I'd imagine even "low quality" stainless steel will hold up pretty well. And it has to at least have enough carbon in it to avoid rusting from all the water.
But WHOA BOYEEE it gonna get HOT!!! Not a bad thing per say, but as pictured there's nothing to prevent against an accidental leg brush. My firepit has a ring/lip around it that if you walk by you'll hit it first before the MUCH hotter body of the bowl itself. I feel like this needs something for a little protection. Even just a ring of very large rocks as a way to keep people away from walking too close.
And it has to at least have enough carbon in it to avoid rusting from all the water.
Incoming internet pedantry alert: It's not the carbon in steel that makes it stainless. It's the carbon that makes it steel (otherwise it would just be iron) but it's the chromium and/or nickel in the alloy that'll make it varying degrees of stainless. Or at least corrosion resistant.
Nicer washing machine drums are stainless, but cheap ones will just be porcelain coated regular old mild steel. Either way it ought to stand up to at least a couple of burns.
Remember that stainless steel is NOT completely Rosta Frei. It's merely stain - less. It can rust and stain, (the high temps in a fire doesn't help), it just takes longer than plain carbon steels. And washing machine tubs are probably going to be either 303 or more likely, 304 or similar more corrosion resistant alloys.
Yeah I'm an idiot and chose to use about 1 of my brain cells on that part of the post. I won't embarrass myself by admitting what my VERY long ago undergrad degree was in. Thanks for the correction.
Washing machines have an inner (spinning) and an outer (watertight) drum. I plan to use both for my firepit, which should allow it to be smokeless and also mitigate the "it gonna get HOT" problem.
(I haven't actually made it yet because my outer drum has some butyl tape or something I need to remove first. Anybody know the best way to do that?)
There's nothing much insulating the outer from the inner, so it'll get as hot as the fire, just with a small delay. Putting in some type of insulation would reduce that, but that complicates things and I have no idea what would work that wouldn't eventually become a fire hazard. Asbestos? lol (don't do that)
In theory, the design of a smokeless fire pit creates a convection current where cool air keeps getting drawn into the cavity from outside the fire pit. I'm sure the outer drum surface won't be cool, but it shouldn't be as hot as the inner drum either.
I cannot say for 100% surety, but they are most probably either 303SS or 304SS, (SS = Super Shit). They are among the more corrosion resistant stainless' cheaply and easily available.
It does, it’s a pretty standard thing to do around here, my father still uses the one from my great-grandmother’s washing machine, though usually you use those that have a wider opening on top.
Make sure that you drill a hole in the drum. They are full of shot to self-balance. If you heat them up with a fire the pressure inside will increase and it can explode and spray hot shot all over the place.
The tub is normally double walled and welded closed so water doesn't get in. The void has metal shot in it that shifts around to balance the drum when it spins. When you heat up a sealed metal can the air inside expands and can rupture the drum causing it to explode and spray hot shot which could ruin your day.
Basically, a really strong cone that moves around the inside of another circular, hard surface slightly off center. You dump rocks in there, and as it spins around, it opens up a small gap. The rock falls in, and then it continues to move around, crushing it. Only rocks of a certain size can fall through the larger ones get crushed.
I'm confused about the near ubiquity of fire pits, at least in the US. I mean, the world is getting hotter and hotter and people want a fire pit in their yard?
How else would you get rid of brush, weeds and scrap wood? You want to rain on someone else's parade like that, when they're reusing metal waste/parts to do something necessary and useful?
Cool fall evenings with a fire going and some friends over, maybe sharing a beer (especially if home brewed), swapping stories, just staring at the fire… I didn't even consider that it might be a culture thing here.
I was about to say there's def some kind of something on these things. So what the hell the world's on fire, our vegetables give us massive diarrhea, and all the water is going to thinking machines that don't know how to think so who the fuck cares.
They aren't painted, it is baked on enamel. Similar to the interior.of ovens and even cheap camp cookware. It should be fine. At worst, it will start popping off. Burn it the first time and don't hang out near it. If its gonna pop off, best nobody is around. After that, no more to pop off.
Actually it's really fucking hard to separate the plastic washing tub from the metal drum, then the aluminium or wht ever it is web that holds the drum to the spindle is even harder to remove. Took me 2-3 hours, however it's an awesome firepit
That's until it fills up with charcoal/ash. I've cooked many an excellent steak on such an arrangement but u need to consider airflow in the long-term.
83 replies
Does it hold up to repeated use? I alwaus thought they were kind of thin and would break down after a few good fires.
I'd imagine even "low quality" stainless steel will hold up pretty well. And it has to at least have enough carbon in it to avoid rusting from all the water.
But WHOA BOYEEE it gonna get HOT!!! Not a bad thing per say, but as pictured there's nothing to prevent against an accidental leg brush. My firepit has a ring/lip around it that if you walk by you'll hit it first before the MUCH hotter body of the bowl itself. I feel like this needs something for a little protection. Even just a ring of very large rocks as a way to keep people away from walking too close.
Incoming internet pedantry alert: It's not the carbon in steel that makes it stainless. It's the carbon that makes it steel (otherwise it would just be iron) but it's the chromium and/or nickel in the alloy that'll make it varying degrees of stainless. Or at least corrosion resistant.
Nicer washing machine drums are stainless, but cheap ones will just be porcelain coated regular old mild steel. Either way it ought to stand up to at least a couple of burns.
To be even more pedantic,
Remember that stainless steel is NOT completely Rosta Frei. It's merely stain - less. It can rust and stain, (the high temps in a fire doesn't help), it just takes longer than plain carbon steels. And washing machine tubs are probably going to be either 303 or more likely, 304 or similar more corrosion resistant alloys.
Yeah I'm an idiot and chose to use about 1 of my brain cells on that part of the post. I won't embarrass myself by admitting what my VERY long ago undergrad degree was in. Thanks for the correction.
was it in forgery?
Washing machines have an inner (spinning) and an outer (watertight) drum. I plan to use both for my firepit, which should allow it to be smokeless and also mitigate the "it gonna get HOT" problem.
(I haven't actually made it yet because my outer drum has some butyl tape or something I need to remove first. Anybody know the best way to do that?)
Fire! Remove the tape with fire!
ugh, sorry, I forgot it's the dull mens club, then I don't know.
I've considered it, but (a) it's the outer drum that (I'm hoping) won't get very hot, and (b) I'm worried that burning it off would leave a residue.
There's nothing much insulating the outer from the inner, so it'll get as hot as the fire, just with a small delay. Putting in some type of insulation would reduce that, but that complicates things and I have no idea what would work that wouldn't eventually become a fire hazard. Asbestos? lol (don't do that)
In theory, the design of a smokeless fire pit creates a convection current where cool air keeps getting drawn into the cavity from outside the fire pit. I'm sure the outer drum surface won't be cool, but it shouldn't be as hot as the inner drum either.
Yeah, tbh, I've never looked at the metallurgical composition of a washer drum... I honestly always kind of assumed they were aluminum.
I cannot say for 100% surety, but they are most probably either 303SS or 304SS, (SS = Super Shit). They are among the more corrosion resistant stainless' cheaply and easily available.
Me too, and the first thought was melting point. But I guess they'd have to be steel to hold the weight they do.
Remember, appliances are typically made out of the cheapest crap possible. Aluminum costs more than steel.
Almost all washing machine tubs are enalemed steel or stainless steel.
For the first 20 + years of my live this was my families way to do any BBQ. Ours had a bigger opening, so that you could hang a gridiron above.
It does, it’s a pretty standard thing to do around here, my father still uses the one from my great-grandmother’s washing machine, though usually you use those that have a wider opening on top.
Make sure that you drill a hole in the drum. They are full of shot to self-balance. If you heat them up with a fire the pressure inside will increase and it can explode and spray hot shot all over the place.
That's what she said
😂😂😂
I don't understand.
The tub is normally double walled and welded closed so water doesn't get in. The void has metal shot in it that shifts around to balance the drum when it spins. When you heat up a sealed metal can the air inside expands and can rupture the drum causing it to explode and spray hot shot which could ruin your day.
What if I like pipebombs?
Then it's never going to go boom for you
woa-ah black betty
Only the most rabid pipe bomb aficionados like to be on the recieving end of them.
To add to what homie said, "shot" is a bunch of small metal pellets. Like "shotgun".
Thank you, I was scratching my head trying to figure out if they meant metal 'shot into' or a misspelling of metal 'shit'.
Every American knows this from birth.
Yeah, not proud of it though.
can confirm o7
Yes they do
Work great, but they don't last very long as burn barrels/pits thanks to the thin metal and the haevy rusting that occurs.
Took like 7 years for the last one I had to rust out. Home Depot's was shit after a month. Ymmv
Actually looks better than most store bought ones too
So do crusher cones.
What's a crusher cone??
The classy kinda lady you gotta romance first.
Sidebar: I really want to grill on that shit…
Basically, a really strong cone that moves around the inside of another circular, hard surface slightly off center. You dump rocks in there, and as it spins around, it opens up a small gap. The rock falls in, and then it continues to move around, crushing it. Only rocks of a certain size can fall through the larger ones get crushed.
It’s a cone that goes in a crusher.
Does what it says on the tin. Don't know what the confusion is.
Heyyy, I have one of these as well. Very nice firepit they are.
Have you ever gotten yours glowing red?
Yas, that's how you develop patina.
The lower portion where the metal is thinner, yes. But not the upper thicker section. The setting it is in has the seating too close that.
I'm confused about the near ubiquity of fire pits, at least in the US. I mean, the world is getting hotter and hotter and people want a fire pit in their yard?
How else would you get rid of brush, weeds and scrap wood? You want to rain on someone else's parade like that, when they're reusing metal waste/parts to do something necessary and useful?
Cool fall evenings with a fire going and some friends over, maybe sharing a beer (especially if home brewed), swapping stories, just staring at the fire… I didn't even consider that it might be a culture thing here.
If I had a patio I'd have a fire pit
It's a thing here in Germany too but only in rural areas. I've only ever been at one private gathering with a proper fire pit.
Burning wood is theoretically carbon neutral as long as the trees are replaced or already dead
edit: or if you're asking why make fire when it's hot, the answer is that some places, sometimes, are cold
Yeah, it's so they can remain hot when the sun does down
watch fire burn = FUN
I prefer dry stacked bricks, a bit less hot to accidentally touch the edge.
I like to keep the door window as a pyrex salad bowl
And did you bring the smores kit???
You’re thinking of ![email protected]. That’s just along the corridor.
you got my hopes up you monster
Do savoury smores with cheese.
Graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate and cheese? Sounds 🤔 interesting, hold my beer....
Made sure it's the cinnamon graham crackers. Gives it texture and flavor.
Cottage cheese.
Be careful doing that sort of thing with this, it looks like there's paint on there to me.
I was about to say there's def some kind of something on these things. So what the hell the world's on fire, our vegetables give us massive diarrhea, and all the water is going to thinking machines that don't know how to think so who the fuck cares.
They aren't painted, it is baked on enamel. Similar to the interior.of ovens and even cheap camp cookware. It should be fine. At worst, it will start popping off. Burn it the first time and don't hang out near it. If its gonna pop off, best nobody is around. After that, no more to pop off.
That's good to know
I can build it. I have the technology!
Actually it's really fucking hard to separate the plastic washing tub from the metal drum, then the aluminium or wht ever it is web that holds the drum to the spindle is even harder to remove. Took me 2-3 hours, however it's an awesome firepit
Why have I never thought of this. I even have a dead washer in my basement I was unsure what to do with.
I might be re-provisioning it's drum.
Hopefully this post will drum up some encouragement for you to do this
Zero waste! Love to see it.
Washer dryer combo.
Like a diy solo. People forget the first two part of RRR are reduce and REUSE. Love repurposed stuff, and this is a great way to do just that.
My old boyscout leader had a set up like this.
We had one in scouts for a few years, it was legitimately amazing. Had to be careful not to touch though.
Used crusher cones are awesome.
They also make really great compost bins.
But bad companion cubes
You burn the companion cube in the wash tub, or you can't continue.
That's an excellent idea! I would think a dryer drum would work for this also.
Except refueling. Cut the upper half out on the side?
The big hole already there is fine for refuelling
That's until it fills up with charcoal/ash. I've cooked many an excellent steak on such an arrangement but u need to consider airflow in the long-term.