Poor Mans Storage Lift

[Old Man Roger]

And I bet no one was allowed withing a few feet of it, one bump or shift and...

If I remember correctly, it was on a pedestal so the dixie cups were at eye level. No one could touch it, or lay in the bed.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Thinking about this... full drum is 495 lbs - more if it's something other than water. We've stacked full ones on top of other full ones in a semi hauling hazmat (iirc the heaviest drum we had was upwards of 600 lbs). As long as the sides have never been compromised it holds up fine. Just don't tap them with a hammer, tho. We had a pallet jack handle come undone from it's mooring and hit the side of one of the barrels...

Be glad y ou didn't have to clean up that mess.

Triple that? Ummm... well, it's your truck and your ****. Risk is in the (missing) eye of the beholder.

 

[HotrodHR]

https://www.iopp.org/files/public/Alert_15-03_Steel_Drum_Stacking_Considerations.pdf

With a little searching per the International Steel Drum Institute (no, I didn't make that up) 55 gallon drums are specced for 4 high stacking filled with a material up to 1.5x specific gravity (weight of water) and 3 high if over 1.5x

So, the weight of water 8.34lbs x 3 = 1376lbs x 1.5 = 2,064lbs.

Carry on sir.

Not sure where you came up with the weight... There's 8.34 lbs, per gallon of water, so 55 gallons would be 458.7 lbs, plus weight of barrel."

 

[bradpac]

Not sure where you came up with the weight... There's 8.34 lbs, per gallon of water, so 55 gallons would be 458.7 lbs, plus weight of barrel."

8.43 x 55 = 458.7 x 3 = 1376, sorry I didn't show all my work, in my mind the 55 was a given so I forgot to type it, my teachers hated me too.
I also left out the weight of the barrel for simplicity.

 

[boatshoes]

The weight calculations are only relevant if the barrels are filled to prevent collapse. Empty barrels are subject to buckling and catastrophic failure; if they're full, the incompressible liquid inside resists the wall deformation that leads to buckling.

^^^This is everything

 

[Justintime2]

Decisions like this, although creative, are why I earn a living. Well intentioned but bad idea...

 

[ksgar]

I still remember pulling army reserve duty as a medic one Saturday afternoon back in the 70's in the local hospital. My commanding officer ushered me into one of the ER rooms and pulled the sheet off of the young man that had a car fall on him while he was working underneath it.His face and shoulders looked fine but his torso through his pelvis was a deep purple. The picture is still etched in my mind. That incident, and others, has made me somewhat risk adverse. The OP seems to be a risk seeker. Good luck to you sir.

 

[Justintime2]

ER or mortuary career?

Fire captain/EMT
20 years on the job

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I would have thought it easier to put the lawn tractors above the pickup than below.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This.
I guess OP will tell us the reason he did it this other way.

 

[JRC3]

Ima guess the truck will be up there for a year+...The mowers need used weekly in season.

I think it's not so much about storage of mowers and a tad more about intermittent work on the Ram. That type work seems like it could become complacent and that's were bad things could happen. IDK. All I know is, NIMG (not in my garage).

 

[Apdl]

If you fill it with water would it be stronger?

 

[jdoe213]

i'd feel better if they were filled with concrete

I agree.

 

[HMCFab9]

They're probably fine as they are if they are decent (like new / undamaged) barrels.

Personally I'd fill 'em with sand.

 

[JRC3]

Personally I'd fill 'em with sand.

So how much would that cost?

That would be 7.35 cu. ft. per BBL. 955lbs. Bagged sand from HD would cost $63 per BBL. Bagged sand is too expensive so lets say buying it by the ton or half scoop. Lets say that cost $15 for a half yard. Plus driving there for loading and then unloading by hand. One 1500 pickup truck should hold enough for one BBL, that 4 trips total. Then, again, there's loading each BBL and moving it afterwards. How the heck do you even move it???

Add that to truck gas, labor, mess, mobility of finished product, the risk of everything from pickup truck sand and moving the BBLs...That cost about the same as the 4) 10 ton stands I posted.

OK, I'm done with my beer fueled mini rant.



To me, this is like the PVC airline discussions.

 

[58Yeoman]

This...

 

[p00p]

put smaller steel drums inside the larger drums. If the largest drum fatigues, it'll at least not allow the entire load drop down fully while also providing a seeable warning requiring attention.

 

[JRC3]

put smaller steel drums inside the larger drums. If the largest drum fatigues, it'll at least not allow the entire load drop down fully while also providing a seeable warning requiring attention.

Is your "location" like your exact house?

 

[p00p]

Is your "location" like your exact house?

No.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I wonder how that shed in Canada is holding up?

 

[bdbecker]

I wonder how that shed in Canada is holding up?

The Shed of Doom is still standing as of August this year, according to the BCSportbikes forum where it was originally posted.

 

[logical]

I would have thought it easier to put the lawn tractors above the pickup than below.

Or in the bed if that's all you are trying to find room for.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Rewind97]

Take a 6 x 6 post cut to same length as barrel then make some frames to keep it centered in the barrel. Just a thought.

 

[glmron]

When the OP stops posting, then we will know when this failed.

Op still here... enjoying the abuse.....

Seriously though, I appreciate all the comments.

I also appreciate the extra floor space in my shop.

 

[2002maniac]

Troll level = Expert

 

[TractorJeff]

Go to a Fishing Town, you will see Fishing Boats sitting with 55 gal barrels keeping the Boat upright. They are heavier than that Truck!

 

[Heiny57]

Troll level = Expert

LOL

 

[Heiny57]

And to the OP, excellent thread. I have enjoyed the read.