January 26, 2009

•  Grain Bin

  

  Because of interest, I decided to put this heavy duty grain bin on the blog for anyone that is interested in building one for themselves.  (Before I forget it I guess you all know that you can highlight the words and pictures -- starting at the top and dragging your curser down to the bottom and copy -- go to "Microsoft Office Word", open it up and paste it on a new page, then print it out if you want.)  I used sch. 40 pipe  (except for the handle) to make this toy that hopefully would endure the test of little boys.  After more then a year it seems to be holding up well.

   

  

  

  The Grain Bin is made of 6" pipe and stands 24" plus the 5/8" x 12" x 11" pc of wood under it.  The end of the shoot is 8 1/4" off the floor.  It depends on the height of your equipment, you could drop it some.  All the corn inside, below the shoot adds to the weight and stability of the whole thing.  The bottom of the hole (where the shoot goes through the bin wall) is 9 3/8" from the bottom of the pipe (bin).   Measuring along the outside bottom of the shoot there is 5 1/4" showing.  Because of the slope of the shoot, the hole in the bin is oblong.  For a stable shoot it is important to get it to fit snug.  Once the brace is fastened  to the shoot, before drilling the hole in the bin, pull down, putting tension on the shoot to give it greater stability.   I guess you notice the rope at the top of the bin for carrying; when full of corn it does have weight.  I hope you have as much fun as I did.  The reward is watching the little ones (and ones that aren't so little enjoying it.)  Oh yes, an easy way to scrape the corn together on a pile ( that ends up on the floor) is using a yard stick and scooping up the pile with a dust pan or whatever.

   

  

  

  The handle is 6 1/2" x 1/2" ID, heated and bent on a 45 degree.  I used two eye bolts to fasten it.

   

  

  The shoot is 9"x 1" ID with a 23 degree slope.  The brace under the shoot is a 1" slice of 6" sch. 40 pipe.  The circumference measures 7".  The eye bolt at the end of the spring (the corn wanted to hang-up on the nut inside the shoot) I ground the nut to match the curvature of the pipe that it wouldn't stick in very much.  The spring is 1/2"x2".

   

  

  The screw at the end of the shoot that goes through the brace is countersunk and has the head ground off some so it doesn't interfere with the corn sliding out.

   

  

  Inside the bin I have a screw in the shoot to keep it from coming out (don't have it sticking through - so it doesn't catch the corn).

   

  

  The gate is a 4"pc. of 5/8" ID pipe fastened by two eye screws.    The accuracy of predrilling these holes is important to how all this will work and fit in each other.

   

  

  

  I used lock tight on some of the nuts so they don't back off.

  This wouldn't get first prize for eye appeal, but the grandchildren don't mind! 

  • 10:02 pm
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