HoosierHarvester said: ... I just may try the nail method using my gas range stove. It's funny you posted, because I just recently was contemplating how in the world I would get my arm, the nail and hammer down in the bucket to pound a hole. I've tried it from the outside bottom of the bucket, and broke the bottom of the bucket. ...
>> and broke the bottom ...
It's awkward unless you can prop up the 2x4 straight upright really sturdily, but you
can balance a 2x4 upright, then balance the bucket (upside down) on top of the 2x4. Twiddle and fudge until the 2x4 is exactly under under the spot where you want the hole, and straight upright, then push a nail, chisel or very sturdy knife-point onto the bucket's bottom right over the 2x4.
If everything is lined up straight, when you hammer on the nail or chisel you'll punch a hole instead of knocking the bucket and 2x4 sideways and driving the nail into your knee.
I like the melty methods better, myself!
The thicker the nail, the more heat it will hold.
If you can balance one or two nails on the gas burner, that's good, because you can let the jaws of the pliers cool while the nail(s) re-heat. Also, you can duck out of the way while the globs of plastic burn off the nail and emit clouds of noxious smoke (maybe you could scrape excess plastic off?)
If you have a lot of buckets, maybe keep a glass of water handy to cool the jaws of the pliers.
With a big enough nail, I could melt a "strip" of plastic maybe 1/8" to 1/4" wide, and long enough to have some hole on the bottom, and some hole up the side a little, to let air in even if the bucket sat flat and tight on some surface that did not let air into the bottom of the bucket.
On such a flat surface, I would prop the bucket up on chopsticks or slats or twigs, or some kind of grid or surface with gaps, to get some air-gap between the buckets and the surface.
Let the water out and the air in!
With tall buckets, and especially with
fine or very water-retentive potting mixes, I make sure that air has several access points by putting several small holes 1/3rd of the way up, around the sides.
