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Milk Crates? Need to move 1200lbs of lead.

Dubbington

Dubbington

Slamdunk Champion
Joined
Jul 15, 2007
Location
East Yay
Moto(s)
EX Street Triple ;(
Name
Dubs
In about a month I'll have to move about 1200lbs of lead in various sizes, typically 1lbs ingots/bars :laughing as I'm going to sell my townhouse. Issue is side yard access wont allow a pallet jack (have one) so that's out.

I've been looking at milk crates on market place, pretty cheap but I can't get a brand to look up weight capacity. Some can hold 40lbs while others can hold 100+ I'd much prefer using 20 or less bins vs 40 crates. I found some nice ones on Grainger that can hold 300lbs and stack too 900lbs. I'd only load to 150-200 and stack two high. Be about $30 a bin.

Also so some shipping crates for cheap, 3x3x2 but then I'd have to get a lift gate. I think a crate or bin idea is best.
 
all those weight ratings, from my experience overloading cardboard. HAVE to assume a distributed load inside the box. your lead bars are going to concentrate that load and blow out the bottom of the box. Similarly if you try to stack them, the boxes will be mostly air and are going to crush. maybe you weren't talking about cardboard i do'nt want to go back and reread.

i think i'd look for old ammo cans

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hell you could melt a bunch and just pour it straight into the can, then reverse the process as needed
 
The internet says a gallon of lead weighs ~100#, so a dozen empty paint buckets?

Are you a sailor?
 
Have your movers take care of it.

Seriously, that's what you pay them for. They will find the appropriate containers. If they say they won't do it, you've hired the wrong people.

If they don't like it, slip them a could hundred bucks.

Crack open beer, enjoy.
 
Lights_Guy3 said:
Have your movers take care of it.

Seriously, that's what you pay them for. They will find the appropriate containers. If they say they won't do it, you've hired the wrong people.

If they don't like it, slip them a could hundred bucks.

Crack open beer, enjoy.
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I wish. I'm selling the my first house/townhouse that we've been renting. I gotta move it myself.
 
auntiebling said:
all those weight ratings, from my experience overloading cardboard. HAVE to assume a distributed load inside the box. your lead bars are going to concentrate that load and blow out the bottom of the box. Similarly if you try to stack them, the boxes will be mostly air and are going to crush. maybe you weren't talking about cardboard i do'nt want to go back and reread.

i think i'd look for old ammo cans

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hell you could melt a bunch and just pour it straight into the can, then reverse the process as needed
Click to expand...

I called Form Plast that makes milk crates. They have two lines and the dude said the crates will hold 250lb. Stacking weight is even more since its's at the corners. I'd be able to put in 150lbs and only stack two high. Be maybe 10 crates. Ammo cans would be even more tedious I think.

I thought about melting into bigger chunks BUT it's kind of organized in the current storage bin. Some boxes of lettertype, some bars and some fishing weight.

Grainger is way too expensive but this says 300lbs load capacity. Kind of overkill size wise but pretty nice.
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Escape pod said:
When I was 17yo, Dug Backyard swimming pool by hand. Use a wheelbarrow.
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Any do what then? The 1200lbs has to go somewhere for future use. Plan is max 12 crates and store them at parents, lots of storage under a deck.
 
Your parents are a lot nicer than mine. That's a good thing I guess!

I can't imagine any reaction aside from flat out laughter if I asked to store garbage on their property.

Find the person who will pay you "easily 5k" and give them a couple hundo in lead to do the leg work for you.

Crack open beer, enjoy.

However you do it, beer is mandatory.
 
Dubbington said:
I called Form Plast that makes milk crates. They have two lines and the dude said the crates will hold 250lb. Stacking weight is even more since its's at the corners. I'd be able to put in 150lbs and only stack two high. Be maybe 10 crates. Ammo cans would be even more tedious I think.

I thought about melting into bigger chunks BUT it's kind of organized in the current storage bin. Some boxes of lettertype, some bars and some fishing weight.

Grainger is way too expensive but this says 300lbs load capacity. Kind of overkill size wise but pretty nice.
2TU21_7805085268__2TU21_v1
Click to expand...
the only thing worse than grainger is mcmaster carr... but they have such awesome stuff! at least grainger has stores in the area you don't need to pay murderous shipping fees.

i know it's lead but i hate getting my stuff wet, even when it's not damaged by water. open top totes le booooo. you can probably put more than you want to carry in the yellow top totes (black box) available at every big box hardware store. they do stack on the lid, so not that structurally superior corner method, thus you're limited by the lid but they ARE cheap and a few slabs of plywood or some stickers similar to drying wood, to go between each tote would eliminate the problem
 
Serious suggestion though: MTM ACR5 ammo crates. I have a bunch of these fully loaded with ammo and I can stack them 6 or 7 high without deformation.

Not sure what the exact weight is when loaded, but each one is heavy enough for me to make serious old guy grunts when I move them.

I bet you can pile well over a hundred pounds of lead in one of those if it's sitting squarely on the ground and you have no real plans to regularly move it.


If you believe the stuff to be worth 5k, spend a few hundred on proper storage.

And do your parents a favor and store your own hobby supplies. They may say they don't mind, but they'll appreciate you handling your own.
 
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Milk crates are a great idea, don't overthink it. The ones at Home Depot are rated for 40lbs. If you're worried about weigh distribution, just get a sheet of plywood and cut squares to fit in the bottom.
 
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