Buckets for Storage

This is for Toni, who had trouble sealing the lids. I had no idea how to do it, either, so I e-mailed the company and Chris Odantje (bless his/her heart) e-mailed me the instructions. That was two or three years ago, and the regular lids that come with the buckets now ARE impossible to seal. What I did was order one of the gamma lids. (You have a choice of lids when you order the bucket.) The gamma lid comes in two parts, so you just unscrew the top from the ring. You put the ring on the top edge of the bucket, hold it down (hold it tight!) with one hand, and use your rubber mallet to hammer it down. You have to work around just the edge of the ring, and you have to go around it two or three times to make sure it's secure, but it'll work. When you have the outer ring beaten down, you can take the top and screw it back into the ring. Not only is it easier to put on than the more recent one-opiece lids, it's easier to open when you want to take something out of the bucket or put something into it.

It's not immediately obvious if you've never used these types of buckets before. But there are holes around the bottom edge of the lid. If you get a cutter, like a pair of hardy wire cutters (or, if need be, a hacksaw), and cut through the plastic where these holes are, it becomes significantly easier to open and close the lid. If you can't figure out how to do it, don't bother. I don't want you ruining the lid and blaming me. When I cut mine, some of the holes had a little bit of plastic covering it, but you could still see where they were. Even with this, it takes a bit of effort to open and close, but it's still much easier. No one else mentioned this, so I thought I'd bring it up. I've been using these types of buckets since I was a kid. I used them for joint compound for putting up sheet rock. If you don't have a good seal, the joint compound dries up. They still seal just fine, but they're easier to use.

Excellent buckets when I bought them a few years ago, but a little on the expensive side now. Use a 2x4 piece cut 3-4" bigger than the diameter of the bucket then use it to place over the lid (placed on the bucket with contents and O2 absorbers in place) and pound on both sides of the 2x4. Repeat this process all the way around the lid till it is sealed tightly. This is a tried and true easy method to seal these buckets long term. Don't forget to purchase the plastic tool to open the buckets too.

While these buckets take some effort to seal they are well worth that effort! I've had grains stored in these buckets for years (with the oxygen absorbers) and the grain is as fresh as the day I sealed them!

I too had difficulty getting the lids on, but that is because the seal is so heavy. These are meant for long term storage and I know they are sealed. I used a heavy rubber mallet and really went at the edges of the lid all the way around. You can tell when the seal is made.