The Best Things About Burning Outside In The Summer...

[ScotO]

Could you post pics or your fire pits? Trying to get some ideas. We have some old stone from broken down stone walls and I would like to use those. What are the dimensions of a good firepit? 4 ft or larger? I saw one posted on hearth shaped like a keyhole. The rectangular bottom of the keyhole worked as a barbecue with grill placed on top - thought that was a good idea

Diane and BrowningBAR, here is a CRUDE drawing of my firepit dimensions. All measurements are INSIDE dimensions. You can make your pit to your preference, but this one suits us fine, especially the cooking aspects of it. We use it several times a week!

 

[DexterDay]

Diane and BrowningBAR, here is a CRUDE drawing of my firepit dimensions. All measurements are INSIDE dimensions. You can make your pit to your preference, but this one suits us fine, especially the cooking aspects of it. We use it several times a week!

View attachment 67415

I was gonna make one this coming weekend. Was gonna be a standard circle of rocks........

Not now... Gonna be a replica of yours Scotty. I love it. Firepit area will be a little larger. But cooking area will stay the same dimensions.

Thanks for the drawing and pics... Always something new on Hearth. One of the highest forms of compliment, is copying.

 

[ScotO]

I was gonna make one this coming weekend. Was gonna be a standard circle of rocks........

Not now... Gonna be a replica of yours Scotty. I love it. Firepit area will be a little larger. But cooking area will stay the same dimensions.

Thanks for the drawing and pics... Always something new on Hearth. One of the highest forms of compliment, is copying.

hey on a good note, it has been tested (and tested HARD) and you know it works good. You guys (and gals) are all welcome to steal my design on one condition.......I WANNA SEE IT WHEN YOU ARE DONE. That's all I ask. Now get to work!

 

[DexterDay]

hey on a good note, it has been tested (and tested HARD) and you know it works good. You guys (and gals) are all welcome to steal my design on one condition.......I WANNA SEE IT WHEN YOU ARE DONE. That's all I ask. Now get to work!

Deal.... I love to take pics.

Thanks again Scotty

 

[chuckie5fingers]

Scotty, what kind of stone did you use. I had made one of limestone when I bought my house and everyonce in a while one would explode It did make for interesting bon fire nights

 

[nate379]

Mine looks alot like an old 55 gal drum with the top cut off.

Could you post pics or your fire pits? Trying to get some ideas. We have some old stone from broken down stone walls and I would like to use those. What are the dimensions of a good firepit? 4 ft or larger? I saw one posted on hearth shaped like a keyhole. The rectangular bottom of the keyhole worked as a barbecue with grill placed on top - thought that was a good idea

 

[DianeB]

thanks for the pics again and the drawing showing the dimensions. Looks great. Someone asked about exploding rocks. I have heard of this. We live near the Deerfield river and people have been known to use river rocks in their firepits. They do explode because they have been holding water. Soapstone also may hold water. May be best to use rocks that have been on land for quite awhile. Looks like your rocks Scotty are some type of shale or granite.

Diane, here's the keyhole pit. I think you were the one who asked me about the size of my pit, here's the pic of it again. I will post a drawing with measurements later this evening. Sorry I got sidetracked and didn't get the measurements to you yet. Been really busy lately!

View attachment 67392 [/quot

 

[DianeB]

Diane and BrowningBAR, here is a CRUDE drawing of my firepit dimensions. All measurements are INSIDE dimensions. You can make your pit to your preference, but this one suits us fine, especially the cooking aspects of it. We use it several times a week!

View attachment 67415

I am going to stake this one out and see if I can did down a foot in this rocky new england soil

 

[ScotO]

thanks for the pics again and the drawing showing the dimensions. Looks great. Someone asked about exploding rocks. I have heard of this. We live near the Deerfield river and people have been known to use river rocks in their firepits. They do explode because they have been holding water. Soapstone also may hold water. May be best to use rocks that have been on land for quite awhile. Looks like your rocks Scotty are some type of shale or granite.

My stone is all mountain fieldstone (sandstone), never had any explode. Rocks taken out of a water source (stream, pond, swampy area, etc.) are a no-no. They can explode. Post pics of your project when you get it done!

 

[ColdNH]

Good thing about burning outside? Burning all the unsplittables and uglies that wont stack in my wood piles or fit in the stove, debugging the yard, the smell of a campfire, good times with friends..

My pit is New England field stone pulled from old stone walls, I got a half pallet of it at the local quarry for 100$ or so. I have yet to have any explode on me or even crack and i have had some HOT fires in it which were then extiguished with cold hose water. So far so good.

 

[fox9988]

Burnig outside....I consider it camping for old people, all the fun and I get to sleep in my own bed. Gets rid of the uglies and keeps the mosquitos at bay.

 

[JeffRey30747]

Burnig outside....I consider it camping for old people, all the fun and I get to sleep in my own bed. Gets rid of the uglies and keeps the mosquitos at bay.

or little kids (like mine) who get all whiny and want to go sleep in their own beds once the sun goes down.

 

[fox9988]

or little kids (like mine) who get all whiny and want to go sleep in their own beds once the sun goes down.

Mine are in the "camping in the yard" stage. I get to enjoy the "camping" and my bed, while they tent it.

 

[BrotherBart]

We got four inches of rain during the night last night. All of my outside burning wood may be dry enough to burn by July 4th. Nasty wet and more on the way. Ah, Spring in Northern Virginia. We were five inches behind for the year and made it up in 16 hours.

 

[ScotO]

We got four inches of rain during the night last night. All of my outside burning wood may be dry enough to burn by July 4th. Nasty wet and more on the way. Ah, Spring in Northern Virginia. We were five inches behind for the year and made it up in 16 hours.

We had a nasty storm just north of us here, I was out back splittin up some norway maple and it got really black out. Kept going waiting for the rain to hit, but it missed us. Just off and on showers the past couple days. Gotta love spring!

 

[BrotherBart]

We got a 40 inch snowfall last night. Without the snow.

 

[ColdNH]

We got four inches of rain during the night last night. All of my outside burning wood may be dry enough to burn by July 4th. Nasty wet and more on the way. Ah, Spring in Northern Virginia. We were five inches behind for the year and made it up in 16 hours.

Just think of this as another reason why burning outside is great. gasoline can get wood burning no matter how wet!

 

[fox9988]

I use used motor oil/gas mixed about 4 to 1. Lights like charcoal lighter fluid, burns much longer, less $$.

 

[StoveWannabe]

We love to start a fire, make smores and watch the kids run around in the firelight while they play with glow sticks and chase firefly's.
Sticky marshmallow and chocolate on their faces is the best. Box of baby wipes near by is a most.

 

[scotsman]

We got a 40 inch snowfall last night. Without the snow.

Hey, BB! Fax us about half of all that "snow" you're getting! We can sure use it. The moisture content on our water is down to about 5%, so we need lots more of it.

 

[Woody Stover]

You pretty much can "relieve" yourself anywhere you want.....even while watching the fire.

Pics or it didn't happen.

New thread entitled "Weenie Roast."

Here's "Ike." We dug the basic hole to heat up water when the power went out during Hurricane Ike; Lovely and talented wife created the rock border in stages, later on.

 

[firefighterjake]

Just think of this as another reason why burning outside is great. gasoline can get wood burning no matter how wet!

There are much better and safer alternatives to gasoline . . . as for me I like using cardboard . . . you have a few cardboard boxes and you can get a stack of wet, green brush burning during a rain storm . . . and don't have to worry about those pesky 2nd and 3rd degree burns that sometimes occur with folks using gasoline.

 

[tfdchief]

An outlet to satisfy my addiction

 

[ColdNH]

There are much better and safer alternatives to gasoline . . . as for me I like using cardboard . . . you have a few cardboard boxes and you can get a stack of wet, green brush burning during a rain storm . . . and don't have to worry about those pesky 2nd and 3rd degree burns that sometimes occur with folks using gasoline.

I was being facetious, at 4 bucks a gallon and the risk of lighting myself on fire its not worth using gas. If i do tend to have very wet wood Ill usually start the fire with some scrap palette and lighter fluid.

 

[BrotherBart]

Actually tried some old gasoline on the wet stuff in the old Sierra in the south 40 with wet wood tonight. Right hand is now hairless again just like in burning season. And the wood didn't burn.

But the blast of burning vapors out of the open door was a real good demonstration of why you should never use liquid fuel to light a stove in your house.

Yes, I knew what was going to happen.