You are going to facepalm when you read this, but just get a few sheets of aluminum foil spread over the box opening, and you pinch it down with the UNMODIFIED lid. You don't have to modify the lid by removing the rubber gasket, sanding, or buy conductive gaskets, etc. Just remove the paint on the lip of the can so it will touch the foil to make a connection. I use Reynolds Wrap, "Super Duty" and 2-3 sheets for thickness and redundancy.

I really like how you give a honest answer and help to all the people in the comments that may not have the money to buy your products yet you still have time to help them with honest answers you are a good man and patriot thank you and God bless

Thank you so very much for your help. I am a single woman and your instructions are simple enough and economical for those like myself. God bless.

love the proof, not just word of mouth. and..love you novels

Thanks for taking the time to upload this. I was on the fence about building a "hammo can". But now I am definitely going to build one... or six.

I realized this is quality content and the man is serious when I saw him well dressed.

I love your channel! Thank you so much for putting this information out there! 💯👍

I really appreciate your informative videos. Thanks

I made two huge cages for $30 each: 2 55-gallon steel drums, $15 each; 1/2” round foam, 15’ for $5; 2” conductive tape30’ for $15. I used the foam and tape to make the conductive gasket. Perfectly blocks 4G with a bit of weight on the lid or using the lid locking ring. 3 milk crates fit with some room on the side. I store all my mission critical electronics in them: radios, flashlights & lanterns, batteries & chargers, solar power system components, PV/monitor, spare parts, hand power tools.

Thank you for this and all your videos. Although I used the aluminum duct tape with OEM gasket (had not seen your video with after market gasket), I am glad to have confirmation of shielding properties. I will be enhancing by removing the paint on lid and can's top edged as you have. Thank you!

Thank you for another great informative video. I (like so many others) really appreciate your efforts.

Excellent video, great presentation and demonstration! Thank you!

I bought a water making machine (a dehumidifier...lol) and will put it in a trash can faraday cage! Thanks for making these videos...your testing makes me feel better about what I've made! Again, THANKS!!!

Love your videos! Thank you for these

I love the latch mechanism on your door.

cool video. what happens if you just grind the paint off the hinge pin contacts? another variable is also soldering a wire to alligator clip a grounding wire connected to a copper pipe from the cold water inlet

Really appreciate your videos.

Very impressive Doc!!

Another option might be to keep the rubber gasket to retain the water tight seal (electronics don't like water any more than they like EMPs), but double layer the Faraday protection by wrapping your electronics with a metal foil, or by placing them in a rolled up Mylar bag as is used in food storage, or in a manufactured Faraday bag before placing them inside the ammo can. I would be very interested to see how that experiment would measure up to the one in this video.

A really appreciate you. Thank you 🙏🏾

Thank You for this info.

To the EMP doctor awesome video I have a question for you do you make a device that you can just plug into a generator or hook up to a generator to protected from EMP being disabled it is hard to by the cloth by the lineal foot thank you God bless

Thank you for the info and proof. Going to place an order at your site.

You can just use rolled up aluminum foil off the shelf where the gasket goes too, and don't forget to insulate the inside for static buildup and maybe ground the box! It's low frequency anyways, though.

Great video! Why wouldn't you just sand the lid and can as you did in the video, then apply a conductive coating to the original gasket?

Have you tried it with a piece of thicker aluminum which is 0.019 inch thick (unpainted aluminum roll valley coils) which is used in construction and is stocked at hardware and building materials stores. A piece can be made that is a inch or so larger on both axis's than can circumference dimensions. Just sand down rim of can like you show and then lay the thin sheet over top of can and hand form it down over edges (like folding a Christmas package ends)and then simply push lid with regular rubber gasket down firmly to finish form the top sheet of protection over the can. I have tried this and it forms up well and is reusable when opened again. I just wondered if you could try such a lid with your equipment. Due to scarce funds not everyone can afford the better foam system you have and lots of common folks can get these unpainted aluminum coils locally. Thanks for your great work.

Great information, many thanks.

I'm glad someone like you puts out videos on this subject. There are way too many people making videos about EMP, who have no clue about the basic physics of the process. One guy was using a stun gun to test his "EMP bags" for "EMP Protection", LOL. One thing I wanted to add. Stainless steel based gasket will probably work best for the metal enclosure. Copper based gasket may develop galvanic corrosion at the contact. If this is the only choice, adding some NoOX may help. A small amount of bearing grease or Fluid Film may also help to keep the contact surfaces from corrosion. BTW, I'd love to have a spectrum analyzer like yours. Unfortunately, they are prohibitively expensive. :( Another thing worth mentioning: I see that you are trying to make a little money on the side. Nothing wrong with that. Just a suggestion, if you don't mind. I think conductive cloth "EMP" covers for Honda EU-series generators may sell very well. I don't think anyone else is making a similar product. Honda sells a regular cloth cover for their EU1000 and EU2000 inverter type generators for about $18. Perhaps making something similar with a longer "skirt" at the bottom may sell very well. You have the tools to make proper testing of the product. Any decent seamstress can make one fairly easily. Patent it and make a little money. Best of luck to you!

Great stuff!!!

Great info. Doc!👍

I have a 30 caliber ammo can and several 50 caliber ammo cans. Wanting to make the 30 caliber into a Faraday cage for my ham radio handheld. How would I go about building my faraday cage?

I'd like to see a test of a DOT HAZMAT DRUM with the metal band clamp lid.

@empdoctor Question since the Rubber seal on the ammo can is not conductive why would you then leave it in so then the can is water proof to a point as it is intended to be . and then sand that paint off the handle locks on the lid as it would then conduct any energy thru that way ?? cause if i remember right that paint has certain properties in it to limit certain things .

Dr. Bradley. Could you use aluminum foil to make a wrap around the issued rubber gasket and then reinstall it. It would seem like that would make a similar conductive seal from the sanded edges and still give some water resistance by the cushion deflection of the rubber gasket. It may not be as good as your professional gaskets but I wonder how effective that would be for those of us on a rock bottom budget. Might you do such a test? Thanks for your service to the country in doing these videos.

If I also wrap my electronics in a layer of aluminum foil will the ammo can be sufficient for an EMP event? Would a double layer of foil work better?

Thank you, Doc, your videos (can't believe I haven't seen this one, before) are the best, as are your products. One question on this: Is the adhesive conductive? Or could the impressive results be even better? Thanks

Would you be able to do the ammo can with aluminum around the rubber gasket? Ground to bare metal of course.

Can I take the rubber gasket in the ammo can like you have and wrap that in foil copper tape and reinstall it? Will that work in protecting from an EMP or do I need to get the gaskets you shown in the video?

Aloha Sir bless your family Hugs and prayers from me 2 U from our family from Hawaii Oahu

Maybe I missed it, but when can you open your can? My understanding is the atmosphere stays charged for a while after an EMP… Would it not destroy things if you open it too early??? If that is the case, any ways to test if things are discharged enough it’s safe to open?

Great info , thanks 👍

What about a refrigerator, stove, or freezer? Could you store items in a large metal appliance and just use metallic tape to seal off any openings and around the doors?

I literally thought, hey an ammo can would make a good faraday cage, so I google it and BAM there you are again first search result lol

Will you do a video using the foil backed insulation

My question is what is the combined frequency spectrum and field strengths of the CME and Nuclear EMPs? At what frequencies are the highest magnitude field strengths and at what point do are consumer grade electronics give up the magic smoke and therefore, cease to operate? Although the 3 V/m Radiated immunity (RI) to a modulated radiated field is a common specification for Class A (not susceptible)immunity performance, I suspect the Class D (damage) performance is probably +26 dB (60 V/m) or more. Back around 1999 we used an ammo can to shield a video camera. We had cables to be shielded and filtered also, but only needed 34dB minimum shielding effectiveness for 150 V/m RS monitoring. Paint and rubber gasket were removed and a fabric gasket was installed just like your conversion. It worked great.

Just curious about something. I see other appliances plugged in, in the back drop of the video. You also have a video camera not protected but when you run the test the recording camera doesn't konk out. Why is this?

I have a question for you. I have a number of electronic in a metal shed that is grounded to the earth and the electronic are grounded to the earth as well. But the shed has a wood floor. Do you think that those electronics are safe from an emp?

Is it actually making metal to metal contact even with the adhesive? Or does the metal gasket wrap around to the underside?

Would a gasket moulded from silicone mixed with aluminum powder be a viable option?

Using the dremel on the can only, leave the lid the way it is and then use an aluminum foil sheet and place it between the lid and the can when you close it. Wouldn't that work?

Why not just wrap the contents in aluminum foil. What do you do when the metal starts to rust?

Good morning Doctor, greetings from the 906. New subscriber here to your channel. I wish ALL KZfaq video producers were as informative as you are! I have a question: In your opinion would removing the rubber gasket from the can, sanding to bare metal, wrapping the gasket in a stainless or copper rodent mesh and reinstalling it work as well as a factory manufactured metal wrapped gasket? Thank you in advance and please keep the good content coming!

Great videos. I was thinking of making my own metallic gasket with household aluminum foil by rolling it into a fat cigar shape and hammering it flat, something like the crosssectional shape of the original rubber gasket. It would, of course, be much more firm and I would need to experiment with the thickness. The more difficult to latch the lid, within reason, the better. This self made gasket can be glued into the sanded lid rim with a carbon based adhesive. Any thoughts?

Could you wrap the rubber gasket in copper shielding tape?

Yeah, but have you ever looked at those big aluminum truck bed tool boxes? Would one of those work for a Faraday Cage??

Question....should you line can with non conducting material like cardboard?

Outstanding.

What material is for EMP protection.EMP blast and electromagnetic..rfid Metall, steel or aluminium ? Wisch one to is better?

Does lining the ammo can and lid with rubber help?

Great videos! How did you get it to work so well without grounding the ammo can? Or is grounding your cage not always necessary? When is it necessary?

Covering the original rubber gasket with much cheaper copper tape also works well bridging to bare metal along side.

Super helpful and informative, thank you! Subbed and you have my business :)

Would sealing the ammo can lid with metallic duct tape offer adequate protection ? I have really enjoyed your books.

Can you just seal the outside of the ammo can with aluminum tape and call it a day?

Can you please test this but with thickly wadded aluminum foil as a seal?

Wouldn't slapping aluminum tape over the rubber gasket work? As long as its metal to metal?

Excellent

you culd use the rubber gasket and wrap it with alu foil or alu tape

Thanks!

Question - could one expect an even better RF suppression level if items were placed (and sealed) in ESD bags and then put into the modified ammo can? Thanks in advance.

I understand this video is was uploaded 6 years ago but I have a question. Could you in theory do the same using aluminum foil wrapped around the original rubber gasket instead of the conductive gasket? Would it be as effective or maybe slightly less effective?

Do you recommend lining the can with something like cardboard or rubber to prevent the can walls from conducting current to whatever you have inside, or does it matter?

If the emp test doesn't damage the unprotected camera your using, what's the point?

I've watched different videos on this and some say ground it, some say don't. Will grounding it make a difference? Also, does the container size matter.

Is there any kind of coating or paint that I could add to the outside of the ammo can that would increase the dB of shielding even more? Thanks for making the video.

I am about to build one of these. I know it depends on an actual event but are there any estimates of the bandwidth of the pulses? Is there a frequency range that does more damage, or does it matter because of the power of the actual pulse?

Hello , I was wondering if I order the bags that you recommended , and triple baged them , each one sealed using Velcro and placed in a 6 gallon trash can , the trash can will have no gasket or be taped . How much DB do you think this will be safe for ?

Would adding dielectric grease hurt or help? Im thinking once you sand down the ammo can it will begin to rust quickly in humid environments and maybe adding the dielectric grease would help keep it from rusting and possibly help with the electrical connection? Any thoughts?

Hello Dr. Bradley, have you tested the efficacy of paint cans for EMP shielding? New, empty paint cans are available at many hardware stores and are inexpensive. They seem like they would be a good solution for small electronics.

I was wondering how effective removing the rubber gasket, grinding the surfaces down to metal as you suggest, wrapping the gasket in a alum foil ) not cooking foil, but a bit thicker, around .020" thick) and reusing the now aluminum covered gasket. I realize the gasket would be difficult to reinstall but I could use a cutoff wheel and cut the tabs off on the ends of the cap, or simply bent them up and then back down on the covered gasket and the use thin double face tape to fasten it down.I guess the question would be how effective would an aluminum covered gasket and bare steel surfaces be at sealing out the emi/rfi effects of an emp. As good as your metal gaskets? I get the dissimilar metals issue but if kept dry and corrosion free???Any educated guesses?

How important is grounding the ammo can?

Hi, can you tell me what kind of dremel head to look for to grind down the metal on the ammo can? There are so many out there it's very confusing, lots of different tips. Also, I think you have to insulate contents from the metal of the can, right? So do you have any suggestions for good stuff to use for the inside of the large ammo can. I have one on order, and I just ordered some of the gasket material from your site, so I'm looking forward to protecting some backup hard drives. Thanks!

what gains could be had from RF Shielding Paint, or is paint even effective for these purposes?

Also I would ask if you are testing for one frequency at a time I believe you said in your video you were testing fo 500mhz? and would do a range of other frequencies off camera? 1. Would you have a paper we could download of your test results? 2. Have you taken into harmonics or the mixing of signals and frequencies that would occur during an emp? If not why not? Thanks again so much trying to come up with as much as I can to take into effect an emp.

Thanks for the video. Would you be willing to do a test using light weight metallic backed duct board insulation used in the heat and air industry? Maybe used for making a box to cover a generator???

Would you try sewing the conductive cloth you had a while back around the rubber gasket and testing that?

alternatively, get some cardboard and some faraday fabric wrap strips of cardboard in the faraday fabric put that in your gasket channels..mission darkness is THE best faraday fabric I've used. You still need to sand off the paint so that the nickel conductive material (fabric) makes metal to metal contact.

After you take the rubber weather seal out, you need to keep your ammo can in a dry, protected place, or cover it with a heavy plastic bag. Condensation ihjside the can is just as bad as an EMP.

I have a question, I read that a nuclear EMP can be from from 100mhz - 100ghz. Do you have the ability to test these at 100Ghz? And would it help to insulate the inside to keep items from touching the metal

Because conventional EMP devices produce explosions driven by HPMW technology, they may have a frequency in the range of 100 MHz - 100 GHz. EMP, depending on altitude and power, can generate electric fields up to levels of 50 kV / m. Will these boxes, or any faraday cadge for that matter really provide protection at these levels?

Are there any bags like the Dri-Shield 3400 which offer a zip-lock closure?

I was wondering if lead would work as a good gasket? Soft, pliable and conductive.

how well do you think the ammo can would do if you didn't sand the paint down , but did use a conductive gasket ?

Greetings, Dr. Bradley. Many thanks for the great information and the scientific presentation. Much appreciated. I was wondering your thoughts on the following sort of improvised version of a conductive gasket. After sanding exposed metal surfaces on can and lid, how effective do you think it might be to just take the existing rubber gasket, wrap it thoroughly all around every side in household aluminum foil and then simply replace it? The hope would be that the foil makes the uniform contact necessary for adequate reduction due to the underlying rubber’s ability to press it evenly when compressed by the latched lid. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to test this myself. Thanks again for all the great videos (and the EMP bags I ordered from you a while back)!

What do you think about mounting a grounding strap from the box to the lid?

How would a grounding strap work between the lid and the box instead of conductive gasket?

What if you grounded the box to earth ground?

Where do you buy theses metal gaskets? Also I want to build a box for my generator , do you have a video on something like that?

Awesome video. So... what's with everybody drilling holes and installing bolts and wires as, like, grounding nodes, or soldering ground wires to their cans? Where does this misinterpretation come from?

If someone designs emp shielding clothes, that would really sell.