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Tricks to fix your containers on the cheap!


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I overheard an army navy store owner say to someone, you can easily liven up the rubber seals on your ammo cans (or anything for that matter) with some Vaseline, just smear it on the rubber seal and in a few hours your old cracked dry seal is good as new,

 

any other good tips?

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liven up the rubber seals on your ammo cans (or anything for that matter) with some Vaseline

That's what I used on my ammo can hide (and on the cans I'm setting up to hide). I selected ammo cans in mint condition with excellent seals, but they still had some crusty wax from the original seal, which I cleaned off. I only used a very light coating of Vaseline. If the seal stays clean and intact, it will keep water out longer.
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I've always heard that petroleum products can harm rubber, but I have no proof of that. I do know that sunlight and ozone do hurt it, and I suppose a coating of vaseline (or glycerine, or Armor-All) will provide some protection from contact with ozone. Replacement O-rings are very inexpensive, as well, although, admittedly, a trip to replace them isn't always cheap or convenient.

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I've never had an ammo can seal fail. So the notion of spreading goo of any flavor seems superfluous.

 

Cans in Florida that aren't lost to fire, flood, or removal, generally hold up fine for about 5 years. Then they start rusting out along the bottom edges. No seal failure, even then. If I were interested in extending their life, I'd spend extra effort on priming and painting the bent edges (I don't).

 

The oldest ammo can in the wild that I know about in Florida, is GC4588 at over 8 years. The other old ammo can caches aren't in the original can. This guy is placed on a bit of elevated ground, keeps it dry. Seal is good, some rust starting on the bent edges.

Edited by Isonzo Karst
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I overheard an army navy store owner say to someone, you can easily liven up the rubber seals on your ammo cans (or anything for that matter) with some Vaseline, just smear it on the rubber seal and in a few hours your old cracked dry seal is good as new,

 

any other good tips?

I don't think that would work on recycled tupperware. [:)]

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I've never had an ammo can seal fail. So the notion of spreading goo of any flavor seems superfluous.

 

Cans in Florida that aren't lost to fire, flood, or removal, generally hold up fine for about 5 years. Then they start rusting out along the bottom edges. No seal failure, even then. If I were interested in extending their life, I'd spend extra effort on priming and painting the bent edges (I don't).

 

The oldest ammo can in the wild that I know about in Florida, is GC4588 at over 8 years. The other old ammo can caches aren't in the original can. This guy is placed on a bit of elevated ground, keeps it dry. Seal is good, some rust starting on the bent edges.

 

Nothing beats actual field testing!

If something is gonna rust out, it's gonna happen in Florida! :)

Even so, a little bit of cheap insurance never hurt, eh?

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speaking of rust, anyone own a cache on the beach? or one in the north where road salt tends to collect?

 

how do you keep your caches in good shape in those enviornments?

 

water is one thing, but mix water with salt, and you get some seriously bad cache container environments.

 

Does salt water affect hard plastics like a lock and lock? and does it affect the seals at all?

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I've heard of people here in Alberta using rubberized undercoating or rocker guard on ammo cans.

I'm sure that would work great.

 

Now that I think about it, it would probably work to stop the UV damage to plastics.

Might not protect against liquid nitrogen though.

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I overheard an army navy store owner say to someone, you can easily liven up the rubber seals on your ammo cans (or anything for that matter) with some Vaseline, just smear it on the rubber seal and in a few hours your old cracked dry seal is good as new,

 

any other good tips?

 

I thought you said you were leaving Geocaching?

 

Scubasonic

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I overheard an army navy store owner say to someone, you can easily liven up the rubber seals on your ammo cans (or anything for that matter) with some Vaseline, just smear it on the rubber seal and in a few hours your old cracked dry seal is good as new,

 

any other good tips?

 

I thought you said you were leaving Geocaching?

 

Scubasonic

 

Let it go. You are becoming as bad as him. :)

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