Make a fire pit out of old brew kettle?

[aaron1]

I like the Solo Stove smokeless fire pits but they are pricey. I also saw fire pits out of old washing machine drums. Got me thinking. I have an old 20G brew kettle with a cracked weld in the bottom. Could i convert that to a fire pit?
What would be the ideal height and size of holes to put into it to get a good burn?

i thought put a ring of holes around the bottom and try a ring around the top maybe a few inches from the top with the hope i could get some secondaries going. Maybe it wont work when the secondary air isnt preheated like it is in theSolo Stove design?

 

[DAKSY]

Before you put any more holes in it, drill a hole at both ends of the crack.
They will prevent the crack from propagating further.

 

[aaron1]

Before you put any more holes in it, drill a hole at both ends of the crack.
They will prevent the crack from propagating further.

thanks. that's a great idea!

 

[xman23]

If it's just a base, you don't need any holes. The wood is open to the air and burns uncontrolled. I see them made from ends of oil tanks. Anything 30" to 48". I like a bottom because it makes cleaning up the ash easier. A solid top helps to close it down and keep the rain out of the ash.

 

[Stelcom66]

Those are nice to have. Two neighbors in a row behind me have fire pits going tonight. I should make one too - several years ago my pool caved in and there's still quite a bit of sand where it was which would probably be a good spot.