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Step 6Looking Down the Barrel...
Okay, you made the crucial countersink decision and have completed your box. Now it's time to make your barrel useful.
First, turn your barrel upside down.
Second, attach your forstner bit to your drill and near the bottom drill a hole into the side. If you have a graduated barrel I would suggest putting the hole a bit below the 5 gallon mark. This will still allow for enough clearance for the barrel to sit on the box without the spigot being difficult to reach while still allowing the vast majority of the water in the barrel to drain out. With the spigot I bought, a 1/2 inch forstner bit was an almost perfect fit, though I still had to expand it with a rotary tool just a little bit in order to make it fit perfectly.
Next, break out the two part epoxy and apply one part to half of the threaded spigot base, and apply the other part to the other half of the threaded spigot base. As you screw the spigot into your hole the epoxy will mix itself and do the work for you! If you want, it may not be a bad idea to spread a little extra epoxy on the outside, just to give it a little more support. I used an adjustable wrench to tighten the spigot down extra tight. Wait five minutes for the epoxy to set up firm (you are using the quick stuff aren't you?) and you're done!
Now it's time to connect the barrel to the gutter...
First, turn your barrel upside down.
Second, attach your forstner bit to your drill and near the bottom drill a hole into the side. If you have a graduated barrel I would suggest putting the hole a bit below the 5 gallon mark. This will still allow for enough clearance for the barrel to sit on the box without the spigot being difficult to reach while still allowing the vast majority of the water in the barrel to drain out. With the spigot I bought, a 1/2 inch forstner bit was an almost perfect fit, though I still had to expand it with a rotary tool just a little bit in order to make it fit perfectly.
Next, break out the two part epoxy and apply one part to half of the threaded spigot base, and apply the other part to the other half of the threaded spigot base. As you screw the spigot into your hole the epoxy will mix itself and do the work for you! If you want, it may not be a bad idea to spread a little extra epoxy on the outside, just to give it a little more support. I used an adjustable wrench to tighten the spigot down extra tight. Wait five minutes for the epoxy to set up firm (you are using the quick stuff aren't you?) and you're done!
Now it's time to connect the barrel to the gutter...
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Sep 20, 2009. 7:16 PMplumber4
says:
Though I don't doubt that the epoxy makes a nice seal, it's not really needed. I took a chance with my first rain barrel that I built (I just got sick of paying for water from the city for the garden and flowers and had two barrels sitting around). I used the same boiler drain or spout you show in pictures, drilled hole slightly smaller in barrel and let the brass threads make its own threads in the barrel. I was really careful to thread it in really straight. It worked with no thread tape or pipe dope! No leaks. I like you instructions though, nice job. Maybe save some money on your next barrel by not using epoxy.
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