Pond Boss
Posted By: texcowboy4x4 Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/08/07 07:44 PM
Does anyone know where I could buy bentonite at, Any where between the Dallas/Forth Worth and Temple area?

Thanks
Posted By: D. Helms Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/09/07 01:06 AM
Try these guys...

http://www.texassodiumbentonite.com/storm.cfm?funnelaction=222
Posted By: dave in el dorado ca Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/09/07 01:59 AM
to compare prices and products, you should also contact your local drilling supply companies.
Posted By: Dave Davidson1 Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/09/07 01:15 PM
I bought a bunch of it from a drilling fluids company just North of Decatur. I believe it was about $7.00 per 100 lb. bag. Not real sure about the price. Wish they had 50 lb. bags.
Posted By: TN Hillbilly Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/09/07 02:26 PM
Might try your loacal farm supply store.
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 01/09/07 04:45 PM
When I looked into this last year it was much cheaper to buy in bulk than by the 100 lb bags that the farm stores carry. The company I spoke with is the one D. Helms listed. I believe they offered it in 3000 lb bags for pickup and DYI. It was much cheaper than buying sacks of it. I guess it all depends on how much you need.
Posted By: wolfman Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 01:26 PM
Hey Rocky, I have a couple questions for you. 1) How manys lbs you reckon I'd need for a 1/2 acre tank? I could probably have a load dropped off, then spread it around with a tractor & box blade. 2) Are we still going out for Mexican food today?
Posted By: george Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 02:20 PM
 Quote:
Originally posted by texcowboy4x4:
Does anyone know where I could buy bentonite at, Any where between the Dallas/Forth Worth and Temple area?

Thanks
texcowboy4x4, I’m sure you are aware of the Barnett shale natural gas play, which is right in the middle of Dallas/Forth Worth and Temple areas, and one of the largest natural gas plays in the U.S.
Bet you can hang out around one of the rig sites and they’ll give you a busted sack or so. Lot’s of mud suppliers in the area.
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 07:11 PM
Wolfman I sure did enjoy that combo platter um um good....
Posted By: Trent Lewis Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 09:35 PM
txcowboy4x4 -

Texas Sodium Bentonite has several local distributors around DFW. Call George in Commanche (254.842.7912 cell) and find out where the closest distributor is to you. We buy ours from a local distributor in McKinney.

Also, contrary to many suggestions to buy drillers mud, we do not recommend it due to its small particle size. Much of the drillers mud available in 100# sacks is the consistency of powder and does not work well in ponds (full or dry). The larger particle sizes that Texas Sodium Bentonite manufactures drops to the bottom better, does not blow away in the wind and hydrates much quicker than drillers mud. I recommend the 60/20 blend from Texas Sodium Bentonite...it's the most versitle blend for ponds.

Hope this helps!

Trent
Posted By: Trent Lewis Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 09:39 PM
Wolfman -

We usually have the best results going with 6 to 8 lbs per square foot. Take the surface square footage of your pond and add 30% for the bottom contour increase. This is the square footage you want to base your total poundage off of.

Bulk bentonite is available in Fort Worth, but a small pond like yours I'd recommend just getting a few pallets of 50# bags. Each pallet is 3000# and is about $250 to $275 per ton.

Good luck!

Trent
Posted By: wolfman Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 02/28/07 10:08 PM
Trent,

Thanks for your help. 6 to 8 lbs sounds like a lot per SF. Sounds like (at 7 lbs/SF) I need about 152,000+ lbs. So I need like 76 tons, or roughly $21K worth.

I haven't bought the 2 1/2 acre lot yet. Figures that with all the clay in N TX, I found about the only spot that doesn't have any. Maybe I should shop around for more clay.

Thanks again,
Joe
Posted By: wolfman Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 03/01/07 01:02 PM
Oops! I forgot to add the 30%! It's getting even worse! The dirt under my present house would be perfect, but there's just not enough of it. Oh well....
Posted By: Trent Lewis Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 03/01/07 01:09 PM
Joe,

Yeah, that sounds like a lot. Also keep in mind the additional 30% could vary depending on the size of pond and mainly the amount and slope of the shoreline. Larger ponds and lakes may only see an additional 5-15% increase over the water's surface area.

The NRCS used to recommend 1 to 2 lbs per square foot, but in marginal soils, it didn't perform well. The better your soils, the less you have to use. Believe it or not, 6-8 lbs per square foot is just less than 1" thickness.

Then again, shop around and find some land with some good clay topsoil. Even if it's just 3-5 feet of clay on the top, you can stockpile it and come back and line the pond with the good clay without having to use bentonite.

Trent
Posted By: wolfman Re: Bentonite 4 sell where ? - 03/01/07 09:36 PM
Thanks, that sounds like the best plan!
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