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Grain Bin Swimming Pool
“I thought your readers would like to see the swimming pool we made using rings from a 24-ft. dia. grain bin. It was built in the early 1990’s and has provided years of fun,” says Margaret Adams, Hoxie, Ark.
     “We recommend using 2 base rings if they’re new, or the 4th and 5th ring from the bottom if they’re used,” says Adams.
    After selecting a sight free of rocks, they assembled the bottom ring. “We started by cleaning each sheet, making sure to remove all the old sealing putty and replace it with new putty. We then assembled the ring using new bin bolts,” says Adams.
    Next, they dug a small trench and installed a pvc drain pipe. “We used 2-in. dia. pvc pipe and placed the inside opening at the same height we wanted the concrete floor to be. We installed a ball valve outside the pool that we open to drain the water.”
    After covering the drain pipe, they anchored the ring down to keep it from rising as the concrete floor was poured. “We poured the concrete to a level flush with the drain pipe and smoothed it down, while leaving it rough enough for traction.”
    They let the floor set up for a day and then cut off the top half of the sheet metal on the second ring, as the pool would have been too deep otherwise. They ground off the rough edges at the top and then bolted the sheets to the bottom ring, making sure the seams were sealed.
    “After the sheets were loose-bolted to the top of the bottom ring, we tightened them up, filled the pool, and checked for leaks,” says Adams. “We also installed a floating-style chlorine dispenser that holds tablets, a drop-style adjustable skimmer, pump, and a ladder from an old pool.”
    The last steps were to paint the outside of the pool with a metal paint purchased at Walmart, and to place a protective ring around the pool’s top edge using a ring from an old swimming pool. “You could use also use plastic drainage tile, cut halfway through lengthwise,” notes Adams.
    She explains that when assembling the ring, the bolts should be installed with the head and sealing washer inside the bin and the nut on the outside.
    Adams says they built a second pool much the same way but it’s no longer being used for swimming and is now used as a giant rain barrel. “We ran a pipe from a gutter on our house to the pool. That way we can collect rain water and use it to water our garden,” notes Adams.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Margaret Adams, 108 S. Park Ave., Hoxie, Ark. 72433.


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2018 - Volume #42, Issue #3