Fertilizer Hoppers Converted To Handy Beverage Coolers

Fertilizer Hoppers Converted To Handy Beverage Coolers FARM HOME Food Jim Heitkamp looked for several years for some fertilizer hoppers in good enough shape to use as coolers He finally came across a pair of John Deere 494A hoppers at auction and put them to good use Prep work included sandblasting inside and out and cutting and welding the old hardware and holes “Finding hoppers that are not rusted out is the hard part ” says Heitkamp He used 1/2-in styrofoam cut into 1-in strips and glued them to the inside of the hoppers for insulation Flex Seal coating was used to waterproof the inside using two coats brushed on 24 hrs apart Stands with wheels were welded together and a drain was added to the bottom of each using a petcock Chrome screws and hardware were added for the lid and handles He cut diamond plate and polished it to cover the holes from where the shafts ran After paint and clearcoat he had decals made at a local shop to finish off the project “I had about 6 hrs of time in each for prep welding and finishing I had them painted by Chris Heitkamp of Heitkamp Restorations in Botkins Ohio Each finished cooler can hold up to 10 cases of cans with about 6 in of ice on top ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jim Heitkamp 07120 Kettler Road New Bremen Ohio 45869 ph 419 733-4506

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