Home made gravity feeders
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
I've made some. Didn't like them.
I used a large PVC pipe and made a base for them. I stacked three pieces of 3/4 plywood. The bottom was a solid piece, the middle had a circle cut out smaller than the OD of the pipe with a notch cut out of hte front, and the the top piece had a circult cut out larger the the OD of hte pipe witht he same notch cut out. The Pipe would then sit in the hole cut out and have room for the corn to fall down. I can draw you a picture if you want. You could probably just cut a notch on the bottom side wall of hte PVC and put a base on it.
I didn't like the system though. I made the pipe just tall enough to for me to be able to fill up with corn. however, they only held half a bag, actually not even that much. If you have to buy the pipe, its pretty expensive. I've found building a box gravity feeder out of plywood is just as cost effective and can hold 2-3 bags of corn, or more if you build it bigger.
I've also had problems with racoons getting into the pipe from the top. Man, it will scare the s(#%t out of you when you are going to your feeder at night to fill them up, open the lid, and a racoon is stuck inside. With my box feeders, the lid is such they can't get into them.
I used a large PVC pipe and made a base for them. I stacked three pieces of 3/4 plywood. The bottom was a solid piece, the middle had a circle cut out smaller than the OD of the pipe with a notch cut out of hte front, and the the top piece had a circult cut out larger the the OD of hte pipe witht he same notch cut out. The Pipe would then sit in the hole cut out and have room for the corn to fall down. I can draw you a picture if you want. You could probably just cut a notch on the bottom side wall of hte PVC and put a base on it.
I didn't like the system though. I made the pipe just tall enough to for me to be able to fill up with corn. however, they only held half a bag, actually not even that much. If you have to buy the pipe, its pretty expensive. I've found building a box gravity feeder out of plywood is just as cost effective and can hold 2-3 bags of corn, or more if you build it bigger.
I've also had problems with racoons getting into the pipe from the top. Man, it will scare the s(#%t out of you when you are going to your feeder at night to fill them up, open the lid, and a racoon is stuck inside. With my box feeders, the lid is such they can't get into them.
Joined
·
261 Posts
AUradar. First, good game. Auburn was the best I've seen in years and the play calling was exceptional. They had our Gators number. I think the Florida-Auburn rivalry is growing and may even be greater than Florida-FSU over time. Again- congrats!
I've had a similar experience with raccoons. I was in the smokies camping and it was 2-3 in the morning, we were sittin drinking and playing games. went to the tent and opened it. out charged a hissing coon. Man I thought it was a black bear cub. Joker was huge!
I've had a similar experience with raccoons. I was in the smokies camping and it was 2-3 in the morning, we were sittin drinking and playing games. went to the tent and opened it. out charged a hissing coon. Man I thought it was a black bear cub. Joker was huge!
Joined
·
782 Posts
the coons are gonna wipe you out overnight, hell i even have pictures of them swinging on my hanging spin feeders trying to make it come out. when they see it is free for the taking they will call all their homies to come wipe it out.
Joined
·
1,506 Posts
Hey whipper snapper, I will be using my avatar again when the animation starts workin. Dang, turn your back for a minute and bam.:banghead
Joined
·
1,506 Posts
Let there be animation. And there was.:clap
Joined
·
782 Posts
sorry there stryker, didn't knoe it was taken. my bad, i am having a problem with my animation. how did you get yours working.
Joined
·
28,577 Posts
I've used gravity feeders (pvc feeders fer about 15 years) and never had a coon get into mine (they'll eat outta it)...use 8 inch pvc and put some kinda good lid on it....I've used all sorts of bases like plywood or a catch basket of screen so rain can drain through...it just depends on how much $ you want to spend....Sometimes I will screw a piece of 2x4 almost half way up the feeder and leave around a ft to a ft & a half to bury in the ground so no base is required. If I use a plywood base I use 3 or 4 elbow braces to screw the pvc to it...Make sure you don't cut to large a hole so the corn don't pyle out to much...
The picture of this feeder is 1 of my best 1's I made...it's 8 inch pvc w/ the top being 1 of them water cooler lids(you can find them on the side of the road) I use to have it strapped to a tree but i got sick of pigs ripping it off the tree...I then moved hunting areas and put it on the plywood base which is good but only last a few seasons (if its painted) Hope this helps.....
Joined
·
2,312 Posts
I used one 10' piece of 4" Sch40 PVC Conduit, cut into 3- 32" lengths. Buy 3 End Caps, and a few packages of "L" Brackets (usually in hardware or cabinet parts) Then go to Garden Section, and find a large plastic planter base, with an edge. Drill small holes all the way around the planter base, so water will drain.Use a small drill bit and small bolts and wing nuts to mount the "L" Brackets to the 4" Pipe, so they extend out from the bottom of the feeder, then attach the other leg of the "L" Brackets to the planter Base. Put the cap on, then several inches below the bottom of the cap, drill holes on opposite side of the conduit. This is for the hanging bolt to attach the chain or rope.
Geta5" x 1/4" (or 3/8") bolt and place a 2 flat washer, then theend link of your 3-4' light hanging chain(or rope or cable), then a second flat washer on the bolt, and run the bolt completely thru the conduit. Make the same "sandwich" with the opposite end link of chain sandwiched between 2 flat washers, then put a bolt or wing nut on and tighten.Hang it up someplace and paint in in camo paint, and you're ready to go.
I hang mine so the feeding tray is about waist high, using a nylon rope over a sturdy branch, then tied to the middle of the hanging chain. I use enough rope so I can lower it to the ground to fill it. It's much easier to hoist it back up when full if you have 2 people, but ifyou leaveenough rope, you should be able tolift it up, and hold it with the rope until you tie it off. Mine hold about 20-25# of corn.
I don't have any good pix of the ones I made, but I have a completed one here, if you want, I can take some pix.
Geta5" x 1/4" (or 3/8") bolt and place a 2 flat washer, then theend link of your 3-4' light hanging chain(or rope or cable), then a second flat washer on the bolt, and run the bolt completely thru the conduit. Make the same "sandwich" with the opposite end link of chain sandwiched between 2 flat washers, then put a bolt or wing nut on and tighten.Hang it up someplace and paint in in camo paint, and you're ready to go.
I hang mine so the feeding tray is about waist high, using a nylon rope over a sturdy branch, then tied to the middle of the hanging chain. I use enough rope so I can lower it to the ground to fill it. It's much easier to hoist it back up when full if you have 2 people, but ifyou leaveenough rope, you should be able tolift it up, and hold it with the rope until you tie it off. Mine hold about 20-25# of corn.
I don't have any good pix of the ones I made, but I have a completed one here, if you want, I can take some pix.
Joined
·
2,578 Posts
I will take pictures of mine this weekend.:takephoto
4 in. pvc pipe about 4 1/2 feet long with top and screw cap, a reducer pipe 4in. to 2 in.the bottom piece is about 2 ft. long. I cut the top half out of itwith 4 in. on each end left, at one end I drill a 2in hole in it for the vertical piece of pipe with the reducer on it that fits in the 2 in. hole the other end has a cap on it with a screw cap.
the one thing I have found is a quartcottage cheese plastic top fits the 4in. pvc pipe great, so the second one I made I used that to cap the ends on the bottom piece, but I still use the screw cap for the top....I also drill 3/16 holes (aprox.) in the bottom of the bottom piecefor water drainage
the reducer piece makes them work for the corn, andI put a little piece of 2in. on the bottom of the reducer piece around 3/4 of an in from the bottom....I hope this makescense and it holds around 25 pounds of corn that has been clean out ouver night by the coons, thats why I put up my tripod feeder...but I still use the tube feeder just haven't moved it.:toast
![]()
4 in. pvc pipe about 4 1/2 feet long with top and screw cap, a reducer pipe 4in. to 2 in.the bottom piece is about 2 ft. long. I cut the top half out of itwith 4 in. on each end left, at one end I drill a 2in hole in it for the vertical piece of pipe with the reducer on it that fits in the 2 in. hole the other end has a cap on it with a screw cap.
the one thing I have found is a quartcottage cheese plastic top fits the 4in. pvc pipe great, so the second one I made I used that to cap the ends on the bottom piece, but I still use the screw cap for the top....I also drill 3/16 holes (aprox.) in the bottom of the bottom piecefor water drainage
the reducer piece makes them work for the corn, andI put a little piece of 2in. on the bottom of the reducer piece around 3/4 of an in from the bottom....I hope this makescense and it holds around 25 pounds of corn that has been clean out ouver night by the coons, thats why I put up my tripod feeder...but I still use the tube feeder just haven't moved it.:toast
Joined
·
9 Posts
I use 12in pvc with a bucketfor cover. The bases are made of worn out disk blades with tabs welded on to hold the pipe (self tapping screws) and the center welded shut.The blade is turned crown up for stability and to help feed the corn outa vee cut in the PCV. Mine holds about 100lbs.
Works good but certain places do require coon control.
Ron
Works good but certain places do require coon control.
Ron
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!