powder storage long term

[bigted]

thought i better start a thread here in the craftsman area so i dont steal the thunder of the other post that i kinda horned in on.

question is this....i want to build a catch that i can bury that will be for storing powder in without getting it moist and making sure it stays "popcorn fat" dry.

now the hard part folks...there will be no electricity where i plant this catch so it has to be able to store powder in the same fassion as our for-fathers did it.

using the same materials that they did can someone throw me some morsels of info to aid me in the building of this dry box?

 

[Bubba45]

If you are on the high and dry , and can get a hole dug 5-6' deep the ground stays a pretty constant temp without great flucuations in temp . Without the huge tep variations you shouldnt have the sweating to deal with. So a 55 gal drum with the clamp on rings with rubber seal(and a little RTV gasket sealer)should keep it water tight. Put several coats of asphalt emultion on outside so it doesnt corrode.
You could build a big box to fit the hole from pressure treated lumber to put the drum in and close box up before topping off with lots of styrifoam and putting a shallow fill of earth over it to disguise its location.

 

[necchi]

The Corps of Discovery had a briliant idea,,they carried powder in formed/sealed lead sheet containers.
In theory the lead was enough to make ball for the powder inside the container, I understand they found a cash in the 1960's and the powder was still good.

Now, Roofing lead and X-ray room lead comes in sheet form. I don't think it would take much to cut and solder a few pieces together to form a container,, :idunno:

 

[gmarc]

Lewis and Clark reportedly used lead casks, which survived prolonged immersion in water

 

[smo]

Its not P/C or H/C but get you some 6" PVC pipe,cut it to what length you like. Glue on a end cap,place cans of powder in one gallon zip lock bags. Put the bags inside a large trash bag and tape it shut.Place it in the PVC pipe and glue the other cap on and bury. I would think a 7 or 8 inch piece of pipe would hold 4 or 5 lbs of powder.

 

[chance]

The pc pipe seems like a good idea.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Also the plugs on the lead casks were made of beeswax. So they had powder,lead,and beeswax all three. In one container.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Better than glueing on the last end they sell a cap with a threaded plug in it. Use the threaded plug and beeswax and you can removed a can at a time and reseal the PCV. :hmm:

 

[bigted]

cool man...i get the best advise on this site. you people are the greatest and willing to share your knowledge. now all i gotta do is find the stuff and mostly the time to build this storage box and go catch it where ill be able to remember where i put it...lol my feeble brain is tricky sometimes and i guess i better share with someone the location or a couple years from now ill be digging lots of holes like im prospecting the place...lol :grin: :bow: :hmm:

 

[fatboy]

The pvc pipe seems to be a good idea , my first thought was to use old ammo cans myself they have rubber seal and close tight. You could seal them with caulk or roof pitch and plastic wrap could be used .

 

[paulvallandigham]

Today, the Cheapest way to build storage containers is by using large diameter PVC pipes, with end caps. I know several people here locally who have made caches of weapons using this method. They make a map, with GPS coordinates, and ground directions to find the caches, using landmarks. The maps are then put in safes where a relative or friend also has access, but has not seen the maps. The Caches are placed on ground they own or control, so some subdivider does not come in with bulldozers and blow someone up by accident. For "backyard" storage, covering the cache with a flower bed, or bush is very good camouflage, as well as a "Landmark" you can find without a lot of digging!