The first rain barrel workshop of the season was held this past Saturday at the Indy Winter Farmers Market, and eager participants completed the conversion of 25 recycled pickle barrels in just over an hour’s time.  I had been on the waitlist since last summer and was especially ready to learn, and the slots for the two no-shows were quickly filled by observers hoping to slide in on the action.  Here we are anxiously awaiting the start of the workshop:

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A fee of $50 covered the cost of materials, step-by-step instruction, and the use of tools.  The materials list was surprisingly simple–the pickle barrel, brass spigot, female adapter, aquarium sealant, and mesh screen–and the required tools consisted of a power drill with a 7/8″ paddle bit and pocket knife.

Note: It was highly recommended to use a food-grade container (instead of, say, a plastic trash can) so that no chemicals will seep into the water and subsequently be transferred to your plants and vegetables.  Good to know!

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Our instructor Tyler began by showing the class a step-by-step conversion and then walked around to help us while we each constructed our own.  He started out by drilling nine holes in the lid of the barrel for collecting the rain.  He advised against drilling many more holes than this as the more sunlight allowed into the barrel, the higher the chance of algae forming in the water.

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He then drilled a hole for the spigot in the side, about eight inches from the bottom of the barrel.

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Next up: threading the brass spigot into the hole, using a pocket knife to shave away any excess plastic for a better fit.

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Paying careful attention to keep the spigot perpendicular to the barrel, Tyler continued threading it until there was about 1/4″ between the stop and the barrel.

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He then used aquarium sealant around the threads and continued threading the piece in place.

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In order to prevent the pressure of the water wearing down the seal around the spigot over time, a female adapter with a rubber gasket was threaded onto the spigot from the inside of the barrel.

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Tyler’s wife Laura (who also leads these workshops) held the spigot in place from the outside while Tyler screwed the adapter onto the spigot.  (Teflon tape can be used on the spigot threads to improve the seal, if desired.)

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The hard work was over at this point.  The final steps were to lay the screen over the opening (to keep out mosquitoes, small leaves, and other debris)…

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…and to pop on the lid!  It was really that simple!

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Each participant then began the project on their own, and in no time, we were carting off our rain barrels and setting them up across the city.  The workshop lasted just over an hour–it was so easy, inexpensive, and fun, and it was a great chance to meet others with an interest in green living. 

Ta-da!

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Once I unloaded the barrel at home, I chose the best location for convenience, cosmetics, and safekeeping (these are becoming hot commodities in the area): an easily-accessible corner of the garage.  After propping the barrel on a few concrete paving stones to allow clearance for my watering can, I used a utility knife and a pair of side cutters to cut the downspout to the proper height…

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…and re-attached the elbow to direct the rain onto the lid.  As luck would have it, Sunday brought a day of heavy rainfall, and the barrel was put to the test.

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Success!  The rain fell onto the lid and into the barrel, and the barrel remained steady and secure. 

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Tyler and Laura will be holding several workshops throughout the season, so if you’re in the Indianapolis area, feel free to contact them at urbanearthindy@gmail.com or visit their website to see when the next open spot is available.  If you aren’t in the area or would rather not wait, it’s a project that’s easy to tackle on your own and so worth the small amount of effort. 

Good luck,