Container for unstacked 1/3 cord

labradorguy · September 09, 2015, 12:02:16 PM

Hey all.

I have a lot of people drive by my place and ask for a "pickup load" or a rank of wood (1/3rd cord). I am always happy to sell firewood, but the way I am doing it now results in a lot of extra handling. What I have been doing is keeping a couple cords stacked up next to my barn. It is split and piled at my farm, loaded by Cat and dumped at the house. I then stack it by hand between some fence posts. If someone wants some, I then have to throw it in their truck or more often than not, they stop by in an SUV and ask me to deliver it. I then throw it in a truck and then handle again unloading at their place. I need a way to measure and sell it without having to do all the extra stacking and handling.

I see these rebar looking containers that I think would work. I've heard them called chemical containers but I can't find them anywhere. I figured I could get an idea what they hold on average just dropped in loose from the splitter and then sell them for so much a container. That would cut out a lot of handling/stacking/measuring. Especially when people who live around me want some wood. I could take the tractor and set the box right in their truck. They could take it home, empty it, and drop it off as they come by. (I live in an area where we can still do that sort of thing.)

Does anyone know where to find these or what to search on craigslist and the like? Any ideas what they hold and what they go for?

Thanks.

red · September 09, 2015, 12:05:17 PM

some guys use a Heavy Duty bag made by a company called Dino

I have used the www.thebagster.com made by Waste Management available at most hardware stores and big box stores .....just my 2 cents

labradorguy · September 09, 2015, 12:08:06 PM

Quote from: red on September 09, 2015, 12:05:17 PM
some guys use a Heavy Duty bag made by a company called Dino

I have used the baggstger made by Waste Management available at most hardware stores and big box stores .....just my 2 cents

Thanks. What do the bagster's hold? Do you throw it in loose or do you lay it in the bag?

I just saw you edited your post. Thanks for the link.

red · September 09, 2015, 12:10:39 PM

they say they can hold 3,000 lbs and I just put some plywood in bottom and then split right into them

gspren · September 09, 2015, 12:29:20 PM

What I like to use are 16' fence panels, commonly called cattle panels, and pull the ends together overlapping 3-4 holes depending on what size pallets I have. This gives a 52" tall basket about 4' dia. that sits on a pallet and after the first layer of wood that I put there first you can just toss in the wood, if you toss a big chunk of oak into an empty basket it might bust the boards. I just use for myself so never figured exactly what they hold.

BradMarks · September 09, 2015, 03:45:59 PM

"rebar looking containers", "chemical containers". I think you are referring to the totes. Inside those, indeed is a container with up to 250+ gallons of chemical or other liquid product. Google and you will find some, new or used.

red · September 09, 2015, 04:16:36 PM

Intermediate Bulk Container ...IBC Totes

Ljohnsaw · September 09, 2015, 09:53:03 PM

IBC is what you are looking for. There are several types. I have a couple that are super heavy duty (330 gallon) with a wall thickness of about 1/2". It is really heavy and does not have a cage to support it. I also have a few with cages. Some cages are made from square steel tubing (look nice and seem to be very strong) and others are just some stamped sheet metal (somewhat flimsy). They all have a couple of straps on the top. If you cut the top open, the straps are kind of necessary to keep it from bowing out.

People who do aquaponics/hydroponic gardening sometimes take them and split them in two, flipping the top over to make two grow beds. They are typically 40x44x48 tall - so almost a half cord stacked. Loose, I would bet it would be 1/3 cord.

CraigsList will have them listed as IBC (around here), but if you are resourceful, you could get them for free. Visit industrial places, factories, bakeries (high fructose corn syrup, oils, etc) and farms. I picked up five 275 gallon ones from a guy that regularly hits up his farmer neighbors (where he gets them for free).

shamusturbo · September 10, 2015, 12:35:04 AM

You have to search craigslist until they come up. Try all different types of keywords and try different cities too.

At last count I have 93 of them. Almost all of them have one short side cut out of them. I use one with the "bladder" still in it to catch the "kindling" gap in my processors conveyor. I do stack the wood inside them to make a facecord. (1/3) I got the first 24 or so from a chemical company I worked at as a 3rd party industrial repair company at. I then bought another 24 from a firewood business that was going out of business to focus on mulch production only. The dye for the mulch comes in the same containers. So, come to think of it, find someone who is making bulk mulch. They come in either 275 gallon or 330 gallon sizes and are pretty tough. I ruined a couple when they were frozen solid to the ground last winter however. There are at least 5 or 6 guys in the Pittsburgh craigslist peddling them. I assume they work at a chemical company and most times are willing to take next to nothing for them because they got them for free in the first place. But they are awesome!

labradorguy · September 10, 2015, 11:17:05 AM

That's what I was looking for. Thanks guys.

sam-tip · September 10, 2015, 03:23:55 PM

I just got a bunch more IBC totes for $15 each from a farm coop. Friend was driving by and saw a few. Stopped and asked about one or two and they had bunches in the building. Still figuring out what to do with the ones that had the plastic tubs in them. What should I do with tubs?

Ljohnsaw · September 10, 2015, 05:00:39 PM

Quote from: sam-tip on September 10, 2015, 03:23:55 PM
<<snip>> What should I do with tubs?

Might see if you can take them to a recycling place and get a few dollars - "scrap" plastic (milk jugs) is about 7 cents a pound :

Or put them on CraigsList for free (without cages) and see if there is a "market" for them. Who knows, they might be worth a few dollars a piece!

beenthere · September 10, 2015, 07:01:55 PM

Once filled with split wood, how do you unload them?

A way to tip them to dump? or unload by hand?

The look like a great way to store and dry wood for a couple years.

sam-tip · September 10, 2015, 09:22:06 PM

Unloading is easy next to the boiler. I just tip them over with loader and pallet forks. Then tip them over again so they are upside down and then lift the cage up with pallet forks and the wood falls out. Only problem is if they settle into the ground and the ground freezes. I try to keep some on gravel or on wood chips before the ground freezes.

Brad_bb · September 16, 2015, 10:13:42 AM

I don't get it, if you want to deliver in these palled metal baskets, how do you unload them from your truck or trailer at the customer's? I mean if they don't have a forklift to unload the basket?

Oliver1655 · September 17, 2015, 09:51:42 PM

Sam-tip, save the plastic bladder/tanks. I will try to upload some photos this weekend of how I cut them then screw them to pallets. They work well if you are stacking the wood inside them & they hold 1/3 a cord.

Shamustrubo touched on a good point when using the outer metal shell of the IBC's. He mentioned having one side cut down lower. If you are planning to get the most wood you can in them, you need to stack the wood. Having one side cut lower makes a HUGE difference in how easy it is to stack in them. You don't need to cut a side out, just take out the upper half. Again I will try to upload photos of how I modified the ones I use this weekend.

Another option I find which work well for me & hold 1/2 a cord of wood is to cut a cattle panel down to 11 ft then bend in to a "U" so it makes 2 sides & a back. I then cut a 14' 2x4 in half & fasten them to the front sides of the pallet with a 4' 2x4 across the top. This is my preferred way to palletize the wood. When you stack 2 of theses pallets with the openings together, you can cover the top with a tarp making it look like a tent. The grids of the cattle panels make it a snap to fasten the tarp to. Photos to come.

sam-tip · September 18, 2015, 01:04:55 PM

Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

I only use the IBC totes for my own wood. Totes are to hard to get to sell wood in them.

labradorguy · September 19, 2015, 09:00:02 AM

Looking forward to the pics as well.

sam-tip · September 23, 2015, 09:32:26 AM

Had a thought. If I cut the plastic totes with vent holes and a lid would they act as a wood kiln if left in the sun. Be nice to dry some wet firewood fast. Might do a test and see. Get moisture reading every few weeks for test. Plastic totes are easy to cut with wood blade in sawzall. Might add thermocouple to get temp readings in the middle at different times of the day. I think I will try one with Bur Oak and one with Green Ash.