Looking for something to make a 4'x8' sheet to slide rocks on - suggestions please?

[newbury]

In this thread I describe my $30 HF "pickup truck unloader". It worked fairly well with a sheet of plywood for the base, then I sealed the plywood w/ a floor sealer and it worked a little better.

But I'd like to try to lower the friction even more without spending too much $$.

What ever I put on it will need to be able to take #2 dropped from about 5 feet, so I'm thinking plastic panels won't cut it.

It will also need to take about 110 degree temps without bonding to the unloader fabric, this sort of rules out latex paint.

And I'm trying to keep cost down so a nice 3" thick 4 foot by 8 foot slab of soapstone won't cut it

Suggestions please.

Epoxy paint?
Floor wax?
Sheet of metal?

Thanks in advance.

Oh, and by the way if you've got a pickup this thing is GREAT. It's only supposed to handle 2,000 lbs but for $40 it's great, so much so that I don't mind making 2 trips to keep the weight near a ton and unload twice without shoveling hardly at all.

 

[Mendonsy]

A sheet of about 16 gauge stainless would be ideal, but probably a bit more expensive than what you want to spend.

 

[ArlyA]

Cover it with .250 HDPE. But 4x8 of it is rather expensive as well. They do use this material to line dump box's with so as to make whatever materials they haul slide out quicker.

 

[bcp]

I have a pad, but don't know what it is called. Some kind of exercise pad, about 2x6 feet.. It is about 1/8 inch thick, very tough material. One side is very rough and the other side is very slick. There was a thick wooden, full width "handle" on each end.

I've used it to slide under cars to work on them, and to move old, wet straw bales.

I found mine at Goodwill, for a few dollars.

Two of these on your bed. slick side up, would be helpful.

Bruce

Found it, called a slide mat.

exercise slide mat - Google Search

 

[newbury]

A sheet of about 16 gauge stainless would be ideal, but probably a bit more expensive than what you want to spend.

I was thinking of galvanized, but that looks like it would be $75 to $100. I've got a bunch of relatively clean sheets of corrugated roofing in Mississippi but I was thinking the denting of it may make it more difficult to drag the gravel out.

 

[newbury]

Cover it with .250 HDPE. But 4x8 of it is rather expensive as well. They do use this material to line dump box's with so as to make whatever materials they haul slide out quicker.

That was my first choice, but it's about $100 + SH.

I have a pad, but don't know what it is called. Some kind of exercise pad, about 2x6 feet.. It is about 1/8 inch thick, very tough material. One side is very rough and the other side is very slick. There was a thick wooden, full width "handle" on each end.

I've used it to slide under cars to work on them, and to move old, wet straw bales.

I found mine at Goodwill, for a few dollars.

Two of these on your bed. slick side up, would be helpful.

Bruce

Found it, called a slide mat.

exercise slide mat - Google Search

That sounds interesting. I've a plastic roll up snow sled but it's way to small, that was another choice, if I could just find a 4x8 sheet of 1/8" thick plastic. Home Depot lists a 1/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Plastic Panel but I couldn't find it in the store.

 

[prichard]

A couple coats of water based floor poly. Water based is harder than oil based.

 

[newbury]

A couple coats of water based floor poly. Water based is harder than oil based.

Any recommended brands?

When I was looking at floor paint it seemed they were trying to ensure it was NOT slippery.

 

[prichard]

Sorry been a few years since I looked. But I just thought of something else. A couple surplus places around here often advertise 2x2 marble tile squares. I'd think they'd be pretty slick.

 

[4570Man]

Have you ever considered using a lubricant? The downside would be the mess it creates.

 

[lennyzx11]

Sheet of plastic used to make mobile home skirting. I don't know if it's abs or hpde though.
Tough and slick.
Second thought is fiberglass mat soaked in epoxy. I use it building wood boats in critical areas. Not hard to work with on flat surface. I buy it by the gallon and roll from boat building supply places on line.

 

[Steave]

Anything I put on my bed liner slides. Not sure how the ribs would affect the rolling material with a load on it.

 

[newbury]

Have you ever considered using a lubricant? The downside would be the mess it creates.

Yeah, trying to keep the mess down. I was going to try to spray some vegetable oil on it.

Sheet of plastic used to make mobile home skirting. I don't know if it's abs or hpde though.
Tough and slick.
Second thought is fiberglass mat soaked in epoxy. I use it building wood boats in critical areas. Not hard to work with on flat surface. I buy it by the gallon and roll from boat building supply places on line.

Thanks! That reads like it has potential.

 

[joefromga]

How about peel and stick floor tile? Vinyl. It's very slippery.

 

[lennyzx11]

How about peel and stick floor tile? Vinyl. It's very slippery.

That's an awesome idea!

 

[dragoneggs]

How about peel and stick floor tile? Vinyl. It's very slippery.

Not a bad idea, especially if you could get hard surface material. Problem is most flooring is softer vinyl. A PVC would be better. If you can find thin sheet of HDPE it would be most durable. ABS will be slippery but more brittle.

 

[hosspuller]

What ever plastic sheet you decide on, Spray it with silicone lube. I sprayed a poly sheet with it, makes my hay bales slip twice as far.

 

[Midniteoyl]

What ever plastic sheet you decide on, Spray it with silicone lube. I sprayed a poly sheet with it, makes my hay bales slip twice as far.

This is what i was gonna suggest.. Silicone spray..

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

For something fairly permanent, this would work.




For something much cheaper, but will need periodic replacement, try this. Staple it down to your sheet of plywood, and replace when it tears. I'll bet you'll get quite a few loads before you have to replace it. Make sure it's taught - any folds will make it grabby and more likely to tear.

 

[newbury]

How about peel and stick floor tile? Vinyl. It's very slippery.

I was going to try and get some cheap end of roll sheet vinyl, but had not found any yet. Hadn't thought of peel and stick.

For something fairly permanent, this would work.

YES! That's almost exactly what I was looking for but had been unable to find.

For something much cheaper, but will need periodic replacement, try this. Staple it down to your sheet of plywood, and replace when it tears. I'll bet you'll get quite a few loads before you have to replace it. Make sure it's taught - any folds will make it grabby and more likely to tear.

Thought of that but seems like falling #2 would pile on it and tear it up.

Now need to try and find a local source of that Polyethylene Sheet.

My goal is to decrease the friction and beef up the roller so I can unload about 3,500 lbs.

/edit -
Thanks guys - I think I've found the solution will be to just buy a Loadhandler mat for $100. Like a $3,000 attachment for a $1,000 tractor but even the poly sheet was going to be $50.