Custom fabrication
Bay F has a twelve-ton crane and no fear of a sketch.
The building was a truck body shop before it was a tote yard, which left us an overhead crane and a generous welding bay. We use them to modify containers rather than replace them — which is both cheaper for you and the entire point of this company.
12 tonCrane capacity
8 typesStandard jobs
≈25%One-off share
3 days–2 weeksTypical lead time
01 / STANDARD WORK
What we do most
Eight jobs we have done hundreds of times
Lead times assume the base unit comes from our stock. If you are sending your own containers, add transit.
01Cut-top conversionThe whole dome removed and edge-finished, or a hinged access hatch cut and framed. The most-ordered modification by a wide margin.3–5 days
02Bulkhead port kitsAny size from 3/4 in to 3 in, in the wall or the dome, with a gasketed bulkhead fitting and a backing plate where the wall needs support.3–5 days
03Manway installationA 12 or 16 inch bolted manway with a gasketed lid, for cargo that needs real internal access or a mixer shaft.1–2 weeks
04Mixer and agitator mountsWelded steel bridge across the cage top rail, drilled to your motor pattern, with a shaft guide through the dome.1–2 weeks
05Cage modificationPanels removed for side access, gates cut and hinged, extra rails welded for mounting, or a complete frame extension.4–7 days
06Stand and frame buildsElevated steel stands for gravity feed, double-decker frames, forkliftable skid bases and tipping cradles.1–2 weeks
07Brand and placard platesBolt-on steel plates for your branding, hazard placards, serial tags or asset numbers. Powder coated to your colour.3–5 days
08Insulation and heatFull-wrap insulating jackets, band heaters with thermostats, and heat-traced discharge lines.1 week
02 / LIMITS
What we will not do, and why
A modified container is no longer a certified container. That is not our policy, it is physics and regulation. Cutting a tote voids its UN marking permanently — the design type has changed and no amount of testing restores the original certification.
- We will not modify a unit and leave a UN mark on it. The marking gets ground off. Every time, without discussion.
- We will not build pressure vessels from HDPE totes. A composite IBC is an atmospheric container. If you need pressure, you need stainless.
- We will not fabricate a potable water system. We will build the frame and let your plumber certify the wetted path.
- We will not weld on or near a bottle in place. Bottles come out before any hot work starts. HDPE and MIG spatter are a bad combination.
Capability
- Overhead crane12 ton
- WeldingMIG, steel and stainless
- Plastic workHot-air and rod welding, HDPE
- CuttingPlasma, bandsaw, hole saw to 6 in
- PressCage straightening, 20 ton
- FinishingPowder coat, partner shop
- DrawingWe will sketch and confirm first
- MinimumOne unit
A / SPECIFICATION
Reference
Dimensions, fittings and seat materials
The three tables people actually need before ordering. Full versions, with pallet footprints, metric conversions and sixty-plus cargo entries, live in the size guide.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2| Capacity | Litres | Footprint | Height | Tare | Gross (water) | Stack loaded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 gal | 1,041 | 48 × 40 in | 46 in | ≈140 lb | ≈2,435 lb | 2 high |
| 330 gal | 1,249 | 48 × 40 in | 53 in | ≈155 lb | ≈2,905 lb | 2 high |
| 350 gal | 1,325 | 48 × 40 in | 56 in | ≈165 lb | ≈3,075 lb | 2 high |
| 120 gal | 454 | 40 × 32 in | 38 in | ≈95 lb | ≈1,095 lb | 2 high |
| 180 gal | 681 | 42 × 36 in | 42 in | ≈115 lb | ≈1,616 lb | 2 high |
| 550 gal | 2,082 | 60 × 48 in | 60 in | ≈240 lb | ≈4,830 lb | 1 high |
B / FITTINGS
What threads onto it
Fittings, threads and seat materials
| Fitting | Size | Seals by | Seat options | Typical service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S60x6 butterfly valve | 2 in | Flat gasket face | EPDM, Viton, PTFE | The standard IBC outlet |
| S70x6 butterfly valve | 2 in | Flat gasket face | EPDM, Viton | European and some 330 gal units |
| 2 in NPT ball valve, poly | 2 in | Thread flanks + tape | EPDM, Viton | Retrofits, metered dispensing |
| 2 in NPT ball valve, stainless | 2 in | Thread flanks + tape | PTFE | Solvents, pressure, hot cargo |
| 3 in butterfly valve | 3 in | Flat gasket face | EPDM, Viton | Viscous cargo, high flow |
| 6 in fill cap | 6 in | Gasketed lid | EPDM, silicone | Vented or solid — choose deliberately |
| Camlock adapter, type C | 1.5 / 2 in | Cam arms + gasket | Buna, Viton | Repeated connect / disconnect |
| Bulkhead tap | 3/4 in | Both-side gaskets | Brass, poly | Rain kits, site water |
| Material | Good with | Avoid with | Temperature | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPDM | Water, acids, caustics, brine, ag-chem | Oils, fuels, aromatics | -40 to 250 °F | Low |
| Viton (FKM) | Solvents, oils, fuels, aromatics | Ketones, amines, hot steam | -15 to 400 °F | High |
| Nitrile (NBR) | Oils, diesel, greases, hydraulics | Ozone, strong oxidisers | -30 to 250 °F | Low |
| PTFE envelope | Almost all chemistry, high purity | Needs very flat flange faces | -100 to 450 °F | High |
| Silicone | Food contact, wide temperature | Solvents, abrasion | -60 to 450 °F | Medium |
E / GRADING
A grade is a promise, not a mood
How every unit is scored
We publish the whole system because a grade without written criteria is just an opinion with a price tag. Nineteen points, fixed thresholds, one card per unit, seven years on file.
| # | Point | Critical? |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Prior cargo declaration — present, written, specific | Yes |
| 02 | Residual liquid — any volume at all | Yes |
| 03 | Odour after wash — fixed odour by trained nose | Yes |
| 04 | Bottle corner stress whitening | No |
| 05 | Interior scoring you can feel | No |
| 06 | Interior crazing — fine surface cracking | Yes |
| 07 | Bottle bulge or deformation | Yes |
| 08 | Wall thickness at the thinnest point | Yes |
| 09 | Dome port condition and flange flatness | No |
| 10 | Outlet threads — cross-threading, chipping | Yes if crossed |
| 11 | Valve function, full open and close | No, replaceable |
| 12 | Gasket condition — compression set, bloom | No, replaceable |
| 13 | Cage squareness along the top rail | No, pressable |
| 14 | Cage weld integrity at tube intersections | Yes |
| 15 | Cage coating and galvanising loss | No |
| 16 | Pallet condition — cracked feet, rot, corrosion | No, replaceable |
| 17 | Forklift pocket integrity | No |
| 18 | UN marking legibility and date | No, re-markable |
| 19 | Leak test under our procedure | Yes |
D / ORDERING
Commercial terms, up front
Lead times, minimums and what happens when it goes wrong
Discovering these at invoice stage is nobody's idea of a good relationship, so they are published.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | One unit. No account minimum, no membership. |
| Stock lead time | Grade A and B 275 gal usually ship the same week |
| Rebottled lead time | 2–3 weeks, built to order in bay D |
| Food-grade lead time | 1–3 weeks when stock exists; supply-dependent |
| Full truckload | 45 on a 48 ft flat, 48 in a 53 ft van, 90 empties double-stacked |
| Payment, first order | Prepay by ACH or card |
| Payment, established | Net 30 on credit approval |
| Grade guarantee | Regrade or replace, our freight both ways, 14 days |
| Leak warranty | 30 days from delivery, normal atmospheric service |
| Cancellation | Free until the truck is loaded |
| Returns | 14 days on unused stock units, freight at your cost |
| Sales tax | Indiana resale certificates and out-of-state equivalents accepted |
G / PITFALLS
Learned the expensive way
Five mistakes that cost people money
Not hypothetical. Each of these has arrived in our inbox, usually more than once.
Ordering a 330 without measuring the ceiling
A 275 and a 330 share a footprint; the 330 is seven inches taller. Two 330s stacked is 110 inches against 96 for two 275s, and most sprinkler regimes want eighteen inches of clearance below the deflector. That seven inches is frequently the whole margin.
Forcing an NPT fitting into an S60x6 port
Both are roughly two inches, so it bites and feels tight. It is not sealing, it is chewing the buttress thread. The joint weeps two days later, usually in transit, and cross-threading is one of the few faults that condemns an otherwise perfect bottle.
Reusing a flange gasket
A gasket is a one-use part the moment it has taken a compression set. Reusing one is the cause of most 'the new valve still leaks' emails we get. They cost a couple of dollars. Keep a box at the fill point.
Specifying a solid lid on a tote that sees sun
Sealed container, rising temperature, nowhere for the expansion to go. The bottle bulges between the cage bars and does not fully return. A vented lid is the cheapest risk control in this industry.
Ignoring specific gravity
A full 275 of water is 2,435 lb. The same tote of UAN 32 is 3,168 lb, and a 330 is 3,785 lb. Plenty of lift-gates are rated at 2,500 or 3,000 lb, and the rating assumes a centred load.
F / END OF LIFE
Reuse first, recycle last
What happens when the container is finally finished
Every unit that arrives is assessed down this list, in this order. 99.4% of incoming mass avoided landfill in 2024, and reuse plus repair accounted for over three quarters of it.
| Step | Outcome | Share of mass | Cost to us |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Reuse as is — wash and redeploy | 63.9% | 11 gal of mostly reclaimed water |
| 02 | Repair and reuse — valve, gasket, pallet, cage | 11.4% | Parts and bench time |
| 03 | Rebottle — new bottle, reclaimed steel | 9.6% | A new bottle, two thirds of mass retained |
| 04 | Upcycle — rain kits, grow beds, wash stations | 3.2% | Fabrication time |
| 05 | Material recovery — HDPE regrind, steel, wood | 11.3% | Grinding, washing, drying energy |
| 06 | Residual to licensed disposal | 0.6% | Sludge, gasket rubber, fasteners, laminates |
One unit minimum
Describe it badly. We will draw it properly.
Walt has built things from napkin sketches, voice notes and one memorable crayon drawing.