Spreader Painting wasteoil on manure spreaders

Soundguy · Jul 1, 2002

This is not aimed at you, Chris, it's just a convenient place to jump in.

Climb on in, plenty o' room!

You wouldn't want to drop any oil at all on the ground because it might mix with all the artificial fertilizer and weed poison you've used, you know, the stuff that is perfectly legal and safe this year but next year will be declared dangerous and a threat to modern civilization.

Reminds me of the sacharin / margerin issues over the last few years.

 The manure you're spreading might also wash into a creek or river and pollute it or soak in and contaminate your ground water as I've heard has happened around a lot of farming operations but, [censored], s%^t is a natural fertilizer!

Fertalizers high in nitrogen tend to have a large impact on ponds eutrophication.
I have also heard of contaminated well that were too close to a pasture. Usually 75' gives you fairly decent safety.

 You could build the floor out of CCA treated wood but as the wood wears away you're dropping stuff that is probably worse than the oil.

.. Yeah, that's a double edged sword there. There is non-cca, like most states/county are using now, and it is a bit more expensive. There are a few other non-permanent ways as well, as were discussed here.

Would redwood hold up? As long as some eco-terrorist doesn't find out about it and burn your turd hearse because the trees might have come from an old growth forest. Being that your screwed if you do or screwed if you don't

Perhaps cypris (sp?) But then.. that is getting expensive for a honey wagon... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 I'd soak it with the used oil and if anybody asks tell 'em it came like that and you don't know what the he11 it has on it!

Money aside, there are still better ways than used oil.
Asphalt sealing paint, a vast variety of wood sealers of limited effectiveness, and at least two kinds of pressure treat, as well as fencepost soaks like copper napthalate, and many more.

Soundguy

GlennT · Jul 1, 2002

I'm interested in this asphalt fence paint. I've never heard of it before and when I checked a couple places locally, they don't seem to know anything about it. Could you cite a brand name or something so I could be a bit more specific when I talk to dealers? Thanks.

GlennT · Jul 1, 2002

Ozarker--The planks in my flatbed aren't oak and they are warping, twisting and cupping. Worst of all, there are channel irons which cover the ends of the planks and are welded in place so it's a major operation to replace the planks. The manufacturer sure didn't give a rip about the user.

Soundguy · Jul 1, 2002

Most rural hardware / ag supply stores carry it.. generally as their own brand name. Fenceing supply stores ( TSC, Home Depot ) both carry it in 5 gallon buckets. It is generally cheap, and is just called asphalt fence paint.
This is different than the stuff people seal their driveways with, as this is actually made for wood.
Have you ever seen the black board horse fences? Those are either creosote, or asphalt painted.
Recently, Home depot also started carrying an exterior latex black fence paint. Sopposed to be real good, and a bit more expensive than regular asphalt fence paint... probably a tad more eco-safe than the AFP as well.
For added fungus and bug protection, scotties ( and other paint stores, home depot, etc ) sell addatives that can be added to paint to make them more resistant to bugs and fungus. I'.ve used both, and they work well.

Hope that helps.. if they still give you stupid looks, email me, and I'll run to home depot one day, and get you actual brand name info, etc.

Soundguy

"I'm interested in this asphalt fence paint. I've never heard of it before and when I checked a couple places locally, they don't seem to know anything about it. Could you cite a brand name or something so I could be a bit more specific when I talk to dealers? Thanks. "

Ozarker · Jul 1, 2002

Replacing them shouldn't be a problem. The welded angle will be 1" 1/2 to 2" and it will overlap the end of the plank by about 1/2" at each end. Remember that the planks were added after all welding was done.

Remover the deck screws, slide the plank forward or backward, pick up the free end and pull the plank out. Cut the new pieces to the same length and install in reverse order.

The wood isn't warped because you didn't put a preservative on it. It warped because your MFG is using green wood. It wasn't completely dried when ir was installed and, as it continued to shrink, it had no place to go because it was attached to your crossmembers and couldn't move. No amount of preservative, waste oil or whatever, would have prevented that warping.

If you go out into farm land and find a 40 year old derelict truck with a wood bed, the bed may be rotting away but it won't be warped. That is because they used top quality kiln dried wood for the bed planks and allowed for expansion of the wood when they installed it.

The planks on my trailer are warping as well but I know that it is because of the wood used and the installation method. Not because I didn't preserve it. The planks on my 68' chevy are not warped and that is also because of the wood used and the installation method.

Soundguy · Jul 1, 2002

Yep, just like green fence boards that twist.

The wood hasn't been properly cured, or not cured at all in some instances.

Soundguy

GlennT · Jul 2, 2002

Thank you. The next time we go to Austin or San Antonio I'll see if I can pick up some. This sounds like the kind of stuff I'd like to have on hand.

GlennT · Jul 2, 2002

Ozarker--Yes, I agree that the basic problem is that the manufacturer used planks that weren't seasoned. One thing I should have mentioned, too, is that there are a few places where the wood was getting soft and a number of places where the planks have split. The use of the waste oil was rather a last-ditch stand. I'm afraid that replacing the planks wouldn't be quite as simple as you suggest. There actually are channel irons on each end and the ends of the planks fit rather snuggly into them. The channels are about 1 1/4 inches deep. I know that I could easily cut the old planks to remove them; it's inserting the new ones that could be troublesome. If I have to replace them, I think I may insert one end of each plank, hold down the other end with timbers, and then warp up the middle with a hydraulic jack to shorten the plank enough to insert it. On the other hand, following your suggestion, perhaps I don't have to have the planks as long as they are now. If I would cut each plank just long enough to put in place and then balance out the slack on each end (as you suggest), that might work out just fine. Thanks for the advice; you got the creative juices moving in a different dirrection.

Ozarker · Jul 2, 2002

There has to be a way to slide the planks one way or the other to get them out. It is how they got them in. Surely they didn't weld that channel in place after the boards were installed. If it was built like 99% of all other trailers, it was welded, primered, painted and then the planks were installed. Maybe a second coat of paint and any trim, such as pin striping, was added after the planks to make them the same color as the primary color of the trailer.

If I ever replace the planks in my trailer I'm going to redesign how they are attached. If you look at a Pickup or other truck bed with wood, the wood isn't attached to the bed at all. It uses steel strips between the planks and the steel is bolted down. That leave the planks free to expand and contract with the weather while being held down along their length.

Hans · Jul 3, 2002

On my utility trailer the wood planks were also installed prior to the rear hold down being welded. When I replaced them I used a sawzall to cut a portion out. Just welded the holddown angle iron back in when done. Wasn't a bad job at all.