How to Build a Charcoal Grill With a 55-Gallon Drum
You can make a functional charcoal grill using a 55-gallon drum that was once used to store food. It is important that you use a barrel that was used for food and not oil, gasoline or another toxic material. This is a good way to reuse something and turn it into something useful. Backyard grilling with charcoal is a pleasurable way to cook food in the warmer months of the year, and what better way to grill than on something that you created? Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Food-safe 55-gallon drum
- Wax pencil
- Drill
- 1/4-inch drill bit
- Reciprocating saw, with metal cutting blade
- Steel mesh panel, 26- by 26-inch
- Metal snips
- 4 cement blocks
Instructions
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1
Place the 55-gallon drum on a work surface. Draw a circle around the circumference of the barrel 18 inches up from the bottom using a wax pencil.
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2
Drill a hole through the barrel just above the pencil line with a 1/4-inch drill bit.
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3
Insert the blade of the reciprocating saw through the hole in the barrel and saw around the barrel along the pencil line until the barrel is separated in two. Set the top half aside from the barrel.
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4
Drill a series of 1/4-inch holes through the barrel approximately 6 inches up from the bottom every 6 to 8 inches around the circumference of the barrel. These provide ventilation for the grill.
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5
Center the steel mesh panel over the top of the barrel. Cut the mesh to fit around the barrel with the metal snips.
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6
Position the cement blocks in the desired location for the grill. Place the barrel on top of the blocks. Adjust the blocks evenly underneath the barrel.
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Tips & Warnings
Clean out the bottom of the barrel after each use, and place new charcoal into the bottom.
Wear eye protection when operating power tools.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
