I'm making my own from a gas cylinder. I'm using it as an excuse to learn welding.
Fire pit options
- Thread starter Paul_B
- Start date
Fire pit = fire ring = usually a large 6' ring of stone or mineral blocks, 12-24"high and filled with sand.
So the fire is in front of you, not down below you and coming up your nose.
It has to be that big so you have some control over fire size and shape for cooking.
Add a cooking rack or two. Junk stove oven racks are good.
Can't do that? I want a deep dish lorry steel wheel and enough sand to fill it.
That will be my fire pedestal.
So the fire is in front of you, not down below you and coming up your nose.
It has to be that big so you have some control over fire size and shape for cooking.
Add a cooking rack or two. Junk stove oven racks are good.
Can't do that? I want a deep dish lorry steel wheel and enough sand to fill it.
That will be my fire pedestal.
North American reply I think. Loads of space and more acceptance of fire I suspect. Here we're talking a 1900s mid terraced house, or campsite with strict rules, without the space for permanent or large. Plus not portable.
I think I'm not alone among us Englanders, Welsh, Scots and Norn Ireland peoples with small space free at home for fire based socialisation (in these times it's socialisation with household only). Whether the solution of those folding, camping fire pits is the best for fire or not it's a compromise forced by circumstances.
I think I'm not alone among us Englanders, Welsh, Scots and Norn Ireland peoples with small space free at home for fire based socialisation (in these times it's socialisation with household only). Whether the solution of those folding, camping fire pits is the best for fire or not it's a compromise forced by circumstances.
I've managed to work out (with a lot of help from a friend) how to host pics.
This is the first one I made. It was also my first time welding apart from practice. I made it for a friend but they haven't managed to use it yet.
It's supposed to be for logs rather than small stuff but a cooling rack sits on top of the bars if needed. I also figured 3 legs for use on uneven ground.
The legs come off and will fit inside for storage/transport. The fire support bars are easily removable to aid cleaning.
Something for scale. This was before welding the feet onto the legs.
The other half of the gas cylinder is currently being turned into MK2.
The big R clips used in MK1 were a bit of a PITA so I changed those for clevis pins and smaller R clips and used the same size R clips on the fire support bar ends. I went with 4 legs to make it a bit more stable and allow a cooking rack/hotplate to be added.
I'm currently procrastinating about cutting bits out of it to fit rack supports for the cast iron griddle/hotplates.
Cheers
Grebby
This is the first one I made. It was also my first time welding apart from practice. I made it for a friend but they haven't managed to use it yet.
It's supposed to be for logs rather than small stuff but a cooling rack sits on top of the bars if needed. I also figured 3 legs for use on uneven ground.
The legs come off and will fit inside for storage/transport. The fire support bars are easily removable to aid cleaning.
Something for scale. This was before welding the feet onto the legs.
The other half of the gas cylinder is currently being turned into MK2.
The big R clips used in MK1 were a bit of a PITA so I changed those for clevis pins and smaller R clips and used the same size R clips on the fire support bar ends. I went with 4 legs to make it a bit more stable and allow a cooking rack/hotplate to be added.
I'm currently procrastinating about cutting bits out of it to fit rack supports for the cast iron griddle/hotplates.
Cheers
Grebby
Great! Sack of charcoal and let's get supper on the go.
Yes, I do think in terms of my own back yard fire pit space in McBride @ 53N in the Rockies.
I must be the only guy in the whole block without a fire pit made of local found stone.
Yes, I do think in terms of my own back yard fire pit space in McBride @ 53N in the Rockies.
I must be the only guy in the whole block without a fire pit made of local found stone.
A Hacienda camping fire pit turned up yesterday. So I finally burnt the pile of cut twigs and branches that we had no way of getting rid of. Don't twigs burn up quickly in an open pit once it gets going!!
Finished off burning some split logs we bought at a campsite a while ago. They were very dry but didn't burn well. Went to charcoal on the outside then died down. Chipped the charcoal off then flames again until it formed more charcoal. The charcoal helped once chipped off with a metal rod but it was pathetic. One end with a knot simply wouldn't burn. The fire was started with twigs then went to inch to 2 inch branches maximum. A pile of twigs and branches went on with the log tilted against it. The log caught and gave out flames for 10 minutes before charcoal outer seemed to slow and cool it down.
Two questions, what wood could burn like that in a hot fire pit? And how the hell can campsites get away with selling such rubbish wood? That whole sack was a right pain IIRC all the time we used it. Usually on top of charcoal BBQ fire.
Finished off burning some split logs we bought at a campsite a while ago. They were very dry but didn't burn well. Went to charcoal on the outside then died down. Chipped the charcoal off then flames again until it formed more charcoal. The charcoal helped once chipped off with a metal rod but it was pathetic. One end with a knot simply wouldn't burn. The fire was started with twigs then went to inch to 2 inch branches maximum. A pile of twigs and branches went on with the log tilted against it. The log caught and gave out flames for 10 minutes before charcoal outer seemed to slow and cool it down.
Two questions, what wood could burn like that in a hot fire pit? And how the hell can campsites get away with selling such rubbish wood? That whole sack was a right pain IIRC all the time we used it. Usually on top of charcoal BBQ fire.
BTW we learnt that we need to get rid of the wooden shed in our yard before the fire pit does it for us!!! The flames got a big worrying at one point. Not least because it was being shipped up by increasing wind. Horizontal flames at one point. Only a bench and shed to worry about.
which fire pit did you go for in the end Paul? we're looking at getting one whilst in lockdown, and I couldn't work out from the post above which one it was
That's completely brilliant, I love it!I've managed to work out (with a lot of help from a friend) how to host pics.
This is the first one I made. It was also my first time welding apart from practice. I made it for a friend but they haven't managed to use it yet.
It's supposed to be for logs rather than small stuff but a cooling rack sits on top of the bars if needed. I also figured 3 legs for use on uneven ground.
The legs come off and will fit inside for storage/transport. The fire support bars are easily removable to aid cleaning.
Something for scale. This was before welding the feet onto the legs.
The other half of the gas cylinder is currently being turned into MK2.
The big R clips used in MK1 were a bit of a PITA so I changed those for clevis pins and smaller R clips and used the same size R clips on the fire support bar ends. I went with 4 legs to make it a bit more stable and allow a cooking rack/hotplate to be added.
I'm currently procrastinating about cutting bits out of it to fit rack supports for the cast iron griddle/hotplates.
Cheers
Grebby
I've got an old bottle I'm thinking of doing something with. How do you open it up safely without blowing yourself to kingdom come?
When I've worked on one I just left it open a few days, then unscrewed the valve/tap off the cylinder and filled it with water before starting any cutting tasks.
As Broch said.
The 4 legged version has now got sockets for supporting the hotplate and has been painted. Still not done the actual hotplate frame and supports though. Really must get round to it
The 4 legged version has now got sockets for supporting the hotplate and has been painted. Still not done the actual hotplate frame and supports though. Really must get round to it
To help flush bottles through, I find it handy to drill a hole in the bottom - run water over the drill while it’s cutting - then dump the whole bottle in bin filled with water. The combination of the two holes helps to displace any left over gas with a few flush through.
You can’t flush it too many times, in my opinion.
You can’t flush it too many times, in my opinion.
Handy tips, thanks.
Although I might have hijacked the OP's post, apologies.
I'm not an expert on gas, but I've heard it's reasonably flammable and I reckon potential sparks from an angle grinder + leftover gas in a bottle would not be the best way to boil the kettle.
Remove your eyebrows possibly, but not make tea?
Scots_Charles_River
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
My last school we used an old stainless washing machine drum. it burned very clean with no smoke. But, it does burn wood fast as it's mega efficient at drawing in oxygen. The lip around the top edge was perfect for setting on potatoes in tin foil. When the skips were still shut last May I got an ex display garden incinerator bin from Wickes. It is basically a big kelly kettle and without the lid on it burns clean and you can still feed it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/90-LITRE-G...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001420915815&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/90-LITRE-G...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001420915815&psc=1
