James,
I found a surprise at the local Wal-Mart the other day: an American made 6 gallon galvanized metal container with locking lid (the bail is shaped to hold the tightly fitting lid closed when pulled up). With the lid on, it is approximately 15 inches high and about 14 inches in diameter at its widest point. The manufacturer is Behrens Manufacturing in Winona, Minnesota. Besides making a great small container for feed, etc., it could be a great EMP shield for your smaller electronic devices that will easily fit under a counter or bench. The price is good also: $14.97 plus tax. – Steve C.
JWR Replies: Behrens Manufacturing does indeed make a wide range of sizes of galvanized steel containers. Most of them work fine for Faraday cages.
For the budget-minded: Ask your relatives at Christmas for any spare steel popcorn canisters and Danish cookie gift tins. These steel containers have tight-fitting steel lids. As my father was fond of saying: ‘Free is right in the middle of my price range!”