Ignoramus32482 wrote:
Thanks to all, I found a place that will give me a used steel drum,
hopefully all will go well. I need it to make a "firepit" to burn
brush and such. What would be a good way to do it, to make an safe and
efficient firepit.

The first burn barrel that I made, I used a hammer and chisel to remove
the top of the barrel. I chiselled inside the lip, because I figured
that lip helps make the barrel stronger (and last longer).
I used a drill+1/2" drill bit to put a lot of holes in the bottom
of the barrel, and in the sides of the barrel.
I then set the barrel up on concrete blocks.

This worked fine for me for a few years, until I tried burning a bus seat.
Normally, the hotter the fire, the more complete the burn, but that bus seat
burned really *really* hot, and wrecked the barrel on me.

The next burn barrel I made, I chiselled out the top of the barrel.
This time I didn't feel like spending a bunch of time drilling holes,
so I grabbed the largest caliber rifle that I had, and shot the heck
out of the bottom of the barrel, and the sides. It was a lot more fun
shooting holes than drilling holes. I then used a grinder to smooth off
the exit holes, so it wouldn't be so obvious how I made the holes.
(I don't want my visiters to think I'm a guntoting redneck, eh?).
This burn barrel is working quite well for me.

As other people have said, keep it away from trees, and keep the grass
trimmed around it. Currently my burn barrel is sitting on bare earth,
that I rototilled a bunch of times. I also have a metal grate, from a BBQ,
that I put over the top of the barrel, to minimize the size of any embers/etc
that escape from the barrel. A wire metal shelf from a stove would have
worked just as well. However never ever use a metal shelf from a fridge,
because some of those are supposed to give off poisonous fumes when heated.