Another Coal Dust Question

So I had 12 tons of coal delivered a few weeks back. I built an outdoor bin which right now does not have a trap of it. I plan to put one on soon to keep debris out. But my question is if it gets rained on will it be dust free when I go to move it into the basement?

Yep, but it will also freeze up & you'll be wanting to keep a post hole starter close by. Or at least a good maul.

freetown fred wrote:Yep, but it will also freeze up & you'll be wanting to keep a post hole starter close by. Or at least a good maul.

or a stick of dny no mite... a nice piece of rubber roof as a tarp would negate the purchase of all the required hardware...just this old mountain mans theory...

I don't have to worry about the freezing. I have this years supply in the basement bins. This is the next 3 years!

awesome that you have a few years in supply on hand!

if the coal is dry when you bring it in there will be some dust.

if the coal is damp when you bring it in there will be no dust.

even if it washed by the rain as it sits there not all the dust will be washed out of the pile and then moving it again to bring it inside will cause more dust as the pieces of coal abrade against each other. so if it is damp when you move it the dust issue is resolved.

Hose it before you move it, OR just do what I did. I left mine sitting in barrels while it rained for a few days. When I put it in the basement I simply picked the 500 pound 55 gallon drum up over head, spun it upside down and whoosh ------> straight into the basement thru the coal chute door and viola, NO DUST Good thing the nieghbors didn't see me

Lightning wrote:Hose it before you move it, OR just do what I did. I left mine sitting in barrels while it rained for a few days. When I put it in the basement I simply picked the 500 pound 55 gallon drum up over head, spun it upside down and whoosh ------> straight into the basement thru the coal chute door and viola, NO DUST Good thing the nieghbors didn't see me

This brought back memories of coal deliveries where a large wooden barrel was used to transfer the coal from truck to chute. The barrel was filled and then tilted and spun over to the chute. The trucks also had wheelbarrows that were special to the coal trade. They had iron pipe handles instead of wood. Evidently the barrel method was easier and faster on certain jobs.

franco b wrote:This brought back memories of coal deliveries where a large wooden barrel was used to transfer the coal from truck to chute. The barrel was filled and then tilted and spun over to the chute. The trucks also had wheelbarrows that were special to the coal trade. They had iron pipe handles instead of wood. Evidently the barrel method was easier and faster on certain jobs.

Yeah I do the tilt and spin thing too since I transport my coal with 5 - 55 gallon barrels at a time. They work out to be 480 pounds plus the barrel (20 pounds). I have to leave them on the ground about 50 feet from the chute door and then I have to leap frog with 3 pieces of plywood since the edge of the barrel would otherwise dig into the ground making them all but impossible to spin.
I've gotton pretty good at spinning them on their edge. I think I've gained some muscle mass too