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.
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.
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.
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 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
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?
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.
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?
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 Comments
Big_Boss_77@fedinsfw.app · 77 pts · 24d
Does it hold up to repeated use? I alwaus thought they were kind of thin and would break down after a few good fires.
jumperalex@lemmy.world · 63 pts · 24d
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.
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world · 98 pts · 24d
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.
jumperalex@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 23d
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.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 22d
was it in forgery?
Bluewing@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 21d
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.
grue@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 24d
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?)
toofpic@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 23d
Fire! Remove the tape with fire!
ugh, sorry, I forgot it's the dull mens club, then I don't know.
grue@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 23d
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.
Rhaedas@fedia.io · 6 pts · 23d
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)
grue@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 23d
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.
Big_Boss_77@fedinsfw.app · 12 pts · 24d
Yeah, tbh, I've never looked at the metallurgical composition of a washer drum... I honestly always kind of assumed they were aluminum.
Rhaedas@fedia.io · 3 pts · 23d
Me too, and the first thought was melting point. But I guess they'd have to be steel to hold the weight they do.
blargh513@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 23d
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.
Bluewing@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 21d
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.
Gloomy@mander.xyz · 4 pts · 22d
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.
SorryQuick@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 23d
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.
MapleEngineer@lemmy.world · 52 pts · 23d
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.
krashmo@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 23d
That's what she said
happysplinter@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 23d
😂😂😂
IAmYouButYouDontKnowYet@reddthat.com · 5 pts · 23d
I don't understand.
MapleEngineer@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 23d
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.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 14 pts · 23d
What if I like pipebombs?
tetris11@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 23d
woa-ah black betty
Burninator05@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 23d
Only the most rabid pipe bomb aficionados like to be on the recieving end of them.
Bluewing@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 21d
Then it's never going to go boom for you
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 31 pts · 23d
To add to what homie said, "shot" is a bunch of small metal pellets. Like "shotgun".
Jax@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 23d
Thank you, I was scratching my head trying to figure out if they meant metal 'shot into' or a misspelling of metal 'shit'.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 22d
Every American knows this from birth.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 22d
Yeah, not proud of it though.
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca · 36 pts · 24d
Actually looks better than most store bought ones too
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 23d
Work great, but they don't last very long as burn barrels/pits thanks to the thin metal and the haevy rusting that occurs.
PillBugTheGreat@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 23d
Took like 7 years for the last one I had to rust out. Home Depot's was shit after a month. Ymmv
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 25 pts · 24d
So do crusher cones.
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 20 pts · 23d
What's a crusher cone??
mrthree@piefed.social · 12 pts · 23d
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.
CaliforniaSober@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 23d
The classy kinda lady you gotta romance first.
Sidebar: I really want to grill on that shit…
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 8 pts · 23d
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 2 pts · 23d
It’s a cone that goes in a crusher.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 22d
Does what it says on the tin. Don't know what the confusion is.
PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 24d
Heyyy, I have one of these as well. Very nice firepit they are.
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 5 pts · 24d
Have you ever gotten yours glowing red?
PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 24d
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.
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 20d
Yas, that's how you develop patina.
WandowsVista@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 23d
can confirm o7
Quicky@piefed.social · 18 pts · 23d
Yes they do
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 24d
And did you bring the smores kit???
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 24d
You’re thinking of !exciting_club@lemmy.world. That’s just along the corridor.
tetris11@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 23d
you got my hopes up you monster
Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 24d
Do savoury smores with cheese.
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 24d
Graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate and cheese? Sounds 🤔 interesting, hold my beer....
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 23d
Made sure it's the cinnamon graham crackers. Gives it texture and flavor.
TIEPilot@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 24d
Cottage cheese.
drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 24d
Be careful doing that sort of thing with this, it looks like there's paint on there to me.
WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 23d
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.
blargh513@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 23d
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.
WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 23d
That's good to know
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 11 pts · 23d
I prefer dry stacked bricks, a bit less hot to accidentally touch the edge.
Reverendender@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 23d
I can build it. I have the technology!
Theoriginalthon@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 23d
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
tigermountain@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 23d
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?
Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 17 pts · 23d
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
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 22d
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
zqps@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 22d
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.
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 23d
Yeah, it's so they can remain hot when the sun does down
kestrel7_7@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 23d
watch fire burn = FUN
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 20d
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?
Pika@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 24d
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.
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 23d
Hopefully this post will drum up some encouragement for you to do this
ApeNo1@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 23d
Washer dryer combo.
ndupont@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 23d
I like to keep the door window as a pyrex salad bowl
Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 24d
My old boyscout leader had a set up like this.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 23d
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.
billionsandbillions@piefed.social · 4 pts · 24d
They also make really great compost bins.
tetris11@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 23d
But bad companion cubes
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 22d
You burn the companion cube in the wash tub, or you can't continue.
Baggie@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 23d
We had one in scouts for a few years, it was legitimately amazing. Had to be careful not to touch though.
ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 23d
Used crusher cones are awesome.
Echolynx@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 22d
Zero waste! Love to see it.
watson387@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 24d
That's an excellent idea! I would think a dryer drum would work for this also.
muntedcrocodile@hilariouschaos.com · 1 pts · 24d
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.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 23d
Except refueling. Cut the upper half out on the side?
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 23d
The big hole already there is fine for refuelling