted by the permission of: MAGNUM ENTERPRISES.O. Box 621 Ephrata, Washington 98823 INDEX Chapter 1... 4 Above Ground... 4 Chapter 2... 5 Below Ground... 5 A. Ammo Cans...

5 B. Plastic Bags... 6 C. PVC Pipe... 6 Chapter 3... 8 A. Cosmoline... 8 B. Plastic Coatings... 8 Chapter 4...

12 A. Indicating and Non-indicating... 12 B. Vapor Phase Inhibitor... 14 Chapter 5... 16 Location of Burial Site, placement underground... 16 Chapter 6... 17 Marking the containers...

17 Appendix... 19 A. Ammo Cans... 19 B. Cosmoline & Plastic Coatings... 19 C. C-Rations...

20 D. Desiccators... 21 E. Fiberglass Cloth... 22 F. Freon... 22 G. Plastic Bags & Containers... 23 H. Plastic Beads... 23 I. Publications...

23 J. PVC Pipe... 24 PREFACE The purpose of this book is to give the reader some basic ideas on how to prepare various materials (coins, firearms, etc.) for long term storage below ground. The reason for this book is, or should be, obvious. Namely the political and social climate in this country and the rest of the world.

History has shown that during major social or natural upheavals the people who survived were those who prepared for the worst. During these times the most valuable items were: Food, firearms, and a valuable medium of exchange. (i. e., gold, silver, precious gems, etc.) The authors considered this book just the first edition. We urge our readers to send us any criticism, comments, suggestions or different methods which they have tried and found successful, so that we may pass it on in the next edition. Some of the prices of the materials which we quote are based on the current costs in our area. (Eastern Washington state) They may vary according to location, inflation, shipping, etc., their main purpose is just to give the reader a rough idea on costs. We would like to thank the following people for their assistance and advice: Roger CattowDon ChumleyKen Hankins Harold Meyers CHAPTER ONE ABOVE GROUND The long term storage of materials above the ground and indoors is relatively simple.

The main concerns are spoilage (food) and corrosion (metals, except gold, which does not corrode or deteriorate). One of the handiest methods is the use of "Seal-N-Save" (Sears) or "Seal-A-Meal " (Montgomery Ward) type sealable plastic pouches. The basic units cost $16.00 to $19.00 and are a very good investment. The plastic bags come in 3 basic sizes, 8" by 6", 8" by 9" and 8" by 12".

They are intended for food freezing and cooking, but they have many other uses. Dried food can be stored indefinitely when protected from air. By using a moisture absorbent pack of silica gel they work well for storage of silver, ammunition, small handguns, etc., for long periods of time. Be sure to remove as much air as possible before sealing. There are a number of small sealable plastic buckets and square containers made for industrial use which also work very well for indoor storage of materials. The best of these have gaskets for a complete and long lasting seal.

There are a number of excellent books on long term storage of food above ground. One of the best of these is "Family Storage Plan" by Bob R. Zabriskie. This and other books are available from "Survival, Inc". (See appendix D) This book goes into fine detail on the storage of food and water and we highly recommend that you obtain it. All of the methods described in the following chapters can be used above ground.

CHAPTER TWO An excellent method for storing ammunition, handguns, coins, etc. is the use of G.I. ammo cans. To begin with, put the items in the can along with silica gel or V.P.I. and / or cos moline as you prefer. Next, liberally coat the rubber seal around the edges of the can with Vaseline to keep the rubber from drying out. Close the can. Next, take a sheet of fiberglass cloth and wrap the can like you were wrapping a birthday present. Use a heavy thread and needle to sew the ends shut.

Next, mix a small quantity of hardener (as per instructions on the can with some resin. Then coat one side of the can to seal it, and allow it to dry (cure) We recommend you do it one side at a time for two reasons. First, it is easier to handle. Second, the resin generates a pretty fair amount of heat when curing and we would hate to be around if a can of sealed ammo happened to reach a critical temperature. Make Sure that the can is completely sealed, and it will last a long, long time. You may also seal them in plastic bags. (see next section 3) (NOTE: The fiberglass system may also be used on wooden boxes with equal results.) B. PLASTIC BAGS The use of plastic bags is very simple and very effective.

First, (assuming it is a firearm) take the stock or grips and anything using plastic as a component and put it in a separate plastic bag and seal it with plastic tape. (Or if the items are small enough, use a "Seal-A-Meal") Expel as much air as possible before sealing. If it is a small item (such as a handgun or coins) you can also use the "Seal-A-Meal" method. Next, place all of the metal parts in a plastic bag with a liberal (hate that word) amount of silica gel ( best in a ventilated contained, rather than making direct contact with the metal.) Or, if you prefer, coat the metal with cos moline using one of the methods described in Chapter 3, then place in the bag and seal the bag with plastic tape. Be sure to place styrofoam or something similar over the sights and all sharp points so they won't cut through the bag.

Next, place both plastic bags in a third bag and seal with tape. Now, add as many other bags as you feel necessary to insure that it is completely protected. (Use at least three bags.) The use of PVC pipe is more complicated and costly, but in the end, well worth the time and trouble. It is impervious to just about anything and will last long beyond your lifetime.

The biggest factor is cost. The cost of the pipe itself is not too bad, but the cost of the end caps normally used with PVC pipe is OUT OF SIGHT! (See appendix J.) To save the "out of sight" cost of the PVC end caps, the best alternative is to use PVC or plexiglas sheets cut to size and glued to the ends of the pipes. However, you must be sure that the ends of the pipe are square. The best thing to use to insure this is a radial arm saw.

Lacking this, the next best thing would be to make a miter box out of scrap lumber and cut it with a hand saw. To begin with, PVC pipe comes in many sizes and strengths. For our purposes, probably, the best sizes would be 5" or 6" in either 63 pound or 100 pound strength. You can get it as small as 1 " or as large as 12". The small sizes would be useful mainly for coins, parts, etc., and the large sizes would hold a number of rifles, etc. To prepare the pipe for use, first seal one end.

Seal must be air tight. Next, drop in enough plastic (styrofoam) beads to cover the sealed end. Put a length of copper tubing down to the bottom of the pipe. Insert the item to be stored centering it in the pipe. Fill up all of the remaining air space with more plastic beads. Turn on the Freon can attached to the copper tubing.

Slowly, (Be sure the can is upright so that Freon gas comes out rather than liquid.) Hold a match at the opening of the pipe. When the match goes out, the pipe is full of Freon. (Lack of oxygen makes it go out.) Then, remove the tubing (carefully) and immediately cap and seal the open end of the pipe. It would be a good idea to insert a packet of silica gel inside the pipe before sealing to take care of any residual moisture that might be present. CHAPTER THREECOSMOLINECosmoline is very resistant to moisture, chemical, salt water and small amounts of abrasion. It is non-drying and will prevent rust for long periods of time.

It's main use for our purposes would be long term storage of firearms. However, one thing to note carefully. DO NOT apply it to stocks, grips, scopes or anything made out of plastic. Also, when removing cos moline from a firearm (use a petroleum solvent) be sure to thoroughly clean ALL surfaces, especially the bore. There are two main methods of applying cos moline. The first method is by dipping.

The firearms should be clean and dry at the time of application. The cos moline should be melted to a temperature of from 180? F to 200? F and the firearm should be allowed to remain in the solution until the temperature of the metal is about the same as the cos moline.

The cos moline will be thinner and bond to the metal better. This method takes larger amounts of cos moline and special equipment, although in the end it uses less cos moline. The second and easiest method is by brushing or swabbing. Again, the firearms must be clean and dry.

First heat the cos moline until it is about 140? F to 160? F. (Until it is a liquid, but not watery) Then, brush or swab it on, maintaining as even a coating as possible. If you have use for only a small amount of cos moline, Vaseline is the same thing only more purified. It costs more, but is readily available. If you want a slightly stiffer material, melt Vaseline and paraffin and mix thoroughly.

This mixture can then be brushed or swabbed onto the item being stored. Basic Data: - Melting point 160? Flash point 400? FB. PLASTIC COATINGS We have done some investigation of plastic coatings for long term protection.

There are three criteria for a plastic coating to be useful as a corrosion preventative on parts and equipment. We should point out at this time that a coating of this type is not for use on complete firearms but only on parts or tools being stored for long periods of time. The first criteria is a coating must meet is to be moisture proof. Plastics even in rather thin layers meet this requirement easily. The second one for our purposes is that it be easy to apply and third, that it can be easily and completely removed.

We have found reference to three types of commercial plastics that will meet these requirements. Cope Plastics, 1111 W. S elmar, Godfrey, Ill. 62035, makes compounds called Plastisol, which are a mixture of finely ground polyvinyl chloride resin and plasticizer. They are available in a wide range of colors and degrees of flexibility. All that is required for their use is an oven. (A kitchen oven will work) The item to be coated is heated to 300? F. Dipped in Plastisol for three to five minutes, then removed slowly.

The plastic must the be fused by heating again at 350 F for five to fifteen minutes, then emersed in cool water. It can be removed by cutting through the coating and peeling it off. NOTE: for this reason we DO NOT recommend it's use on springs as they may lose their temper and become brittle. A second type of commercial plastic coating is made by Dipseal Plastics, 2311 23rd Ave., Rockford, Ill.

61101. Their product comes in large sheets which are heated to a molten state. The item to be coated is dipped in and then removed and allowed to cool. This is the type of coating usually found on saw blades and drill bits to protect the cutting edge. This coating is easier to apply than the Plastisol type because the item to be coated does not have to be heated. It is also as easy to remove as Plastisol.

One problem we had was in finding sources of small quantities of this material. Dipseal Plastics will not sell in small quantities and a supplier in our area will only sell it in 25 pound lots at $1.25 per pound. The third commercial plastic is called Plas-ti-Dip, made by Plastic-Dip International, 1458 West Country Road C, St. Paul, Minn. 55113. This product was designed for coating tool handles and is very easy to use. PlastiD ip does not require heat for curing, it needs only be air dried.

The part or tool should be cleaned, then immersed slowly (1 inch every five seconds) into the plastic and then withdrawn slowly and allowed to air dry. If a second coat is required, the first coat should be allowed to dry for at least 25 minutes before the second coat is applied. It can be used on wood, however it would not be a good idea to use it on anything with a finish or checkering as it may discolor the wood and be hard to remove from the checkering. A homemade plastic coating is probably the easiest to use.

Acrylic plastic such as Plexiglas or styrene plastic from plastic models can be dissolved in acetone to mal.