Back in November of last year we dismantled this manky old diesel tank platform. Situated next to the driveway, it was a bit of an eyesore from the cottage, and didn’t serve us any purpose. It was probably installed back in the day for the convenience of having plenty of fuel on tap for a hard-working tractor. We don’t use our tractor often enough to warrant the tank being there, and by the looks of the thing and its rusted hose, neither did the previous owner for some time.
We had set fire to our large burn pile earlier that same day and needed to stick around to keep a close watch, in case some wayward embers found their way to our hay barn or the surrounding grass caught. In addition to having a couple of helping hands with us on the day, it was a perfect opportunity to demolish this particular eyesore, which had been on our list to deconstruct for a while. Kind of ironically, this was a job for the tractor.
Firstly we needed to roll the tank off the platform, but the handrail was in the way. I was itching to use my new crowbar, so I eagerly took to it with testosterone-fuelled mania.
Who doesn’t love smashing things to pieces? Very therapeutic.
We took the hose off, then I banged out the tank supports on the side we wanted it to roll down. Conveniently, the ground was slightly inclined on that side (so the tank wouldn’t roll away) and the stairs would act as a ramp to break the tank’s fall.
Firing up the tractor, I gave the then free tank a wee nudge with the bucket.
Textbook, baby. Here’s the video:
Next up was changing out the bucket for the forks so I could attack the platform. First I tried lifting the main supports…
But they wouldn’t budge. So I drove around and stabbed the forks into the stairs.
And heave!
Yeehaw! I went back around for another shot at the supports, which weren’t connected by the stairs anymore.
Annnd…
Success! I love how there’s a little amused chuckle from cameraman Dingus at the end of all three videos.
Dingus and I spent a good while dismantling the wood and storing it to be used again for some future project. James and Char discovered yet another pile of buried trash where the platform had been, so yanked out inordinate amounts of twine for the next half hour.
We’re slowly coming to the realisation that old farmers tend to use garbage as fill. Fine, I guess, if you never intend on digging it up again.
Meanwhile, Dingus is as Dingus does:
All right, all right, his photoshoot might have been my idea…
While we were in a destructive mood, we decided to pry up an old mill platform that we kept tripping over in the grass.
And the hefty concrete slab where an old saw would have perhaps stood.
I would later come back and smash up this bad boy with a sledge hammer and dismantle the rotten wood so we could burn it without leaving nails in our paddock.
Lastly, Dingus and James rolled the heavy tank onto the tractor forks, which I transported next to the barn for storage.
We like to keep any farm-related doodads that are salvageable – we never know how they might serve us in the future. I can imagine this particular piece of salvage would make a good rainwater tank in the garden, or it might even hold fuel again someday (biofuel?).
In any case, another eyesore bites the dust! Thanks for the help, Dingus and James!
