1/2 Ton in volume.

[Snowboy]

How much space would a half ton of treated salt take up. If its cheaper then bags I would purchase a half ton and store it in a wooden box.

How big would my box have to be? Would you line it with 6mill poly?

Dave.

[dssxxxx]

The approximate bulk density of dry rock salt is 72 lbs per square ft.

So roughly 1944 lbs per cubic yard.

A cubic yard would be 9' x 9' x9'.

Your box would have to be a minimum of 5 ft. high x 5 ft. wide x 5 ft. deep.

Remember, these are all approximate. And if the salt is wet, you must take into consideration the weight of the water.

Good luck.

[wyldman]

When picking up bulk in small amounts,most places do not scale you,they just use the bucket (volume) to determine how much you get.If your just picking up a ton,they tend to assume it's close to a yard,and that's what you get.You will usually get a little extra,as it's hard to tell exactly what they have in the bucket on a big machine.

Figuring one yard is close to one ton,then a half ton would be close to half a yard.

1 yard = 27 cu/ft or 3' X 3' X 3'

So for half a yard,you would need a box around 13.5 cu/ft,or 3' X 3' X 1.5'

A 9' X 9' X 9' enclosure would hold around 27 yards of salt if packed full to the top !

[Mick]

For small (relatively) quantities like that, you might consider what I do and use 55 gallon drums. The advantage to me is that I can just store them or load the whole drum on the truck. I get ones with "locking" lids. I figure a 55 gallon drum holds approx 600 pounds of treated salt at 11 lbs per gallon.

[Snowboy]

Thanks for the help on this one. Wasn’t sure if the yard measurement applied to this one.

Looks like I'll pick up a half ton and pay for a full ton or something. I'll see what it costs to build the wooden box but $170 for 19bags vs. $86 for a ton I think I’ll go for the ton the bulk is a closer drive as well.

Mick,
I like your idea but I have no way of loading 600lbs into my truck when 1 barrel empties and the plastic barrels aren’t cheap either.

Thanks for the help,

Dave.

[NYRookie]

I use rubber totes to store my salt in. Just shovel it in the spreader as needed. When the totes get low, shovel out of the barrels I keep it in to the totes so I always have 1 tote full. I also use plastic barrels cut in half, they hold about 300# of salt. Sounds like alot of work but it isn't, and for 1/3 the cost of bagged, I can shovel alittle. Check with local factories, we pay to get rid of our barrels at work so they do not care if we take them.

[wyldman]

There was a place in Mississauga that had the plastic barrels for $6 each.I beleive I found them in the Yellow pages.

[Snowboy]

Ok I'll look into it. If you find them Chris let me know.

How many of them barrels will i need? If i go the box way can the top of the box be open if its stored inside a covered garadge?

I was thinking of keeping track of the aprox weight I put down on the driveways alll thou i have a good idea of what it takes already. I will have an excess of a 1/2 ton of salt at the end of the year so if i buy the 1 ton, It realy doesnt matter how much i put down but the excess could be used next season if i only put down what i know it takes to do a decent job. I dont need to penny pinch but i also dont want to waste the salt just because I have excess and because its cheap.

Dave.

[dssxxxx]

A cubic yard would be 9' x 9' x9'.


I have the right lbs, but the wrong measurements. 3 x 3 x 3. Not the 9x9x9.

My bad.....:-)

[Mick]

Snowboy, if you're using plain salt and the barrels like NYRookie and I suggested, I just thought of something else. If you use bulk salt, you'll have freezing problems since it usually comes with some moisture content. You'll then have a bigger problem getting it broken up and out of the barrels than if you build a box with a larger opening. The down side with the box would be that there will be more area exposed and susceptible to moisture. Yes, you'll be shoveling, but you'll be shoveling whether you use a barrel or build a box.

At 600lbs per barrel, you'll need four barrels for a yard of salt. I forget what I paid for my barrels cause it was about three years ago and I bought several 30 and 55 gallon barrels. Cost of the barrels wasn't a concern since at .35 a pound, I'm getting the equivalent of $700 a ton.

Another thing I got to thinking about is how much area are you doing in a season? Half a yard (or ton) of salt isn't very much. My minimum charge is for a half-yard (of sand actually) and is enough only for the smallest of accounts. I sure wouldn't pay for a ton but get only half a ton. If you can store it covered in something, it'll last till next winter. I actually have about 3 or 400 lbs of bulk salt out in the shed that I'd gotten almost two years ago. It's caked and turned blue, but I suppose I could break it up and still use it.

[Snowboy]

I have the right lbs, but the wrong measurements. 3 x 3 x 3. Not the 9x9x9.

My bad.....:-)


No prob..

It got me thinking I can shove 1 yard into the back of my truck and its a 6' box. a 4'x4' box and maybe 5' high walls should hold 1 yard?

Dave.

[Alan]

Your 4x4x5 box is going to hold just shy of 3 cubic yards. 4x4x2 would hold a yard with plenty of room left over.

[gumbygold]

are you guys talking about making a box for the back of your pickup or one to store salt in a garage? I am also very interested in buying bulk salt. I am curious how it is usually loaded. when i buy fill dirt the use a giant bucket and dump it in the back of my pickup, which works quick but i'm more hesitant to give my truck a shower with rock salt. There is always shoveling but i'm not to fond of shoveling a ton of anything! If you had one of those plastic/rubber bedliners couldn't u just load the bed up and then shovel it from their to the tailgate unit? also wondering the best way to distribute the weight of the salt. I have a pretty hefty sized snowblower that i would need to take on and off.

well i like the ideas so far. Let me know if you got anymore

[Snowboy]

Another thing I got to thinking about is how much area are you doing in a season? Half a yard (or ton) of salt isn't very much.

3 of my driveways take salt only.


I sure wouldn't pay for a ton but get only half a ton. If you can store it covered in something, it'll last till next winter. I actually have about 3 or 400 lbs of bulk salt out in the shed that I'd gotten almost two years ago. It's caked and turned blue, but I suppose I could break it up and still use it.


Will the magic salt act the same way as straight salt as in will it clump? I will be useing magic salt. My other option to avoid all the building and storeing is to make my own magic salt.

Alan,

There are a few companies that sell soil in a sack and it looks like its 4x4x4 sack that’s how conjured up that idea.

Dave.

[apgarconstruction]

snowboy,
if you are only going to spread 1/2 ton of salt this year, just buy bags, it's not worth all the hassle of shoveling and building some box, and having it get wet and freeze up. if you were doing several tons, maybe then it would be worth it.
just buy bags. that's only 20/50lb bags for a half ton of bagged material. not much at all.

[Mick]

For half a ton, I'd agree with Dan - just buy the bags. Not worth the hassle of building a container, shoveling and so on. If you're going to be using Magic Salt, the 50# bags won't freeze up and are handy. To make your own Magic Salt, for half a ton still isn't worth the hassle of a trip to the bulk salt supplier (dock?), trip to the Magic distributor for four gallons of Magic -0, something to mix it all in and turn it, then into your storage box and have the run off on the floor.

I'd suggest buying the bags this year. Then next year see if you can build up the salting business and you can decide in the meantime if it's worth making your own Magic Salt. Another option would be to buy bagged Halite. With Halite, there'll be less moisture content than bulk and less chance of freezing in the bag. In the winter, my untreated salt (even the treated salt sometimes) will freeze up from the moisture it's absorbed during the rest of the year. But I can always count on the Halite, if it's unopened.

[Adams Plowing]

I'd have to agree with the other guys that have recommended sticking with bags for that few accounts its not really worth the hassle to go the bulk route at this point also Mick had a good point with so few drives requiring salt why not just go with regular halite rather than spending the extra money on treated bags. I'm not sure how the prices are running up your way but a pallet of 30 80lb bags which works out to 2400lbs is running like $170 here which is another thing to consider 80lb bags by the pallet are usually cheaper than buying 50lb bags by the pallet. also when you buy a whole pallet usually they give a discount instead of paying the per bag price.

[cat320]

Well what i did beacuse i don't have as many sanding accounts and they are real small drives i used bags last year but this year got a ton at a time of magic bulk and put it in plastic drum linners then just transfer what i need to a 44 gal barrel but if it gets real cold it too will freeze solid. but it works good for right now.

[SNO]

Guess I'm wondering where you can get bulk in only 1/2 ton sizes??

Usually have to pay a premium which looses the savings.

I got lucky one year, found a great deal.

Anyway, I use heavy weight 30 - 40 gallon rubber maid trash cans.

12 of them stored indoors, unlined, never had a problem. Corosive as hell though... the salt shovel is pure rust and the sides of a few of the cans grew white crust on the outside near the bottom.. probably a pin hole.

I also have a couple of 55 gallon commercial cans on wheels full... A real pain if you ever have to move them though... LOL Make sure you have them where you can leave them when you fill em! I'd guess them at 300 - 400# each.. Maybe more... Maybe 500-600 for the 55 gallon containers..

Alot of shoveling the day I did it, but its there when I need it.

Usually shovel it from the cans into a tote, in the back of the truck.

[Snowboy]

I wont be able to get a half ton only 1 ton but I’m sure I could chose if I only want to leave the other half and just pay for 1 ton. Don’t make sense but I still save $90 if I buy in bulk and if I keep the extra 1/2 ton I can use it for the next year. I have the capability to store a ton of salt in a garage and leave it there for however long I need.

As for my plan to make my own magic salt all I would need is the liquid magic I already have a bunch of 40kg bags from the year before that I used for counter balance in the truck. I made my own treated salt last year mixing 40kgs at a time in a Rubbermaid tote it worked out good but it wasn’t that great of a liquid. If I wanted liquid or bags I would have to drive to the same place to pick it up if I want bulk I have to pick it up at there other yard.

I’m using magic salt due to its less corrosive fact and the customer requested I use less salt and something less corrosive. The driveways are natural stone interlock and black top.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Dave.