# Free 50 or 55 Gallon Steel drums?



## LiberalCountryBoy (Sep 6, 2003)

I have access to dozens of 50/55 gallon steel drums. Free for the taking from the company my wife works for.They previously had paint in them.
They just stack them out back and let employees take them for whatever they want. What a resource, but what to do with them?
I know I can use four of them and bury them under the gutters for a rainwater cache for the garden, but what else?


----------



## Cat (Jun 19, 2004)

Oh wish I were you!!! Do you have birds? Do you have stock? Depending on the type of paint of course, you can use them for a lot of animal purposes. I have halved 55 gal drums as stock tanks for the sheep & donkey, I have 1/3 cut 55 gal drums as swim pools for a few of my muscovy, you can halve them length-wise for the same use. I have them quartered for nest boxes for my Muscovy. I want to build a brooding house with some although I don't have the plan completely thought out, I'm working on it. Some people have planted certain things in them...plants that spread, perhaps? Maybe it's just to keep rabbits and such from eating the plants. We keep our grain in them. I want to make 1/3 cut nest boxes, putting an entry about 4" from the bottom so that I could bury the cut edge which would keep rainwater from entering the nesting area. We get ours for $3 each and some of the crap they've had in them is pretty darn nasty, although it's supposed to be safe I sometimes wonder! If you don't have birds/stock then I don't know what else you could use them for! lol


----------



## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

What part of Ok you in? I have some friends up that way that would probably taken them at the least by the dozen and pay you a fair and reasonable price for them.


----------



## Angharad (Jun 5, 2005)

Clean them real well. Line them with heavy duty plastic to be sure. Bury them in the back yard and store root crops in them.

I'm planning to do that this winter.


A


----------



## smokie (May 26, 2005)

i burn em out and make **** dens, burn barrels, feed and water troughs, floating docks, bbq grills, bins for storing feed, live traps. just a few things i use em for.


----------



## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

The metal ones make great burn and trash barrels. We use the big plastic ones for nests for our geese, fill with hay and they love them.


----------



## lacyj (May 14, 2002)

Hi LCB,
Haven't seen you around for awhile. 
You been behavin' or what??????
Nice to know you're still out there...


----------



## countrygrrrl (Aug 4, 2003)

What to do with them? Give me about ten of them.


----------



## MaryNY (Oct 25, 2004)

If they've had paint in them, and you prefer NOT to use them for feeding animals or growing crops, you can paint them black, fill them with water, and cap the spout, and line them up inside some type of "greenhouse" contraption you figure out for yourself -- about two deep down both long sides with space to walk in the middle -- or, if it's big enough -- line up three sets of rows with two barrels wide the full length of the place -- put some plywood and/or 2x4s on top of the barrels and put your flats of plants on top of them -- and start plants early - grow stuff all winter -- whatever your gardening zone allows. I've seen this done with an old greenhouse/milking parlor attached to a barn that had all the glass missing. A double layer of heavy clear plastic was put over the whole thing and the barrels of water lined up inside. That place got so warm there had to be a schedule of folks to go there and open doors, etc. to keep the temp down -- and that was in March and April here in NY -- not known for being hot at all!! And the plants loved it and just flew out of the pots -- a little liquid seaweed fertilizer helped, too!!

MaryNY


----------



## auntieemu (Jun 11, 2005)

Do you have a local high school that does bbq chicken for fundraisers or anything like that? Someone is bound to know someone that welds and can do some creative work with a couple or three of these - my DH helped build a huge BBQ on wheels to be pulled by a pickup - they cut the ends off one, one end off two and welded them all together so the fire would spread throughout the 3 drum length - but did three doors. They cook chicken, hams, etc. for community events.


----------



## bgak47 (Sep 4, 2003)

How will you clean them?


----------



## Old Jack (May 21, 2004)

bgak47 said:


> How will you clean them?


could you burn them out?


----------



## MTNwomanAR (Jul 23, 2002)

Sorry LCB...I can beat ya!!  Where I work, we can get food grade plastic or metal barrels for a buck apiece.......... I have half a dozen of each....so far...am planning on getting more............


----------



## Thumbbuddy (Oct 13, 2004)

Question for Smokie?? You mentioned making traps, do you have plans to post or send on so we can see how they are made?


----------



## TBONE65 (Nov 6, 2020)

LiberalCountryBoy said:


> I have access to dozens of 50/55 gallon steel drums. Free for the taking from the company my wife works for.They previously had paint in them.
> They just stack them out back and let employees take them for whatever they want. What a resource, but what to do with them?
> I know I can use four of them and bury them under the gutters for a rainwater cache for the garden, but what else?


----------



## TBONE65 (Nov 6, 2020)

LiberalCountryBoy said:


> I have access to dozens of 50/55 gallon steel drums. Free for the taking from the company my wife works for.They previously had paint in them.
> They just stack them out back and let employees take them for whatever they want. What a resource, but what to do with them?
> I know I can use four of them and bury them under the gutters for a rainwater cache for the garden, but what else?


WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED "LCB"


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Welcome to the forum tbone. This is from 15 years ago and LCB is not on the forum, i think.


----------



## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Amazon.com: Barrel Stove Kit : Home & Kitchen


Amazon.com: Barrel Stove Kit : Home & Kitchen



www.amazon.com





I did this - made a great stove.

drill a few holes in one and use it as a burn barrel.


----------

