How to Build a Grill From an Oil Drum

Make a grill from an oil drum.

Oil drums, once emptied, take up space without serving much purpose. Recycle an empty oil drum by building your own grill. One standard size oil drum will provide two basins to make into a grill. If you are a handy person, you may even have all of the parts needed already. The benefits of a recycled oil drum grill are the large grilling surface as well as the cost efficiency, not to mention the satisfaction of cooking on a grill you've made with your own two hands.

Things You'll Need

• Reciprocating saw with steel cutter blades
• 1 ½ inch angled iron
• G clamps
• Welding mask
• Welder
• Stationary clamps
• Wire mesh
• Wire clippers
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Cut into the oil drum lengthwise and around the drum, using a reciprocating saw with steel cutter blades. You will end up with two tall halves of the drum.

2. Line up two lengths of 1 ½ inch angled iron, one 4 ½ feet and the other of 2 ½ feet, so the corners at one end of each piece are touching. The pieces should form a large 'L' shape when aligned properly. Use a G clamp to hold the iron together.

3. Add another piece of 4 ½ feet long angled iron parallel to the first piece with the same length and secure this with a g clamp as well to create a 'U' shape. Attach an additional length of 2 ½ feet of iron to the ends of each of the longer pieces and clamp it in place. You should now have a large rectangle.

4. Put on a welding mask and weld each of the corners of the angled iron together with a welder. Let the metal cool and then remove the clamps that hold them together.

5. Lay the welded frame on the ground and weld four equal-length angled iron bars to each corner of the frame. These pieces will be the legs and should stick out vertically from the ground. Determine the length of the legs by how high you would like the grill to be. Weld the legs of the grill unto the frame.

6. Attach a cross-member onto the legs to stabilize the grill assembly. Secure the cross-member bars on the two ends of the grill assembly with clamps. Then weld the cross-member onto the legs.

7. Turn the frame over and drop one half of the cut oil drum into the frame. The inside of the drum should be facing upward. Weld the corners of the oil drum onto the frame to secure it in place.

8. Lay wire mesh over the oil drum and trim the edges along the short sides with wire clippers. Trim the short sides right up to the side of oil drum. The long sides should have some overhang of wire.

9. Insert the wire mesh into a row of stationary clamps along one of the long edge of the drum. Bend the wire until you create a 90-degree fold. Bang the wire down with a hammer, if it is difficult to bend it with your hand. Remove the wire and do the same to the other long edge. The wire will now snap right on the rim of the drum.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear heavy work gloves when working on this project.

References

• TV Lesson: How to Build and Oil Drum BBQ