Need good coating for chick metal waterer

[FarmboyBill]

Its one of those metal ones that has the center resevour and has the cover that goes over it. The bottom pan is in bad shape. Whats the best thing to coat it with to stop it leaking??

[Bearfootfarm]

The "best" thing would be to replace it.
Next best would be to epoxy all the leaks

[FarmboyBill]

It costs $40 to replace it, and I doubt if im going to be raising chicks very much. The leak is so small I cant find it.

[braggscowboy]

Bill get a can of the stuff that they advertise on TV to spray gutters and your boat. It should work, asphalt base? Another thing might be the spray in bed liner for pickups or even the stuff to spray wheel wells on vehicles.

[TnAndy]

$22 at Tractor Supply.....and they never rust out.

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by TnAndy

$22 at Tractor Supply.....and they never rust out.

About the cost of a can of that spray stuff on TV.

[FarmboyBill]

Than , but ive fought to keep plastic off this farm for 30yrs, and I wont buy anything that is plastic IF I can help it.

[FarmboyBill]

BC Ive head about that stuff from my SIL. Ill call him tomorrow to find out what it is.

[dkhern]

go to wally world and buy a can of pray on auto undercoating

[RyanTN]

Fiberglass resin (using a fiberglass mat if it's a real big hole) will work to seal it up. I'm not sure if fiberglass would violate your no plastics rule though.

[7thswan]

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

BC Ive head about that stuff from my SIL. Ill call him tomorrow to find out what it is.

I have seen it at Wally world. They keep it at an isle where all the TV stuff is. Comes in 2 colors.

[Wolfy-hound]

Or you could use the plasti-dip that you use to coat tool handles in. Or get two-part epoxy, locate the leak, dry it THOROUGHLY and fix it. Or use JB Weld on the leaky spot(still locate/dry/fix.

I never replaced if I could repair and some repaired items outlasted new ones. Preventative maintenance like coating a metal pan bottom before it starts to leak or rust can really extend the life of an item.

[FarmboyBill]

I cant locate the leak. I did used JB on 2 holes in the rim, but I cant find the weeper at the bottom. The bottoms already been coated once, and I hate to peel it off to find the weeper. Fraid id likely pull off more of the pan stuck to the cover than I want.
IF I was going to have chicks most years, id get a new one. $40 be danged. It would last the rest of my life, But I don't know how many springs ill have baby chicks so I hate to spring for a new one just so someone else. will get the most use out of it.

[TnAndy]

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

Than , but ive fought to keep plastic off this farm for 30yrs, and I wont buy anything that is plastic IF I can help it.

I, on the other hand, don't mind using the best class of materials for the job. Sometimes that is plastic, sometimes it is metal, sometimes wood, etc......

One of the inherent problems with plain steel is that it oxidizes (rust). It can be coated with zinc (galvanized) to prevent that, or at least slow the process, but it's pretty hard to get around the fact that steel....especially thin steel....rusts.

Plastic on the other hand will degrade if subjected to UV sunlight, and can become brittle if cold ( and thin ), and so on....

But the bottom line is there is NO perfect material for every situation, and each has to be evaluated according to the use, and quality of the material.

[frogmammy]

Bill,

If you have some quick setting concrete around, make some up, pour in a small, shallow container that's bigger around than your waterer then put your waterer in it, press down a touch and let it set. Won't take much concrete to get a thin layer on the bottom of the waterer and will help keep it stable when the chicks get crowding around it.

Mon

[coolrunnin]

If you have already coated it once, then I would take up that coating anything you put on top of it is just going to come up itself I would think.

Other than that I agree with TNandy you use the best material for the job.

[FarmboyBill]

Chicks don't bother this waterer. It holds 5 gal, and at 8lbs a gal that's 40#

[Bearfootfarm]

You can spend $20 on sprays, along with your time, and STILL might not fix the problem, or you could spend $20 on a smaller PLASTIC waterer that will last many years.

I'm not sure those sprays would be SAFE if they are asphalt based.

[frogmammy]

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

Chicks don't bother this waterer. It holds 5 gal, and at 8lbs a gal that's 40#

So, maybe one of your chicks will turn out to be Mothra's illegitimate son.

The main idea was, a relatively thin layer of the concrete applied over what you already have on the bottom should take care of the leak. I suggest sitting it in the concrete to cure because that would likely make the best seal.

Mon

[fishhead]

I don't think I would want to put any of that stuff in my chicken dinner.

What about cleaning it well and then smearing a bead of silicon around where you think it's leaking?