How to Build a 55-Gallon Drum Rotisserie

A hobbyist proudly showing off his homemade rotisserie.

Ever since GIs started returning from overseas in the late '60s there have been all sorts of innovations in outdoor grilling and cooking. They learned this by using whatever materials they could cobble together. Empty fuel drums were prominent among these materials. No doubt you've scene meat smokers and grills made out of 55-gallon drums; they're not all that difficult or expensive to make. It is rare to find a rotisserie made out of such materials, though. For those not familiar with the difference, a grill has a plain metal grating upon which cooking meat sits, while a rotisserie has the meat on a turning spit over a heat source. A 55-gallon drum rotisserie takes a little innovation to put together, but once you've cooked with one, you'll wonder how you ever went without one.

Things You'll Need

• 55-gallon drum
• Measuring tape
• Welding torch
• Bench vice
• Bench grinder
• 4-foot length of rebar
• 4-inch diameter cutting wheel
• 24 feet of 1 by 2-inch steel or iron bar

Instructions

1. Make sure the interior of the drum is clean of all residues. You don't want it to catch fire if it was used to hold oil or explosive fuel. Once this is done, use your cutting wheel to cut the drum in half lengthwise, so you've got two halves roughly 3 by 2 feet.

2. Set the drums aside and measure out two 4-foot lengths of steel bar and two 2-foot lengths of steel bar. Cut them using your cutting wheel and then use your bench grinder to smooth the edges so there are no sharp spots or metal burs to cut yourself on.

3. Lay the metal bars down flat to form a rectangle, making sure the ends overlap at least an inch. Use your welding torch to affix them together. It is imperative that this framework not fall apart, so test it by dropping it and trying to pull it apart. If it passes muster set it aside.

4. Measure and cut four more 2-foot lengths of metal bar. Grind the edges smooth. Secure an inch of one end on each bar in your bench vice and bend the bars at a rough 45-degree angle. Just to clarify, you should have an inch of each bar bent at a 45-degree angle from the rest of the bars' lengths.

5. Flip over your steel rectangle and place one of your bent 2-foot lengths at each end. The bent inch of metal on your 2-foot lengths should be flat against each of the four corners. Weld them firmly into place and then flip the framework over so it is now standing off the ground on its legs.

6. Place one of the drum halves into the metal framework. Essentially what you've made is a cradle. Weld the steel drum into place on the cradle. The steel drum is now a fire pit into which wood or charcoal can be placed when it is used.

7. Measure and cut two 3-foot lengths of metal bar and place them standing erect at the top and bottom of the steel drum half. Weld them into place. These are the arms that will hold the spit up. Make the holders in which the spit will sit by cutting two 2-inch lengths of metal and bending them in half at 90-degree angles. Weld them on the arms roughly 2 1/2 feet above the top lip of the drum.

8. Make the spit by using your bench grinder to smooth and clean the entire length of the rebar. Measure it 3 feet from one end and fit that point into your bench vice. Bend the bar at a 9-degree angle so you've got a 3-foot long spit and a foot-long crank. Bend the crank in half to create a 6-inch long handle. Fit the spit into the holders to complete your rotisserie.

Tips & Warnings

• Always make sure your rotisserie is used outdoors and well clear of any flammable objects or property.