Repurposing 5-gallon buckets

[Krodad]

I make mouse traps out of mine.. this particular photo isnt a 5 gallon bucket. but I use 5 gallon spackle buckets.I only had a picture of the first one I made out of a vegetable jug

Love this one! Reminds me of visiting my grandad growing up. He would trap rats by filling a drum with water, then sprinkling oats on top to float. The rats would jump in thinking they have dinner waiting for them. Of course after a week or so, the emptying process was pretty gross for a 5 yr old to witness.

 

[csp]

Right . . . . . . $7 for JUST the screw on lid . . . plus Home Depot wants how much for the bucket ?? I won't anytime soon be giving HD $15 or $20 for something that has couple bucks worth of plastic pellets to manufacture.

Are you saying that people actually buy the buckets at home depot? I just use them as a shopping basket.

 

[fourjeepin]

Are you saying that people actually buy the buckets at home depot? I just use them as a shopping basket.

TONS of them. They are called Homer buckets due to the picture of Homer D Poe on them. Though there is a current campaign to design a new bucket. The marketing folks have been saying for years that Homer needed to be retired.

 

[Schurkey]

I'm considering building a pair of subwoofers:

http://www.transcendentsound.com/Transcendent/Subwoofer.html

 

[laser3kw]

View media item 32447
that's just not right.....
btw one of them is not in line with the others
and the labels on the buckets are crooked

 

[John Mc]

Sorry, no pics. I guess a puppy dies.

Mount a duplex or quadplex electric outlet box so that the face is flush with the bottom of the bucket. Put a heavy duty 10 gauge or 12 gauge 100' extention cord as the power feed to the back of the gang box.

To store the cord, you simply flip the bucket right-side up, and coil the cord inside. To use it, pull out the cord, flip the bucket upside down, and all of your outlets are at a handy level, above the wet grass/sawdust/shop crud.

 

[pmason0]

As for the mouse trap one, I found by mistake that buckets work well, I had a leak and placed a bucket there and a month or so went by and I checked it and there was 3 mice in the bottom.

 

[the gypsy]

Sorry, no pics. I guess a puppy dies.

Mount a duplex or quadplex electric outlet box so that the face is flush with the bottom of the bucket. Put a heavy duty 10 gauge or 12 gauge 100' extention cord as the power feed to the back of the gang box.

To store the cord, you simply flip the bucket right-side up, and coil the cord inside. To use it, pull out the cord, flip the bucket upside down, and all of your outlets are at a handy level, above the wet grass/sawdust/shop crud.

That is a great idea. I would like to borrow it. I will return it, when finished with it.

 

[mrg7243]

My parents have a pool so I have numerous ones around. I use them for alot. Scrap metal bins, stools, parts storage, storage, fluid containers, drip catchers, targets, cement mixers, ect.

I am going to turn one into a mechanics seat. Weld a + bar, throw some casters on, bolt the bucket to it and add a cushion on the seat.

Also the lids make great frisbees for big dogs. I have two german shepherd who tear through frisbees and toys. A 5 gallon lid last about a year.

 

[ludakris04]

They make great car wash buckets. Just add a grit guard and a bucket dolly.

I just grabbed 2 buckets. Drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom of one of them, and then stack them.

 

[bwringer]

Tidy Cat sells clumping cat litter in similar size rectangular containers that are also very handy. They also come with lids that open halfway and allow the containers to stack neatly. The lids don't make a watertight seal, however.

So, if you have cats, you'll quickly accumulate plenty of these things.

 

[bullitt67]

I use them as weights for the pool cover, fill them with sand ,they work great! Another one holds my rock salt , various tool holder, prybars shovels ,etc and the most important one of all is I use them on the Fourth as my mortar lauchers, fill them 3/4 of the way with cement and insert your 4, 5 or 6 inch steel tubes!

 

[alpinewhite]

View media item 32447

This looks great. However, if this were mine, I'd end up with little things (caulk guns, wood pieces, saws) shoved between the containers, thus, making it looking disorganized.

 

[taumac]

View media item 32447
that's just not right.....
btw one of them is not in line with the others
and the labels on the buckets are crooked

I shall relabel them and repost corrected pics right away.... LMAO

This looks great. However, if this were mine, I'd end up with little things (caulk guns, wood pieces, saws) shoved between the containers, thus, making it looking disorganized.

I do from time to time... then my OCD kicks it LOL

 

[kbs2244]

These two are not mine personally.

Two of my boys who had the same HS shop teacher said he told the class
“Never use a 5 gal pail for a stool. And when you do, remember to turn it upside down.”

I also saw a drywall tapering guy with a pair of golf shoes where he had taken off the spikes, drilled matching holes in the bottom of two buckets, put the studs through the holes, and reattached the spikes.
He had true red neck dry wall stilts.

 

[spotco2]

They work great with the Gamma Seal lids for storing and sorting shotgun shells.

 

[kenfain]

No pics,
But they melt and mold nicely.

Okay! You can't just leave it there. Tell us more. Sounds interesting

 

[Outlander]

Come to think about it, I also use one for the loose ends of my ratchet straps/tie-downs and one for wood scraps.

 

[BigAl62]

I have one converted into a small shop vac:http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bucket-Head-Wet-Dry-Vac-BH0100/202017218#.UjXm6Ggo6Ag

 

[NUTTSGT]

I also saw a drywall tapering guy with a pair of golf shoes where he had taken off the spikes, drilled matching holes in the bottom of two buckets, put the studs through the holes, and reattached the spikes.
He had true red neck dry wall stilts.

I watched a guy stand on a bucket once while mudding drywall. He never got off it to move it. He stayed on top and walked it across the floor. It was actually impressive to watch.

 

[OctoMan]

Food grade buckets make good homebrew fermentors! You just need to put an air lock on 'em.

 

[Jere]

Food grade buckets make good homebrew fermentors! You just need to put an air lock on 'em.

I can vouch for that, I have made hard cider in them before.

They are good for storing bags of bulk flour, rice, dog food.... We had a problem with some meal moths that got into some flour. The air tight black lid Home depot sells keeps them out. We also use the buckets with lids for collecting kitchen compost

 

[Humble Mechanic]

Food grade buckets make good homebrew fermentors! You just need to put an air lock on 'em.

We do this, and I also drill holes in the bottom and use them for container gardening.

 

[Super Mech]

I watched a guy stand on a bucket once while mudding drywall. He never got off it to move it. He stayed on top and walked it across the floor. It was actually impressive to watch.

A friend of mine is a taper for close to 40 years. He can walk a bucket a rooms a floor with amazing speed. You see him surf a baker scaffold as well!

 

[sloppy]

Well I might have missed it but they make a great crapper.. Way better then using your buddies igloo cooler the height was all wrong..

I would suggest using a trash bag for easy clean up