Fire pit.

[sawguy21]

I saw a neat idea last night. They had mounted a washing machine drum on a lawnmower deck and were using it as a portable fire pit. It had a great draft due to all the drain holes in the side and the bottom did not get warm enough to scorch the paint or melt the tires. Only thing was, people kept trying to move it around when they thought no-one was looking :D

[Jeff]

Thats your typical old engine show camping fire pit up here.    Here at the house we have a 12" slice of 3' gas pipeline pipe. it dont move. I think it weighs  couple hundred lbs.

[Furby]

Up at the lake I burried and old dryer tub, works really good.
Here at home I stacked bricks in a square with no mortor on an old concrete slab. I love it!
The square is nice because I can cook in the corner if I want and it also lets me place a lot of wood in the pit at a time.
I burn trash and brush in that pit as well

[Tom]

Mine is made from 2 and 3 foot squares of concrete cut from the floor of a warehouse when they installed an electric motor dipping tank.    I got some spares too. 

Put two tall ones on the end and two shorter ones on the sides and filled it with dirt.  All I use it for is cooking.

[DanG]

I like a small fire, so I can sit close enough to play with it. ;D  I have an old car wheel that I set on 3 bricks in front of my shop.  I put a plastic chair and a stump there beside it, along with a wheelbarrow full of short slab pieces.  I'll sit there and split off little pieces of wood and feed them into the fire as I cogitate my way through a cool Winter's evening.  Most times, Linda has to call me and tell me it is time to come in and go to bed.  I could just sit there all night and be perfectly happy about it. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

As younger folk we used to do what Furby does with the bricks. Then we got adventurous at times and placed aerisol cans, like Mr Clean, in the fire and blowed stuff up. You listened for a 'pop' sound and made sure ya was behind one of the big rock maples when she blew. You had about 10 secs when the 'pop' was heard. ;D One time we used field rock and made a fire beneath an old hollowed out elm stub standing along a stream. When she blew there was flames out the top of the stub and black smoke followed down along the stream valley.

[Ernie]

About thirty years ago we had a three day party at a place we had on a friends 10000 acre farm on the coast.  We just told some of our friends Bring along your mates who you think would like it.  We ended up with about 100 people from all over the world-- lots of architects and engineers in the group and tents all over the place.  I had a cast iron slab and a pile of concrete blocks and challenged the group to make me a barbecue with a chimney that worked.  A few wines and a lot of discussion later, they produced this magnificent looking structure.  We had hung up a cattle beast and a few sheep and cut the lot into steaks.  With great enthusiasm the construction crew lit up the barbie.  Smoke went everywhere except up the chimney  they tore it down and started again--same problem, so much for the professionals.  We ate like kings what with all the meat, the fish we caught and the crays (NZ lobster without the claws) Paua (abalone), Pacific oysters and mussels.

As a footnote, I had gone to my local pub and filled up the landrover and trailer with a variety of beers, wines and spirits.  The publican made a list of what I took and told me to bring back what wasn't drunk and we would work out how much I owed him.  Those days are long gone.  We all had so much fun talking, laughing, fishing, diving and exploring the10 miles of secluded beach that no one drank much at all and I ended up taking back 90% of the load to the pub.

I love reminiscing ;D ;D

If only I could remember what happened yesterday :( :(

This getting old really sucks sometimes :'( :'(

[johnjbc]

I made a ladder frame out of ½" rod and have an old refrigerator rack with 2 lengths of ¾ electrical conduit hooked on the sides. We adjust the cooking heat by moving it up and down in the rack.
At hunting camp when its cold we will move a stump and root ball in and build our fire against it. It gets hot and reflects the heat all to one side. Make sure you know the wind direction before you place the stump.
That and a couple glasses of Mud Slide and you are warm as toast. :D :D

[sawguy21]

Dayton truck rims work well too but they aren't very portable, esecially when hot.

[sawdust]

Crusher cones are excellent and NO ONE will ever steal it!  I torched a skidder rim in half, nice and wide and low.

sawdust

[asy]

I like a small fire, so I can sit close enough to play with it. ;D

It's offishull...

You're dangerous!   :

I can't believe you are allowed to play with fire alone, don't you need a big person there with you? :D

asy :D :D :D

[DanG]

That's DanGerous to you, Dearie. ;D  I skeered all the big people off a long time ago.  I just sorta do what I want to around here, now. ;D ;) :D :D :D

If'n pokin' at a little fire was the worst thing I did, I wouldn'a hadta skeer the others off. ;D

[pigman]

The kids grew up and moved away and we didn't use the swimming pool anymore. Took down the pool this spring, built some cedar benches and used a few rocks to build a fire pit. 8)  Now I can build a fire, sit on a bench and contemplate my navel. :-\

[CHARLIE]

When I lived in Dover, Minnesota I found a couple of discarded concrete rings the county uses for manholes when they are building roads.  I stacked them up and they worked great!  Now that I've moved, I've got to find some more.

Once Tom and I were in Boy Scout, we were all on a camping trip. We started putting can goods into the fire and and getting behind trees.  I remember someone put a can of spaghetti in the fire. After it exploded there were noodles hanging from the bushes. ;D

[Furby]

Now I can build a fire, sit on a bench and contemplate my navel. :-\

Bob the navel contemplater ???




I just blow up old eggs, ever try it?

[SwampDonkey]

yeah, stuff'm in the microwave. ;D

[sawguy21]

We had fun with the paint spray bombs too. Some of them split at the seam and took off screaming like a banshee.
You know what is fun with shaving cream?. Freeze the can and poke a hole in the bottom. Then put it in the groom's car on a hot day :P

[Slabs]

I keep zeroing in on DanG' sittin around the fire til late at night.  The campfire or the communal fire is a great institution of comraderie.  Especially with neighbors, friends and those of special interest(FFers and such).   I did a pretty good pork barbecue back in college days between boathouse ramps with concrete blocks to support the  hams and butts on re-bar.  Wood was burned close by and the lake provided both safety and a place to cool-down the ember shovel but the best part was the comraderie.  The adult beverages of course helped.

There's just nothing better than sitting around with friends and looking into a crackling fire to open up the mind and soothe the soul.

[DanG]

Slabs, it ain't all that far over here from where you are.  You are welcome to come over and poke at my little fire any old time.  Me & you, we got a bit of talkin' ta do, anyway.  Soon as we get a little cold snap, brang it on over! 8) 8)

ps:  Ifn' ya don't wanta wait fer a cold snap, I got a fan, too. ;D :D :D

[farmerdoug]

Campfires are an enjoyment in the summer but I have an 8,000 dollar fire pit for the fall, winter and spring.  It is my Cenral boiler furnance.  I enjoy filling it and watching the fire grow on the fresh firewood especially at night.  Call me setimental but the heat feels great and I enjoy not having to pay the fuel company.  I swear that the gas and oil trucks sound like cash registers when they are filling the neighbors tanks.  Cha-ching cha-ching.

Farmerdoug

[sprucebunny]

Accelerant extra ;D

[isawlogs]

 Hey Joan .. we did not have that option in the boy scouts I went to ... must of been a girl guide thing ...  ;D

[sawguy21]

 :D :D :D :D :D

[Furby]

Now that's a nice fire pit! 8)

[Slabs]

Waaal now all-yall!!! and especially DanG.  I heat, cook and get rid of yard trash and junk mail in my central boiler and keep myself in some semblance of shape while doing it

DanG

I think about you all the time(at least when I'm not thinking about my little boy over in Iraq).  Were gonna get togather soon.  I promise.   I'm really looking forward to pumpin yer paw.   I've been spending so much of my retirement helping out the neighbors that I have a problem prying myself away from home.

Farmerdoug

I think you and me must be two peas in a pod.  I built my central boiler from an old surplus Federal boiler by making conversions to accomodate wood.  Take real pride in it too.  Yearly heating bill is the price of chain saw fuel. 

Yall have a good-un.