How to Build a Cool Fire Pit

Fire pits come in all styles.

Summers, among other seasons, are meant for lounging around fire pits, talking with old friends and, perhaps, roasting a marshmallow or two. Fire pits don't have to cost an arm and a leg. Home improvement centers sell fancy, expensive fire pits ranging from brass to ceramic styles, but with minimal expense and good old-fashioned ingenuity, you can have a cool fire pit. Create a fire pit from an old washing machine drum, thus recycling a piece of steel that would normally sit in a landfill, and have a cool gathering place for you and your friends.

Things You'll Need

• Washing machine drum
• Measuring tape
• Shovel
• Sand, about 1 lb.
• Bricks or large stones

Instructions

1. Select a place for your fire pit that is away from a house or building and any pet areas that might attract a domesticated animal.

2. 

   Measure the diameter of the washing machine drum.

   Measure the diameter of the washing machine drum with a measuring tape. Washing machine drums can be purchased at salvage yards or junkyards, and sometimes can be purchased at appliance repair stores and home improvement stores. Call around if you don't have access to a junkyard or landfill available to the public.

3. Dig a hole 12 inches deep and 2 inches wider than the diameter of your washing machine drum. Flatten the bottom of the hole as much as possible for easier drum installation. Make sure you don't dig in an area marked by gas or other cable lines. Call your natural gas or cable company if you are uncertain.

4. 

   Dig a hole with a shovel.

   Insert the washing machine drum into the hole by twisting it into place.

5. Pour the sand into the drum, smoothing it along the bottom of the drum.

6. 

   Place bricks or stones on the ground around the washing machine drum.

   Place bricks or large stones in the form of a ring around the outside of the washing machine drum along the ground surface. The holes in the washing machine drum make excellent heat dispersal vents.

Tips & Warnings

• For grilling, place an old grill top across the top of the washing machine drum fire pit. Use pot holders to remove the grill when it's hot.

• These fire pits can also be constructed with the washing machine drum placed on top of a foundation of six to eight cinder blocks if you don't want to dig a hole.

• Always keep a hose or a sand or water supply close in the event of a rapid-spreading fire. High winds can kick up rapid-spreading fire. Always be alert to the burn bans in your county during hot, dry summer months.

References

• Firepit and Grilling Guru: Creative Homemade Fire Pit Ideas
• Cultivating Life with Sean Conway: Winter Fire Pit