Make your own - No waste - 5 gallon (25# feed) bucket feeder for about $3

[ShrekDawg]

Have fun, I had a great time building them.

Thank you! And yeah, it does seem like a fun little project! Building a waterer too

 

[worms7]

Can I make one of these for water
to
cheers

 

[ShrekDawg]

Can I make one of these for water
to
cheers

I don't know that you could use the same tube idea but there actually is a thread for a bucket waterer! You can buy poultry watering nipples for cheap on amazon and put them on a bucket. There's horizontal, vertical, and saddle ones if you wanted it on a pipe instead of a bucket. I'm personally going to use horizontal, though I bought all 3, because you can set the bucket down anywhere instead of having the nipples on the bottom of the bucket (you would put these on the side) plus i heard they freeze less.

 

[vehve]

With a completely airtight lid and a perfect seal between the elbow and container, the same design would work for water. But in practice, no.

 

[MeepBeep]

And do you think the silicone is a good choice? Just don't really know about glue or anything

Silicone is great for bonding glass and some other objects or using as a 'gasket' but it's adhesion to most modern plastics is horrible without specialty surface treatments, especially to HDPE (5 gallon buckets) and PVC... It might appear bonded initially but it will generally fail in short and simply peal off...

Instead I recommend you cut the hole about 1/16" to 1/8" too small all around, then use a heat gun to soften the edge of the hole (both inside and out) then immediately force the elbow through once cooled it will form fit and seal up real well and it will also hold tight...

 

[MeepBeep]

Can I make one of these for water
to
cheers

Best to just use horizontal nipples screwed into the side of a bucket or barrel, and make sure to leave a breather hole on top of the bucket/barrel so air can enter and the nipples can function properly...

Here is mine, cheap and simple...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Silicone is great for bonding glass and some other objects or using as a 'gasket' but it's adhesion to most modern plastics is horrible without specialty surface treatments, especially to HDPE (5 gallon buckets) and PVC... It might appear bonded initially but it will generally fail in short and simply peal off...

Instead I recommend you cut the hole about 1/16" to 1/8" too small all around, then use a heat gun to soften the edge of the hole (both inside and out) then immediately force the elbow through once cooled it will form fit and seal up real well and it will also hold tight...

Oooohhhh that's a great idea!! I'm going to do that I think, thank you

 

[member 373180]

Silicone is great for bonding glass and some other objects or using as a 'gasket' but it's adhesion to most modern plastics is horrible without specialty surface treatments, especially to HDPE (5 gallon buckets) and PVC... It might appear bonded initially but it will generally fail in short and simply peal off...

Instead I recommend you cut the hole about 1/16" to 1/8" too small all around, then use a heat gun to soften the edge of the hole (both inside and out) then immediately force the elbow through once cooled it will form fit and seal up real well and it will also hold tight...

I actually used adhesive silicone, sometimes they label it 'for plastic'. It's used in aquarium building and sticks and stays in this kind of application much better than the stuff you'd use in your bathroom.

I do like your heat gun idea, though, less messy!

 

[aart]

Quote: Glass or acrylic aquariums?
It may be formulated for acrylic, but that does't mean it will truly fuse with HDPE or PVC.

Seriously, there's no need to glue in a dry application, if you cut your holes correctly.

 

[member 373180]

Glass or acrylic aquariums?
It may be formulated for acrylic, but that does't mean it will truly fuse with HDPE or PVC.

Seriously, there's no need to glue in a dry application, if you cut your holes correctly.

Glass, there's special acrylic glue for acrylic ones. Adhesive silicone sticks better to glass than plastics but still does a much better job than standard silicone. You can use it to build plastic overflows and stuff, too, and it holds those fine.

I totally agree, I just wasn't very good at the hole-cutting part because I was using a utility knife. Had I had a proper hole saw, it would've been a much more professional-looking end result.