45 gallon drums

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I have free access to many many 45 gallon metal drums and wondered if anyone had any ideas what they could be used for besides storing liquids?? We have very sandy soil where I live and so I was thinking of using some as walls (filled with sand and stacked?) for an underground root cellar. Any ideas on this or other uses?? Also how does one "cut" the tops off for use as a burning barrel?? They were originally used as ink drums. Thanks

-- Iam (titia@canada.com), January 02, 2001

Answers

a can opener???, there is a tool made just for that, but I have used a torch to cut it,, or a chisel and hammer. You can fill it with gravel for a small septic,, houses around here still have them. Line them with plasic bags for food/grain storage, cut in half for feeder for livestock

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 02, 2001.

If you cut them in half for livestock feeders/waterers, make sure that you weld a rolled piece of metal over the cut edge before using it around livestock. I have seen some nasty cuts inflicted by these, one horse had to be put down because he severed tendons on the unprotected edge.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 02, 2001.

I bought the kit to make two drums into a wood burner, and have it in the barn...does a fairly good job!

-- Joe (Threearrs@AOL.com), January 02, 2001.

we use ours for kindling.grain and water for the garden.Interesting thread recently just e few back,something about the adventerous had the bottoms out of the barrels growing potatoes it was cool....teri

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), January 02, 2001.

Lucky you!!!

The book "Rodale - Landscaping and Gardening techniques" has plans for making those composters with a little trap door for putting stuff in and taking it out, and the stand it sits on, with a handle that helps turn it every few days. It's supposed to make compost in 30 days or something. I've been looking everywhere for more drums! Do they have lids too?

They can also be used in a graduated septice system.

They can also be used to hold water stored for your garden from your gutters. (Or if your like us to catch the rain from low parts of the very tall roof where rain sheets off instead of dribbling from the non -sagging sections!)

With a few holes drilled close to the bottom, you can layer composting materials (sawdust, leaves, dry weeds and grasses, veggies and fruit peelings and tossing, and etc) and then have compost ready in one year with no effort. Heck, with a few red worms you could be in business each and every summer - winter too if ya stick 'em in your basement.

If you buy a simple blow torch you can cut out sections and finish edges and have just about anything you can imagine fashioning. Heck, if you save the barrels up, you could sell them to people like me with inspiration and equipment, but not a barrel to be had!!!

If you want them to be safe, you should burn some wood or straw or something in them for a few hours strong to burn off the nasty stuff.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 02, 2001.



Besides cutting them in half they also make great hay feeders. Cut the barrel in half longways about 3/4 down. Leave the 'bottom' on to catch hay leaves or grain. Then weld some sucker rod on it to form a hay rack. Kinda hard to describe if you've never seen one, but they are great for horses & other large livestock. I've also seen people make these and sell them for a nice profit. As mentioned before, always roll the edges to protect the animals from cuts.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), January 03, 2001.

We've built three barrel stoves over the years with just a jigsaw. A welder is nice to add a thick piece of steel plate to the top (cut away part of the barrel first so the plate has more surface exposed to the flames) for a flat cooking surface. It's noisy cutting a barrel apart with a jigsaw, though!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), January 04, 2001.

Please,Please,Please do not use a torch to open barrels or any other kind of container. This is inviting disaster. A neighbor of mine was opening Barrels with a torch when it B.L.E.V.E.ed (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion). He was burned over 90% of his body and died a week later. It does not matter if the liquid inside is flammable or not. You might be surprised how fast a barrel can be opened with a cold chisel and a hammer.

-- David Comer (drcomer@rr1.net), January 04, 2001.

An old hatchet (small axe) is good for opening up steel drums. Use a fairly heavy hammer to drive a point of the head into the drum then you can hold the hatchet handle to guide it as you (or a helper) hit the axe head with the hammer, Hard to describe but quite easy to do. (Don't bother trying to chop wood with the same axe though!)

-- John (john@cnd.co.nz), January 06, 2001.

YOW! I just read the post about the hatchet! Dangerous!!! If you opt for doing this, which is NOT what the tool was designed for, you may be very surprised with steel shards flying all about your person, face, and eyes, and lodging in them. If you're really adament about doing it that way anyhow, at LEAST put on some impact proof eye gear!! Smacking the hatchet with the hammer can also do the same. (yow!!!)

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 08, 2001.


YOW! I just read the post about the hatchet! Dangerous!!! If you opt for doing this, which is NOT what the tool was designed for, you may be very surprised with steel shards flying all about your person, face, and eyes, and lodging in them. If you're really adament about doing it that way anyhow, at LEAST put on some impact proof eye gear!! Smacking the hatchet with the hammer can also do the same. (yow!!!) I think the chisel is a better idea. Use a rubber mallet or something. It's not worth losing an eye.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 08, 2001.

Right! I consider myself thoroughly told off!

-- John Hill (john@cnd.co.nz), January 09, 2001.

If the drums have -close-fitting full diameter lids-AND-the drums haven't been used for petroleum/chemical storage,they may be suitable for storing animal feeds.Keep a concrete block on top of them,if you've got coon problems.You could also use them for storing wood ash from your stove[away from flammable objects OK-those coals aren't necessarily out],for later use in garden,etc.

-- Karl Bechler (kbechler@frontiernet.net), January 09, 2001.

If any barrels are air tight, use for pontoons: boat dock, pond barge, build barbques, also trade & barter for other items. Larry

-- (Nuts4bees@aol.comLarryW), January 09, 2001.

Oil drums can be the basis of a very simple wind turbine suitable for pumping water and maybe electricty generation.

Cut the drum(s) vertically so that each end is a semi-circle, just like you might do to make a cattle trough.

Weld the two halves to a stury axle, something like 3 inch water pipe might be adequate. What you are making is a vertical axis machine with the two halves mounted similar to the rotating advertising signs that you may see outside shops.

Sorry I cant describe this better, email me if you would like a sketch.

Cheers

P.S. I won't suggest how to cut the drums, someone might go ballistic at my workshop practices.

-- John Hill (john@cnd.co.nz), January 09, 2001.



John -- I'm sorry if you thought I went ballistic, it is just that I have seen this several times -- eyes lost through flying metal shards. It's not a happy event and I wouldn't want anyone maimed.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 10, 2001.

Thank you for all the suggestions so far. I have never used a blow torch. I usually remember to put on a pair of goggles when I chop firewood and my bh wears glasses so can hold the hatchet while I pound.Yeah! LOL. Will give it a try. Julie, thanks for the warning. I do appreciate it. Even tho I've loosened all the lids, when the temperature gets hot outside the barrels pop and sound like gunfire. Many of them have a fair bit of ink in them still. Can it be used for ANYTHING??? It cannot be used as paint because it does not dry. Any suggestions anyone? Also what about using the barrels for a cellar as in my original post? Stupid idea? No one has commented on that. Please keep the ideas coming if you have any and THANK YOU!! Oh yeah, the ink is NOT flammable.

-- Iam (titia@canada.com), January 11, 2001.

Iam- I have really tried to visualize what an underground root cellar would look like made out of filled barrels. All I ever could see was the barrels rolling down on me when I was trying to stack them (or whatever) so I stopped trying. What were you visualizing???

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 11, 2001.

The metal will eventually rot making the contents unstable. If you decide to do it you should consider coating the drums with a waterproof material to delay the breakdown,

-- Jeary (bridgetite@idirect.com), April 25, 2001.

I also have many redundant 45 gallon drums. (formerly railway kerosene). I use them regularly for a multitude of purposes. I clean them out when necessary, using a mild detergent and hot water or opening up and leaving to "air dry" for a few days. In addition to the uses already mentioned I could add : Water Butts for catching rainwater for use in the garden during the dry spells. Large plant pots (cut down to size makes 2) suitably decorated/painted look quite attractive in the right setting. 2 drums spaced apart with planks on top make excellant low level scaffolding

-- have a guess? (tony.kassner@ews-railway.co,uk), May 15, 2001.

whenever u want to cut the drums from the top used drums deheaders its available in usa at www.wizarddrumtools.com. its most safest way to cut the drums its from kamlesh shah from India, shahkamlesh99@hotmail.com

-- kamlesh shah (shahkamlesh99@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.

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