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Non-plastic bucket for sawdust toilet?

 
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Hi!
I've been happily using my Jenkins style toilet for over 10 years but I'm on my third plastic bucket and wondering if there is a better bucket. Stainless? Galvanized?
When I originally built the toilet, I made it to fit a 6-gallon, standard type bucket with handle (it's what I had on hand). The bucket I'm using now is my last 6-galloner. I could cut down the legs to fit a 5-gallon height bucket. Would galvanized stand up to the moisture? We leave the urine in with everything else. Stainless would be good to clean but I haven't found on that has straight sides (the ones I've seen to buy flare out).
Just hoping someone else has tried a non-plastic bucket and can give me some advice.
Thanks!
Vickycp
 
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What wrong with flaring out?

Here in India we get a great range of kitchen and household gear in stainless steel. There are nice molded buckets (no seam) that indeed flare out. There are also food storage containers, sometimes called tiffins, that are straight sided, with a snug-fitting top. The biggest one I've happened to notice in the stores here is about 2 gallons, but I suppose larger ones are probably made too. Maybe try a search for Indian stainless steel tiffins.
 
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biggest reason I think most folks opt for plastic buckets, availability, weight, and cost. You don't even need to buy a plastic bucket, they can be found free all over the place. Stainless would be something you have to search for. And well metal weighs a lot more than plastic does. Especially full.

As for where you might find stainless, you might want to look at food grade (including large cooking pots), dairy grade,  or medical grade supply sources. But then that would up the price most likely. there are straight sided 5 gallon icecream maker buckets, they even have a nice handle at the bottom to help pour out the contents.

A 5 gallon icecream container can be found here but don't click if you get sticker shock easy. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath-59200-20-qt-stainless-steel-covered-ice-cream-pail-with-hook-on-cover/92259200.html
 
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How about a big cheap stock pot?
There are 20 dollar sets at Harbor Freight.
A non-stick pot would be easy to clean,maybe.
 
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Devin Lavign wrote:

A 5 gallon icecream container



Just something about pooping into an icecream container gives me a.... s#@%  eating grin.
 
William Bronson
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Connor Leigh wrote:

Devin Lavign wrote:

A 5 gallon icecream container



Just something about pooping into an icecream container gives me a.... s#@%  eating grin.




 
Vicky Peterson
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Hey! Thanks for the helpful replies. The only reason I would want a straight sided bucket is so I wouldn't have to rebuild my wooden base. It fits perfectly in its current spot but that doesn't mean something else could work. I agree that a metal bucket will weigh more but if I switch to a 5gallon size it's going to, probably, be lighter than the 6 gallon... especially when way too full. And true, plastic buckets are easy to come by but, and maybe I am doing something wrong, the plastic buckets get stinky in a few months. I scrub mine out each time after emptying with  a toilet bowl brush and some soapy water but there is definitely an odor, especially the bottom few inches of the bucket. I have to add several inches of sawdust when I bring it back in. So, the idea of a shiny stainless bucket I could scrub out every few times I empty is appealing. Thanks again. I'm going to follow up on the shopping leads.
 
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Two suggestions, one from Joe and the other from me. If your bucket smells let it stand for a period of time with soapy water in it, I think the suggestion was a day?? maybe. The second is mine, I inadvertently have two different bucket heights but lucky for me I made my frame for the slightly taller buckets. For the shorter ones I keep a scrap square of plywood standing in the frame next to the lid. If I put in a shorter bucket I just put the plywood shim underneath it. I would suggest you scrounge the closest size to what you have and build a shim for the floor of the frame, doesn't have to be elaborate or pretty, just the right thickness to raise a pail to the original 6 gal pail height. Drop it in for the shorter, stand it up for the taller, this allows you to use the new bucket(s) as well as the old. All of my pails held frozen eggs and were from the same supplier so I was surprised when I learned that they were more than one height.
 
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