TEXASBOARS.COM

[TORO]

First off, let me say thanks to all that have helped me directly or indirectly by posting, replying and sharing their knowledge of Pig Pipes on the site. Most notably among these is kp, txbigbossman, Raymond Gendron, Silverboar, and Sniper (whom I believe to be the first to post a pig pipe how to with pics).

Secondly, this guide is not the end all or Bible on how to build this particular type of pig pipe. The one here reflects my personal preferences and is more photo laden to better illustrate how one is built. The last point being the main idea behind the post.

With that said, here we go.....

First of all, the shopping list:
1 ea. 10 ft section of schedule 40 solid core PVC pipe, 4" diameter. (Why schedule 40? Because it's tough and can handle being stomped on, thrown around, chewed on, dropped, and bounced around in your truck as you haul it to the ranch. 'Nuff said)
2 ea. swivels, 1/4" link size. (got mine at Tractor Supply Co.)
2 ea. 2' - 3' sections of chain(1/4" link size) I wouldn't use anything smaller than 3/16" link size.
2 ea. 2" - 3" ring (to anchor Pig Pipe to post. Also from Tractor Supply)
2 ea. 3/8" Eyebolts
4 ea. washers (3/8" hole)
4 ea. Nylock nuts (3/8")
6 ea. Quick Links (for attaching chain)
2 ea. PVC threaded cleanout adapters, 4" diam.
2 ea. PVC threaded cleanout plugs, 4" diam.
2 ea. PVC end caps, 4" diam.
1 ea. 5 gallon bucket and lid

(If you plan on putting swivels at both ends of the chain assembly, buy 2 more swivels and 2 extra Quick Links)(In addition, if you plan on building the modified version, buy 4 ea cleanout adapters & 4 ea cleanout plugs. No end caps needed with the modified version)

The above will yield 2 ea. 5ft. pig pipes. Why 5 foot? Because the hogs will have to work harder to get at the feed/corn inside and it will make a lot of noise to wake you up when you're snoozin' on the stand

You'll also need PVC primer/adhesive, something to cut the pipe with and something to cut 3&7/8" circles with, plus assorted hand tools.

I purchased a handsaw specifically made for plastic piping and a compass for the circles. (Compass I got at WalMart) Alternatively, you can use a drill/saw to do the above.



Step 1. Cut pipe to length. (I like 5ft., but this can vary as needed)


Step 2. Make a 3&7/8" circle out of plastic. The lid and bottom of the 5 gallon bucket works great. I just used a utility knife, compass and scissors to do this part.You just made a false bottom. Make sure that this false bottom fits INSIDE the pipe before gluing.

Step 3. Primer and glue the false bottom approximately 6" inside the pipe. It helps if you wear nitrile or rubber gloves for this step as it tends to get messy & sticky in a hurry. Set this aside and let it cure for 24 hours. I slid a 2x4 through the opposite end of the pipe so that the false bottom would cure perpendicularly.(That's straight up & down for us Rednecks )



Step 4. After it's cured, place 2 or 3 handfuls of gravel on top of the false bottom and then primer/glue your end cap on. The gravel is there to make the piggys think that there's still corn in the pipe even if it's empty and it will also wake you up when it's 2AM and you've fallen asleep .


Step 5. Mark the outside of the pipe where the false bottom ends. This is so you don't drill any holes into the cavity you created.


Step 6. Drill 4 ea. holes at 90 degrees and approximately 1 foot apart from each other. Mine are 5/8". The size can vary as well as how many holes there are, but I think this works best.


Step 7. Primer and glue the cleanout adapter onto the opposite end.


Step 8. Assemble the chain as follows;
Ring, Quick Link, Swivel, Quick Link, Chain, Quick Link (2nd Swivel, and another Quick Link if wanted)
Tighten the Quick links down except for the last one. This last one will connect to your eyebolt.


Step 9. Drill a 3/8" hole through the cleanout plug and attach eyebolt as follows;
Eyebolt, Nylock Nut, Washer, Plug, Washer, Nylock Nut
Do NOT tighten the nuts down. If you do it will defeat the ability of the eyebolt to rotate within the plug. It needs to be free enough to rotate so that it will not kink the chain assembly. Remember hogs will be pushing, shoving, throwing this around like a ragdoll.


Step 10. Connect the chain assembly to the eyebolt/plug assembly and tighten the Quick Link down. I also lube the threads with grease on the plug as I found out that plastic to plastic threading is a real bear to get apart if overtightened.


Completed assembly should look like this...


An alternative method to the chain assembly is a cable and ferrule/stop assembly. It's faster and cheaper. I'll cover that now.

Step A. Take 1/8" cable (minimum diameter) (3 foot minimum in length) and create loop in one end large enough to fit over your anchor point.

The alternative is to attach a swivel to this end and then attach another loop large enough to fit over your anchor point. I believe this is best as it will prevent the cable from kinking/twisting.

I need to mention here that the ferrules/stops can be purchased at Home Depot in blister packs of 2.



Step B. Drill slightly larger size hole than the cable size in cleanout plug. (If using 1/8" cable, drill a 3/16" hole) This allows the pipe to rotate about the cable.

Step C. Attach cable stop onto cable at opposite end. This will be your top stop.

Step D. Slide washer over cable until it rests against top stop.

Step E. Slide cable through hole in cleanout plug

Step F. Slide another washer onto cable so that it rests against plug body.

Step G. Slide ferrule over cable and then double back the free end of cable into the ferrule (so that it creates a loop) and tighten it down. Why the double back? Because you have now made it twice as hard for the cable to back off.

This ferrule loop is now your bottom stop and you now have a nice retaining lanyard for your completed Pig Pipe so that the pigs can't carry your pipe off. Assembly should look as in the following "expanded" photo.



Of course, you want the stops/ferrules closer together to allow only a few inches of travel up and down the cable.

The following photo shows how the completed cable/plug assembly should look. Notice that the top assembly has a cable loop end and the bottom assembly has a ring end.

To complete the bottom version replace your cable anchor loop with 1 each chain quick link and a 3" ring. I believe the bottom assembly will withstand the test of time better, especially if you anchor point is a T-post.



The completed Pig Pipe should look similar to this.....


MODIFICATION OF FALSE BOTTOM CAVITY

Comply with Steps 1 & 2 of construction, but this time drill no larger than 1/8" holes in the circle prior to step 3. In other words you're making it into a grating. Number of holes does not matter, just as long as the integrity of the 3&7/8" circle is maintained.

Comply with Step 3.

This time on Step 4 primer & glue a threaded cleanout adapter on the end INSTEAD of an end cap and then place 2 or 3 handfuls of gravel in it. Screw the plug on.

Why the plug? You'll see in a minute!

Comply with Steps 4 - 10.

Unscrew the cavity plug and in addition to the gravel, you can now place sliced apple, sweet feed, peanut butter, a rag doused with Black Gold, Grim Reaper, anything pungent and odorful inside of the cavity and then screw the plug on.

Whatever you placed in the cavity will permeate through the false bottom grating and into the pipe and then into whatever feed is in that.

This will cause the hogs to work the pipe even harder than just with the corn/feed inside of it.

Another positive is that you don't have to worry about the corn inside of the pipe becoming saturated with attractant and then swelling up and clogging the pipe (except from ambient outside condensation or precipatation).

Anchor your post at the site you plan to hunt, fill the pipe with corn/feed, thread the plug on, slip the ring over the post and you're done...except for the shooting, gutting, cleaning, etc.

Again this is not the be all and end all of how to build a Pig Pipe, just my personal preferences as to how one is made. You can alter it any way you wish to best fit your situation or preferences.

Thanks to all for inputs and I welcome any CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms. Any ideas as to better the guide are welcome and I will amend the "How To" to reflect such ideas as the Administrators/Moderators will allow me.

Thanks again!!!
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[Raymond Gendron]

Hey TORO...

Nice post buddy

No doubt you truly understand the concept of ruggedness and functionality.

Great pics and a great job

Now when you set them out take some pics of the terrain every day if possible to see the effects of the ROLL and SPIN.

Once again great job

Ray
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"Making the WORLD a better place one family at a time"
www.p-o-r-k-i-e-s.org

[possom813]

Just an added little bit, for the impatient handyman...Instead of gluing in the false bottom cut from the bucket, cut a circle that will fit the inside of the pipe from a piece of 2x4 wood and slide it down where you want it and run a couple of flush mount screws in to it.

It works just as well, it may not last a hundred million years like plastic, but it will work until the pipe is run down and won't hold corn anymore. And it takes 20 minutes instead of 24 hours of waiting on glue to dry.



Another quick tip that I didn't see in my skim through. Put and eyebolt with a big washer on the permanent cap that will go over the graveled end. Leave it loose, but make sure the nut won't come off, a quick bend or spot weld will take care of it. Then attach your swivel to the eye bolt and another swivel to the other end of the chain or cable. Doing it that way basically gives you 3 swivels to keep from tangling up.

Just a couple of thoughts,
-John
_________________
Only two things go straight to a man's heart, bullets and gold.

[TORO]

Yeah I wasn't quite done with the posting as the site server keeps timing me out. Had it all in there twice only to see it disappear. That's why I have to add a little, submit and add more.

I'll make sure to add (COMPLETED PROJECT) to the Subject heading when it's completely done.

Thanks

EDIT: I like the wooden plug idea. Good time saver. I had also considered using 2 swivels (one at each end of the chain length) but decided not to as I hope that the play of the eyebolt will be enough. If not, it's simple enough to loosen the Quick Link, install the second swivel, an extra Quick Link and then tighten it all up again.
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[EastTexasPhil]

Thanks for the post Toro, it was very well thought out. I particularly like the idea of the false bottom with the gravel inside. I wonder if a small plastic drink bottle with some gravel in it would work ?
_________________
Hunt Safe

[TORO]

Phil, I have to thank Raymond Gendron for that idea, who I'm sure will thank whoever he got it from.

I'm sure the bottle idea would work. Myself personally, would think that if it's able to migrate within the pipe, it will at some point cover over one of the holes that the corn comes out of.

Not that big of a deal, as the bottle would again come free and uncover the hole.

Then there's also the possibility of it becoming wedged in the pipe if there isn't ample clearance between the bottle and pipe wall to allow the corn to bypass the bottle.

Those would be my only concerns. If that doesn't bother you, go ahead and by all means use the bottle idea. I myself would like to know if it works.
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[VTDW]

After 62 years I have now heard it all. A false bottom in a pig pipe!!!!!



I just love that little deception and the way TORO thinks. Grand idea!

Dave
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www.marlinowners.com

[TORO]

Again, Raymond Gendron was the first to post this little trick, so kudos go to him.
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[txbigbossman]

Those look good Toro. Look like mine in fact. Great job, well done man.

Now go get 'em!

Good luck!
_________________
Just my 2 cents worth with a nickel rebate.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

[TORO]

I just realized that the topic got stickied......cool

Thanks, Guys
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[CyberSniper]

[TORO]

Just an add-on to the original post.

After setting up your pig pipe at your selected site, it's easy to determine if the pigs have found it.

Just look for the pig circles....




_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[Gus V.]

Thanks Toro for the pig pipe. I finally got a lease to hunt hogs and predators. Will use a couple of pig pipes to determine what areas to put a feeder. Just to add on the pig pipe, there are homes being built in my areas and I see a lot of large diameter PCV pipes being thrown away. Just scored a 6”x6’ pipe. This will be turned into a gravity feeder.

[Weldon Wright]

I discovered that a 3" sch 40 cap fits inside a 4" pipe. .. a quick may to make that false bottom for the gravel. I glued the first one, but it was so snug that I did not even bother with the glue on the second.

What I am looking for now is an easier way to fill the things by myself. Wresting a bag of corn while trying to hold the pipe up is not working well for me.
_________________
I can explain it to you , but I cannot understand it for you.

NRA-TSRA

[Skip Smith]

How bout a funnel and a pitcher?
_________________
On hold to busy!
2010 tally
Trapped = 11
Stalk and Hunt = 2
Dogs = 2

[TORO]

Good tip there Weldon. As far as filling it up, if your anchor point is a 'T" post, I just lean the pipe against it so that the lip of the pipe catches the post and then pour slowly from the bag into it. No problems so far.

Again, thanks for the tip
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[Pelon]

Road cones make great funnels.
_________________
Paul Marx
You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

[TORO]

Pelon takes the prize for ingenuity if you absolutely need a funnel.
_________________
I Hunt, Therefore, I Live

[Skip Smith]

[Raymond Gendron]

[Rob Stag]

[Crotalus]

Well, I just finished my TORO brand pig pole. I followed all the directions until I got to the false bottom. I discovered that a 11oz coffee can fits perfectly in the ID of the SCH40 pipe. So, I measured 5 1/2 inches down from the lip of the pipe, and drilled 4 equally spaced holes and installed 4 small machine bolts/washers/nuts. The bolt protrusion in the inside of the tube provides a "shelf" to support the coffee can. This way, a can (with plastic lid) with gravel can be inserted or, replaced with a can, with scent holes, with a rag-saturated attractant. The end cap securely holds it in place. I added a couple wood screws thru the end cap/pipe for added insurance. This pig pole will be set up in the inside of my corral pen. Thanks for the great directions!

[TORO]

No problem, Crotalus. I like to know that my "How To" is indeed helping people build their own Pig Pipe.

And even better is seeing how people add or modify the pipes to fit their own needs with what they have on hand.

Good luck & Good hunting
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I Hunt, Therefore, I Live