Repurposing 5-gallon buckets

[alpinewhite]

I've searched for a while but didn't find a thread. Pardon me if I missed it.

I have 5-gallon buckets lying around mostly from laundry soap. Other than the typical water pail or flower pot, there have got to be other ideas from the great minds of GJ. Do you have pictures you'd like to share?

Here are a few I found on the web:

Self-watering pot:

Toolbucket:

Ice cooler (saw at Home Depot this weekend):

I'll add some more as I find more ideas.

 

[Outlander]

I put one over the trailer coupler to keep snow and rain off of the mechanism.

 

[Honda guy]

No pics, but I use them to organize my funnels. Drill various size holes in the lid with a holesaw. put funnels in the holes and they drain into the bucket.

 

[rshadd]

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

 

[Regnar]

Add a Dust Deputy and have a cyclone. Havent had to clean my shopvac filters in awhile.

http://www.oneida-air.com/category.asp?Id={CC6B6F2A-E3D7-4F18-A53C-B5C357DFE131}&gclid=CIG5n-yAvbkCFUPl7Aodn3cAlQ#

 

[lotsoftools]

I used one as a washing machine drain when our main line got clogged. My wife needed to do laundry before I could dig up the yard and fix it so I had to come up with a plan.
I put a hole in the bottom of the bucket, attached a hose bib and ran a garden hose out the dog door into the yard. Then I put the washing machine drain hose into that. When the washing machine would drain the bucket would fill up about 3/4 of the way.

I have a ton of those rectangular laundry soap buckets, maybe 3 gallons. I use one for storing plumbing parts, one for electrical parts and the rest for all sorts of odds and ends.

 

[taumac]

View media item 32447

 

[Jere]

I use them for obvious stuff like storage of auto fluids, cat litter (garage spill clean up), and have used one for a sand hopper for a homemade sand blasting cabinet. I just put a funnel inside the bucket and ran a clear vinyl tube thru a hole in the bottom of the bucket to some steel fuel line. The fuel line fed into the sand gun, where the old small factory hopper was

 

[Coach James]

At ny school, we use them in the classrooms as recycling collectors.

At my gym, we tape two together. One open end down and the other open end up and use them as chalk buckets. We have 5 of those setups with a total cost of less than $30. Much cheaper than buying a chalk bucket from a gymnastics equipment vendor.

Coach

 

[bwane]

use them at the bottom of your poles for a pole barn and fill them with concrete

 

[cj7365]

Water for the chickens, works great if I have to leave for a few days. Didn't take to long for them to learn how to peck for water, especially in 100+ weather

 

[CNGsaves]

Great tool hauler when roofing house . . . rainproof too with a lid. Let's you leave tools / supplies on roof overnight if you need to. If you don't have lids, stop by paint store and ask real nice !!

There are some even better 5 gal buckets if you have friend in swimming pool supply business. They have screw on lids for the chlorine buckets. Used one of these for sitting bucket (and ball storage) for baseball / softball catching as several of my kids were pitchers.

 

[Joe B.]

I keep paint in mine. They hold about five of those one gallon cans.

 

[Nagiom]

Trash can for the bed of the work truck. Cut the bottom out and hang it up to put rakes in.

 

[BMcC]

I use one to hold shorter pieces of scrap wood. I use another one as I go around the yard pulling weeds. And another one as a depository for beer cans.

 

[Tribalvision]

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

 

[bczygan]

Store dog food in.
Good for bulk electrical or plumbing parts or fittings.

 

[dwall174]

There are some even better 5 gal buckets if you have friend in swimming pool supply business. They have screw on lids for the chlorine buckets.

They sell screw-on lids that fit most 5gal. buckets! They have a sealing-ring that gets pounded on, Then the lid screws onto that ring.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-Gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

Doug

 

[dwall174]

I filled three of them with cement & used them as anchors for a raft at our cabin.
I also have two that I use just for adding & mixing water for a saltwater aquarium.
There's several in the garage that I have used oil & old paint in, Once they get full I take them to a local recycling center.

Doug

 

[Thumper68]

I drill a few small holes in the bottom and use them for scrap steel. Alum, copper etc. the holes keep them from filling with rain. When it's time to go to the scrap yard they are easy to load in the trailer.

 

[CNGsaves]

They sell screw-on lids that fit most 5gal. buckets! They have a sealing-ring that gets pounded on, Then the lid screws onto that ring.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-Gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

Doug

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.

I get the pool supply buckets with screw-on lids for FREE !! The lids have ratchet-type mechanism for safety factor since they had chemicals. They are built super strong.

 

[NAPPY]

Water for the chickens, works great if I have to leave for a few days. Didn't take to long for them to learn how to peck for water, especially in 100+ weather

I'm the farthest thing from a farm boy. How does it work?

 

[stinkity stoink]

I made a water level out of one. Works great and it was the only bucket I had at the time were 5 gallon ones. I did my footing and foundation for my garage with it. It worked great.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have one full of oil dry with a lid that sits on a HF dolley and one for old bolts they roll under the bench. Two more full of blast compound that roll under the blast cabinet.



A metal bucket for scrap steel that sits behind the wood burner. Another metal one that sits beside the wood burner for ashes.

Another plastic one under the radial arm saw to catch dust.



Then I used a few as forms to make concrete weight for some large tents.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I'm the farthest thing from a farm boy. How does it work?

With a set of something like these on that pipe:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/monofloreg;-stainless-steel-******-drinker?cm_vc=-10005

Essentially a little check valve that the livestock learn will give them water if they jiggle it around.
Used 'em plenty for the furry animals, but never really thought of watering the feathered critters with one. Thanks CJ - I gotta build one for the duck we have (angel wing rescue Mallard) - He loves to muddy up the drinking water bowl, Which I have to clean out and refill every evening - this will stop that.

 

[superspec]

View media item 32447

I think you have an organizational problem! I wish I could catch it.

 

[Kevin54]

The wife has one that has a small hole in the bottom. She'll mix up something like Miracle Grow in another bucket, then pour it in the one with the small hole, pop the lid on so the pets don't drink out of it, then sets it around new trees she planted to keep them damp and fertilized.

 

[steel 35]

I cut one and rested it on the outfeed of a large motor and covered the coupler for our saftey *****, took a few minutes and the color almost matched.

 

[Jere]

I have a couple of these cloth things that go over the bucket. In one I keep Oxy/Ace torches/tips in the other I keep screw drivers and pliers style devices.

 

[bugnout]

I keep the charcoal, fluid and a lighter in one next to the Barbecue. I keep the Spa chemicals in one as well. both have those gamma seal spin on lids to keep the rain out.

Both are plain white buckets that pretty go unnoticed out on the deck.

 

[upndown]

I use them as minnow holders for crappie fishing, just drill a bunch of small holes to keep fresh water flowing thru, made a bracket that clamps to the boat to hang the bucket in the water. I use a small fish net to get them out, keeps them alive and active..

 

[jeffmoss26]

One holds sweeping compound and weighs down the piece of carpet under my shop chair
Two hold various sizes of plastic and metal conduit

 

[WQ59B]

Anyone else note how damned cheap the HD 'Homer' buckets are? They crack apart it you stress them even lightly. I picked one or 2 up recently (didn't buy 'em) and ended up throwing them out when the chunks break off the rim or the bottoms crack. I have my own steady supply of spackle buckets via work- those are worthy.

They make a decent small-job cement-mixing container if you have one of those squared mason trowels :

 

[theoldwizard1]

They make a good temporary step stool. Even better, put a 2x6 or 2x8 between 2 of them and you have a raised plank for installing ceiling drywall or painting a ceiling without a long pole.

 

[Bronson]

They make a good temporary step stool. Even better, put a 2x6 or 2x8 between 2 of them and you have a raised plank for installing ceiling drywall or painting a ceiling without a long pole.

Not a good step stool, IMO. I had 3 broken ribs from one.

 

[kbs2244]

I have corrugated sump pump hole liner.
I once had the pump switch hang up on the ridges so that it never turned on the pump, and I got water across the basement floor.

I cut a bucket top to bottom to get about a 1/3 of the outside smooth surface that I lined the switch side of the hole with.
That fixed that problem.

I the used the remaining 2/3 as a little roof for an outdoor electric motor.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Filled a half dozen with concrete to about 4" from the top. Set in those twist in pet stake/dog stake mounts. The lids still can be put on top flush.

Perfect portable weights for popup canopies / carports. I toss in a ratchet strap inside so there is always one there in the bucket when I need one.

 

[jayoldschool]

I have three with screw on lids. One for oil dry, one for used oil, one filled with vinegar for derusting.

 

[George in Rancho Cordova]

I use a square one with a lid to store tire chains, tensioners, spare links, etc.
Holes in the bottom would let water drain out.

Used a couple of round buckets upside down as risers for oscillating tower style fans. Mom was destroying the legs on regular oscillating fans with her wheelchair. The tower fans are much quieter as well.

 

[taumac]

I think you have an organizational problem! I wish I could catch it.

LOL.... I do admit I have a problem....