Lawn Roller

[Hagar]

Use a Sonotube and put a pipe in the center and fill it with concrete.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Use a Sonotube and put a pipe in the center and fill it with concrete.)</font>
maybe you can tell us what that is?
John

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( Use a Sonotube and put a pipe in the center and fill it with concrete.)</font>
maybe you can tell us what that is?
John )</font>

Sonnotube (sp) Burke Tube, ect.... is basically a round (HEAVY) cardboard "tube" of a specified diameter, used as a concrete for (in construction) to form round concrete pillars, or simular "structures". They are available at most construction/concrete product vendors. They are typically put together in a spiral manner, so that they can be "stripped" once the concrete is cured.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sonnotube (sp) Burke Tube, ect.... is basically a round (HEAVY) cardboard "tube" of a specified diameter, used as a concrete for (in construction) to form round concrete pillars, or simular "structures". They are available at most construction/concrete product vendors. They are typically put together in a spiral manner, so that they can be "stripped" once the concrete is cured. )</font>
Okay, thanks Indy. I had heard of a Burke Tube, but wouldn't have remembered what it was without a reminder!
John

 

[thcri]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Sonnotube (sp) Burke Tube, ect.... is basically a round (HEAVY) cardboard "tube" of a specified diameter, used as a concrete for (in construction) to form round concrete pillars, or simular "structures". They are available at most construction/concrete product vendors. They are typically put together in a spiral manner, so that they can be "stripped" once the concrete is cured. )</font>


I really don't think the sonotube would be a good idea. Once you take the tube off you expose the concrete and the concrete will start to chip and crumble. If I remember right there was discussion of this before here on TBN.

murph

 

[chriswheeler]

Steve
To answer your question, I work for a large public utility, this was scrap from a pump discharge line and was headed to the scrap yard. I bought for .03 per lb. and that is the same price the scrap yard gives us. 24" isn't very large to us. I think the wall thickness is 1/4-5/16". I don't mind a little rust from setting out in the weather for a few months. Junk steel for the project cost around $30. Scrap yard is a great place to buy this stuff as well. Same place we sell to will let you buy for .50 per lb. New material now is in the dollar per lb range, that fifty cent per lb starts to look good real fast. I bet there are scrap yards around the country that will cut you a much better deal. Think I'm going over there myself and look for some old forklift forks for my next project. If you can weld and fab a little this is a easy project.
Chris

 

[Freds]

Lots of people around here have formed concrete as a roller. There was even one in my pole barn when I moved in and yes, it was chipped and crumbling, but it was probably 60 years old, too.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Yes....That is a lawn roller. Looks like an old propane tank. I wouldn't want to be the one one who welds that! Real nice though. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Hagar, That's a great idea.....Cheap and heavy / durable. If you get 5000 psi concrete there's no way rolling the lawn will crumble it, especially if you put some rebar in there. Maybe in 40 years /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Engine66]

I bought a metal lawn roller from Northern Tool for $199 48"x 24" and weighs over 900lbs filled with water. Sand is a good alternative for cold climates. It was a good buy for the money and does a nice job.

 

[L3650]

<font color="red"> Looks like an old propane tank. I wouldn't want to be the one one who welds that! </font>

In the web site, the builder stated the tank had been empty for years. But to be safe, it was filled with water during welding.

 

[chestnutsteve]

I have sandy loam soil that is uneven (ag tires and stump pulling) and a few 1-5 inch drops in the entry drive. If a roller won't level my field, does this mean I have to disk/reseed/then roll?

 

[thcri]

I guess before I would go through all of that could you get some dirt and fill most of your holes and seed. Unless it is really a major disaster that is what I would do first. Once you fill, then seed and the grass is up then I would roll to smooth out.

murph

 

[SteveBenson]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sand is a good alternative for cold climates. )</font>

I like to use water because its easy to remove when you want to lighten the roller up (like when your rolling in grass seed into newly prepared ground) and you can let it out anywhere. I just empty the roller it in the fall and dump in a gallon of RV antifreeze to keep whatever water that is remaining from freezing. I've done this for 2 winters now with no problem.

 

[chestnutsteve]

My field isn't too bad, I can mow with a Bush Hog and only throw a little dirt here and there (15 acres). Mostly just hard on the butt if I travel over about 7 mph in my jeep.