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5 Gallon Buckets

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    sdakscrapper started this thread.
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    5 Gallon Buckets

    I have quite a few 5 gallon buckets that I use to separate everything in. I recently picked up a couple of buckets where one is stuck inside of the other. I've tried everything I can think of except for taking a saw to them to get them apart. Does anyone have any tricks for pulling apart a couple of stuck together buckets?



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    Mudlucky's Avatar
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    I had a bunch that did this. I poked (drilled?) a small hole in the bottom of the bottom bucket. It seemed to let a little air in and/or flow and they came apart a little better. Either that, or I just beat on them so much that the beating and the drilling timed out just right and they came a part....

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    sawmilleng's Avatar
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    drill a hole in the bottom of one of the buckets to be a tight fit in an air nozzle. give it a couple of blasts of air. It should work unless the buckets are rumpled up and don't seal the air very good. Watch out, they could come apart "vigorously"!

    Jon.

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    I have two like that, they're still stuck! haha ; ) thanks for the ideas : )

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    You can try setting them out in the sun or adding hot water to help with expansion. I had several ice cream buckets that did the same. Half of the problem was the vacuum and the other half was ice cream residue. Do you know what kind of material was in the buckets? There might some kind of residue holding them together as well

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    I used to use a lot of 5 gallon buckets, refining, I would have them stacked one on top of the other, seems like they were always getting stuck together.

    If you throw ice in the top one, it shrinks the bucket, and that sometimes will do the trick. Or if you freeze them. I have also used compressed air. If you can't do that, but you can get enough space on the side to sprinkle in baking soda, and then pour in vinegar, it will build up pressure inside the bottom bucket and force the top one out. Expansion and contraction using heat and cold, respectively works sometimes. Using a torch lightly, very lightly, around the area where the two buckets meet sometimes works.

    Good luck to you!

    Scott
    At the heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes--an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive they may be, and the most ruthless skeptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new. This is how deep truths are winnowed from deep nonsense. -- Carl Sagan

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    When I was bartending, this would happen a lot. I used to just have another person grab one end and we would twist in opposite directions.

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    NobleMetalWorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryanw View Post
    When I was bartending, this would happen a lot. I used to just have another person grab one end and we would twist in opposite directions.
    Did you tell me you bartended? I would never have thought, do I have some stories for you, as I'm sure you do.

    I might be in your neck of the woods tomorrow or Thur, and thought if it wasn't too short of notice I would pick up those things you have been hanging on forever, for me. Do you want payment in cash, or silver shot? I can do either!

    Scott

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    Bartenders are some of my favorite people.

    Big surprise eh?

    My OMG ITS GOLD Bucket™ is a 5 gallon bucket stuck in another. I've been thinking of just cutting the bottom out of the top one, an making it a ten..LOL.

    Sirscrapalot - Jack, Jim and Jose are all good friends of mine. We're not as close as we once were, but I still love it when they come to visit.

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    NobleMetalWorks's Avatar
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    For awhile, I owned a restaurant/jazz club in the East Bay. I would have the bouncers remove the tables after dinner was over, and turn it into a college nightclub with DJ music after 10pm. I drew people from a local Catholic College, and UC Berkeley. I rented a party bus with a big screen TV and would have it go between the Catholic College and the nightclub several times a night so nobody had to drive drunk. The first 3 busloads were the cheerleaders, volleyball, swim team, basketball team, all female. Guys would stand outside, in line, just to watch the girls walk in.

    Good times, let me tell you... If I make it out your way sometime, you have to ask me about my power of suggestion bar tricks, a low level type of hypnotism I used to play around with.

    Did you know that if you say gullible fast enough, it sounds like oranges?

    Scott

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    Well if your going to teach me some fun bar tricks an tell funny stories of your time working/owning one, the first cooler fill up is on me.

    You know your welcome anytime Scott. Which reminds me, I got a box of goodies to send you here shortly that we've talked about in the past, I'll shoot ya a pm in a day or so with some pics.

    Sirscrapalot - Now that I know to make a ™ symbol..I can't find enough use for it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot View Post
    Sirscrapalot - Now that I know to make a ™ symbol..I can't find enough use for it.
    Trademark "Sirscrapalot" and then you will have to use it all the time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NobleMetalWorks View Post
    ... sprinkle in baking soda, and then pour in vinegar, it will build up pressure inside the bottom bucket and force the top one out....


    You're a regular Bill Nye! AWESOME trick!

    I used to do that to antbeds in my nefarious youth. Makes a heck of a volcano if you get it right.
    Out of clutter, find simplicity. --Albert Einstein

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    Quote Originally Posted by NobleMetalWorks View Post
    Did you tell me you bartended? I would never have thought, do I have some stories for you, as I'm sure you do.

    I might be in your neck of the woods tomorrow or Thur, and thought if it wasn't too short of notice I would pick up those things you have been hanging on forever, for me. Do you want payment in cash, or silver shot? I can do either!

    Scott
    Yeah, I bartended for about 10 years until last year. Definitely have stories as most bartenders do, although some years are kind of a blur

    I'm available most every day, although I just turned the warehouse upside down, and had a couple unexpected deliveries, so it's kind of hard to move around in here. I can still get to your equipment though! You know, I'll take your offer of silver shot, I am wanting to save more silver!

    Ryan

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    I use a rubber hammer on the bottom of the two buckets rim, and smack that apart.

    One thing you don't want to use is a regular hammer otherwise you'll just be breaking stuff.

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    If/when you get the buckets apart, you can store them with 2 liter bottles between each one.

  27. #18
    KzScrapper's Avatar
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    I use a small flat bar made by Stanley called a "Wonder Bar"...Go around using the short side giving it a twist every few inches and eventually the seal will break.

    I think they call it a "Wonder Bar" cuz most the time you Wonder where it is.

    Stanley Wonder Bar II Pry Bar-55-045 at The Home Depot
    Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesaler
    Certified Zip-Tie Mechanic
    "Give them enough so they can do something with it, but not too much that they won't do nothing."

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  29. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryanw View Post
    Yeah, I bartended for about 10 years until last year. Definitely have stories as most bartenders do, although some years are kind of a blur

    I'm available most every day, although I just turned the warehouse upside down, and had a couple unexpected deliveries, so it's kind of hard to move around in here. I can still get to your equipment though! You know, I'll take your offer of silver shot, I am wanting to save more silver!

    Ryan
    I'll give you a call, I think it's going to be tomorrow, just depends on how things turn out the next few hours.

    I already have the silver packaged up! Do you have a scale or should I bring mine?

    Scott

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    Great! Look forward to meeting up.

    I've got a couple county certified scales. One is accurate to 0.01 lbs, and then i have a cheapo gram scale that I don't trust very much. Maybe best if you bring one of yours


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