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.

thanks

i

On 12 Jul 2004 16:42:37 GMT, 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.

thanks

i

?????

It'd be nice to have more info as to your situation, amount of land,
amount of brush to be burnt, close fire hazards, etc. In order to
provide a better answer.

However, a decent general purpose burning barrel can be made from a
steel drum pretty easily.

1. Take off the top. One line of thought is to cut it off below the
rim (top seam). I prefer to keep that top rim for the added strenght.
And just cut out the top plate. Using a reasonably sharp hand axe and
hammer/hand sledge. When done, I fold down sharp edges using large
channel locks.

2. Using same hand axe and hammer, I put a couple to 4 small holes
right above, touching the bottom rim. Not air holes. Drain holes.
To let water drain out if barrel is left in the rain.

3. Starting at about 6 inches from bottom rim, I form air holes.
Using axe and hammer. Holding axe blade cocked so that corner of
blade is driven in to form wedge shaped hole. I make 4 evenly spaced
holed around barrel at the 6 inch height mark. Do same at the 1/3 and
2/3 of full height levels. Forming air hole on second ring of holes
(1/3 height mark) so they're offset from holes at 6 inch mark. Then
offsetting holes at 2/3 height mark from those at 1/3 height level.

Holes need not be huge. In fact, very large has it's disadvantages.
Makes for a faster, more fierce burn, which is harder to control and
tends to cause a LOT of sparks and burning embers to be thrown off out
of the top of the barrel. Not good. Add, the larger the holes, the
worse the problem with hot ashes falling out of air holes. Generally
I make air holes wedge shaped, about an inch wide at top, sides of
inverted trinagle coming together about 2-3 inches down.

Do air holes get clogged? Yep. I keep large 24 inch lenght flat tip
screw driver or hunk of iron rebar handy. Occassionally ram into air
holes which seem clogged, jiggle around to clear hole.

4. Then I usually get some 1/8 or 1/4 thick expanded metal plate
(it's like a grid or grate). I usually go over to a place I know that
makes trailers and fixes farm stuff. They've always got a large
supply of all sorts of metal plate, expanded metal, angle iron, and so
forth. Buy a 2 by 2 foot hunk of expanded steel plate. And a hunk of
flat bar. Cut expanded metal to fit barrel. Bend flat bar around and
cut to fit. Weld bar to expanded metal. Use a little extra flat bar
to make handy handle.

I also buy hunk of 1/8 or 3/16 solid plate and attach rim and handle
it. To make a solid cover. To help snuff and cover flames.

Expanded metal cover comes in handy if material being burned tends to
throw off large hunks of hot, but light stuff. ie Leaves, paper, etc.
I don't have the problem of some who live in areas where lot of
vegetation grows, but which then dries out a lot and is a really
touchy fire hazard. A few small embers being tossed off fire around
here isn't a problem. But I don't want large, flaming floaters being
tossed about.

Shrug A pretty simple method. I could get fancier. But this
method is easy and cheap. Has worked well for me for years. And I've
made numerous copies for friends.

Now, I've seen guys get fancy. And make adjustable air flow grates
via one method and another. To allow more or less air. Seen
everything from regular air grate with sliding metal cover to open
holes smaller or large. To a guy down the road who took time to weld
several short pipe nipples onto barrel in different locations. He
screws on or removes pipe caps to adjust air flow. Or there is an old
guy, dead now, I used to know who'd made some crude and rough, long
"corks" outta some extra fire brick he had about the place. Would
remove or shove in firebrick "corks" to increase or decrease air flow.
And thus firing rate.

Shrug My method works for me. I control firing rate via amount of
fuel added.

Holes at different levels, on all sides of barrel makes for good all
around burn. I don't have problem of collecting partially burned
material in some dead air space or area of poor air circulation. When
I burn, when done, all I've got is fine, well burnt ashes left.

Best to start burning slowly til you have a good feel for how large
flames will get in given situations of wind and fuel combinations.
People usually get in trouble when they push it, get in a hurry.
And/or don't keep eye on barrel and leave it unattended for
significant periods of time.

I have a set place for my barrel. Away from house and other
structures. I kept predominant wind direction in mind when picking
spot. Keep grass and other vegetation away in 3 foot area around
barrel. And have a water hose strung nearby and ready if needed.

You'll probably get other ideas. Undoubtedly some better than mine.
But I deliberately don't make mine fancy. Gets used a lot. And every
few years barrel needs replaced. Or, at least I think it does. I
don't wait for walls to get real thin. Finding a new barrel just
requires asking about. Cutting out top, and punching in new holes
takes little time. My solid cover and expanded metal cover have both
outlasted several barrels.

Bob

Thanks!

i

In article , Bob G wrote:
On 12 Jul 2004 16:42:37 GMT, 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.

thanks

i

?????

It'd be nice to have more info as to your situation, amount of land,
amount of brush to be burnt, close fire hazards, etc. In order to
provide a better answer.

However, a decent general purpose burning barrel can be made from a
steel drum pretty easily.

1. Take off the top. One line of thought is to cut it off below the
rim (top seam). I prefer to keep that top rim for the added strenght.
And just cut out the top plate. Using a reasonably sharp hand axe and
hammer/hand sledge. When done, I fold down sharp edges using large
channel locks.

2. Using same hand axe and hammer, I put a couple to 4 small holes
right above, touching the bottom rim. Not air holes. Drain holes.
To let water drain out if barrel is left in the rain.

3. Starting at about 6 inches from bottom rim, I form air holes.
Using axe and hammer. Holding axe blade cocked so that corner of
blade is driven in to form wedge shaped hole. I make 4 evenly spaced
holed around barrel at the 6 inch height mark. Do same at the 1/3 and
2/3 of full height levels. Forming air hole on second ring of holes
(1/3 height mark) so they're offset from holes at 6 inch mark. Then
offsetting holes at 2/3 height mark from those at 1/3 height level.

Holes need not be huge. In fact, very large has it's disadvantages.
Makes for a faster, more fierce burn, which is harder to control and
tends to cause a LOT of sparks and burning embers to be thrown off out
of the top of the barrel. Not good. Add, the larger the holes, the
worse the problem with hot ashes falling out of air holes. Generally
I make air holes wedge shaped, about an inch wide at top, sides of
inverted trinagle coming together about 2-3 inches down.

Do air holes get clogged? Yep. I keep large 24 inch lenght flat tip
screw driver or hunk of iron rebar handy. Occassionally ram into air
holes which seem clogged, jiggle around to clear hole.

4. Then I usually get some 1/8 or 1/4 thick expanded metal plate
(it's like a grid or grate). I usually go over to a place I know that
makes trailers and fixes farm stuff. They've always got a large
supply of all sorts of metal plate, expanded metal, angle iron, and so
forth. Buy a 2 by 2 foot hunk of expanded steel plate. And a hunk of
flat bar. Cut expanded metal to fit barrel. Bend flat bar around and
cut to fit. Weld bar to expanded metal. Use a little extra flat bar
to make handy handle.

I also buy hunk of 1/8 or 3/16 solid plate and attach rim and handle
it. To make a solid cover. To help snuff and cover flames.

Expanded metal cover comes in handy if material being burned tends to
throw off large hunks of hot, but light stuff. ie Leaves, paper, etc.
I don't have the problem of some who live in areas where lot of
vegetation grows, but which then dries out a lot and is a really
touchy fire hazard. A few small embers being tossed off fire around
here isn't a problem. But I don't want large, flaming floaters being
tossed about.

Shrug A pretty simple method. I could get fancier. But this
method is easy and cheap. Has worked well for me for years. And I've
made numerous copies for friends.

Now, I've seen guys get fancy. And make adjustable air flow grates
via one method and another. To allow more or less air. Seen
everything from regular air grate with sliding metal cover to open
holes smaller or large. To a guy down the road who took time to weld
several short pipe nipples onto barrel in different locations. He
screws on or removes pipe caps to adjust air flow. Or there is an old
guy, dead now, I used to know who'd made some crude and rough, long
"corks" outta some extra fire brick he had about the place. Would
remove or shove in firebrick "corks" to increase or decrease air flow.
And thus firing rate.

Shrug My method works for me. I control firing rate via amount of
fuel added.

Holes at different levels, on all sides of barrel makes for good all
around burn. I don't have problem of collecting partially burned
material in some dead air space or area of poor air circulation. When
I burn, when done, all I've got is fine, well burnt ashes left.

Best to start burning slowly til you have a good feel for how large
flames will get in given situations of wind and fuel combinations.
People usually get in trouble when they push it, get in a hurry.
And/or don't keep eye on barrel and leave it unattended for
significant periods of time.

I have a set place for my barrel. Away from house and other
structures. I kept predominant wind direction in mind when picking
spot. Keep grass and other vegetation away in 3 foot area around
barrel. And have a water hose strung nearby and ready if needed.

You'll probably get other ideas. Undoubtedly some better than mine.
But I deliberately don't make mine fancy. Gets used a lot. And every
few years barrel needs replaced. Or, at least I think it does. I
don't wait for walls to get real thin. Finding a new barrel just
requires asking about. Cutting out top, and punching in new holes
takes little time. My solid cover and expanded metal cover have both
outlasted several barrels.

Bob

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.

The CDC has guidelines on building a 'drum' incinerator in their
'Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers' Manual - this manual is designed for use
in Low-Tech situations as might be found in a Third-World setting, or
more specifically, in remote African locales threatened by Ebola.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/m.../vhfmanual.htm

The above webpage has specific chapters and annexes/appendices of the
manual available as separate HTML and PDF downloads, or you can
download the lot in one go as a PDF document.

Chapter you want is 'Annex 10', down the bottom of the page - the
above webpage states 'Annex 9', but the pictures are in the 'Community
Information Posters' section in the Annex 10 webpage.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/m...al/annex10.htm
This page has the step by step pictorial instructions.

I think ALL survival-minded people should print this CDC document out,
as it contains a LOT of good 'Do-It-Yourself' info - including how to
make your own hospital masks and gowns.

--
Yours, DBM -
From Somewhere in Australia, the Land of Tree-hugging Funnelwebs...

On 14 Jul 2004 10:38:07 -0700, (Fred Walter)
wrote:

However never ever use a metal shelf from a fridge,
because some of those are supposed to give off poisonous fumes when heated.

They are often galvanized (old ones)..after the first burn, the zinc
is burned out and they are safe to use. Just stay up wind on the first
burn. And its not all that bad..welders hate welding galv. but in
small doses it only makes you think you are going to die G

Gunner

"The entire population of Great Britain has been declared insane by
their government. It is believed that should any one of them come in
possession of a firearm, he will immediately start to foam at the
mouth and begin kiling children at the nearest school. The proof of
their insanity is that they actually believe this."
-- someone in misc.survivalism

"DBM" wrote in message
...

The CDC has guidelines on building a 'drum' incinerator in their
'Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers' Manual - this manual is designed for use
in Low-Tech situations as might be found in a Third-World setting, or
more specifically, in remote African locales threatened by Ebola.

LOL I guess that makes rural Missouri pretty close to third-world since most
country folks have themselves a "burnie barrel" or two. It sure beats
paying $45 a quarter for some city fella to come and collect our garbage,
and one thing for sure, no stranger is getting ahold of "personal
information" that they could use for identity theft.

Country life is good.

Em

In article ,
Gunner wrote:

Regarding the 'sig' below:

.... it just might be that the British gov't is right. Consider how the
'hooligans' behave at the soccer matches. When they travel to the
Continent for tournament matches, the foreign cities turn out complete
riot squads of police to deal with the English fans .. consider what it
would be like if these people had guns??

Hehehe .. just food for thought.


Gunner

"The entire population of Great Britain has been declared insane by
their government. It is believed that should any one of them come in
possession of a firearm, he will immediately start to foam at the
mouth and begin kiling children at the nearest school. The proof of
their insanity is that they actually believe this."
-- someone in misc.survivalism
--
Reply to: allen-at-graybyrd.com

I've run across the suggestion (many times) that the enamelled spin tub
from an old top-loading washing machine makes an excellent fire pit. It
should hold to heat and ashes about as well as the bottom half of an
enamelled Weber bbq kettle, no?

Gray
--
Reply to: allen-at-graybyrd.com

It's idiotic to plan to make a 55-gallon drum into a firepit.

(I thought the thread was a joke, but then people began contributing
silly ideas, advice about whether $5 was too much to pay, about whether
$8 was the righ price, etc.)

Fact is, a 55-gal drum is too high for social uses. It's the right
height for Detroit or Chicago ******s and Mexicans to stand around,
burning used pallets and breathing in that pressure-treated lumber
aroma.

For white people, a fire pit should be a sociable height. And white
people presumably _own_ the property they are building the firepit on,
as opposed to the skanks and addicts setting fires in 55-gal drums to
keep warm on cold Detroit and Chicago nights.

A firepit in a backyard can easily be made of just a dozen or fewer
cinderblocks, arranged in a circle. Or bricks, for a fancier setup.

This produces a fire at a sociable height, where people are in lawn
chairs or whatever. Not like a bunch of ******s rubbing their hands
around a 55-gal drum where old transformers are being burned.

Are you unemployed people all going ****** on us?

--Tim May

Graybyrd wrote:

Regarding the 'sig' below:

... it just might be that the British gov't is right. Consider how the
'hooligans' behave at the soccer matches. When they travel to the
Continent for tournament matches, the foreign cities turn out complete
riot squads of police to deal with the English fans .. consider what it
would be like if these people had guns??

Hehehe .. just food for thought.

And... How many of these fans would be left if the locals had guns?

Tim May wrote:

It's idiotic to plan to make a 55-gallon drum into a firepit.

(I thought the thread was a joke, but then people began contributing
silly ideas, advice about whether $5 was too much to pay, about whether
$8 was the righ price, etc.)

Fact is, a 55-gal drum is too high for social uses. It's the right
height for Detroit or Chicago ******s and Mexicans to stand around,
burning used pallets and breathing in that pressure-treated lumber
aroma.

I think he is talking about a plain old "burn barrel". Ifso, a 55gal
drum is a bit narrow for random brush clippings, which tend to be too
long and fall out when the bottom part burns away.

If you cut off a third of an oil drum just beyond the rib, you can bend
half the rib down to give a doubled edge. Makes it a bit safer to have
around. A third of a barrel is about the right height for a campfire,
after you put a layer of gravel in the bottem. Need some holes to let
the rainwater out.

Bad news. I called our fire department and they pretty much said that
a firepit like that would be illegal here. So is burning brush. What a
bummer. I can understand them, sort of, from a fire safety
perspective, but I am upset.

Since I already have some not so kosher things on my property
(chickens), I would prefer not to attract attention to myself.

I hoped to have a firepit in the drum because it would be fun and
practicable to burn stuff, but, it would attract too much attention.
Plus, it would remind me of our summer house where I spent my
childhood summers.

The sad part of livings amongst "uptight" white people obsessed with
"property values", I guess.

I will probably buy some UL listed cute firepit in the fall, when they
become available, even though a barrel would be much better for me.

I really like the smell of burning brush and leaves.

i

In article , Auntie Em wrote:
"DBM" wrote in message
...

The CDC has guidelines on building a 'drum' incinerator in their
'Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers' Manual - this manual is designed for use
in Low-Tech situations as might be found in a Third-World setting, or
more specifically, in remote African locales threatened by Ebola.

LOL I guess that makes rural Missouri pretty close to third-world since most
country folks have themselves a "burnie barrel" or two. It sure beats
paying $45 a quarter for some city fella to come and collect our garbage,
and one thing for sure, no stranger is getting ahold of "personal
information" that they could use for identity theft.

Country life is good.

Em



I am so ****ing envious, my chickens live here in hiding, like Jews
hiding during holocaust, I cannot have a goat, a burn barrel, shoot
raccoons with a rifle, etc etc... How upsetting. Yes, I know that
"I must accept personal responsibility for not living where I want",
etc etc, but, well, I am still longing for a less constrained life.

i

"Ignoramus23926" wrote in message
...
In article , Auntie Em wrote:
"DBM" wrote in message
...

The CDC has guidelines on building a 'drum' incinerator in their
'Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers' Manual - this manual is designed for
use
in Low-Tech situations as might be found in a Third-World setting,
or
more specifically, in remote African locales threatened by Ebola.

LOL I guess that makes rural Missouri pretty close to third-world
since most
country folks have themselves a "burnie barrel" or two. It sure
beats
paying $45 a quarter for some city fella to come and collect our
garbage,
and one thing for sure, no stranger is getting ahold of "personal
information" that they could use for identity theft.

Country life is good.

Em



I am so ****ing envious, my chickens live here in hiding, like Jews
hiding during holocaust, I cannot have a goat, a burn barrel, shoot
raccoons with a rifle, etc etc... How upsetting. Yes, I know that
"I must accept personal responsibility for not living where I want",
etc etc, but, well, I am still longing for a less constrained life.

i

I feel your pain. I grew up in a semi-rural area, but ended up living
in the city for close to twenty years (if you count my college years).
I don't think we could have hidden chickens on that tiny postage stamp
we had.


Ray Drouillard