Scored a plastic 55 gallon barrel yesterday for free, but it isnt food grade and was used with chemicals. Other than lots of rinsing and scrubbing with baking soda, HOW would you clean it, to feel confident it was CLEAN?
55 gallon barrel question....
- Thread starter capewind
- Start date
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
I DUMPED A GAL OF BLEACH IN & FILLED WITH WATER AND LET IT SIT FOR 24 HOURS AFTER WASHING AND SCRUBBING. FOR THE ONE WITH ARMORALL. THE SOAP ONE I JUST SCRUBBED.
Thanks Koiguy ... this one doesnt have a removable top either ... any good pics of them cut, where the top still works? This one will be inside, so not the end of the world if the top doesnt fit back on well, but saw a picture somewhere ...
Capewind,
Nearly every plastic barrel is made of HDPE or High Density PolyEthylene. They purposely use this plastic because it is structurally strong and it is also chemical resistant. So, the chemicals which were contained within would not have permeated the plastic so it is going to be relatively easy to clean out. I would simply rinse the heck out of it with fresh tap water first. If the chemical was petroleum based, a residue might stick to the side walls, but add some warm water and some Amway L.O.C. and scrub, scour or pressure wash it really good several times and I think it will be perfectly acceptable. After that, if you desire, you can fill it with clean tap water and pour in a couple gallons of white vinegar and let it sit in the sunlight for a couple of days. Then rinse again.
I am sure you will have no problems cleaning that barrel out this way. The Amway L.O.C. does wonders! I also use LOC in my tow behind yard tank sprayer as a wetting agent for herbicides and pesticides and what not. It makes "water wetter" by breaking down the surface tension. This aides the chemicals you use or want to remove by dissolving them better into the water. Crystal White dish detergent works about the same, if you can find it. Other dish detergents work the same way too, but many have additives that you don't really welcome or are more expensive. L.O.C. works the best IMO.
Catfishnut
Nearly every plastic barrel is made of HDPE or High Density PolyEthylene. They purposely use this plastic because it is structurally strong and it is also chemical resistant. So, the chemicals which were contained within would not have permeated the plastic so it is going to be relatively easy to clean out. I would simply rinse the heck out of it with fresh tap water first. If the chemical was petroleum based, a residue might stick to the side walls, but add some warm water and some Amway L.O.C. and scrub, scour or pressure wash it really good several times and I think it will be perfectly acceptable. After that, if you desire, you can fill it with clean tap water and pour in a couple gallons of white vinegar and let it sit in the sunlight for a couple of days. Then rinse again.
I am sure you will have no problems cleaning that barrel out this way. The Amway L.O.C. does wonders! I also use LOC in my tow behind yard tank sprayer as a wetting agent for herbicides and pesticides and what not. It makes "water wetter" by breaking down the surface tension. This aides the chemicals you use or want to remove by dissolving them better into the water. Crystal White dish detergent works about the same, if you can find it. Other dish detergents work the same way too, but many have additives that you don't really welcome or are more expensive. L.O.C. works the best IMO.
Catfishnut
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
i cut the lids off mine and dont use them. i cut on the inside of the lid lip... its stronger that way.
the barrel i had from the armorall (all barrels from car wash) was scrubbed soaked scrubded soaked but until the bleach, still carried a strong odor of armorall after the bleach soak it was gone... with an odor that prevalent there had to have been residuals in the barrel even tho is was visually spotless inside and out. you could run your hand over the inside surface and your hand would appear clean and dry but come out smelling like armorall. vinegar may work as well.. dont know...used what i had handy....
the barrel i had from the armorall (all barrels from car wash) was scrubbed soaked scrubded soaked but until the bleach, still carried a strong odor of armorall after the bleach soak it was gone... with an odor that prevalent there had to have been residuals in the barrel even tho is was visually spotless inside and out. you could run your hand over the inside surface and your hand would appear clean and dry but come out smelling like armorall. vinegar may work as well.. dont know...used what i had handy....
Regarding cutting the top open. Be cautious. Use a common jigsaw, but ensure that you set the cutting depth of the blade shallow. There may be a "rib" near the top of the barrel and you don't want to cut into that. For one, it may ruin your plans for the barrel and it also may catch your blade and bend the crap out of it. I wasn't thinking on my first barrel and just went to town with the cut. Ended up slicing into that rib and sort of ruining the barrels integrity.
Catfishnut
Catfishnut
Yeah, like Koiguy states... Try to keep the outer rim of the barrel and remove the flat inner portion of the top only. This way, even with the top gone, the barrel still has a RIM that give it structural strength. That is what I was trying for on my first barrel, but I didn't realize that I had cut into the rib just below the top until I was done.
Catfishnut
Catfishnut
Will have hubby read this all ... Im sure I would destroy the barrel if I was the one cutting it LOL ... MY old Black and Decker Jig Saw died years ago, and anything similar hubby has, I cant hold onto LMAO ... I think the closest tool he has to a jig saw is a huge saw all ... I think that's what it's called ... has a huge blue case, and is bigger than the climbing chainsaws LOL.
So cut DOWN, like a traditional can opener .. take out the inside of the lid?
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
i used a sawzall and let the blade follow the inside lip angle, which is the same as as the barrels ... then used a heat gun to smooth the roughness & burrs from the cutting. perfectly smoothed out..
capewind said:
Yes, exactly. That is what I would do. Otherwise, the sides of the barrel tend to "collapse" inward on you because there is no structural support. The mouth of the barrel then tends to become an elliptical shaped opening and looks like crap and you can't seem to alter it after the fact.
Catfishnut
Sounds easy enough (for him, not me LOL) ... I wish we found one/some with the removable tops. I know he wants a few for outside. Took a ride over to what used to be a busy car wash. and I guess they closed up:-( Since the weather is gonna be crappy today, want to take a ride over to another ... this barrel will be fine for inside (needs at least one more for inside), but know he wants the ones with caps for outside ...
Saw type - either will work fine, Sawz-all or jig saw, it doesn't matter between the two really. I think a jig saw will have better control and a shallower cut which could be beneficial, but it's not all that important if the saw operator is good! LOL (I am kind of reflecting on myself there, hee!)
Catfishnut
Catfishnut
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
if hes unsure, he can cut out the center of the lid an inch or two inside the lip then he can see the blade cutting as he follows the lip..theres no real need for the lid anyways.
Don't worry about the tops. You can make a circular top very easily with a dowel pin, a flat piece of plywood and a band saw.
Take a flat piece of plywood, couple feet square, and use some clamps to secure it to the band saw table top. Measure back from the band saw blade X inches which will be the radius of your circular top. Mark the spot on the plywood and then remove it and drill a hole to fit a dowel pin. Press the dowel pin into the plywood and put the plywood back on the band saw table in the same position and then cut a board or a piece of thick plastic in a square ~1/16th inch larger than your desired circular top diameter. Locate the precise center of this piece and drill a hole that will fit the dowel pin.
Then, place the sqaure piece on the dowel pin on the "jig" that you made for the band saw and slowly turn the square piece in a circle as the band saw blade cuts it and you will have a nice circular top to put onto your barrel! Make it out of plastic or make it out of wood and paint it with water resistant paint.
Catfishnut
Take a flat piece of plywood, couple feet square, and use some clamps to secure it to the band saw table top. Measure back from the band saw blade X inches which will be the radius of your circular top. Mark the spot on the plywood and then remove it and drill a hole to fit a dowel pin. Press the dowel pin into the plywood and put the plywood back on the band saw table in the same position and then cut a board or a piece of thick plastic in a square ~1/16th inch larger than your desired circular top diameter. Locate the precise center of this piece and drill a hole that will fit the dowel pin.
Then, place the sqaure piece on the dowel pin on the "jig" that you made for the band saw and slowly turn the square piece in a circle as the band saw blade cuts it and you will have a nice circular top to put onto your barrel! Make it out of plastic or make it out of wood and paint it with water resistant paint.
Catfishnut