Leave Enough Space Between The Stock Hangers
I installed three ordinary hooks in the top of the cabinet to hold the stocks. They're nothin' fancy, just simple hooks on which I can hang lengths of coat-hanger wire. If you install more than one hook, make sure you space them far enough apart that the stocks will not bang into one another or into the sides of the cabinet.

To ensure adequate airflow inside the cabinet, Reid installed a dehumidifier. The holders for the dehumidifier are placed so the heater will be directly over the intake vent in the bottom of the cabinet.

Special Touches Make The Difference
While having a sealed cabinet is helpful, more can be done. Ideally the air in the cabinet should circulate. To permit this I used a hole saw to cut a 2-inch-diameter hole in the bottom and the top of the cabinet. This will permit air to flow through the cabinet, but it will also allow dust and dirt to come in as well. To keep the air clean, I picked up a pack of vent filters. These filters are designed for standard 4x12-inch heating vents and can be easily trimmed for smaller sizes. The ones I used were cut in half and installed over the 2-inch holes. A simple cover of scrap wood was made with a 2-inch hole drilled in it to sandwich the filter. These filters can be changed easily, but they should last for years and years.

Even though I had filtered openings for air movement, that alone was not enough. It's important to have a mechanism to ensure that air actually moves through the cabinet. In my earlier cabinets I had used a small light bulb that burned constantly. It heated the air a few degrees, and this worked reasonably well. The problem was that the bulb would eventually burn out, and since it was glass, it could, and occasionally did, get broken from time to time.

On this cabinet I used a Gun Saver dehumidifier by Golden Rod. The unit I chose was the smallest one they make (only 12 inches long). It fit perfectly in the bottom of my cabinet, positioned directly over the bottom, or intake, vent. The dehumidifier generates just enough heat to raise the air temperature in the cabinet by a few degrees. This alone will speed drying of the stock finishes, but more importantly the warm air will rise as it's heated. It will flow past the stocks and out the top, or exhaust, vent. This ensures a constant circulation of air in the cabinet.

The completed cabinet is mounted about two feet above the floor, and it provides a safe, secure place for stocks to hang while the finish cures.

You could use a small fan, but the dehumidifier is quieter, easier to install, and heats the air as well. I purchased my Gun Saver dehumidifier from MidwayUSA. They offer a variety of dehumidifiers ranging in price from about $20 on up to $40 or so.

When constructing my cabinet I took the time to paint the inside as well as the outside. There were several reasons for this. The first reason was aesthetics. Unpainted wood in a shop will soon look dirty and soiled. It can also look "thrown together." I don't like that in my shop, and I want my equipment to look good and be something I can be proud of. By painting the inside of the cabinet white I can make it easier to see the stocks. And the paint helps seal the wood and cut down on dust.

With the cabinet finished, I did something a bit unusual in that I mounted it on a wall rather than set it on the floor. I did this to save space and to permit an easier flow of air through the bottom intake vent. Also, the dirtiest, dustiest place in any shop is the floor. By mounting the cabinet on the wall up off the floor, I got above this zone of dust and dirt. I have a band saw and some buffers in my small shop, so I wanted to place the cabinet as far away from these "dirty" machines as possible.

The total cost of the project was less than $50, but I assure you that the first time it saves damage to a stock, it'll be more than worth it. As far as I'm concerned it's an essential part of my shop, and you just might want to make it part of your shop as well.

Until next time, good luck and good gunsmithing!