territorialmillworks Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Pit is a 3 letter word so I can't search it. But my wife wants a new fire pit with a chimney and expanded metal sides. We've googled fire pits but nothing really says "ahhh" As always, ideas, comments, pictures would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 They sell 'em by the bushel down here. Lots of guys make them for the deer hunters who like to camp out during cold weather. I have seen large dished coulters used from plows and also expanded metal as you said. The sky is the limit for designs but you probably don't need a big one - and you might also google "chiminea" to get some more ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I have seen them made out of the drum from an old washing machine, or a truck brake drum or wheel rim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Well my favorite one wasn't made as much as assembled: I found an old "wrought iron" round coffee table missing the glass top and it turned out that the hemispherical top from a webber grill fit down into perfectly. Didn't have a chimney but the coffee table frame worked real well as it's rim was about 4" out from the firepot and so you could hang socks to dry on it, prop your feet up on it, children wouldn't get burned. I forged a tripod that would fit on the rim for cooking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcaustin Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Look into the old washing machine tub. They have holes throughout them and let's air get to the fire making it get super hot. You have to remove a spanner nut to get them out but I've used a chisel and hammer in a pinch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I've done the washing machine tub, and they work great. A guy down the street from me put a chimney on his from a smudge pot like they use in orchards. Looks something like this, but with the washing machine tub in place of the oil reservoir, and without the flames coming out of the top. That would be bad. Very bad. Edit: Fun fact: Apparently they were developed here in Redlands after the 1913 frost. Supposedly it go so cold that the trunks of the orange trees froze and split open. Killed a significant portion of the orchards from what I've read. From Wikipedia: A smudge pot (also known as a choofa or orchard heater) is an oil-burning device used to prevent frost on fruit trees. Condensation of water vapor on particulate soot prevents condensation on plants and raises air temperature very slightly. Usually a smudge pot has a large round base with a chimney coming out of the middle of the base. The smudge pot is placed between trees in an orchard, allowing the heat and smoke from the burning oil to prevent the accumulation of frost on the fruit of the grove. Smudge pots were developed after a disastrous freeze in Southern California in January 1913 wiped out a whole crop.[1] Smudge pots were commonly used for seven decades in areas such as California's numerous citrus groves.[citation needed] Smudge pot use in Redlands, California groves continued into the 1970s, but fell out of favor as oil prices rose and environmental concerns increased. Pots came in two major styles: a single stack above a fuel oil-filled base, and a slightly taller version that featured a cambered neck and a re-breather feed pipe out of the side of the chimney that siphoned stack gas back into the burn chamber and produced more complete combustion. Filler caps have a three- or four-hole flue control. The stem into the pot usually has a piece of oil-soaked wood secured inside the neck to aid in lighting the pot. Pots are ignited when the air temperature reaches 29 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius), and for each additional degree of drop, another hole is opened on the control cap. Below 25 degrees, there is nothing more that can be done to enhance the heating effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george m. Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Cultivator disks are also a good base for a fire pot. There is already a hole in the middle for a draft for the fire. I'd put some expanded metal across that to keep most of the ashes in and put a bowl of water under it to take care of what does get through. I'd install legs, make an expanded metal cone, cut a largish hole in one side and install a door, and then rivet or weld the cone to the disk, and do the same with a chimney on top of the cone. If you really want to be safe make a frame and cover it with screening in lieu of the cone or line the inside of the expanded metal cone with steel screening. Containedly, George M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Just remember disc are generally high C and so weld them like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 At times like this it's a mandatory field trip to the scrap yard. These hovered around 1000 - 1200 lbs. The end caps have all been cut off and turned into 4 fire cauldrons. The larger tank cylinder was turned into a monster barrel stove and the smaller was cut up into 3- 16" tall fire rings. The steel was 3/8" thick. Besides needing a forklift and a torch they paid for themselves off of one fire cauldron. Most scrapyards and scrappers don't want this kind of stuff because they still have to chop it up to prepared dimensions so they can found easy enough if you look around. They were additive and condensate tanks for a boiler system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
territorialmillworks Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 Wroughton, I tried fuzzy logic but the wife said NO....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBruno Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 sounds exactly like the one I'm building right now. Thing is. I'm only using welding. There has been little to no blacksmithing involved in this project. If you're interested I'll upload the blueprints for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 http://media-cache-ec8.pinterest.com/upload/153122456051002391_wi4e7VFK_b.jpg as it is from another page I posted a link to it, but this is a dragon head fire pit... good for inspiration :) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Two sites that keep coming up on searches. http://www.starfiredirect.com/ http://store.johntunger.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mash Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Here is one I have been working on. Some pics in this thread also. http://www.iforgeiro...uring-question/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renrat1 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Ive made a couple out of 55 gallon drums by cutting them down to a nice size welding legs and handle s on them making them portable. and I love using mine. I sold one of the two. and they are so nice to have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry Dog Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I always just used the steel drum from and old dryer. I wish I could find an old pulley driven dryer so I could make a blower out of it's guts, and maybe replace the old firepit that we used to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I made this earlier this year. And sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubbe Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 What's the definition of a "fire pit"? Anyway, for inspiration you could check out my old thread and little on how I made my "fire basket". :) http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/23301-fire-basket/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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