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Funnel draining bucket

2ndGearRubber

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So I have a variety of funnels, fluid pumps, and fillers at work. These funnels are used for all types of fluids, cleaned as required before use. I keep them in an upright cabinet to minimize dust and particulate in the air collecting on them, keeping them open to the air isn't acceptable IMO where I work. The area I have to work with is 18" tall of so. I could potentially move some shelfs around if I can still wedge everything in there.

So a few years back I bought some plastic buckets/pails to sit these things in, with the idea that the funnel could be returned "drippy", fluid allowed to run off while sitting in the bucket, and the funnel overall would be clean(er) before the next time I use it. The goal was all of this was to be passively cleaning while gravity did the job, so I would be saving time cleaning funnels before I put them away, only to re-clean again before use.


Issue being, a mix of various automotive fluids collect in the bottom of this container, sits on the tips of the funnels, and thus makes them messy/drippy when I go to use them. All of this mostly defeats the purpose, and my funnels require a rag to be taken to the cabinet before retrieving them. I also keep fluid pumps in there, which always ooze a bit, so just cleaning the funnels completely prior to storing them doesn't completely solve my problem.

I'm thinking about buying some sort of fine mesh grating, like bendable chicken wire?, for the bottom of the containers. This way I can have the mesh 1/2 or so off the bottom, allowing fluid to drip off, keep the funnels clean, and just dump the buckets from time to time.



Is there a superior option for this? I see a lot of chicken wire on amazon listed as stainless, and I don't think chicken wire bends all that easy. Too tight of a mesh would hold liquid via surface tension, so something like screen door material would likely soak up and hold some fluid.
 
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Jswain

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Apr 26, 2013
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Calgary, AB
At work we have a 5gal pail with a lid still on it, maybe 10x 3/4" ish holes drilled in the top and most of the funnels go there when they are done. Keeps the ends clean tops get dirty though. Figure out a way to keep the tops clean and it would be mint.
 

Bert_

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NW Iowa
I just store them in a bucket with a rag overtop. Works fine and it's simple.
 

flyingblind

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Washington
Make a funnel trough. A board with holes to prop the funnels in and a half pvc pipe they drip into and collect into a bucket.

Kind of like this Zoro but for funnels
 

signcrafter

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May 9, 2012
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I bought a counter wire rack for storing fruit from walmart I believe. Attached it to the wall over my big square lisle trans drain funnel that sits on two shelf brackets and then drains into a 5 gallon bucket. Not perfect and doesn't protect the top but works decent for me so far. Will try to do better in the new shop with V2.0. Pat, 4FN27 has a nice one in his thread in fab section, the GDS skunkworks.
 

ctandc72

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VA
You guys are fancy. I keep mine sitting in a spare / empty oil drain pan. All the fluids drain into the pan, and before I use them, I just wipe them out.
 

RTM

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SF Bay Area
You can get chicken wire in SS, and cutting it to fit in a bucket, with tabs bent down int legs, quite easily. I’d think construction cloth, maybe 1/2” squares, might be more rigid. Cut with wire cutters in either case. Not sure if my local Ace carries SS cloth tho.

I bought some from these guys.

 
OP
2

2ndGearRubber

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Mar 24, 2014
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Pittsburgh
HF sells a raised insert that sits in the bottom of a bucket. should do the trick . 6 bucks.



I will look into fitting a 5 gallon bucket in there. That would work great, even if I had to cut down the bucket a bit. I really need to keep the setup enclosed in the cabinet. People will be grinding rust out of brake caliper brackets close by, and it puts a haze are particulate on everything. Even though I clean the funnels I want to minimize this as much as possible.


EDIT: 3.5 gallon bucket from Meguiars claims to have the same base diameter as a 5 gallon, and I wouldn't have to cut it down.

Take a look @ Paint roller grids, various sizes & you could cut / trim to required size.
Examples @

I may have another use for this, thanks for listing it.
 
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xjfish

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Feb 22, 2014
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I mostly use Funnel Buddy. I like the trough idea and may build one for home eventually.
 
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tyyost

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Jan 14, 2009
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Tunkhannock, PA
I started putting ziplock bags on the top of my funnels in the drain a while back, wouldn’t help with grinding dust but it keeps normal garage scarf out pretty well. Before that I left a clean shop towel wadded up.
 

Zewnten

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Jun 11, 2017
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My funnels live in a plano box with a lid with expanded metal in the bottom. Under the mesh is pig mats for the oil.
 

plinker

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Feb 28, 2007
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Northern Wi
I have a square bucket from Menards (with lid) for most funnels, some pig mat on the bottom. The one Lisle funnel I use the most is on the side of the one tool box, some magnetic cup holder thing I have that fits a 1qt Gatorade bottle with a hole in the cap big enough to fit the funnel and catches the oil.
 

scooby074

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Nova Scotia
OP has his solution. :thumbup:

Ours just lived in the oil room. It was a 2'x8'x4" metal tray covered with expanded metal. Tilted down to a drain leading into a 55gal barrel.

This was in a diesel shop. Filters also drained out in this tray before disposal, so lots of used oil to be handled, hence needing the drum.

There are a lot of DIY plumbing part based drains. Google pics should show.
 

Jeepster04

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Jun 25, 2013
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Ended up buying a 3.5gallon bucket, which is just a 5 gallon bucket but shorter. I then used a car washing "grit gaurd" plastic thing as my mesh. Works excellent.

I was going to recommend the grit guard, looks like youre got it figured out.

My funnels are used less frequently. I just spray some brake clean in them, dry them, and hang them up.
 
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