55 Gallon Drum Projects

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The life of a 55-gallon drum doesn't have to end when it's empty. They're big, sturdy, and durable, and the possibilities to reuse them are seemingly endless. "55 Gallon Drums Projects" gives you 20 inspiring ideas for reuse! Learn how to turn them into rain barrels, compost bins, barbeques, and more.All projects come from Instructables.com, are written by our creative community, and contain pictures for each step so you can easily make these yourself.

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Sarah James
Editor, Food & Living
Instructables.com

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50 comments	Add Comment

1-40 of 50

Jul 2, 2011. 5:11 PM

SIRJAMES09 says:

looking at all these pics of 55 gallon barrels, makes me think that I can see a pontoon boat in my future....or maybe a barge of some kind. Anything that will get me off the river bank & out on the water where the REAL fish are....makes me drool just thinkin of it. LOL 8=D

Jul 2, 2011. 4:18 PM

SIRJAMES09 says:

all you guys!!! y'all are just too funny! I have not laughed this hard in maybe 25 years!! TY for being the crazy nuts you are!! LOL this world needs more people like all y'all.

Apr 4, 2011. 6:45 AM

iPodGuy says:

55 gallon drum beehive
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-Honey-Cow-Top-Bar-Bee-Hive/

Jun 17, 2010. 8:00 AMwcoetzer says:

Anyone in Cape Town (SA) who knows where to find barrels? THank you Great ideas! Wentzel

Jul 24, 2010. 10:43 AMlittlebastard says:

even though im nowhere near capetown, ive found that a very easy source for the plastic barrels is the carwash, the couple times i went i came back with 3 barrels each time, look for the coin operated ones, the dumpsters usually have the 55 gallon ones and smaller ones, rinse out the soap and you should be good to go

Nov 7, 2010. 7:17 PMRon Burgundy says:

Hey ! thanks for the advise my man. Stay classy.

Aug 10, 2010. 7:42 AMcrydawnwar says:

If you had enough of them you could fill them up with rubble or such and make a fence out of them...they should be sturdy enough after that, lol :P

May 8, 2009. 10:10 PMbrightdawn1891 says:

I'm thinking the barrel chair can be modified into a port-a-potty.

Jul 23, 2010. 4:51 PMmason0190 says:

cut and add hinges?

Oct 17, 2009. 7:44 AMthejulip says:

maybe it's the color

Jul 9, 2009. 2:39 AMlovepirate9 says:

LOL no way, I clicked on it,thinking thats what it kinda looked like!

Jun 17, 2009. 7:54 AM

Goodhart says:

_chuckle I was thinking the same thing the first time I saw it ;-)

Apr 26, 2010. 9:18 AMbhinaju says:

I made this with a 55 Gallon Drum (see images and link below). I taped up the inside to the right mold, then cut with fine saw and attached handles and grips where necessary.

www.garbotron.com

Jul 23, 2010. 4:50 PMmason0190 says:

You're like a recycled Megatron!

Jul 21, 2010. 2:31 PMlycoris3 says:

OMG!!! Where is the instructable for this thing?!?!?!? I SOOOO want it for Holloween!!!!

Jul 20, 2010. 7:58 PMREA says:

meet Captain Planet's newest ally. .

May 10, 2010. 6:21 PMpneu6 says:

That is SWEET you should hide in like an alley and jump out at somebody!!!

Feb 7, 2010. 3:26 PM

Yerboogieman says:

We used to use a 55 gallon drum for a burning barrel.

May 3, 2010. 1:52 PMPikminRed says:

So did that hobo.

Apr 29, 2010. 3:45 PMsuperhornt says:

r2 beer 2 lawl

Mar 31, 2010. 7:40 PMEnigmaMax says:

I think the boat is the coolest.

Dec 28, 2009. 3:13 AMcathyblac says:

If there are any large manufacturing plants close by they always have barrels that they throw out. I work at a bakery and we have them all the time. Ask there.

Jul 28, 2009. 7:13 AM_Scratch_ says:

I'm thinking of a barrel u sit in and it haz engines strapped to it. BEEP BEEP

May 8, 2009. 4:42 PMfwjs28 says:

my favortie is R2-beer2 ...^{even if im too young for such a beverage}

Jun 25, 2009. 9:35 PMquesoman says:

LOL........ me too

Jun 26, 2009. 2:27 PMfwjs28 says:

:)

May 8, 2009. 5:15 PM

dombeef says:

Yeah lol....

May 8, 2009. 5:22 PMfwjs28 says:

ahhh, your like following my comment trail...^{but im cool wit dat cuz i so hood....} ..... *dont ask*

May 24, 2009. 8:06 PMtoogers says:

what was that? ..... *i asked*

May 24, 2009. 9:28 PMfwjs28 says:

i see

May 24, 2009. 8:07 PMtoogers says:

nevermind . .. ... .... ..... ..... ....... ......... ........... ............ ........... .......... ......... ........ ....... ...... ..... .... ... .. .

May 24, 2009. 9:28 PMfwjs28 says:

Feb 5, 2010. 3:29 AM

Kryptonite says:

--.- ..- .. -.-. -.- .-.. -.-- .-. . .--. .-.. -.-- .. -. ..-. .-.. ..- . -. - -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. .

Feb 5, 2010. 12:03 PMfwjs28 says:

.-- .... -.-- --- ..-. -.-. --- ..- .-. ... . ... .. .-.

Feb 9, 2010. 2:14 AM

Kryptonite says:

-.-- --- ..- --..-- ... .. .-. --..-- .- .-. . .- -.- .. -. --. .- -- --- -. --. ... - -- . -. .-.-.- .. .-.. .. -.- . -.-- --- ..- .-.-.- -... ..- - -.. .. -.. .. ... . . .- -.-. --- -- -- .- .- -- --- -. --. ... - - .... --- ... . -.. --- - ... ..--..

Feb 9, 2010. 12:34 PMfwjs28 says:

.. -.. --- -. --- - - .... .. -. -.- . - .... .. ... . . .- -.-. --- -- -- .- .-.-.- .. - -- .- -.-- .... .- ...- . ... .-.. .. .--. .--. . -.. .. -. - .... . .-. . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- .-- .... -.-- .- .-. . .-- . -.-- . .-.. .-.. .. -. --. ..--..

Feb 9, 2010. 1:29 PM

Kryptonite says:

-... . -.-. .- ..- ... . -.-- --- ..- -.-. .- -. -. --- - -.. . ..-. .. -. . -.-. .- .--. .. - .- .-.. ... .- -. -.. .-.. --- .-- . .-. -.-. .- ... . ... .. -. -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-

Feb 9, 2010. 1:46 PMfwjs28 says:

.- .... .... --..-- .. ... . . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-- . .-.. .-.. .. -- -... --- .-. . -.. .- -. -.. -. .- .-. -. .. .-

May 10, 2010. 6:23 PMpneu6 says:

Stop blowing my mind!!!!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!!! lol :o

Jun 5, 2009. 9:05 PM

sensoryhouse says:

too many compost bins and not a single Texas BBQ.

1-40 of 50

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