Where to find 30 gallon oil drums?

[Fuzzie]

Is it still possible to find old size 30gallon (approx 100 litre) drums? I remember oil and kero used to come in drums of about this size, but I haven't seen any recently.

Yesterday I went dumpster diving to try and find some drums/pails to experiment with making a couple of chip separators to upgrade my junky little dusty.

Interestingly it appears even the 20l paint can is now a relic. The largest paint pail these days seems to be 15l. I tried the local diesel mechanic supply and they only seemed to have 20l and 200l drums, in any case I wouldn't wan't to buy a full one, I'm looking for an empty. A 44gallon drum would probably be too large for me to manhandle

[Big Shed]

Fuzzie, places to try are your local stockfeed suppliers, they usually have 100l plastic drums (ex ag chemical drums, food drums and the like) and your nearest drum recycler.

Salvage yards are another good source, they often get truck loads from the local food and chemical places, if you have a local cleaning chemical manufacturer they are another good source.

The 100l plastic drims are usually blue with either a screw top lid or a clamped lid. There are also a lot of brown plastic gherkin drums around, I believe they come from Maccas and Hungry Jacks.

Just a few places to try.

[malb]

From memory, I think they were 20 gallon drums, rather than 30's. Basically about 2/3rds the height and diameter of a 44. Haven't seen any on the back of a truck for quite a while, probably last seen for bulk auto trans fluid at my mechanic mates shop maybe five years ago.

[China]

Try a crash repair, for some used thinners drums

[Fuzzie]

places to try are your local stockfeed suppliers, they usually have 100l plastic drums (ex ag chemical drums, food drums and the like) and your nearest drum recycler.


Thanks BS. The nearest pet supply has repainted 44gal drums for $64 and a few so rusted out I couldn't see the point in even asking a price. The GoldCoast drum recycler seems to have disappeared. The nearest ones might be Tweed or Brisbane.


From memory, I think they wer 20 gallon drums, rather than 30's. Basically about 2/3rds the height and diameter of a 44. Haven't seen any on the back of a truck for quite a while, probably last seen for bulk auto trans fluid at my mechanic mates shop maybe five years ago.

Malb, those are the ones I'd like to find. I think maybe they were 30 US gal = 25 Imp gal.


Try a crash repair, for some used thinners drums
Thanks China, I did a google search and thinners are showing up as available in 60lt as well as 20lt sizes, so I've put it on my list to check with a couple of repairers.

[ubeaut]

We go through a 44 gal (200 lt) drum or two every few days emptied 3 of 'em today. They're always going begging as our distributor doesn't recycled any more and Sims Metal and the rubbish tips will no longer take them.

Long way to Geelong but for anyone else wanting one it might be worth keeping in mind. Good clean drums which contained either 100% ethanol (alcohol) or mineral turpentine. Take 'em away, nothing to pay.

Cheers - Neil :U

PS we also have a lot of heavy cardboard (fibreboard) drums of around 120 litre size fibreboard base with a metal band and fitted plastic lid. At the moment we fill them up with rubbish and take them to the tip. They could also go to a good home if anyone wanted them. Oh yeah...... and a heap of 20 litre polypropylene (squound) jerry can type drums.

[dai sensei]

Give Tilkey Pty ltd in Coopers Plains a ring - 1800 777 994

They have heaps of new and used drums, metal or plastic, at reasonable costs. I needed a bin for my cyclone <450mm dia and scored a stainless one similar to a 44 gal, except 3/4 sized, for $20.

[Fuzzie]

I tried a few crash repairers with only limited luck. It seems 60lt thinners drums might be on the way out as well. One guy said they used a pressure gun which is built to fit directly to 20lt drums and for OHS reasons only buy 20lt drums these days.

I eventually found a guy who had a couple of old drums out back and he was happy for me to take just the least rusty one.

I did some playing with 100mm pipe fittings to build a separator for the under bench dusty but found I couldn't actually centre an outlet and fit another 4in pipe inlet on the top of the 380 mm diameter of a 60lt drum. I also realized having a lidded bin would be easier than trying to cleanly cut the top off the thinners drum, which just has a capped pouring hole.

I took dai sensei's advice and tried Tilkey who had only one 100lt drum left in stock and at 460mm diameter it was just big enough to fit 2x 100mm hose fittings. Unfortunately it's not a flashy $20 stainless steel number, rather it's a battered $18 repaint job! So thanks to Neil. A pity ubeaut.Neil is in Geelong, but I still think a 200lt drum would probably be too big for my requirements.

I've added 100mm dwv plumbing as duct ports together with a baffle board and on a very simple test run of cleaning up the work area, I now have a separator that seems to be working fine.

The 60lt drum may however one day end up as one of these :D (http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Island/3012/page2.htm)

Thanks all.

[SilentButDeadly]

Hey Fuzzie.......I just use a wheelie bin as my dust collecter. Happened to have a big one kicking around with a crack and a couple of holes (been able to get them cheap from the local council tip). Plugged them up with silicon and duct tape. Made a lid from a scrap of particle board and the usual PVC fittings - used a piece of EVA foam sheet as a gasket. Dusty sits on the lid and the whole lot is held down by a couple of occys. When it's full I just wheel it out to the sawdust pile and upend...too easy.

Failing that......I can get 220L plastic drums from the local depot for $30. Used to have citrus wax in them (to make oranges shiny).

[shealdzy]

We go through a 44 gal (200 lt) drum or two every few days emptied 3 of 'em today. They're always going begging as our distributor doesn't recycled any more and Sims Metal and the rubbish tips will no longer take them.

Long way to Geelong but for anyone else wanting one it might be worth keeping in mind. Good clean drums which contained either 100% ethanol (alcohol) or mineral turpentine. Take 'em away, nothing to pay.

Cheers - Neil :U

PS we also have a lot of heavy cardboard (fibreboard) drums of around 120 litre size fibreboard base with a metal band and fitted plastic lid. At the moment we fill them up with rubbish and take them to the tip. They could also go to a good home if anyone wanted them. Oh yeah...... and a heap of 20 litre polypropylene (squound) jerry can type drums.


Hi Neil, my name is Jason and am interested in some of the 44's you have and some 20 litres as well. I would like to organise a time to come and pick them up if possible. Can you please give me a call on 0410 186 561 to let me know if you still have these available. Thanks for your time
Jason

[osgood]

Hi,
i'm a newbie here i was wondering if anyone was able to source out the 20 or 30 gal drum fuzzie was after? i'm in Melb ,mulgrave.
I need one with a open type lid with a band.I can get 44 gallon but there too big for my purpose.I have tried drum recyclers but they either haven't got one or couldn't be bothered.
Any help or idea's would be greatly appreciated
Osgood.

[glenn k]

I have a couple of 22 gal or 100l drums just regular tops, 2 screw holes, if you don't mind going to Williamstown.

[osgood]

I have a couple of 22 gal or 100l drums just regular tops, 2 screw holes, if you don't mind going to Williamstown.

Hi Glen,
I was after the removeable lid type and are having allsorts of problems getting 1 or 2 .
Where were you able to get those from?
If i can't get the open top here i'll take you up on one of those .
How much would you want?
Thanks Osgood

[glenn k]

Think they are old oil drums, was going to give them to you.

[osgood]

Thanks glenn thats very kind.I'll send a email if i have no luck.
I need the open top as i'm using them as a dust collector and need to access after its full.

[Fuzzie]

Hi Tim,

I got mine from a drum recycler in Brisbane, about 100km from where I live. I don't know what industry that style of drum originates from, it was the only one they had in stock at the time. You will probably have to just keep trying various recyclers until you find one with stock.

If I was in Melbourne I'd be taking up UBeaut Neil's offer (comment #6) and getting a couple of various sizes to play around with. The fibreboard drums would probably work.