"Fire-proof safes" not as safe as you th

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snarke
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"Fire-proof safes" not as safe as you th

Post by snarke » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:24 am

I was reading the old "insurance" thread and a lot of people talked about getting fireproof safes for their MtG collections.

If you're keeping your cards in binders, then the safe probably isn't going to do you any good.

They work like this: the safe walls have stuff in them designed to outgas under high temperatures. Sort of like boiling water. The hot gases carry heat away from the safe, keeping it somewhat cooler than the surrounding environment. Your typical safe is rated to keep papers intact for up to 1 hour in a fire of 1700 degrees.

Paper, however, can withstand temperatures of hundreds of degrees without harm, before eventually starting to turn brown.

Plastic isn't so clever. If you've got CDRoms or floppy disks or backup tapes in that safe, they're going to be warped and ruined long before the paper shows any damage.

So if you've got your Magic cards in *plastic binder pages* in that safe, expect to be trying to peel melted polyethylene (or whatever) off those precious cards. If you really expect to keep them safe, they need to be unsleeved in a cardboard box. Yea, I know, I'm not very excited about that prospect either.



Here's some specific info I turned up.

"These FireKing safes carry the UL Class 350 1-hour fire rating. This means that the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 350° for at least one hour when exposed to external temperatures up to 1700°."

From http://www.imation.com/en_US/main.jhtml?Id=70_02_06
"As a general rule, Imation suggests that you store magnetic and optical media in a safe that meets the UL 125 1-hour fire and impact rating. The internal temperature of a safe that carries the UL 125 1-hour fire rating will not exceed 125º F (52º C) after sitting in a 1700º F (926º C) furnace for 60 minutes. Fire safes that are not manufactured to UL 125 may have their internal temperature exceed the safe storage temperature range for magnetic and optical media."

snarke
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by snarke » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:03 am

Hmm. Now, I realize that a lack of follow-up posts doesn't mean nobody read the original post. It might be definitive. Or boring.

Did anybody read the original post?  Did you find the information useful, or is this, in the end, just a way for me to boost my post count?  ::)

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Celebrindor
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by Celebrindor » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:07 am

Hmm. Now, I realize that a lack of follow-up posts doesn't mean nobody read the original post. It might be definitive. Or boring.

Did anybody read the original post?  Did you find the information useful, or is this, in the end, just a way for me to boost my post count?  ::)
It has been read 54 times (it says so at the top of the thread, and in the thread listing page)

snarke
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by snarke » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:10 am

Well, viewed, yes. I was more curious about whether or not it was interesting or useful. <shrug>

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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by Celebrindor » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:15 am

I can't speak for anyone else, but I found it interesting.

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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by Allie » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:59 am

I found it to be interesting as my brother recently bought a large safe and had a photo safe put inside of it to protect more delicate items such as CDs and negatives.

Really valuable MTG cards that are not used on a regular basis might be best kept in a safety deposit box in a vault at a bank if you can't afford a specialized safe.

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flatmatt
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by flatmatt » Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:10 am

I thought it was rather interesting and informative, though not all that useful to me, personally.

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dry cereal
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by dry cereal » Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:17 am

are you saying to put a safe inside a safe? &nbsp;brilliant!!
I can't believe I ate the whole thing

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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by silver.paladin » Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:44 am

are you saying to put a safe inside a safe?  brilliant!!
Sometimes it is safe to put a safe in a safe, as it makes the safe safer inside the safe.
Besides, the safest safe is a safe safe.
Oct 30, away until further notice

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dry cereal
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Re: "Fire-proof safes" not as safe as yo

Post by dry cereal » Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:38 pm


Sometimes it is safe to put a safe in a safe, as it makes the safe safer inside the safe.
Besides, the safest safe is a safe safe.

brilliant!!!
I can't believe I ate the whole thing

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