Hi Fritzy,
Glad I could offer something - I'm usually just a benefactor from these boards!
Many times I've used 50 gallons or less. When building it I figured, I've got the tractor to lift it, so why not use it! It's when I am doing major repair to the ice that I will fill them completely - as many as 5 times. You've got to remember that even a full load of 110 gallons spread over my ice (~50X100') will only give you about 0.035" build up on average. Of course, it fills the grooves/ruts more and leaves less on the flat surfaces.
If I remember correctly, the holes are 1/8" and set 3" apart. Steel pipe should work fine since the water you'll have entering it will be warmer and will thaw it out when it enters it. Sometimes the holes on the stationary part of my boom freeze closed from the drips of water freezing from the last use. But as the water flows out to the boom extensions, they quickly thaw and things flow well. The boom extensions holes never freeze shut since I remove and invert the extensions as soon as I leave the ice.
Hope this helps!
Fud
Glad I could offer something - I'm usually just a benefactor from these boards!
Many times I've used 50 gallons or less. When building it I figured, I've got the tractor to lift it, so why not use it! It's when I am doing major repair to the ice that I will fill them completely - as many as 5 times. You've got to remember that even a full load of 110 gallons spread over my ice (~50X100') will only give you about 0.035" build up on average. Of course, it fills the grooves/ruts more and leaves less on the flat surfaces.
If I remember correctly, the holes are 1/8" and set 3" apart. Steel pipe should work fine since the water you'll have entering it will be warmer and will thaw it out when it enters it. Sometimes the holes on the stationary part of my boom freeze closed from the drips of water freezing from the last use. But as the water flows out to the boom extensions, they quickly thaw and things flow well. The boom extensions holes never freeze shut since I remove and invert the extensions as soon as I leave the ice.
Hope this helps!
Fud
