Grain (Gravity )Wagon / Coal Bin
I had a wild idea and I'm just curious how many think it would work . I thinking about buying or making a gravity wagon like a grain wagon as a portable coal bin . I thought at first about putting a bin in my basement but it is too small and I'm already not thrilled about the dust . My thought is either blocking the wagon up high enough to get my wheelbarrow under the shute and removing the wheels or leaving them on and taking it around the back of the house and loading 5 gallon buckets from the shute . Is this a good idea or not. I burn from my best projection (just started burning last month) around 4 ton of bit per year + about 3-4 face cord of wood. Browsing the internet I came across smaller wagons (50 bushel ) and thought I should almost be able to get a ton in there or if I go full size should be able to get almost three ton . Bud
- LsFarm
- Member
- Posts: 7383
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 20, 2005 8:02 pm
- Location: Michigan
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Self-built 'Big Bertha' SS Boiler
- Baseburners & Antiques: Keystone 11, Art Garland
Hello Bud, I use a gravity wagon for storing, moving and dispensing coal. The chute on mine is too wide for a five gallon bucket, I use the front bucket of my front-loader tractor to catch the coal and from the tractor to my hopper with five gallon buckets.
The gravity wagon needs a few boards across the top and a tarp to keep the rain and snow off of the coal.. a redesigned chute would make it usable with a five gallon bucket.
Greg L
.
The gravity wagon needs a few boards across the top and a tarp to keep the rain and snow off of the coal.. a redesigned chute would make it usable with a five gallon bucket.
Greg L
.
No more than 200 yards . I am just thinking it would be easier to get the coal from the mine during the summer while the roads are better and tow it up closer to the house in the fall when it will be needed. I thought I'd cut one of the blue barrels and replace the shute with a cut-away of that . That said I don't farm so the top could be modified to have a lid on the top that hinges in the center to expose the hopper for loading and maybe run a piece of tractor intertube for the ridgecap. I seen you were on last night when I posed the question L.S. but didn't know if you were busy.
- LsFarm
- Member
- Posts: 7383
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 20, 2005 8:02 pm
- Location: Michigan
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Self-built 'Big Bertha' SS Boiler
- Baseburners & Antiques: Keystone 11, Art Garland
Half the time I fall asleep with the 'puter on the forum, so I'm not really 'online' . I'm snoring...
A gravity wagon does work well, if you can find one at a reasonable price. But you need to keep the water out of the coal, it will rust the wagon quickly and the coal will freeze in the winter.
Greg L.
A gravity wagon does work well, if you can find one at a reasonable price. But you need to keep the water out of the coal, it will rust the wagon quickly and the coal will freeze in the winter.
Greg L.
- CoalHeat
- Member
- Posts: 8862
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
- Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
- Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
- Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
- Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert
I've done that several times, sitting at my desk.LsFarm wrote:Half the time I fall asleep with the 'puter on the forum, so I'm not really 'online' . I'm snoring...
Greg L.
Good thing we don't have webcams on here.
-
- Member
- Posts: 3555
- Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
- Location: Dalton, MA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite
I also use gravity wagons for storing and dispensing coal. I completely agree with Greg about the covering part and would also add the following:
- a loose piece of sheet metal (e.g., 2' x 3') can make an effective funnel when one end is placed in a round container. Even if you remove the normal chute altogether, you can put your container under the opening and "catch " the flow with the funnel. I've used 10-gallon galvanized can (filling hoppers with a grain scoop to minimize dust), but it seems like it should also work with a 5-gallon pail.
- alternatively, a 1-bushel galvanized container (available at Tractor Supply) has a wider opening than a 5-gallon pail and can be used with some chutes. It has a low profile, and may be helpful when the chute is close to the ground.
- if you've got a lot of coal in the wagon, a lot of weight gets concentrated on the 4 wheels. I put blocks under where the wheels sit, and even they get driven into the ground. I'd try to stay away from moving loaded wagons in the yard during mud season, etc.
- if you get a used one from a farm, check the tires carefully. Tires that are suitable for farm use may not be up to the requirements of road movement or long-term storage of heavy loads of coal (I've squeezed the air out of a few!).
Mike
- a loose piece of sheet metal (e.g., 2' x 3') can make an effective funnel when one end is placed in a round container. Even if you remove the normal chute altogether, you can put your container under the opening and "catch " the flow with the funnel. I've used 10-gallon galvanized can (filling hoppers with a grain scoop to minimize dust), but it seems like it should also work with a 5-gallon pail.
- alternatively, a 1-bushel galvanized container (available at Tractor Supply) has a wider opening than a 5-gallon pail and can be used with some chutes. It has a low profile, and may be helpful when the chute is close to the ground.
- if you've got a lot of coal in the wagon, a lot of weight gets concentrated on the 4 wheels. I put blocks under where the wheels sit, and even they get driven into the ground. I'd try to stay away from moving loaded wagons in the yard during mud season, etc.
- if you get a used one from a farm, check the tires carefully. Tires that are suitable for farm use may not be up to the requirements of road movement or long-term storage of heavy loads of coal (I've squeezed the air out of a few!).
Mike
LsFarm wrote:Hello Bud, I use a gravity wagon for storing, moving and dispensing coal. The chute on mine is too wide for a five gallon bucket, I use the front bucket of my front-loader tractor to catch the coal and from the tractor to my hopper with five gallon buckets.
The gravity wagon needs a few boards across the top and a tarp to keep the rain and snow off of the coal.. a redesigned chute would make it usable with a five gallon bucket.
Greg L
.
My thought is possibly making the wagon non-portable and just useing it for bulk storage i.e. taking the wheels off and setting it on blocks or even pouring a pad to pull it up on then taking off the wheels . This weekend I tried to get to the mine for a load ,but my 2 wheel drive GMC wouldn't here of it .I had a mile to back down . If I can fill a hopper through the summer when the weather is decent I won't have to worry about that again. There are #47.723 lbs in 1 cu.ft and 1.24 cu. ft in one bushel . I think I could get by with 150 bushel wagon that should be just under 4.5 ton. If the bottom of the wagon is 2' off the ground I'd have enouph room for a wheelbarrow or a sled I made from downhill skis to bring wood off the hill. Bud
-
- Member
- Posts: 3555
- Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
- Location: Dalton, MA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite
If your tires and running gear are in good shape and the source of the coal isn't far away, I'd be tempted to use the wagon for a bulk pickup that might save a fair amount of handling. If it's on blocks high enough to give 2' clearance under the discharge door, you'd probably have to be able to clear about a 7' height to load it. No big deal if you have a bucket loader, but it might be a workout to shovel it. With either approach, the pad sounds like a good plan.
Good luck with it.
Mike
Good luck with it.
Mike
I'll be hauling about an hour so dragging this thing isn't much of an option ,most likely I'll run down a few times during the summer and get coal and try to have it full before I need it . My father-in-law lives about a 1/2 hr. from the mine so it won't take much to talk her into going to visit the mother-in-law while we go. and the weather will be fair by then.I should have my Bush Hog tractor w/ loader up to snuff by then .Now I need to scout around to see if I can find a wagon that meets my need (cheap). Bud
-
- Member
- Posts: 3555
- Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
- Location: Dalton, MA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite
If you really don't plan to use the running gear you can sometimes find just the bin for less. The bad news is most of them are in the midwest (people use them to feed corn stoves), and they can be a bit harder to move without the running gear. However, if you've got a pick-up and access to an equipment or landscaping trailer you could probably do it yourself. A 150-bushel bin is probably going to weigh 1500 lb. or less and can easily be jockeyed around with a small loader, winch, prybar, etc.. If you'd like, I can check my "network" of wagon suppliers to see if they have or know of any. Craigslist and sometimes eBay periodically have them too. Happy hunting.
Mike
Mike
Didn't get a chance to go out grain wagon shopping this weekend ,between the weather and the mother-in-law coming up (for three weeks) not sure when it will happen. My father-in-law brought me up some coal this week (he has 4 wheel drive ) and didn't clean the snow out of the box so now I have about 2-3" of water in every wheelbarrow full. Looking at renting a 10 wheeler this summer and just going for a load once a year though.