Coal Bin Pictures and Designs

Reading the posts in "Who Has Their Winter Coal Supply Ready?" got me spooked. My 43rd wedding anniversary present to myself was two sheets of pressure treated 1/2' plywood, about a dozen 2x4's, and one box of 2 1/2" screws.

Since we are so close to multiple coal yards I decided to keep it simple and only build a bin large enough for one ton. It's right outside our kitchen door. I will hing a top on one side and have the other side screwed down tight. I put two 2x4's in the middle front to install sliding boards so I can pull them as needed to access the coal. Construction was halted as we are going to Atlantic City NJ today for the last of our anniversary vacation week. I'll finish up when I get back and post a finished photo.

Dimensions are 5 foot long, 2 foot wide, 4 foot tall. Comes to exactly 40 cubic feet for one ton of pea for my Vigi 2310. The top will be a sheet of 3/8 plywood screwed down on the kitchen side up to the first vertical 2/4 in the center right. From there to the left side will be hinged to load the coal and be able to pull the boards to get at the coal.

Nice job!
Wish I could buy loose. Not available in my area.

Second "coal bin" filled today. I paid $40.00 for this pool but it came with a cover and an extra tarp so I can't complain. I'll buy a second cover and they're on sale now for $15.00. Much cheaper than a tarp and more durable. I had a black tarp over the first pile and it looked better so I'll probably buy a couple of cheap black tarps to and maybe camouflage with some leaves and branches or plant some shrubs around them.

Pool liners are much more durable than tarps if anyone is going to store outside on the ground and people are always giving them away on CL. Still need to clean up the yard though.

That's amazing that pool holds all that coal. I know most of the pressure is downward, but it's really surprising the sides arent bulging more.

I posted this elsewhere, then found this thread for coal bins, so I decided to post it here too.

I just built a bin for my coal. Based on the 40 cubic feet per ton, my bin should hold a little over six tons. I figured that I'd rather have it "over built" than have it bust open spilling my coal all over the place. The floor of the bin is at a pitch to make water drain toward the front (short side) and I drilled small holes along the front wall at floor level to allow water to drain out. I just pull my trailer up along side of the bin & shovel the coal over the side into it. Shoveling is good exercise & it only took me about an hour (maybe less) to shovel three tons in. I put three tons into it yesterday & plan to go get another three tons next Saturday.







There's still a couple things that I want to do with it though. I'm going to put a hinged roof on it & I need to add a latch bolt to hold the coal gate open for shoveling coal out. I may add additional coal gates later, if I find it necessary.

may want to go ahead and put a coal gate in the middle of the outer "long" side now. you will be able to get most of the coal by shoveling in that one place if you do.

Protrucker...that is one beefy looking bin with those 4x4's! Are you leaving the 2x at the middle top? I would leave one there to keep it from spreading at the top.

I can't imagine that the 4x4 at the top would ever bow,much less break.

I was going to put a 2x4 0r something at the top middle to keep it from spreading, but decided that the 4x4's at the top of the front & back were probably strong enough to prevent it. I've already put 6-1/2 tons of rice coal in it & don't see any problems yet. If it does get any bow in it, I'll probably pull it back straight (come-alongs) once it's empty & add something there.

As far as another gate in the middle of the front. (long low side) I thought about that, but didn't put one in yet. It's too late for this year, but I may end up putting a gate there (maybe even two gates along the front) before filling it up next year.

Just finished up my bin and auger. Bringing over 5 ton into the basement last year, 2 buckets at a time, was a large motivator to get this ready. Holds over 6 ton.

Nice auger system tony!

The only plus side of the two bucket system which I used for quite a few years is that eventually I didn't have to roll the cuffs on my long sleeve shirts to make them fit!

tony2wd wrote:Just finished up my bin and auger. Bringing over 5 ton into the basement last year, 2 buckets at a time, was a large motivator to get this ready. Holds over 6 ton.

Please tell more about that auger set-up. And, if you don't mind saying, about how much did it cost to get set up with the auger? I'd love to add something like that.

The auger is a Hutchinson. It was $420 picked up at a somewhat local grain company. That is what I would have cost to get a jet or Westfield shipped here. The motor is from harbor freight, $100. Fills the hopper in about 30 sec. I just cemented a 6" piece of pvc pipe through the wall and slipped the auger through it. I'll try to get a video of it working posted but I can't even figure out how to rotate the pics right.

Last year I had 3 bins out in the garage it was a pain to bring the buckets through the house everyday. So over the summer I built one in the basement. I don't have any of me building the bin just the bin done, and in use. I still have to finish putting the paneling up yet. Next year I want to redo the front and use better wood to hold the coal back and maybe put in a little slide door for easier way to get coal out. I was also thinking about putting some sort of exhaust fan to exhaust the dust outside, or cutting a hole in the wall for the shop vac hose to get rid of dust. I used silicone all along the bottom, between the sheets of wood, the corners and around top to help keep dust out. The bin is 4' wide by 6' long 5' high (front board and window)

The bulk bin for the 24 ton tractor trailer load, 15' wide 24' deep with a 4' apron and will have 4' high walls, will easily take the 24 ton, we plan on getting another load next year to top it off then we will have enough for 2 years, those are cedar 6x6's in the ground roughly 2-3'. 4" pad with wire mesh and 5" apron.