Any ideas for a fire pit??

GE222 · Apr 3, 2011

Contact a telephone or electrical utility contractor crew foreman and inquire about used manhole rings. Yes they are heavy, but will last a long time. I know several guys who have them and have had no issues, other than manhandling them initially due to their weight.

oliver28472 · Apr 3, 2011

I saw a couple of combine rims on Craigslist for $200 in Marshville, NC (Charlotte). They would make good ones.

bhostasa · Apr 3, 2011

HCJtractor said:
I would like to build a nice fire pit to sit on my concrete patio. I saw some cool ones on welding forums. One used a large cast iron "bowl" from a quarry. Another used some sort of brake drum. I would like it to be big enough to hold 20" logs or so and deep enough to contain them. You know, something 5 or 6 people could sit around on those cool nights. Any ideas what I could find to use for the drum? Are any brake drums this big? I need to dig around at a scrap metal yard. (Creating this would help justify my welder purchase for my wife!)

I built a fire pit a few years and couldn't find anything big enough for what i wanted. I ended up having a friend who is a welder fabricate a 6' ID steel ring and layed the block around it. It worked our really well. I think I paid him around $125.

I had posted a thread on here a while back and showed the ring, a few steps in the process and the finished pit. We are happy with it.

norbie454 · Apr 3, 2011

Like Sandlot posted earlier use a discarted Washing machine drum, they work great.

Remember: Fear of the unknown is greater then fear of the event.
Norm David, 1973

HCJtractor · Apr 3, 2011

GE222 said:
Contact a telephone or electrical utility contractor crew foreman and inquire about used manhole rings. Yes they are heavy, but will last a long time. I know several guys who have them and have had no issues, other than manhandling them initially due to their weight.

Actually, I looked at those yesterday at a local pipe company. Those looked ideal, although heavy. I may try to find an old one or price a new one. I will also have to check out the washing machine drums and the combine rims. All good ideas. Yes I know I could buy one, but I really want an excuse to weld something!

Sandlot · Apr 3, 2011

I think most here are missing the part about.

I would like to build a nice fire pit to sit on my concrete patio.

The washing machine tubs work great for this and are portable.

brandoro · Apr 3, 2011

If you want something bigger than the washing machine tub my brother got the tub out of a commercial clothes dryer to use for a fire pit. Bigger than the wash machine tub, stainless steel and hundreds of small perforations to let air in. I think he just set it on the ground but you could make a base and a chimney cone for it if you want to do a bit of welding.

Greatwideopen · Apr 15, 2011

I made a nice fire pit out of the end of a propane tank. Got it at the scrapyard, recut it to be more like a bowl. Welded pipe on the bottom. Looks like a goblet. I call it the Goblet of Fire. It's a big boy - 40 inches in diameter - only cost 27 dollars, 180 pounds. The smaller residential tanks are about 30 inches across and would make a nice smaller pit.

Raspy · Apr 16, 2011

I made mine out of a 4' diameter tank end. A weld on dome.

I wrapped the rim with 3/4" black pipe and stood it on (3) 1 1/4" pipe legs about 1' long.

It looks like a 1950s UFO or something, but works vey well and will last a lifetime.

I C clamped the end of a length of 3/4 pipe to the rim of the bowl and then rolled it along to bend the pipe around the rim. As I got all the way around plus about a foot, I welded it on and sliced the ends to make a perfect circle.

I've spent a lot of evenings with friends, tilting a few and throwing an occasional chunk on the fire. I just haven't figured out a good way to make a screen cover.