Round Feeder - Repair

onyerbikepat

Anyone got advice on how to repair the sheeting on a round feeder. I've tried rivets in the past but seem to be a waste of time. I've 2 to repair at the moment. I'll have to buy new sheeting aswell.

Sharpshooter82

the lads around here put heavy mesh around the bottom when the sheeting rots off and hold it on with wire or heavy cable ties, top and bottom

blue5000

You will need

• new sheets
• G clamps
• angle grinder
• cordless drill
• drill bit
• 2.5 in bolts
• box of tek screws

Take the feeder apart, easiest way is with angle grinder, but you might be able to save the bolts.
Peel off old tin with grinder
Put half a feeder up on its side, so you can put new tin up on top of it, get tin straight and clamp it on.
Drill a couple of holes and put in a few tek screws, start with corners. You will get by with one drill, but having two is easier, one to drill holes and the other to drive tek screws. Use new bolts to join 2 halves together when you think:D you have enough tek screws to hold on the tin!

Forgot to say hammer down the edges of the tin, they usually don't fit exactly.

Timmaay

Funny enough I only put new sheeting on one yesterday. Make sure the new sheet is well stretched, use either the gclamp as blue said, or go ahead and fire one screw in the middle in one end, then go right around and put another screw/gclamp in the middle of the other side while its pulled tight. I didn't bother splitting the feeder, no real need, put afew screws on the top, then fire a block under the bottom to have room to drill that. Obvious use self taping screws also. About a 20mins job.

Sharpshooter82

Timmaay wrote: »

Funny enough I only put new sheeting on one yesterday. Make sure the new sheet is well stretched, use either the gclamp as blue said, or go ahead and fire one screw in the middle in one end, then go right around and put another screw/gclamp in the middle of the other side while its pulled tight. I didn't bother splitting the feeder, no real need, put afew screws on the top, then fire a block under the bottom to have room to drill that. Obvious use self taping screws also. About a 20mins job.

that never turns out to be the case

Timmaay

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

that never turns out to be the case

Ha, wasn't hanging about yday. Well guess I was lucky the old sheeting had totally rotted, and fallen off, but the frame was fine. Actually a question my dad had yday, and he made a fair point, are the galvanised sheets not worth sh&t, and rot away too quick? Silage will corrode anything fast.

Sharpshooter82

Timmaay wrote: »

Ha, wasn't hanging about yday. Well guess I was lucky the old sheeting had totally rotted, and fallen off, but the frame was fine. Actually a question my dad had yday, and he made a fair point, are the galvanised sheets not worth sh&t, and rot away too quick? Silage will corrode anything fast.

once you cut the sheeting the galvanise is gone as bare metal is exposed

jersey101

Timmaay wrote: »

Ha, wasn't hanging about yday. Well guess I was lucky the old sheeting had totally rotted, and fallen off, but the frame was fine. Actually a question my dad had yday, and he made a fair point, are the galvanised sheets not worth sh&t, and rot away too quick? Silage will corrode anything fast.

i wonder uf you put heavier sheeting on them would they last any longer

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

i wonder uf you put heavier sheeting on them would they last any longer

its not the thickness of the sheeting its the small amount that is gripped at the edge of the sheet that gives out each time

jersey101

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

its not the thickness of the sheeting its the small amount that is gripped at the edge of the sheet that gives out each time

if ypu got a thicker gauge sheet though could you weld it?

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

if ypu got a thicker gauge sheet though could you weld it?

but would ya get it to follow the curve of the feeder if it was too strong and enough kicks from animals and the weld would snap as you would have to weld it with 2.5mm rods

onyerbikepat

Thanks for the replies. Did a quick patch job last night with wire to keep me going. Pain of a job to do in the dark.
What I find is some sucklers lie down against the sheeting, on pulled out silage. That forces in the sheeting and snaps the rivets. I was thinking of maybe welding a bit of 1/2' rebar vertically, half way between the uprights to stop this.

Sharpshooter82

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Did a quick patch job last night with wire to keep me going. Pain of a job to do in the dark.
What I find is some sucklers lie down against the sheeting, on pulled out silage. That forces in the sheeting and snaps the rivets. I was thinking of maybe welding a bit of 1/2' rebar vertically, half way between the uprights to stop this.

that might do it. spot weld it and hammer it around to each piece of steel. just be careful not to burn through the steel too much

jomoloney

don't use circular feeders nowadays but after spending years of repairing punctures and pulling self tapped screws and tek screw from cows hooves, I resorted to using bolts and drilling straight through the barrells


I found the ready cut tin you could buy was too light

buy a 8x4 of heavy gauge sheeting and cut to suit, then bolt in on

will last many years

onyerbikepat

jomoloney wrote: »

don't use circular feeders nowadays but after spending years of repairing punctures and pulling self tapped screws and tek screw from cows hooves, I resorted to using bolts and drilling straight through the barrells


I found the ready cut tin you could buy was too light

buy a 8x4 of heavy gauge sheeting and cut to suit, then bolt in on

will last many years

That makes sense. Sounds like right job. Any idea the thickness of the 'heavy gauge' ?

jomoloney

onyerbikepat wrote: »

That makes sense. Sounds like right job. Any idea the thickness of the 'heavy gauge' ?

sorry not well up on gauges,

local store has light, medium, and heavy,

good cardboard would be as good the light :rolleyes:

gazahayes

Wonder would something like stokboard be any better

http://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/xxxxx-stock-board-3010/4216878

vanderbadger

onyerbikepat wrote: »

That makes sense. Sounds like right job. Any idea the thickness of the 'heavy gauge' ?

if you have any old roof sheeting, the real old galvanised stuff is also much more durable and thicker than the new stuff, would need to cut it though as it impossible bend

dzer2

Use that plastic board from FRS you can get it in 6mm and it rolls around handy enough. If you drill through the frame you only have to do it once as the holes stay there. put the board on and put a rachet strap around and tighten that keeps it in place for drilling

nashmach

jomoloney wrote: »

I found the ready cut tin you could buy was too light

buy a 8x4 of heavy gauge sheeting and cut to suit, then bolt in on

will last many years

Same as here, normal stuff is only cardboard.

Also no harm to keep them up off the ground by welding in some old bits of flat on the bottom of the feeder in a few places.

keep going

jersey101 wrote: »

if ypu got a thicker gauge sheet though could you weld it?

People around here use a couple of blue plastic barrels-life time job

Conflats

jersey101 wrote: »

i wonder uf you put heavier sheeting on them would they last any longer

We have 2 round feeders at home since the late 80's, father welded heavy sheeting around the sides, the bar on the bottom is well rotted out and the sides are holding them up for the last 2/3 yrs, they are due a bit of tlc.

The feeders get plenty of hardship they are in the shed with the cattle in the dung etc, bought 2 galvanised ones last year and year before and they are as good as a coke can absolute dirt made of the lightest dirt (only thing the hardware sold) plan after the winter is to do up the 2 older ones and strengthen the newer ones

The

longgonesilver

vanderbadger wrote: »

if you have any old roof sheeting, the real old galvanised stuff is also much more durable and thicker than the new stuff, would need to cut it though as it impossible bend

It is easy to bend if you flatten it first.Put it on some smooth concrete and drive the tractor over it. The balder the tyres the better:).

Sharpshooter82

dzer2 wrote: »

Use that plastic board from FRS you can get it in 6mm and it rolls around handy enough. If you drill through the frame you only have to do it once as the holes stay there. put the board on and put a rachet strap around and tighten that keeps it in place for drilling

we have it on the shed doors of the cattle pens. good stuff so it is

Zr105

blue5000 wrote: »

You will need

• new sheets
• G clamps
• angle grinder
• cordless drill
• drill bit
• 2.5 in bolts
• box of tek screws

Take the feeder apart, easiest way is with angle grinder, but you might be able to save the bolts.
Peel off old tin with grinder
Put half a feeder up on its side, so you can put new tin up on top of it, get tin straight and clamp it on.
Drill a couple of holes and put in a few tek screws, start with corners. You will get by with one drill, but having two is easier, one to drill holes and the other to drive tek screws. Use new bolts to join 2 halves together when you think:D you have enough tek screws to hold on the tin!

Forgot to say hammer down the edges of the tin, they usually don't fit exactly.

Just curious why do you bother drilling holes before the tex screws?? Any tex screws I've ever used/seen are self drilling, have used them to get through 5mm steel before,

I should add there are 2 types of tex screws, thin finner thread for fixing sheets to heavier steel and short stubby ones with a coarse thread for fixing sheet to sheet

pms7

dzer2 wrote: »

Use that plastic board from FRS you can get it in 6mm and it rolls around handy enough. If you drill through the frame you only have to do it once as the holes stay there. put the board on and put a rachet strap around and tighten that keeps it in place for drilling

Was thinking same myself. Have you actually used the 6mm?
Think its €35+vat

Whatever sheet you use, put it on the inside, no pressure then on the screws, lasts a lot longer, plus you are saving frame from the silage

dzer2

pms7 wrote: »

Was thinking same myself. Have you actually used the 6mm?
Think its €35+vat

Whatever sheet you use, put it on the inside, no pressure then on the screws, lasts a lot longer, plus you are saving frame from the silage

Yeah have it on the pig shelters smashing job altogether. I don't have round feeders as all cattle sheds here have being purposely build with feeding passages and meal troughs.

Timmaay

keep going wrote: »

People around here use a couple of blue plastic barrels-life time job

I'd imagine they are far too brittle, if left out in the sunlight etc? But have a fair few here, the 220l drums, would it take many of them to cover a feeder, probably 4 or 5?