I got these barrels last summer to make rain barrels out of and now I don't know how to get the lid off them or how to start my project. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I think they were used for some type of food storage (maybe a liquid?). You can email me also with any ideas. Thanks so much!
There's a tool called a "bung wrench" which is what you'll need to unscrew those caps. Here's an example of one so you can see what it looks like: http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com/bungwrench.htm I'm not sure if they come in different sizes but in case they do make sure you check that it'll work for your drum before you buy it.
Thanks for your quick reply!
How exactly do you plan on using the barrel? Sure you can get water in through the "stock" opening, but how do you get it back out? Are you going to install a tap at the bottom of the barrel?or are you planning on "dipping"? How are you gonna get the water into the barrel?
You can install a tap at the bottom to drain the water, but you're gonna have to access the inside of the barrel. The b should be elevated to encourage flow.
If you're dipping you just have to cut the top off completely.
Actually either way you're gonna have to cut the top off...unless you just siphon it through a hose, and maybe that's the best solution - I'm still experimenting with my set-up, so if someone else can chime in feel free to!
Right now we're using a very simple set up. Top's cut out and a re-directed downspout with a "user-adjustable" trough to direct the flow to the appropriate barrel. The second attempt(location) is so much more aesthetic than the first! And we're "dippers". Which is getting kinda old in the second year. We cover the barrels in mosquito nets, trying to make sure the net doesn't dip into the water. There are also chemical treatments you can buy
what ever you decide to do give it some thought and decide what's best for you and the way you garden.
And BTW - on occasion I'll dip out a bucket of calm, still rain water and just marvel at the seeming purity of it. It just seems so ......clean.
Just ask for a bung wrench for a standard plastic 55 gal. drum. You'll be able to take off & put on the caps as often as you wish. And as for how to extract the water from the drum, they make a pump that fits in the drum plugs.
Here are a couple different pumps you can check out to see if that's what you have in mind.
http://www.uline.com/Grp_328/Pumps?pricode=WO615&gclid=CKfhguyHoqICFQrxDAodYS3byg
That's cool! And at 22oz.'s a pump that's gonna be a pretty good work out for the arms!
I plan on eventually daisy-chaining my barrels together and putting a spigot on the last/lowest in the chain.
An electric lift pump should do the job of getting the water out.
Darius wrote an article on how to make a rain barrel:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1549/
This message was edited Jun 23, 2010 12:37 AM
