# Soaking and cleaning bucket



## Wdnich (Aug 17, 2014)

For years made my own portable live wells for fishing on the boats and piers in Florida. Decided today to modify them for use in my Bridgeport rebuild. I had been using various Rubbermaid and metal products for soaking and cleaning, but I wanted something I could seal and not loose the chemicals through evaporation, and easy to remove the items without loosing a few ounces every time I had to remove items. Off to the big box store I went.

List:
5 gallon bucket



2 gallon bucket



5  gallon bucket Gamma Seal lid



This lid has a o-ring seal making it airtight, and water tight.




Take the two gallon bucket and drills holes in bottom and halfway up the side. Doesn't matter what pattern just enough to let fluid drain back fairly quickly.  I drilled 1/4 in the bottom and a row 1 inch up the sides. To keep small bolts and such from falling through, and 3/8 holes about 1/2 to 2/3 the way up the side.







The 2 gallon bucket will sit inside the 5 gallon bucket easily giving room to maneuver the smaller bucket.




Fill with your choice of fluids. 3 gallons puts the level below the handle giving room to manipulate the bucket without slosh.




Now remember that some chemicals do not like plastic so take caution.

You can place your items in the inner bucket let them soak for you chosen length of time with the lid in place, grab the handle lift out use as a rinse bucket also.

All told less than  $12 bucks total. The lid at $7.95 the most expensive. But when you calculate the cost of evapo rust, or any other high dollar cleaning agent, not loosing anything to evaporation or pour off spillage, you have saved that money. You can cut back to a normal 5 gallon lid, but they run 2-4 bucks. I know a 3 gallon bucket will fit also, if you can find them.


----------

