Summer Project - Backyard Firepit

[SparWeb]

(Since I'm not technically heating anything with this, except smores, I won't object to it being moved to the "Diaries".  But it's got FIRE in it, so I though I'd try!)

Here's a picture of this summer's back yard project:


Full size:  http://www.sparweb.ca/Diary/Stones/10_Fire_Pit_Lit_%28med%29.jpg

I built this pretty one to replace the ugly steel barrel that was there before.  I poured a concrete base first, then arrayed a ring of fire-bricks in a circle.  These ones are curved, to be placed in a ring.  I cemented them together and then built an outer wall of stones around that, which I think looks pretty nice. 



Here's a shot of the planning stages, where you can see the stones and bricks.  I hope you all notice that the final firepit has many flat smooth locations on top, suitable for resting beverages upon.  A crucial design element that I identified early in the design process.

Many of the stones were dug up when I trenched in a new electrical power line from the utility pole to the house, this spring.  Having all those stones is where I got the idea for the new fire pit.  Then I needed more stones to finish the job as I had planned it, which came from nearby farmers' fields.  It was a lot more work than I expected!

[klsmurf]

Very nicely done! Your eye for stone placement, and your "pointing" skills definitely show.

Kevin

[bj]

   A thing of beauty Spar.  I swiped a copy to show the better half.  We just have a chunk of 4 ft culvert that
is butt ugly, and something like that would be great.  Like you, every trench yields more and more raw materials.
   Have a feeling my masonry skills are lacking a bit though.

[SparWeb]

Thanks, guys.
Before every 80 Lb bag of mortar I spent at least an hour sizing up and fitting rocks together.  It then took about 2-3 hours to set all the stones needed to use up that bag of mortar.  I tried doing 2 bags worth of work in one day but I was totally exhausted afterward.  I think I picked up and put down every stone in the pile 5 times before it was placed.  If you want to do a project like this, make sure you have plenty of refreshments on hand!

I have never ever mortared a brick in my life before this project.  I did some reading, then practiced on some stones first.

My personal motto is  "How hard could it be?"   

[thirteen]

Looks good I built one with a large coneliner three ft accross, 14 in high, from a rock crusher. we dug down and put it so there were only 4 inches showing and the rest was in the ground with drain rock under it so we could put out the fire with water and it would drain out easily. we also put drain rock three feet away from the edge to stop the embers from the fire getting away. Worked good for the youth group we had at that time.

[ghurd]

I understand the utmost importance of having an acre of level surface on top.

But how long do the batteries last? 
G-

[rossw]

Hey Spar - I have to ask - what do you do for "air breathing" for the fire?

I've a somewhat less glamorous fire we've called the "druid circle" - some rocks that were too big to do anything with, so I pushed them in a circle with the bobcat, and made a bit of a firepit in the middle. Wood sitting in the bottom of a hole doesn't seem to burn nearly as well as something that is ventilated. Putting the wood on an expanded metal grate thats raised an inch or so off the bottom REALLY helps. I also found that a decent fire really benefits if I make sure there are some gaps between the rocks, especially on the lowest layer. The fire sucks fresh air in there - it lights easier, gets established quicker and burns hotter and cleaner.

[SparWeb]

Hey Spar - I have to ask - what do you do for "air breathing" for the fire?

Aha I was waiting for somebody to ask!
I hid the air vents but they're there.  You're staring at one in the photo.
There are 4 tubes laying on the concrete pad that go from interior to exterior.
On the inside, there are flat rocks stacked around the ends so that ash doesn't plug them.
The exterior ends of the tubes are recessed enough that you can't see them without bending down low to the ground.
The bricks took quite some chipping to make holes on the bottom for the tubes to go through.
The rocks were placed over the tubes and mortared around them, which didn't really affect the way I did things.

Just for giggles, on the second day of using the firepit, I brought the portable compressed air tank out of the garage, blocked 3 ports, and then shot 100 psi air into the 4th.   

[bj]

  Instant Forge

[Rover]

"Just for giggles, on the second day of using the firepit, I brought the portable compressed air tank out of the garage, blocked 3 ports, and then shot 100 psi air into the 4th"

Yep that is someting I would have done, fire burning?... nice firework display ?

Rover

[RP]

I've used a leaf-blower as a charcoal accelerant before.

[TomW]

I've used a leaf-blower as a charcoal accelerant before.

Ditto with a Shopvac on "blow".

 

Tom

[pyrocasto]

Good thread and nice looking pit. I built one as well a few weeks back as well.

[SparWeb]

That's really nice, and you have big flat rocks to work with for the earth retaining wall, too.
You picked a nice location, not too close to the trees but in their shade and sheltered from the wind.