Nut shells all in for now

[Snowy Rivers]

This summer/fall has been tedious for sure. After my stroke in August, then having to sell the big truck, the realization that we had no way to get nut shells for the stove came to the fore front real quick.

I started thinking about this issue back in September and started looking for a way to haul the shells home.

Decided to look for a dumpster that could fit on our utility trailer.

Found a company about 50 miles from home that makes them, so I gave them a call.

The salesman mentioned that he had some mis made ones "cheap"

I got a friend to drive the pickup and we went to see.
The only issue with the dumpter was that the lifting trunions that allow the thing to be dumped into a garbage truck were welded on wrong. Whoooopty dooooo. This made zero diff to me.

We got this nice 3 yard box on casters for $300 yesssssssssssssss.

So now came the first run. The first trip went quite well with minimal bother.

The next issue was to get the shells out and into our barrels.

A great idea came to mind, get the grand kids to help out with emptying the box.

So into the dumpster go the kids with buckets. Great fun for them.

Took about 40 minutes of them passing bucket after bucket of shells out to be dumped into the storage barrels.

Best part was that I got to sit back and watch.

The kids had great fun and made this job an easy one.

The second trip was even smoother, and the kids were excited to get at the task at hand.

The biggest issue was getting the dumpster on and off the trailer, so we can keep it inside the dry barn.

Yesterday we went to the hardware store and got some chain and hooks. With a couple holes drilled in the upper edge of the BOBCAT bucket allowed a fastening point and the Bobcat lifted the dumpster with ease and sat it on the concrete floor of the shop.

Sadly we can't lift it loaded, but this works well.

The task still requires a day that its not raining to go get shells, but that has always been an issue.


Ahhhh well, good to have this issue pretty well in hand.

Staying warm

Snowy

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Sounds like good setup Snowy.

How's the weather out that way?

We seem to be stuck in the cold / warm back and forth here. I'm glad I put my bucket of parts on a t-stat, it prevents the over/under heating when the temperatures do the swinging.

The chickens don't know if they should go out for some sun or stay in and puff up like beach balls to keep warm.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Weather is WET and cool. Snow level about 2500 ft through the week.

Lots of heavy rain the past few weeks. Summer was long and dry, not too hot but only about 2% of average rainfall for the summer.
Now we are at 170% of normal rainfall, go figure.

We have been drowning in rain the past two months.

I hope that we don't get hammered with a heavy snow this winter.
It's not a yearly thing, but we can see some pretty nasty weather in the winter. It's not unheard of to see temps in the single digits and snow as much as 4 feet where I live.

Thankfully this does not last a long time, but can take up a couple weeks.

The Columbia gorge can funnel some very cold air into this area when an arctic high slides down east of the cascade mountains.

The mess gets really bad when the next pacific storm rides in over the cold and rains ice on us.

Snowy

 

[heat seeker]

Glad you got your shells in. Will they get you through the winter, or are you going to make another trip or two?

Weather here is warm/cold, some days the stove is on, others it's off, so it gets a lot of cleaning that's not really necessary.

 

[DexterDay]

Glad to here you got.your Shells Snowy. I knew you would somehow prevail over the situation

Hope all is well your way. And sounds like the Grandkids had fun and was good entertainment for you as well.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Ingenuity at it's best...Glad you figured it out!

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Thanks troops.

Yeah, it's working ok. Thinking about building a dedicated trailer to haul the dumpster.
One that is only 6 feet wide and will fit through the shop's 8 foot door.

Thinking that the dumpster could be bolted to the trailer so it could just remain there, without the need to load and onload it.

Currently I have to get it inside the larger bay of the shop building, then get it unloaded quickly, as the sawdust for the horse barn stall bedding is in the back of that bay.

Being able to back the trailer inside and leave it would be far more convenient.

May watch Craigs list for a used tandem axle utility trailer, cheap, then modify it to suit the need.

Currently, its getting us by, but things are still not as handy as I would like.

What would be way cool, would be an enclosed trailer that could have a hatch in the roof that could be removed, the trailer filled and than the top closed, but thats gonna cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and I dont have the funds for a major project.

We will see where this all goes.

Snowy

 

[Eatonpcat]

At least you're thinking outside the box!!

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Ahhhh, to answer the ????
Currently we are full up with shells. We could likely make it through, but will probably try to do one more run late in December or early January to top off the "Stash"

I like beiing at no less than 70% starting the season. We never know exactly what the crop will be and when things will start being available.

Grand sons love to get involved in all things outdoors.

Snowy

 

[jtakeman]

Glad you got it all worked out snowy. I am sure if the gang here was closer, We'd stop by an help ya. I for one wouldn't mind hopping and rolling around in them myself. You might want to check my pockets when I was leaving too! Yep. I have issues.

I'd bring Smokey to keep ya busy chattin so I could make off with a good amount of em, Or at least try!

All kidding aside glad things are well for you and take care!

 

[CT Pellet]

The task still requires a day that its not raining to go get shells, but that has always been an issue.

Those days can be hard to come by out there in Oregon Snowy........
Keep warm.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Actually, it does not rain constantly during the fall/winter, but, trying to get a dry day thats during a time when the plant is open for business can be a challenge.

Actually, all I need is a couple hour window to get out and back and get things under cover.

So far this season, we are at nearly 170% of normal rainfall, so what can I say ??????????

 

[heat seeker]

Build an ark. With a huge hopper.

 

[bill3rail]

Glad to hear of another Pellet Mill Inventor succeeding over a challenge!

As I am reading your first post, I am trying to think of a way to weld in a sliding gate door at the bottom of the container to allow the shells to flow out with the pushing down of a lever. If you store the barrels in the basement, you could then run a chute system through the floor or window and into the barrels!

Bill

 

[Snowy Rivers]

We explored this possibility a few years ago. Really not that workable do to the location of things.

What would be sweet, would be a monorail over the two bays in the shop so that we could lift the dumpster off the trailer and the sit it high enough to allow a 55 gallon barrel to fit under it.

The big issue is the cost to build all this stuff.

The cost is an issue.

Once I start spending $$$$ (that I dont have) it becomes difficult to justify the shells.
Over time the $$$$ would pay back, but for now we are good to go.

Snowy

 

[bill3rail]

I feel the same way on a lot of things. That is why I try to build, repair and re-engineer most things I own.
And I am clear across the states from you so I cannot help you.

Bill