Hidden Drawer Safe

While building my entertainment center I decided to one up my standard design by combining a hidden gun safe drawer.  The project worked rather well with my original design but did require a few modifications and quite a bit of research on my part.  Seeing as this project is so closely connected to my entertainment center, I'll try to put a little more detail into the research and information portion of this instructable. 

When building a hidden drawer there are a few important decissions that need to be made.  Location is one of the primary decisions you will be faced with.  Luckily, I was in the middle of designing a piece of furniture where the safe was easy to integrate but the overall design of this slide motion/latch/trigger mechanisms can be moved into any "draw" type project.  Next is reigning in the slide motion/latch/trigger design.  I'm going to cover this in a little more detail before I venture into my project just to give an understanding of why I made some of the choices that I made.

When building a drawer, the slide motion begins with a drawer slide.  In this case roller drawer slides are pretty much only going to vary by length and strength. I used 24" TopSlide® Series Heavy Duty Slides that I purchased online from Rockler.com. 

Next, and a bit more complicated is the motion.  Options for motion include Springs, Electric motors, or Hydrolics.  I'm going to stay away from the Hydrolic options and focus on the motors and springs.  Electric motors or linear actuators, give you the ability to open and close a drawer with the push of a button and can be smooth, quiet and strong.  If you prefer motors great but, I ran into a few negatives when trying to rationalize a motor for my design.  The first issue that came with the motor was the latch.  A motor eliminates the need for a latch because you can establish its limits electronically.  As long as the motor is reasonably strong you should be ok.  however, I ran into issues when it came to the failsafe I wanted.  What I mean by this is that the drawer, using a motor would require a complicated disengage so that you could still open the drawer in the event of powerloss or motor failure.  This is by no means impossible but I found it to be more complicated.  A motors motion control options are quite tempting though... just not where I felt I should go.  This brings me to the Gas piston spring.  The 24"easy lift from www.bansbach.de/com ended up being what I decided upon.  This gas piston cost a little over $100 but offered a controlled slow release and an adjustable pressure level.  Using a gas spring required a latch assembly but gave me all the features I wanted. 



So Materials break down to
A space
Drawer (steel in my case)  $120 
Drawer Slides   $50
Gate Latch $10
Electronic door strike $25
Keypad $45
Gas Spring $120
Wire $5
Misc nuts bolts and screws $5
Foam  $40
Electric knife $25

Oh and I have plans for some polished concrete medallions to decorate the entertainment center with.  A laser cutter would go a long way in helping with the molding design process.  Sounds like another instructable to me. 

Step 1 Drawer and hindges

The drawer itself was fabricated at a local machine shop out of 16 guage steel.  However I prefer to measure once and cut twice so I had to cut the thing in half and re-weld it.  I neglected to account for the 1/2 inch thick drawer slides in my original dimensions.  I never learn!!! 

The hindges are attached to the inside right and left portions of the drawer passage using several wood screws and connected to the drawer using pand head machine screws, washers and nylon lock nuts.  I suggest investin in a "step bit" or "Unicorn bit" so you can drill out the necessary holes in the steel drawer.  These bits are typically used in electrical work and will eliminate the burs left by a standard bit.    

The facade of the drawer is made out of a solid piece of Birch attached with half inch pan head wood screws.  I deliberatly made the screws smaller in order to allow the facade to be sacraficial, pending any forceful attempt to pry the drawer open. 


Suggestions
If i did it again, which I may, I would have lined the drawer hole with a steel sleave and moved the drawer thickness up to 1/8 inch stainless steel.  Cost was a factor here and considering the hidden nature of the project it seemed unnecessary.   

Comments

[hottacos1]

are any of these the door strike you purchased?
http://www.smarthome.com/5192/Electric-Door-Strike-Mortise-Type/p.aspx
or
http://www.smarthome.com/51921A/Heavy-Duty-Safe-Secure-Strike-for-24VDC-SD-995C24/p.aspx
or
http://www.smarthome.com/51921/Heavy-Duty-Safe-Secure-Electric-Strike-Electric-Door-Strike-SD-995C/p.aspx

[hottacos1]

when you ordered the gas spring, what did you enter as the extension-force?

[pagan209]

Well I honestly don't remember. I did order it with an adjustable feature. You can let out some of the gas and lower the pressure. If you do this just beware that filling the piston back up is something you'll have to send it back out to do. So lessen the pressure slowly. I want to say its like 15 lds. The lower the pressure the slower the drawer opens.

[jaggdlynx]

I love it, I'm truly inspired.

[Jason-B]

Nice Job

[coldduck22]

[tinker234]

very nice i really wonder how to do that do you think you could post a instrcutable on this

[pagan209]

That's pretty cool. I dig how your using the faux shoes as your handle.

[clrcopy]

One tip I saw awhile back while doing the foam cutting (but it was for photo gear) was to buy 2 layers of foam, equal thickness, that would be the height you need. Cut your templates out of the 1 layer, and stack it on the 2nd uncut layer, giving you a bottom layer. I do remember a glue or double stick tape being involved too :) great project!!! Gave me an idea for my own home, thank you!

[tankaer]

Excellent 'ible. Ingenuity, craftsmanship, and gun safety is a nice combo.

[elmigs]

what if you dont have electricity and need urgently to open?

[pagan209]

I have a spliced in wire that feeds to a hidden location. This wire allows me to attach a battery and bypass the keypad. I also have a hidden mechanical way of opening if necessairy.

[Diabloscope]

Very Nice ! Im planning this with a Dresser Drawer using two 8" linear actuators and incorporate an Keypad safe lock i can buy that separate .

[patron_zero]

That design begs to be turned on it's side into a vertical oriented sliding panel, any thoughts of adapting said design to fit 'behind' an armoire or like free-standing wardrobe ?

[Anarx]

Wow very nice I'm quite impressed and would love this to be a feature of my home. Now going to play the bad guy a bit. Whats the path of least resistance? First and foremost i doubt someone could even find the keypad, let alone know WTF it was for if they did. you made this nice steel drawer but then left the surrounding area wood with out much in the way of reinforcements. so the wood would be the weak point in gaining access from what i can see. someone could in theory pry it open with a crowbar, but i don't know what would give first the lock or the board.

Also do you have any kids? not even remotely worried about them getting access, more along the lines of young kid's punching random numbers into the key pad and setting off the alarm.

Again not bashing you I am extremely impressed. I'm sure they are quite safe in that location from anyone. I also love the spyish style of it.

Nice Collection, What all do you got there? I see the AR, and one of the cutouts looks like its for a, USP tactical, and i think a Glock?. can't really make out the others

[pagan209]

No problem. I like the outside opinions, any shift in perspective only leads to improvement. You point out some good issues that I have also considered. I have thought about installing a steel sleeve in the drawer channel as a potential means of strengthening. Sleeve or no though, a properly motivated individual can get into anything. I think that the "Spy" feature and attached alarm system are probably the best safety features that I could have put into this. The lock is pretty heavy duty so I would have to put my money on the wood. I have actually made some portions of the assembly sacrificial, in order to slow someone down.

As far as the kids thing, it will keep them out. I do however feel that as a gun owner, it is not only my responsibility to know all I can about my weapons but to teach those that are forced to be around them by living with me. By teaching my kids about these weapons i find that it takes away some of that curiosity that leads to some of those tragic incidents.

Thanks again, I have AR, a Beretta PX4 subcompact and 92F, Glock 27 and 17, and a S&W Airweight 38. Most of these have the crimson trace lasers and the 92f has a Tac-light. I also have a couple shot guns. I have plans of making a shatterproof glass "in case of Zombie Attack, Break Glass" in wall hidden door release case for the shotguns. This may be a future instructable.

Again thanks for the suggestion

[reddog92396]

This hidden drawer in incredible, and I think that it is very smart of you to educate your family about these weapons. I can't wait to see your shotgun safe in an instructable!

[tinker234]

wow

[notsavvy]

That is awesome!!

[hcorral]

Smart man!!

[rwpresto]

I'll tell ya this much fella.........your a genius!! Great work!

[jnc425]

Very nice! I like the keypad entry and the way you have it setup to unlock without power if necessary. The foam looks professional. The drawer is very descreet and the way it smoothly opens is another plus, instead of just popping open. You've given me the perfect idea to use for my own hideaway.
Thanks!

[sabre]

As soon as I run into some more money I am planning on making a similar hideaway. Only I think mine will be vertical instead of horizontal.

[sensoryhouse]

Well done sir. We need more firearms related 'ibles on here. 5 Stars!

[pagan209]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. I've always wanted to build a hidden draw but never had a reason till the guns. Hidden sock drawer wouldn't have made much sense. Pretty cool but not much sense.