Coal Bin Pictures and Designs

Hi Wood:
When I had an outside coal bin, I used to fill up a buch of empty spackling compound buckets (about a week's worth of coal) on a nice day and keep them in the garage. No cold, no wet weather. If you're running a stoker in the basement, you might want to have them all lined up next to the hopper. Just a thought.
John

JerseyCoal wrote:Hi Wood:
When I had an outside coal bin, I used to fill up a buch of empty spackling compound buckets (about a week's worth of coal) on a nice day and keep them in the garage. No cold, no wet weather. If you're running a stoker in the basement, you might want to have them all lined up next to the hopper. Just a thought.
John

Hi Jersey,

I have a Harman Mk I on the first floor. Last year I stored the coal outside, the stove is near a door. I had a ton at a time in a old shed I use for firewood, and would bring down cart loads to the house with my tractor. Towards the end of last season I was keeping bagged coal in the cellar, it is easier to get to, esp. after a heavy snow and I had trouble getting up the hill to the shed, even with tire chains on the tractor.

I built a temporary chute out of scrap wood and emptied the bags down it into the bin. Last year I burned 2 1/2 ton, so I expect to use at least that much this year.

John

This big enough for my coal bin??? actually, mine is in the basement...
Just kidding, it's my new garage slab floor....24'x30'. Yippie! The wood should start going up the end of this week.

Hey WNY Put a ten foot ceiling on that 24x30x10 Bin you have enough room for 180 Tons that should get you threw a few winters

Your coal bin is bigger than my condo!! On top of having STOVE ENVY, now I have to deal with BIN ENVY!

WNY wrote:This big enough for my coal bin??? actually, mine is in the basement...
Just kidding, it's my new garage slab floor....24'x30'. Yippie! The wood should start going up the end of this week.

I am so jelous your slab is bigger than my whole house 25x25. I need a bigger coal bin also

my coal bin lol

Hey ken I cant help feel a little nervous for your floor joists that looks to me like 2 pallets worth of Blaschak coal and an awful lot of weight in one place. Jim

Also, what do you plan to do with that bottle of charcoal lighter on top? I hope you're not going to use it in your stove

I also feel a little concerned about that much weight on a standard (non-reinforced floor).
the good thing is it's near the wall, not in the middle of the floor.

Regarding the lighter fluid, ken may be using it the same way I do. Instead of buying Matchlight to start the stove, I use regular charcoal. I fill a large coffee can, then soak it in lighter fluid, dump it in the middle of the stove, and light it immediately. Once the charcoal is going I start to add the coal. Sometimes it's easier, esp. if I don't have kindling and firewood near by.

I use regular coal, ususally use 4 bickettes, break each brickette into 4 pieces or so and put a little isopropyl alchohol on them. Then make a slight trough in the coal on the grate with my little coal shovel, dump in the coal, cover it slightly with coal. Light it with a match close the door and walk away.

It works every time and doesn't stink up the house

5,000 pounds. not to worry. we put a 4x4 and 3 jack poles in the center. the joists in this house also are ruff cut , true 2x10's , red oak. you can barely put a nail in them , plus the floor is inch and quater hard maple. next year we will put more in the basement and just keep 30 or 40 bags on the wall across from the stove. I use the lighter fluid to light the pcs of charcoal. I pile a handfull next to the bed , put a little coal on top , use some fluid , light it , close the door , wait about 5 minutes and turn the stove on. works great.

Glad to see you supported the floor first. I can imagine I horrible disaster otherwise!

Hey Matt, when you said you use regular coal, did you mean regular charcoal?

Yeah, guess I'm not much of a night person!