Round end of PVC to join into 5 gallon bucket

[KeithyinCA]

Hello,

I really can't figure out how to properly do this so I needed some guidance. I need to be able to take pieces of 3" PVC that's cut to a 45 degree angle and adhear it onto a food grade 5 gallon bucket. The problem is that it's on the side and since the bucket is round - I need to somehow match the curvature up with the PVC pieces.

I've tried taping 200 grit sand paper to a bucket and then running a piece of PVC back and forth until it matched but I burned up the paper and very little was done to the PVC.

I can't (As far as I know) use a fastener from the other side because I need to be able to put a 3" Net Cup inside that small 45 degree piece of PVC and have it sit flush.

I don't know if this makes sense. I'm trying to explain it properly but I don't have the background to give any better information.

This is for a vertical tower of multiple food grade 5 gallon buckets stacked and plants grown out sideways for an aeroponic project my son wants to embark on.

Thank you all in advance,

Keith

 

[Chris]

You can get saddle wyes that will band to the bucket or glue to it. Or even buy a PVC wye and modify it to glue to the bucket but that will take some work. How were you planning on doing the connection?

 

[KeithyinCA]

Chris,

Thank you for the response. I was going to use aquarium sealer to attach the PVC. I saw a great video where someone did the same thing but with a vinyl fence post. Problem is that the fence post costs $ whereas the food grade buckets I get for free. The fence post was flat on all 4 sides and the bucket is curved.

I think the saddle wyes would work; however, the price is more than I can spend seeing as we have 10 per bucket, 3 buckets stacked into a set and 4 sets. That would be 120 saddle wyes.

I do appreciate your help. Thank you

 

[Chris]

What about using a hole saw and drilling a hole in the bucket and cutting the pipe straight? then one piece of pipe can be cut down for all your sections?

 

[KeithyinCA]

Chris,

That's what I had been trying and I think a little flash went off inside my head a second ago.

The PVC I am going to use is 3" diameter inside and I had been using a 3" hole saw wanting to then round the end of the PVC so it would be flush with the bucket. Instead I think I'm just going to get a slightly bigger hole saw and make sure that I can adhere it just slightly inside the bucket.

I don't know why I didn't think of that before.

Thank you for the help,

Keith

 

[DavidW]

Have you tried uniseal?

 

[blacmonn64]

Chris,

That's what I had been trying and I think a little flash went off inside my head a second ago.

The PVC I am going to use is 3" diameter inside and I had been using a 3" hole saw wanting to then round the end of the PVC so it would be flush with the bucket. Instead I think I'm just going to get a slightly bigger hole saw and make sure that I can adhere it just slightly inside the bucket.

I don't know why I didn't think of that before.

Thank you for the help,

Keith

You can still use the 3 inch hole saw. Just work it around the hole until the hole becomes big enough so you can slide the pipe in.

I used that move to make a hole big enough for pipe to slide into a feeder pipe.

 

[Squeegie]

Hi Keith,

Did you ever make this tower? I'd like to do the exact same thing. Much cheaper than the $500 Tower Garden.

--Bruce

 

[journeyman]

I would drill a hole slightly bigger than 3 inch. Take a grinder and lightly grind the edge of the pipe at an angle like sharpening a knife. Stick it in hole and glue around it. This technic works when installing green bell sewer pipe.