                    HOW TO BURY YOUR TREASURE
                                                                                  by Jimi Hendrix
                                   THE LITTLE DIGGER

 	         
 Copied from Edition 6 of the Australian Lock Stock & Barrel Magazine
     
       This Article was first printed in LS&B Edition 2, Nov/Dec 1981but 
seems particularly relevant today. We have reprinted it due to popular 
request , considering  there has been a marked interest in " Gardening 
recently "!

TREASURE: My Collins dictionary describes this as 'accumulated wealth,
hoard of valuables, that which has great worth' -seems to cover firearms 
quite nicely.

Numerous books have I seen on the subject of finding treasure and/or 
how to dig it up, but these days there seems to be a need for one on 
how to bury it.

             AUSTRALIAN GARDEN CLUBS
                                     SPRINGING UP LIKE WILDFLOWERS

     This article was  prompted by a whisper on my grapevine ( a 
flourishing grapevine it is too ) that innumerable persons in Victoria 
were taking a sudden interest in gardening, or at least digging and 
planting, but without too much interest in having the planted item come 
up  - in the immediate future that is. All this seems to stem from Mr 
Cain taking over leadership of the Victorian ALP Mr Cain being an 
advocate and co-compiler of item 151 on firearm control (see Lock Stock 
& Barrel, Edition 1. Page 53). (as per the note at the start of this article, 
it appears to be even more relevant throughout Australia today!)

No doubt many readers at one time or another have been faced with the 
situation of having to hide something in a hurry (the in-laws may be 
coming to stay and their kids are holy terrors who get into everything). 
You slink around the house putting your " treasure" first here and then 
there, but as soon as it's hidden, you get the feeling that where you 
have put it, is probably an obvious place for someone to look. So you 
move it again and again, and the in-laws will be here in half an hour, 
panic sets in, sweat forms on the brow and the tongue goes dry.

                                           BE  PREPARED

Lesson number 1 - Arrange your hiding place long before it is required - 
unless you are a 007 type, you'll never find one when you're in a hurry.
Whereas most houses these days are without wood panelling, revolving 
bookcases  and the like, it is not practical to hide treasures in your 
home building. Up in the ceiling or below the flooring are definite no-
no's.

It has to be hidden amongst that which there is plenty of, and that  
which is not subject to movement or rearrangement. Pirates of old 
figured a hole dug in the ground to be just the ticket and there seems to 
be no better place even today, in spite of modern day grand scale 
earthworks. Just be very careful where you dig your hole.

Depending on the treasure you want to hide, there are varying degrees 
of care  in the packaging required to afford protection to the item. If it is 
a gold bar, virtually no protection  is required at all, just fling it into the 
bottom of the hole and fill the hole in again. When, years later, you dig 
it up again, it will be just as good as the day you buried it.

                               YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS

But let's take another example, something awkward, something 
perishable....um...let me think...ah...how about a rifle!!?

The two greatest enemies during long term storage of a rifle, are oxygen 
and moisture. Yes I know that moisture is 33% oxygen but in this 
exercise, in  practical terms, getting rid of one doesn't assuredly get rid 
of the other. First thing to obtain is a  container which can be 
assembled at home, is waterproof, acid proof, everlasting, and 
economical. A tall order? No, not really.


Initially you will need  to know  what size you require. This can be 
determined by laying your rifle (with scope removed) flat on the floor, 
with the toe of the butt and the muzzle against the wall.  Then measure 
from the wall to that part of the rifle which is furthest from the wall.

The measurement plus 10mm will give you the diameter of the tube 
which the rifle will fit into. Measure also the length of the rifle as this 
will give you the length of the tube required. Most rifles will require a 
150mm diameter tube. The barrel and action on it's own would fit into a 
much smaller tube, but the stock wouldn't, what then would you do 
with the stock?
                                 
                                     WHAT MATERIAL? 
                                       

Stainless steel may be classed as the best material but it cannot be 
rapidly sealed off by the average handyman at home, nor would it 
comply with the economy requirement. The next best is - believe it or 
not - PVC sewerage pipe.

Do I detect gasps of dismay at placing your valued rifle in a  sewerage 
pipe?  Well, I dont mean that you should use a used one. Buy a new 
piece of course, and rest assured that if it was designed to keep 
sewerage in, then when sealed, it must surely keep it out.
So off to your plumber where, unless he has a really big plumbing 
business, you will be told that they  don't stock 150mm sewerage pipe 
but only get it in for special jobs. You may be lucky enough to find an 
off-cut or you may be forced  to buy a  full length - about 6 metres, 
which will cost you about $40 but at least you will have enough for 
about eight rifles.
Also needed will be two end  caps and a small tin each on PVC Priming 
fluid and PVC  Cement. The regular glue-on end caps cost 
approximately $5 each.
Hopefully, your plumber will cut your piece of tube off square, but if 
not, make sure you get a piece that will be long enough when you trim it 
off square. It can best  be cut  with a hacksaw.
The end of every full 6 metre length is expanded for about 100mm so 
that another length can be slipped into and easily joined (cemented) to 
it. This end, you do not want as an end cap will not fit over this 
enlarged section.

                           EVEN A BLONDE COULD DO IT!

Joining instructions should be on your PVC cement tin but basically the 
process is:
1)  clean squared end of burrs.
2)  clean both end cap and pipe   with PVC solvent
3)  apply PVC cement fairly liberally to both surfaces, firstly the end cap 
then the pipe end.
4)  immediately assemble by pushing the pipe to the full depth of the 
end  cap and hold there, without movement, for 30 seconds.
This results in one end being permanently and fully sealed. If a screw-
on end is to be put on the other  end, then screw  cap coupling (the part  
the screw screws onto) can now be attached the same way. 
Unfortunately, the screw-on cap has shown that after a 12 years trial, 
the rubber seal was unsatisfactory and it allowed water into the 
container, however for shorter terms, they may be adequate. Two 
cemented ends means the only way in is via a hacksaw.

                 
                    MOISTURE EVACCUATION NECESSARY

Now that you have your "time capsule", the next task is to ensure the 
evacuation of oxygen and moisture.
First, the moisture. It is not necessary to bake your rifle in an oven to 
dry it out, though if you live in a damp climate some preliminary drying 
would be helpful. The cheapest and easiest to obtain absorber of 
moisture is silica gel, available from your local  chemist at a cost of 
about $20 per 500 grams.

Depending on how long it has been in stock, it may be blue or pink in 
colour. It should  be blue, but if it is pink, then it has absorbed all the 
moisture it can   and will need to be  dried. This can be easily done by 
spreading it thinly on a large plate or dish and baking it at 250 degrees 
in an oven. Leave the oven door  slightly open to let the moisture 
escape.

The silica gel will turn blue around the edge at first and gradually all 
will turn light blue. Stirring seems to hasten the process but increasing 
the heat seems to make little difference. The whole pink to blue 
transformation can take about an hour.
Most turn blue in 10 minutes but the last 10% seems to take forever.
Once blue and cool, the silica gel can be stored in an airtight plastic bag 
where they will remain until  needed.
Your 150mm capsule some 120cm long will actually hold two rifles 
placed top to tail comfortably, plus there will be room for ammunition 
and other odds and ends.

         BE PREPARED - THAT'S THE BOY SCOUT MOTTO

It would be as well, if only for peace of mind, if the usual precautions for 
the long term storage of firearms were carried out first, ie thorough 
cleaning and light coating with protective oil to both inside and outside 
metal surfaces. Even Ron Owen's 'snake oil' preparation "gunshiner" 
would be ideal for the job and you could coat the woodwork with it as 
well  (As with any long term storage protection after you bury it, don't 
forget to thoroughly clean the internals before using the firearm ).

Into the capsule with the oiled rifles etc. should go about 500grams of 
blue silica gel. These should be in a separate non air-tight package, 
preferably a plastic bag which has numerous tiny holes in it. A cheese 
cloth bag would do but take care the bag does not touch the metalwork, 
(It probably wouldn't harm the metalwork if it did, but I have this 
ingrained aversion to stored firearms touching cloth - rust is the result 
all too often but in the capsule in a no oxygen no moisture environment, 
rust should not be able to form ).

Placing the capsule upright with the open end uppermost, the treasure 
and silica gel in place, the next task is to evacuate the oxygen. This can 
be done in a number of ways, depending on what is available in your 
area.

                                  GET RID OF THE AIR

If you live in a country town where the local veterinarian engages in 
artificial insemination , then you may be able to buy some liquid 
nitrogen or some dry ice. The latter should be available if you live near 
the coast as fishing boats sometimes use it in deep freezers. Dry ice and 
liquid nitrogen are both extremely cold, 170 and 192 degrees below zero
so don't touch either with your bare hands.     They vaporise very 
quickly and can only be transported in highly insulated non-sealed 
container like Esky's - the polystyrene foam type will do.
The attributes of great cold  is not what we are after. however Each 
rapidly turns into gas at anything warmer than a typical winter day in 
outer space.

                                             USING GAS

This gas, nitrogen from liquid nitrogen, and carbon dioxide from dry ice, 
is heavier than air and if either one of these substances is allowed to 
gasify in and near the top of your capsule then the gas released will fall 
to the bottom of it. As the gas fills it from the bottom, the regular air 
containing oxygen and moisture  needed for rust  formation, is forced 
out the top.
It is easy to see when your capsule is full of gas.  The gas being so cold 
causes condensation where it contacts regular air - the moisture in the 
air freezes, the same moisture that causes rust - so when clouds spill 
from the top and flow down the outside of your capsule and you can see 
clear "air" inside it through the thin cloud on top, then it is full and the 
container of liquid nitrogen or dry ice should be removed - you don't 
need to freeze your treasure.
If you used liquid nitrogen your capsule would now be filled with 
nitrogen, if dry ice, then carbon dioxide. Sure, carbon dioxide is carbon 
and oxygen but carbon dioxide won't readily part with its oxygen to 
enable iron oxide, rust, to form.

About 2 dessert spoonfuls of either liquid nitrogen or dry ice is all that 
is needed to produce enough gas to fill the capsule but, if it takes an 
hour to get from supplier to you home, then you will need to buy about 
a litre to compensate for evaporation during transit. Be careful not to 
spill it especially in your lap, as very bad burns will result from its 
contact with skin.
Once the capsule is filled with nitrogen or carbon dioxide, keep it 
upright until the end cap is cemented on or until the screw cap is 
screwed firmly on, otherwise the gas will "pour out" the same way as 
would water, and be replaced with air.
The end cap is cemented on as previously described. This must be 
checked to ensure it is undamaged and clean.
Should liquid nitrogen or dry ice not be available, carbon monoxide 
from your cars exhaust could be directed into your capsule.
Nitrogen gas is available in gas bottles (as in oxy/acetylene bottles) and 
so too is carbon dioxide, but neither of these are too convenient to 
obtain unless you work at a  hospital.

                               OR LIGHT ME A CANDLE

Another trick is to burn a candle in the capsule during and after 
sealing. When all oxygen is burned up, the candle goes out. The candle 
would need to be suspended part way down the capsule, while still 
standing on its sealed end, so that the flame would not melt or burn the 
PVC. Only a small portion of a candle would be needed, half a  birthday 
cake candle would be plenty.

                               REALLY MAKING SURE!


Admittedly, evacuating oxygen from the capsule and placing silica 
inside to absorb moisture seems to be doubling up but were I about to 
store a couple of thousand dollars worth of pride and joy, I would want 
to be doubly sure that 100% protection was being obtained. Also, even 
with oxygen removed, there must in time, be a release of moisture 
and/or oxygen from the woodwork which could react on the metalwork, 
hence I advocate both protective measures.

Now that your encapsulated treasure is sealed, where should you bury 
is so that it is safe from prying buzzers of metal detectors?

There are several choices:

1)  where metal detectors cannot get near it and
2)  where metal detectors will confuse it with something else, or
3)  a combination of both.

No 1 is very difficult as detectors cant be turned slightly to one side to                              
take readings other than directly below. Anywhere that a detector 
can't get near will also be very difficult place to situate the capsule.

No 2 is easier. If you have a large cast iron water pipe  going through                  
your back yard, bury your capsule about 20cm underneath this and 
lined up with it.
Any large concrete slab, a garage floor for example, with plenty of steel                   
reinforcing in it would be a good place to dig down below and slightly 
under.
If none are available, I have had it suggested that you bury lengths of  
pipe, and other old iron in scattered pieces all  over your backyard
just to confuse the issue.

 Another good idea is to bury the capsule on its end, this gives a  
smaller target for a metal detector to zero in on. The hole is a lot 
harder to dig of course but could be worth the effort. Even better is to 
dig out a fence post, deepen the posthole to take the capsule and put 
the post back, leaving 10cm os soil between the top of the capsule and 
the base of the post., this gives you an excellent disguised maker as 
well.

                WHY THIS ARTICLE IS NECESSARY

this would have to be the most stupid article ever written. Here we 
have the decent honest people contemplating hiding their firearms so 
that the police won't find them. The police are supposed to be a friend 
and helper to the honest person, in times of need.  Here we have 
unthinking and knowledgeable politicians alienating the two.

How are the police going to cope by being offside to the honest as well 
as the criminals?.

"But the honest should hand in their guns" says the anti-gun 
legislators, "and police-people relations won't be affected" bull..... if my 
friend the policeman comes and asks me to hand over 100's or even 
1000's of dollars worth of property  without compensation and for no 
other reason than some so' n' so politician changed a law, then not 
only will I not be too friendly towards that policeman, who is actually 
totally blameless for the problem, but I will tend to be downright 
unhelpful to all police from then on.

             POLICE - NOT YOUR FAVOURITE PEOPLE

What about the police attitude? Talk about meat in the sandwich 
situation. They will be stuck with having to do what most of them 
don't want to do, plus the prospect of alienating themselves against at 
least 20% of the population.
Take a look at the Western Australian situation. Nowhere else in 
Australia can you find so much police arrogance, no doubt brought on 
by them trying to impose laws that a high proportion of average 
persons are not too happy about obeying, what kind of working 
relationship is that?

All this - and what good will it do?

Will it reduce armed holdups? Will it reduce murders ? will it stop 
pimples on the dicky? ( how did that get in there ?!) 

A definite no is the answer to the first two and whereas I haven't 
verified that last one, I am fairly sure that rates a 'no' also.
In summing up, that is how to successfully build a capsule for the 
long term storage of your treasure.

But if everyone of you spent half the time required to build it, in
talking to and making known your views to your local 
parliamentary representative, then you almost certainly 
wouldn't need to build one. 
                                                                     End.
