Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

Ivan Vegvary fired this volley in news:d000a1a5-
:

Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project?

No. Electrical cords don't make good candidates, especially when filled
with water.

Now... the CORE might. A lot of them have been made from older-style
non-bladder well pressure tanks, too.

Lloyd

OK, how about a 55 gallon drum?

On 2013-04-02, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

On Tue, 2 Apr 2013 08:14:14 -0700 (PDT), Ivan Vegvary
wrote:

Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary
What guage is the cord, Ivan? Even 6/0 is a pretty small roller!!!!
Friend is currently building a 14 foot packer - 30 inch diameter, 5/8"
thick steel - total weight including frame and carriage just over 2
tons, to drag behind his seed drill.

A water heater TANK might work - but you need to get an axle into it
to roll it - and not let the water out. A gas water heater with
bearing plates in the flue might work OK. I know a lot were made out
of both 15 and 45 gallon oil drums over the years - often filled with
concrete - when the steel rusted off you still had a roller.

On Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:43:32 -0500, Ignoramus5121
wrote:

OK, how about a 55 gallon drum?

On 2013-04-02, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

55gallon drums do work, but the skin is so thin that they are easily
punctured. Id consider them a (1) season tool in areas that have no
rocks etc etc.

Also keep in mind that 55 gallon drums have (2) stiffener belts that
may show up in the drag pattern. If its simply soft dirt or grass..it
may or may not be important.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2013 8:14:14 AM UTC-7, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Anybody done that?

Thanks,

Ivan Vegvary

Okay, you all caught my stupid typo (cord instead of core). How embarrassing!!
It's amazing how much money the local rental yard wants for non-moving-parts items. Always surprised that a $20 shovel rents for $6/day while a $300 pressure washer can be had for a mere $30/day.
Tired of renting, wanting to see if I can cobble a roller together.

The concrete route sounds interesting since I could simply pass a pipe through the core, let the concrete set and thereby obviate the difficulty of attaching the axle to the ends.

Thanks group!
Ivan Vegvary

On 4/2/2013 10:14 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can
drag behind my small tractor. Is a used water heater cord a good
candidate for this project? Anybody done that?

Not w/ water heater, no, but did w/ old pressure tank last year when
regraded around house to fix drainage problems.

Somebody mentioned needs to be non-bladder type--I solved that by simply
drilling access hole at other end to fill it. Didn't even bother to
drill/tap/weld on nut for plug, just used a properly sized hole for an
on-hand plastic plug. Worked quite well...

The entry pipe was in center of bottom so just made a wood bearing block
around a piece of pipe for that end; used existing welded-on 5/8 nut at
top there for a lifting hook to fasten an axle for the other.

Luckily had an old drawbar from ancient small farm implement out in the
equipment bone yard of stuff that didn't sell in the auction so didn't
even have to fabricate that...

Sure could do quite similar w/ the water heater tank alto will need more
hand work 'cuz won't have the convenient parts already in right places
as will the pressure tank...

--

On Apr 2, 10:14*am, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. *Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? *Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

Here are some pictures of one:
http://home.comcast.net/~mmorrison123/Roller1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~mmorrison123/Roller3.jpg

On Apr 2, 9:14*am, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. *Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? *Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

My granddad did that, but used some pipe fittings and pipe for a
handle. We kids got to push it all over the lawn. Don't know if it
was new or used, was galvanized and HEAVY, at least for kid-power. He
didn't have a lathe, so I don't know how he got the threads out of the
floor flanges that he used for handle pivots. He had a lot of spare
time, maybe he just used a rat tail file and filed them out. He was a
plumber at one time, so probably the whole thing cost him nothing but
his time. Really not sure if it an actual heater tank or a header
tank for a boiler, he did stoker and boiler service, too. Had a
riveted overlapped seam. A defunct 100 lb propane cylinder might
work as well, maybe better, no seam. Probably a few of those that
flunked or need hydro at the local propane service for free.
Stan

On 4/2/2013 3:17 PM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
....
The concrete route sounds interesting...

A big advantage of water-filled is that you can vary the weight.
Half-full of water works, half-full of concrete not so well G. Bob

On Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:08:50 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

On 4/2/2013 3:17 PM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
...
The concrete route sounds interesting...

A big advantage of water-filled is that you can vary the weight.
Half-full of water works, half-full of concrete not so well G. Bob
The advantage of concrete is if you start full it stays full. With
water, after a few years you start full and end up hald full - not to
mention what happens if you get a good overnight freeze with the
barrel full - - - - - - - .

On Wed, 3 Apr 2013 12:03:42 -0700 (PDT), Stanley Schaefer
wrote:

On Apr 2, 9:14Â*am, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Always wanted a roller (water filled), about 4 feet wide that I can drag behind my small tractor. Â*Is a used water heater cord a good candidate for this project? Â*Anybody done that?
Thanks,
Ivan Vegvary

My granddad did that, but used some pipe fittings and pipe for a
handle. We kids got to push it all over the lawn. Don't know if it
was new or used, was galvanized and HEAVY, at least for kid-power. He
didn't have a lathe, so I don't know how he got the threads out of the
floor flanges that he used for handle pivots. He had a lot of spare
time, maybe he just used a rat tail file and filed them out. He was a
plumber at one time, so probably the whole thing cost him nothing but
his time. Really not sure if it an actual heater tank or a header
tank for a boiler, he did stoker and boiler service, too. Had a
riveted overlapped seam. A defunct 100 lb propane cylinder might
work as well, maybe better, no seam. Probably a few of those that
flunked or need hydro at the local propane service for free.
Stan

Around here..the guys take a piece of 8-12" pipe (oil field country)
stick a piece of cardboard on one end with a hole in it big enough to
put on a piece of 3/4" or 1" pipe, stand it on that end, put the pipe
down through the cardboard and simply fill it with concrete, and then
using wire or string and centering the high end, and then let the
sucker cure. Da Rich Guys use a piece of 3/4" plywood on the lower
end with a hole in it. Its not rocket science and if its got a little
wobble in it..shrug..who cares? Ya simply weld on a handle and Bobs
your uncle.

Gunner