Sources for steel drums

[rswyan]

After getting this months gas bill, I decided that I wanted to move the woodburning furnace (attached) that's up in the shed down to the house - it's just too nice to be in the shed - and the woodburning fireplace insert down at the house isn't getting the job done. I picked up the furnace pretty cheap (under $200) about 10 years ago, blasted it down to grey metal, and repainted it. This year I replaced the Dayton squirrel cage blower on the back of it. Could stand to be squirted again.

I figured I would replace it with a barrel stove made with a pair of 55's and one 30 gallon using this kit:

Vogelzang Barrel Stove Kits

So I went to:

Lehman's Hardware down in Kidron

and picked up the the deluxe barrel stove kit with gasketed door, as well as the optional second barrel kit. Should be able to keep the shed plenty warm.

A few days ago I started checking into 30 & 55 gallon open head steel drums. Thinking that I might want to make this a build-once/last forever deal, I thought I would price stainless steel drums - man, talk about a rude awaking !!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Called a place out about 1/2 hour away that manufacturers them - the price for a 55 was $472 and the price for a 30 was $374 ....... I about fell out of my chair. I mean I expected that stainless would be higher but .... geez ..... I didn't expect that it would be on par with say, gold or platinum. Needless to say, the idea of using stainless got scraped real quick - unless I can find a source for used ones that are considerably less than the prices above.

So next I called another drum manufacturer about an hour away. Got this passed to this woman when I asked for a price quote on just a plain steel drum. She wanted to know who I was and what company I was with. I gave her my company name and told her this was basically just for my own private use. She then wanted to know what I wanted to use the drums for. I told her what I planned to do and she basically came back and said that the company had had liability problems in the past with their drums being used for unapproved uses and that she would have to talk to her manager and see if he was willing to go along with my intended use and that if he was, only then would she be able to provide me with a quote. No call back yet. This kinda &*(! makes me want to choke sue-happy folks and the ambulance chasers that promote the idea that no is responsible for their own conduct - it's always someone elses fault. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

So I need to come up with a source for 30 & 55 gallon open barrels - they don't have to be stainless, though that would sure be nice. They don't have to be brand new, although I would prefer that - just in decent condition and not all beat up. Open head drums with a lid are a must though.

Anybody out there have any ideas what type of businesses might have a few of these laying around that they would want to get rid of relatively cheaply ?

BTW, I promise not to sue you if you provide me with this information. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Lazy]

Hi
Check with a painting contractor, roofing contractor I bought 4 @ 5$ each. I also have bought plastic drums @ 5$ each about 4 years ago. I think they might be like 10$ each now.

Charlie.

[GRUMPA]

Try a machine shop, they use coolants that come in 55gal steel drums. I work for one and we literally have 30 at least at any given time just sitting around. They just love it when I take some for our home up north. Seems he cant get rid of them and they just take up space. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[billbill1]

Dog food factories use lots of them, any place that uses bulk glue would have them also. Almost any factory that produces boxes would have them I would think and would probably just give you some of them. I'd get them for you if we were located closer.

[bobodu]

I can get open headed drums from an insulation company. $5

[Deerlope]

Try to find some older maple syrup barrels. They are real heavy metal. The syrup industry is going to all s/s or plastic.

[JimR]

How about beer kegs for the 30 gallon?

[Glenn9643]

Randall,

Why an "open head drum?
I had one of these kits about fifteen years ago in my shop and used standard steel drums (with sealed top/bottom, two bungs in top) and looking over the instructions at the link you provided they seem to be referring to this type drum. Used standard drums are probably easier to find around my area, and cheaper. A lot of people use the open head drums to store small quantities of shelled corn, etc. so the price is higher seems like.

[SPIKER]

hey RYSW?
we have soem down at my place that I got at a local auction, I can get a few of the steel 55's with closed lids, but have some used oil debris in them, (usually less than a gallon) from work in "perrysville" we get hydraulic oil and mish coolants in them, I'm waiting to get 4 or so plastic ones which we get waste water treatment chemicals in which we treat waste water with befor it goes into the river. (forces the clay to drop out faster and then lest the clean water flow over into the creek by binding the clay particals together to form a sandy like substance.) the chemical and sandylike substance drops out in the pond then clean water flows through sand beds to the creek. pretty neat process and water comming out is crystal clear! anyhwo I could probably get say 4 or 5 of the steel ones if you wanted I think they usually sell them back to the oil delivery co as returns and usually I think there is a 25+ deposit. so I would have to know if that is ok a head of time. the chemical / oil company is out of medina and I can get the # and name at work for ya which may be closer as perrysville is center south ohio between wooster & mansfield and a bit south...

(right now everyone is cleaning to them hard just to stay afloat!!) (saw in the plesant hill lake someones plastic barrel dock floated away and is right along side of SR 30 (20' out in lake stuck in woods) take you're waders for those! lol.

MarkM

[OkeeDon]

My local oil distributor keeps 55's in stock; presumably would also have 30's, but I never asked. They are closed head; you'd have to cut them open, but that's not really a problem -- you can use a metal cutting blade in a sabre saw or reciprocating saw if you don't have a torch. Price? $20 for brand new ones; used ones are free.

My only question would be that they are not especially heavy guage steel; I imagine they'd burn through fairly quickly if they got hot enough. Also, the paint will burn off almost immediately and if there is any moisture, they will rust very quickly. We use steel barrels as trash burning containers, and they usually last a couple of months, but that's outdoors.

Maybe these are not concerns with the way the stoves are configured -- living here in South Florida, I've never seen one.