How to Build a Faraday Cage w/a Trash Can: Step-by-Step Instructions 

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This is what all your videos should be like. Actual step by step. I appreciate it

You want an old grease drum from mechanic shops. No holes, seamless and annealed. The lids are meant to seal in grease so their pretty tight when put on. And most likely will be able to get them for free from local shops. The good ones keep the grease in bags inside of the can so you usually get a clean can.

This is a critically under viewed presentation, which is IMO criminal. While we all pray that the events necessitating the need for a Faraday Cage never occurs, we can still take the actions needed to mitigate the adverse effects should they occur. I appreciate the brevity, conciseness, and straightforwardness of the build, and will put this on my to-do list in April. The consistency of high quality in these how-to videos can not be overstated. Kris, your contributions to the emergency preparedness community is beyond reproach. If there were a Mount Rushmore for RU-vidrs Preppers, your face would be among them, and rightfully so.

I appreciate that you go through the trouble of testing. Many skip that step for whatever reason.

I made one in December. I added 8 additional layers of aluminum foil inside and 10 within the lid, (held in place with aluminum tape.) The foil in the lid acts like a gasket, forming a seal when the main body is pushed against it, and phone signals cannot get in. Incoming calls go straight to voice-mail.

Kris, I am a retired Coast Guard Electronic Technician from 73 to 93. Over half of my duty stations were LORAN Stations (Long Range Aids to Navigation). The transmitters put out an eight pulse signal with power levels of 400KW to over 1 MW. The timing and control equipment were located in a screen room. The walls, floor and ceiling were all lined with copper inside and out. On routine intervals we would have to make resistance checks between panels. The last job I had before retiring involved installing data radios in fiberglass buses. We used foil tape to create a ground plane for the antenna. We found that overlapping foil tape created problems. The glue acted as an insulator or a dielectric, creating a capactor that could store energy. We found that when overlapping the Z folding the overlap would eliminate this or something as simple as stapling layer would short them out.

Items with removable batteries or an option to run on regular batteries should take priority, along with the batteries to power said objects. Thanks for another awesome video Kris!!

Hello there 😊 i want to say im a disabled grandmother and i followed the instructions here and i was able to get it to protect a few things. Thank you so much for sharing this process with us. God bless!

Been thinking about doing this for a few months now. I have all of the materials AND exactly what I will be putting inside. Can you imagine not having electrical devices if SHTF? A little preparedness goes a long way. Thanks Kris!

This is good info without selling fear well done sir

A job site tool box makes a nice Faraday. Cage, it holds my Solar generators. and all electronics. Just make sure the inside is properly lined and top sealed.

Thank you! For the Most Efficient and cheapest way, I've found to make Faraday cages. God Bless you, your family and your channel.❤

I appreciate the test results! A lot of the videos about this don’t have that.

Here are the ideas I've seen on the internet (in various places) of things someone might want to store in a Faraday Cage, as well as some ideas of my own: I came across this first list (based on one created by Lisa Bedford "the Survival Mom"), 1) MP3 players filled with music, and several sets of earphones 2) Old laptop computer with downloads of eBooks and stored personal info. 3) Digital camera(s) 4) Walkie Talkies (at least 1 set) that run on rechargeable batteries 5) Solar battery chargers (maybe crank kind too?) 6) Kindle containing over 150 eBooks (reference and survival plus dozens of classics and 2+ Bible versions) 7) Digital Watches and Clocks 8) Small DVD player(s) 9) Digital photos stored on a DVD and/or a flash drive 10) Scanned documents stored on a DVD and/or a flash drive 11) Computer hard drives 12) HAM Radio equipment 13) A small generator 14) LED Flashlights 15) Short Wave Radio 16) Inverters 17) Electronic Medical Equipment (Example: insulin pump or meter, etc.) 18) Calculators 19) DC/AC Inverters Another suggestion Lisa Bedford made (which I guess is obvious but I hadn't thought of it), is that if you have more than one of a particular item, put them into different Faraday Cages (assuming you have more than one Faraday cage) to increase the odds that at least one of those items would survive an EMP. Other items I think should be put in a Faraday cage are: 20) “Solar Generator” and other devices that contain a battery with integrated electronic components 21) Charge controller(s) 22) Radiation Meter/Geiger Counter(s) 23) Dosimeter Charger(s) (and maybe Dosimeters themselves?) 24) Small solar powered lanterns and other small solar powered devices 25) Small portable roll up/fold up solar panels and cables/cords/adapters for them 26) Mini-ice making machine or Mini-fridge/freezer (especially if you need one to keep critical medication cool) Here are some other ideas found elsewhere on the internet of things to put in a Faraday cage: 27) Chainsaw ignition module 28) Solar pump controller 29) Night vision items 30) Voltage regulator for generator 31) Spare Alternator for older model vehicle 32) Cell phone (in case cell phone towers operate again) 33) AM/FM Radio 35) Spare charge control system for rooftop solar array ---------------------------------------------------- Faraday Cage tip from Dr. Arthur Bradley: No need to put in just plain batteries because an EMP shouldn't hurt them.

Excellent well thought out demonstration, thank you.

Thank you for the work you do. You’re the most genuine tuber on these topics and I appreciate your time and honesty.

i put my electronics inside Emp bags then into the Gavinized barrel for added protection

This project is what I’ve been currently gathering supplies for, so I really appreciate the timely video!!

Howdy CP! Thank you for this video! I followed the instruction and for less than $50.00 I now have a Safe space to store my new Jackery Explorer 1000 and other electronic essentials. Thanks again.

I like the idea of using a thin yoga mat to insulate

If you're looking for the conductive gasket for a trash can, Digi-Key sells the Würth Elektronik 3020602, which is what is sold elsewhere and drop-shipped from them for this purpose at a huge markup.

What a great video ! Thank you for taking the time to create this video!

I just finished my build on one of these. It's great. I keep all of my critical systems in a series of these. SM, MD and LG, With some duplicity / redundancy factored in. Thanks for posting this. I can't recommend this prep enough.

Hey Kris. I have all the supplies and had already planned to build one of these today. Extra tips from you are helpful. I already have one of Dr Bradley's gaskets I bought. I will be adding two Jackery 1000's, a multi band radio, and an extra cell phone. Thanks for the thorough explanation.

2 laptops, solar gen and foldable solar panel, infrared/night v rifle scope, cordless tools

Thank you! Been needing this!

I also made a few last year but added additional layers of protection to my gear. 1) Kept items in cardboard boxes they came in or found boxes to store items in. Get free boxes from post office they have a selection of sizes. 2) Wrapped each box like a gift with 5 layers of aluminum foil and flip box over for each layer front and back. 3) Purchased EMP individual bags and place each item into its own bag and heat sealed bag. Write name of item onto bag after heat sealed 4) Used metal duct tape on seams and over all screws, rivets, and any punctures in can on both Inside and out to seal can. 5) Added cardboard box into metal can along the sides and on floor of can. 6) Purchase very large EMP bag and inserted into can like garbage bag to place items into bags that are in their own EMP Bag. Make a master list of what you place into can 7) Heat seal very large bag after all items are placed into can 8) Use Aluminum foil on top edge of can to enhance seal with lid. 9) Tape can shut with Aluminum duct tape all around lid 10) Tape master last onto outside of can for reference This will give you a " Nesting Effect" of protection for EMP's. Some will think this is over kill type of protection but....... "REMEMBER, YOU ONLY HAVE 1 CHANCE TO BE PROTECTED AGAINST AN EMP MAKE IT THE BEST!!!" Recap with this setup you have: 5 layers of Alumium Foil, 2 EMP bags, 2 layers of cardboard boxes, 1 metal garbage can. I bought all EMP bags from Diaster Preparenesss this Dr.Bradleys website very good site for EMP info and supplies It doesn't take that much more effort but the benefits will pay for themselves... Good luck Just my 2 cents

This is awesome! I also saw your other video (some time ago) regarding faraday cage. Hope you can share how the indoor garden is going.

as one further step to protect your electronics inside your trash can, keep each one in a cardboard box, then wrap the box like you were wrapping a present, but use aluminum foil and the aluminum tape. Super critical gear? cardboard box, wrap in foil, wrap in newspaper, wrap in foil, keep in can. Obviously, however this makes getting to your gear extra super inconvenient.

In addition to the usual items (radio, phone, computer) I have these in 3 large Mission Darkness faraday bags : night vision binoculars, drone, batteries for tools, solar panels, rechargeable batteries and battery chargers, CO detector, etc.

This has been on my to do list. Very timely video. Thanks!

Thank you for this video. I've just gone through the process of building a couple of trash can faraday cages, as well as a large metal tool box faraday cage. In all three instances, I used aluminum tape to seal all the seams, the handles, etc.I put my metal tape on the outside of the large cans as it is so much easier to apply. I lined the tool box with thin foam that I applied with adhesive, rather than cardboard. It made a really nice lining that provided some protection to the things inside. I also put many of my items into the cans/toolbox inside heavier plastic bags (just bags that items I'd purchased came in, to provide another way to keep them from touching the metal, should the cardboard move.). I think a weakness in your plan is the aluminum foil that you place around the top of the lid, and the cardboard in the lid. It's extremely hard to make the aluminum foil be totally in contact with the lid and can's upper edge, it's just too lumpy/bumpy. I think it may be worse than just the direct contact of lid to can. There can't be any gaps in the space, and that seems almost impossible to achieve with the foil in there. I used an aluminum gasket I got off Amazon (similar to what Dr. Bradley uses) .and placed on the interior rim of the lid, where the top of the can would hit. This provides a very tight seal. I also simply laid the circle of cardboard on top of the items in the can, making sure that it's smaller than the top of the can. The way you've attached your cardboard to the lid, it again makes it impossible for the rim of the can to connect with the lid. It may do so along the side edges of the rim, but why not get as much connection as you can? And I made sure that the cardboard lining in the can is at least a half inch shorter than the height of the can--again to make sure the can can be tightly shut with a complete seal. You don't want the cardboard pushing on the lid. Additionally, I put a couple of pieces of 1"x4" wood duct taped to the bottom of the can, below the cardboard, to lift the cardboard off the bottom of the can, just to create a small gap below the cardboard so nothing can touch the can's bottom, even if there would be a hole in the cardboard. I've also seen a video where someone used a 21 gal can inside a larger can, sealing both and lining both with cardboard. This provides double metal protection. I thought it was a good idea, but the solar batteries I'm protecting only fit in the larger can. Honestly, I really like the aluminum tool box (it's the type that goes in the back of a pick-up. ) I wish I would have gotten a larger, more expensive one, and I could have avoided doing the trash cans. Once the gasket is in the toolbox, it has a very tight seal. Live and learn.

I was just doing my research and to my surprise, look at what I see when I open RU-vid!

TY for this. I built 2 but didnt think of the cans Lip, putting aluminum foil on lid and sealing the handle rivets and lid after with aluminum tape. Also I wrapped the items in my Faraday with saran wrap and another layer of Aluminum foil, followed by another layer of saran wrap on outside.

I used 2 bins like that with 3 cheap yoga mats and 2 tubes of multi-purpose adhesive. £80 all in. One bin indoors and one in the shed.

We do need this in Puerto Rico too

Great info and love the NIN shirt 🤘🏻

I built a small one. Aluminium chocolate tin that i got for free and aluminium foil

OMG the title and the thumbnail 🤣 I clicked on this one so fast!

Coms, optics, shortwave am/fm radio, extra batteries for optics and battery packs.

thanks for always having great content

Thanks! Looks like vid revealed some “holes” in my setup.

Thanks!

I would add backup medical things like thermometer, blood pressure monitor, also a calculator, digital scale, and a backup alarm clock.

For even better attenuation try to use a gasket in the gap between the lid (before the tape) and can that contains ferrite. The Aluminum does almost nothing to stop the Magnetic field.

Kris, that is awesome, but I would love to see some kind of a DIY faraday bag using a faraday cloth. For example a duffle bag for a solar generator.

Kris just made Faraday from 32 gal trash can then placed 20gal plastic trash can inside and sealed off like your video. I also covered it "dimples" inside edge of lid with aluminum tape.

I am using metal ammo cans with foam insulation to separate my radios from the can. I was just relying on hope without testing. Now, I will do the cellphone test to see if anything is actually getting through.

Did this myself a while back, without much of a guide. Its exactly the same you made, and it works!

Hello Thank you for all your work. I've been keeping an Eco Flow max in just such a Faraday trash can. I am nervous about it though. How safe is it? How often should I check on it?

Now to figure out where to hide it without anyone thinking that it's a regular trash can and throw their trash in

DONE

Thank you, Kris!

Anything is better than nothing. Even wrapping things in foil. A lot depends on the strength of the EMP and where you are located.

good to see that you are back on to gear advice and equipment ... yes physical fitness is necessary but gyms do that

This works fine when you have enough notice to place your items in the faraday cage. The advanced notice is needed.

How much warning would there be when a EMP attack was emminent?

Have you thought about using insulation foam on the inside of the lid as a wedge with aluminum tape to improve the metal integrity? Inside I would place walkie talkies, CB radio and world/weather radio along with some smaller items if I have space. There is faraday fabric, maybe you could make a faraday bag that fits over the lid and then sinch it tight on the outside to eliminate the need for taping shut?

Need this this weekend 😮

So, maybe I'm missing something, but what would be the point of shielding your electronic devices in the first place? Even if your cell phone / satellite phone / laptop- whatever it might be - is still functional after an emp, all of the services which it would utilize would be offline and inoperable from said emp. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to the effort, I'm just wondering how effective those devices would be in a post-emp environment.

This could save my life!

Thank you- sharing with my techie fam! 🙏🏻💪🙏🏻

First off , thanks for the info as always! Also looking good man, keep up the hard work

That was AWESOME !!! Thank you….

Wonderful video. Information I definitely need and will follow. Thank you so much for info on this germaine topic

Hello 👋 thank you so much! Question ⁉️ do we need to protect the solar panels as well ? If so how? Or not? Thank you

Hi Kris, just checking in on the status of your job opening/if you've gotten back to applicants yet. Would love the chance to talk to your team. Great video as always.

I made 3 of them. One large garbage can, one smaller pet food can, and I used one metal coffee can converted for batteries and a couple of flashlights.

I built one.

Fantastic info Kris. Thank you.

I commented on your DIY ammo can video with that aluminum tape around the outside so you didn't have to remove the gasket. I had one comment on that stating someone tested and it didn't work. Now viewing this video and having, well an expert that suggests the same, I feel real confident on what I built. I also did my large gun safe with that gasket seal and it has worked just as well. Hoping to never have to use these in the future but that hope is decreasing by the day. It is also good to note that how far from the EMP epicenter you are, the greater your chances that the waves will diminish before they reach you.

I’m trying to figure out what to do for my generator and 2 panels

It would be interesting to perform some additional tests at other frequencies. Commonly available devices for consumers would be an AM/FM/ NOAA weather radio which would test the bands on AM from 570kHz to 1.6MHz, FM from 87 MHz to 107 MHz, and NOAA in the 162 MHz range. Then if you had a small portable digital TV (battery powered, or on a Jackery), it could test the UHF TV bands from 470 to 700 MHz. If you took a wifi router and put it on the same Jackery power station, you could then test the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz ranges.

thank you for this CP

Thank you.

Thanks for the great video!

I made one out of an old ammo can. I keep communication devices in there.

need to protect solar generator, charging cords, solar panels, backup phones, router, modem, batteries, flashlights, small power tools batteries and chargers, laptops - external drives - power cords solar lamps hand crank radio I used a metal truck chest from Tractor supply good seal interior placed cardboard.

Can an old fridge or freezer be converted to work as a faraday cage?

Might want to throw in your chargers for your devices… just sayin…

Just so you know, you don't have to put a GoPro in the trashcan in order to record what is happening on the phone. Just add the screen record feature to your quick settings, and you can access it easily. It will record all activity on the phone, including phone calls. Then, you can air drop the video from the phone to your laptop to retrieve it easily.

So how about sealing the door on a broken fridge or deep freeze with aluminum foil and aluminum tape? Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us.

Fill the can with water and mark the leaks with a crayon

Good video.

Thank you

Something that worries me, such an attack would stop my power wheelchair, and power assit unit for my manual wheelchairs! I can survive without a lot, but not without those 2 items.

Great video! Question however. Are the tests completely relevant? I don’t know a great deal of electronics, but should we be concerned with radio frequencies beyond the scope of those tested, for complete electronic protection?

I have a Spare solar charge converter and inverter In a metal safe in a metal shed, I might transfer them to a can tho I don’t know if Emp would fry the solar panels, but I definitely wanted a back up for other componets

Thank you kind Sir

Thank you!

Does the size of the trash can make a difference? Like can I make one from a small metal trash cans?

If I'm on phone when I walk into my metal shop I completely loss signal does that mean my building with the door open is a farady cage . I know better then that but How can phone test be legit test when same thing happens when I walk in my shop

What is the power of the transmitting station used in the test? What is the expected power of an EMP?

I wonder if i get those gaskets if my gun safe would work just as good

`I just made my can but I have a question. When making my cardboard insulation for inside the can I had to use multiple pieces and I used the metal tape on the inside and outside of the cardboard pieces to connect them for extra protection. My question is should I cover that metal tape with duct tape so nothing ends up touching the metal tape inside the can? I hope that my explanation is understandable for an answer. Thank you!

Instead of cardboard lining the inside, I used a large brown paper leaf bag. Is that thick enough, or does it have to be cardboard?

A great video

Kris, instead of using tape to adhere cardboard to metal can lids/bottoms have you considered silicone adhesive or "great stuff"? Lots of it? Also, doesn't the cage need a ground of some kind?

Radio, WIFI and cellular signals are not the way to test a faraday cage. While these can reduce or eliminate the signal which is somewhat dependent on proximity and strength to repeating towers, its not the intended use of a faraday cage.