UDS Drum Questions

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coffee_junkie

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Feb 17, 2009
1,144
18
Helena, MT
A fella just stopped by my office and said he has 2 barrels, they have been around his house for 20yrs, they are sealed type with the little 3" screw tops? He said I had to take both....do you folks think it is safe? Can a fire burn out most of the bad stuff? What about the sealed top, you would think there would be some way to get that top off.
any help would be greatly appreciated, I am itchin' to make one of these things.
 
Personally I would want to know what the contents were. I would also want to know if they were lined or not. That would make my decision easy. Bad stuff in it, no way. Liner, too much work for me.

I bought a new unlined drum for mine. I had the luxury of a dealer near me at a good price so I went for the new model. No fuss.
 
I'd pass. Burning out a barrel isn't going to negate all nasty chemicals that could have been in it. Some will disagree with that, but it's too risky IMHO.

Find yourself a food grade barrel that has never had chemicals in it.
 
Just built my UDS a few weeks ago and I 100% agree with this statement. I either underestimated the work involved or went overboard on getting the interior to bare metal.
 
Without knowin what was in em, I'd pass, some stuff will etch it's way rite inta the metal. That be why they line some drums. Petrol Chems will usually burn right out.

I got a barrel from the local newspaper, had soy ink in em. Yes they were lined, but a 5 Million btu turbo torch took good care a that then just cleaned up with a wire brush in the angle grinder.

See ifin ya can find a used stainless barrel, they ya gotter made!
 
My wife works for the local newspaper so I thought I had an in with the printing press....but they are on an exchange program, I may need to just go "borrow" one from them...I have an ad in the classified for one.
I did find a 30 gallon.....has anybody ever made one from this size? Too small?
I want to do some local comp's next summer and my GOSM wont work (propane).
 
I heard tell of a feller makin one outa a 30, called it a mini drum, never seen one. I run outa room in my 55 an have plans ta build a 4 er 5 rack unit in the near future!

Maybe ya could buy one from the newspaper? Lotsa times there is just a deposit on em, so ya might just pay em that.
 
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