PREP 5 Gal. Bucket Lid Tip

[Kathy in WV]

I've been getting 5 gal. buckets from the Donut Store. Only problem is the lids are gasketless and therefore no way to get a seal like you would with the gamma lids. These lids don't have the wide gap like gamma lids, just a thin straight opening. My husband looked at them and said he thought he could make seals for them from screen spline... BINGO! It works like a charm! He used the .125 size for the narrow gaps but you could experiment with other sizes to fit other lids. Don't remember seeing this posted before but if it has I guess you could delete this. My brain doesn't work like his... I was thinking of duct taping around the lids to seal but his way is MUCH EASIER!

 

[Hognutz]

Thanks! That is a pretty good idea!

 

[Carl2]

Thank you, Kathy. Great idea.

This is wandering from the subject, but a supply of screen spline is another handy item to keep on hand, as well as window screen and a screen spline tool. I just bought a used (seems to be about 20 years old) commercially made dehydrator for $20 at a yard sale. It has seven 14" trays made like window screens. You simply replace the screen when it gets torn/worn. It is not pretty, but after a little cleaning and repair it works fine.

 

[Dennis Olson]

I have no idea what screen spline is. Can someone clarify?

Thanks

 

[fairbanksb]

It is like a rubber gasket. It is the rubber that holds the screen in the frame.

 

[Fritz_The_Cat]

I think it's the round rubber rope that holds window screens in their frames. It goes in a groove in the frame.

 

[Dennis Olson]

If it is, you'd never get a perfect seal, because at the point where the two ends meet, there'd always be a little gap.

 

[TECH32]

If it is, you'd never get a perfect seal, because at the point where the two ends meet, there'd always be a little gap.

Eh...a dab of silicon gel will fix that.

 

[FloridaDog]

If it is, you'd never get a perfect seal, because at the point where the two ends meet, there'd always be a little gap.

Do you think a drop of caulk at that point would help?

(My first real post, so yeaa for me) :-)

Darn, never mind, someone beat me to it. :-(

 

[ejagno]

I have so much trouble with my gamma lids actually fitting my 5 gallon buckets. They are too big for some reason. Thanks for the tip on those other lids.

 

[Kathy in WV]

Eh...a dab of silicon gel will fix that.

yes...

 

[Kathy in WV]

I have so much trouble with my gamma lids actually fitting my 5 gallon buckets. They are too big for some reason. Thanks for the tip on those other lids.

Are all the gamma lids made by the same company? I got mine at Baytech http://www.bayteccontainers.com/

That was the cheapest place I found, someone else may have a better source. We got ours to go on the buckets by using a rubber mallet to tap carefully while someone held even pressure all around. Never come off unless we break the bucket.

 

[Spanky]

The screen spline is a good idea. Do you put your food in mylar bags first? If you do the seal on the bucket is a nice thing but not necesary. If the mylar is sealed the bucket just protects the the bag. The bag protects the food. Mylar bags are easy to seal with an iron just experiment with the heat setting a little.

 

[billet]

Do you think a drop of caulk at that point would help?

(My first real post, so yeaa for me) :-)

Darn, never mind, someone beat me to it. :-(

Actually, the best way is to cut the ends diagonally and use some superglue.

 

[Dex]

Thanks to the OP, I haven't thought about "recovering" food grade buckets from places like donut shops. Also screen spline is a great idea for a gasket, I knew what you were talking about as soon as you said screen spline. We could use a few more food grade buckets around here so I will have to hit up some local donut slingers and see if I can take some off their hands. Does Dunkin actually just dump their buckets or are we talking about local bakers?

I'm surprised that they don't recycle them or maybe some do and some don't. Does lead me to the question of, what kind of donut joint are you talking about? Have you made some kind of deal with them? Are they just throwing them into the dumpster, etc? Inquiring minds need to know.

Thanks again for the tips though. If you could give us a little more info that would be great. Cheers!

 

[Siskiyoumom]

The local WINCO food store has 5 and 3 gallon Gamma Seals at 4.99 and 6.99.
Cheaper than I can get them mail order.
The local hardware stores also carry them for 7.99.

I have given up on using mylar bags because it is too costly for me to order them on the net.

So I have taken to using vacuum seal bags which are very thick and easier to seal with the O2 sucked out of them.

I have gotten some for really good prices on Craigs List and at the local big box food store.

I got mylar bags pre y 2 k and they are lot thicker than the ones I ordered last year and they don't tear as easily.

I put bay leaf in my the grains I bag up. And I know do smaller increments of grain in order to save on resealing a big five gallon bag of grain.

I am lucky that I do not live in a high humidity area and I am still using grain from a few years ago that I never had a chance to bag and seal up before putting it in the 5 gallon bucket.

It is sweet to have a bucket lid opener.

Emergency Essentials seems to have a good deal on them at least twice a year.

 

[Kathy in WV]

DEX, I get my buckets at Donut Connection, a Dunkin' Donuts type chain store. I think the one I get them from has a steady stream of people wanting buckets for farm use, prep use etc... They wash them out for me and I pay $1.oo per bucket with lid. To me it's worth a dollar! My husband passes there on his way to work every day and 2-3 times a week he checks for me. We also check the grocery stores that have bakeries on site... get many there too. Main thing is to check often!

Now for a question: Siskiyoumom said she can buy buckets at a local store cheaply. My hardware store has new buckets for $2.99 each.

Didn't someone on this forum have a list of which types of plastic were food safe? I have no idea where to find that info so if anyone knows or has a link it would be a big help!

 

[changed]

You should be able to find them free. Check other restaurants. Get as many as you can, they have so many uses.

for potting plants
carrying water
for a bug out bucket
for storing food so mice can't get it
to serve as a barf bucket in the SUV
to serve as an emergency toilet in the SUV
to keep in the kitchen for potato peels, carrot tops, and other vegetable matter that will go in the compost pile

 

[Dex]

Kathy in WV, you are the best. Thanks so much for that info! I will give it try and see if I can work a deal around my area. Obviously you have found a way of getting around paying for new buckets and have instead are cultivating renewable resources. I love that!

There are ways to re-use, re-purpse, re-cycle these types of resources without forking out. You are showing us that you can go out and get supplies by working with the resources and companies at hand. There is SO much wasted in big business, even medium business, it takes people like us to not allow these seemingly minor things to not go to waste.

It's not quite dumpster diving, but you know what? Dumpster diving is not such a bad thing and DD is great when it's done with some finesse which is sort of what you are doing, minus the dumpster.

Actually I think I'm going to have to go out and do some diving anyway, there is SO much out there, an entire culture of people live that way anyway, I've lived that way in my younger years. There is a margin between those who have everything and think that it will always be that way and those who know that everything will stop at some point and everything will require toil. The question is not if, but when?

 

[Kathy in WV]

Thanks for the compliment Dex, but be careful...my head will explode! lol lol

 

[Dex]

No worries, you're good. So much to do, so little time.

 

[Kook]

Here's some info on identifying food grade buckets. Seems pertinent right now.

Link

Kookster

Oh, and welcome to the mad house FloridaDog!

 

[Dredge]

Actually, the best way is to cut the ends diagonally and use some superglue.

That's some good thinking

 

[Rabbit]

Thanks for sharing. That's a neat idea.

 

[BadMedicine]

I had a 5 gallon bucket from a rental that had a gcrack i nthe bottom. Perfect for a tool bucket because I'll never get standing water i nthe bottom. At the same place I "inherited a size about 40"+ with a leather belt. I Cut the legs off just below the croch a few inches, turned them inside out, put them i nthe bucket with the belt & loops folded over the op on the outside and fastened the belt.
Voila! Instant tool-bucket! Pockets along the sides for small things, tall tools in the middle, and some tools can be hung from the belt of loops on the outside.

Free!! ...looks cooler than my dad & brothers, who's were I think about $8.99 without the bucket,... mine does have less pockets on the outside for cool stuff, but I can fit a lot of tools in a 5 gal bucket!

 

[Double_A]

Eh...a dab of silicon gel will fix that.

aaah. Ok, now I feel better.

Coming from Silicon Valley allow me to explain.

Silicon is a silvery element, brittle, rock hard, but easily shattered & used to make microprocessor chips, transistors etc.

Silicone is a soft rubbery compound used in breast implants and for sealing caulk.


THIS is silicon