Camp cooker/ fire pit from an old gas bottle.

[Lesgold]

Hi folks,

Well it?s time to get onto the next project. When we travel and camp out in the bush, we always take a wood stove come fire pit with us. Cooking on gas is just not the same and it really does kill the atmosphere. Sitting next to a fire with a glass of red wine watching the sunset is one of the real pleasures in life. Many people who travel often carry a fire pit made from out of date gas bottles. It appears that it is almost a right of passage into retirement to show off your masterpiece. I constructed my first cooker about 10 years ago. It was a complex beast with removable legs, a tilting grate, ash tray and of course a chimney. It has served me well over the years and was exceptionally good to cook on. It only had one major problem- it?s weight. It was constructed from an old, heavy duty bottle and every component added to the stove was from a solid gauge of steel. Even the legs were constructed from water pipe which added to the weight. The chimney was also an issue as it was difficult to store due to its shape. When we purchased the caravan about 5 years ago, I decided to refine the design to make it simpler and much lighter. The second cooker was a big improvement in relation to weight and it was much more compact. As you can see from the photo, the legs are light weight and are held in place with Lynch pins. The grate on top of the fire is adjustable and two removable pins allow 4 height settings to be achieved. The major drawback of this design is the 12mm holes that are drilled into the base to allow the fire to breath. This allows a small amount of ash to fall onto the ground which can be regarded as a problem when camping in some areas. There is, of course the potential for fire with this design. Other aspects of the stove work exceptionally well. It is very compact and is a pleasure to cook on. With this in mind, I am going to attempt a new build with a slight design modification in mind. This should overcome the ash issue. There may be a few of you out there who may be interested in the process, so I?ll drag you guys along as I build it. My wife picked up a few old gas bottles up in Sydney and I can?t wait for her to get home so that I can get started. Once the new stove is built, I can give the old ones away.

[Ben Framed]

Looks to be just right for a couple of folks..

Phillip

[Lesgold]

The empty gas bottle arrived yesterday afternoon. The first step was to open the valve to ensure the bottle was empty. Removing the tap is always a bit of a pain but holding the bottle with a crow bar stops it from rotating as the valve is unscrewed. A large wrench with a pipe extension is used to break the thread lock and the tap comes off with a lot of effort. The bottle is filled with water to ensure any residual gas is forced out. The water will stay in the gas bottle overnight.

[Lesgold]

The next morning, the water was emptied out of the bottle and I started marking out where the cuts were to be made on the cylinder. I made a couple of rough gauges to help  make the process simple. This build was going to be a bit different from the last two. Instead of cutting the top off the bottle, the bottom would be removed and the cylinder would be inverted to take advantage of the hole that held the valve.  I also wanted to utilise the base of cylinder but wanted it trimmed down in size. The third picture shows the two cuts to be made. An angle grinder with a 1mm disc made the job a simple task. After cutting, sharp burrs were cleaned off using a grinding disc.

[Lesgold]

When the Final Cut was made, the bottle was inverted and stood on the top cowling. A piece of mesh from my other cooker was placed in the bottom of the bottle to stop the hole from clogging. I wanted to make a test fire to see if that one hole was going to deliver enough air for the fire to burn without smoking. As you can see from the photo, the fire burnt very well with no smoke produced. Both parts of the cylinder were then placed in a drum and surrounded by small branches that I picked up around the garden. A fire was lit and the paint was burnt off the outside of the bottle. Tomorrows job will be to clean up both pieces and start on the build.

[Ben Framed]

You have my attention. I am anxious to see what it is exactly you have in mind... Thumbs up...

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

Quick question Les, if you had left it upright, would the unit still have been able to 'draw' enough air without the bottom hole and still get the job done?

[Ben Framed]

I am thinking if you were to reinsert the valve in the threaded place for it, now on the bottom, you could use the valve itself as an on/off draft regulator with the twist of the gate on the valve itself if enough air flow can be achieved with this described  set up?

[Lesgold]

Hi Phillip, I have seen fire pits like these with no air coming in from underneath and they do work but they tend to smoke a lot and the fires tend to be a bit harder to start and get going. Most people have air holes in the side and a lot have a door to allow more air to get to the fire. Having a good air supply under the embers is the best solution that I have seen. My only concern was that it may not have been a large enough hole hence the reason for a test burn. I have an idea for an air damper which I will add towards the end of the build. Cutting the bottom off the bottle was also done for a reason. I want to use it for another part of the build. I?ll take a few photos when I get up to that stage and you should be able to see what I?m doing better than me trying to explain it. Gardening and beekeeping duties are keeping me out of the workshop and I can only sneak in there for a short period each day. Should have a few bits to show you tomorrow.

[BeeMaster2]

Phillip,
Propane valves are automatically closed until the correct hose is connected, for safety reasons. On top of that the hole is very small and wouldn?t allow enough air into the fire.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

I know they have an OPD valve installed for safety reasons as you say but since he had the valve off I was wondering if it might be easily removed and the valve reused for the purpose I stated. He had mentioned reducing the chance of fires due to spark and I was hoping this would all but eliminate the chance of a hot coal or spark form dropping from the bottom of the tank through the described vent hole once the grilling was finished.

Being the hole in the valve is to small anyway, then most likely this idea will not work as an easy on and off air inlet at the bottom. Bummer lol.

Thanks Jim,

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

"Lesgold"
Cutting the bottom off the bottle was also done for a reason. I want to use it for another part of the build. I'll take a few photos when I get up to that stage and you should be able to see what I'm doing better than me trying to explain it.

You have my attention. I am anxious to see what it is exactly you have in mind... Thumbs up...
Phillip

[Lesgold]

I like your thinking Phillip but Jim?s right about the size of the opening in the valve. Any tap or fitting would reduce the size of the hole and restrict the air coming into the fire. If the air was forced in, well that?s another approach altogether but not what I was after for this project. I had a bit of time yesterday so I cleaned up the bottle parts with a wire brush on the angle grinder. The top cowling was removed and the residual weld was ground away. A final cleanup will take place at the end of the project. The bottom section of the bottle will be used as a wok or frying pan for the new stove. When I?ve gone away camping, I?ve tried all sorts of cooking pans but each one I?ve tried has issues. On this type of camp cooker, handles get hot and if you have a long handle on something like a fry pan, it becomes awkward to pack. Over the years I?ve tended to head towards a wok for most cooking as it?s great for burning a steak or cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast and off course it does a top job on stir fries or stews. Paint was cleaned off the outside of the wok and the inner surface was sanded with a flap sander on the angle grinder. The plan is to make a detachable handle that will slip onto the wok or be removed as required. This will stop the hot handle syndrome and also make it quite compact. I found a bit of 10mm rebar and used a piece of the bottle cowling that I?d removed earlier. I will weld those pieces together, put a bend in the rebar and then turn up a wooden handle to finish things off. The piece of plate was heated with the oxy and then bent around on the anvil until it was able to fit over the lip of the wok and slide into one of the recesses that are already on the wok base.

[Lesgold]

The rebar was welded to the plate and then the handle was bent to an angle that made it comfortable to pick up the pan. The steel components were then painted in a high temperature paint and put outside to dry. Unfortunately it fell onto the ground when wet so the finish was covered in grass clippings and dirt. I will give it a light sand and repaint the handle tomorrow. A handle was turned down from an old bit of wooden curtain rail dowel and a ferrule made from a piece of copper tube was glued in place to add some extra strength. One coat of Danish oil has been applied son far. Just thought I?d show you guys how it looks in place. I think it will work quite well.

[Lesgold]

I picked up an old 4kg gas bottle and cut off the bottom section of it to use as a baffle or diffuser plate to spread the air flow across the base of the fire. This will also keep a lot of ash away from the air intake hole. Drilled holes and cut slots should provide plenty of air and support the fire. I will get started on the door tomorrow.

[Ben Framed]

Good looking design Les.. I'm Looking forward to tomorrow's update.

Phillip

[Lesgold]

Thanks Phillip. It?s nice when ideas in your mind actually start to turn out during the construction phase. Normally something comes along to change your thinking. Today I decided to drill holes to allow the top grate to be lowered according to the size of the fire or the heat needed during cooking. The holes were moved a little closer together in comparison to my last build. These holes also allow a little more air into the fire without causing ash issues. It is a win, win situation really. After drilling, the holes needed to be angled slightly to allow the pins to slip into location. The cordless drill was used and the flutes of the drill were slowly angled as the drill rotated. (I hope you know what I mean). The door opening was marked as were the leg positions. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to get the next two tasks done before I have to attend to some family matters in the next couple of days. With markets coming up on Sunday, a bit of prep will also be required in this area.

[Lesgold]

Some of the bulging weld around the centre of the bottle was ground down so that the hinge would sit flat. A weld zone was also cleaned. A 1mm cut was placed in the area underneath the centre line of the hinge. A similar exercise was performed on the other side of the door. A locating tab and handle was then added. The hinge and handle would be welded in place before the rest of the door is released from the bottle.

[Lesgold]

The hinge and locating tab were welded in place. The door could then be cut out safely as it was supported at both ends. A quick clean up and this section of the project is complete. Stub legs will be added in a couple of days when I have some time to get back to the project.

[Ben Framed]

It is coming along nicely.

[Lesgold]

Had just enough time to attempts half an hours work on the cooker before heading off to Canberra for the day. Three pieces of re-bar were cut as stub legs and drilled to hold R clips. They were then welded in place. Slip on legs will be cut tomorrow and drilled for the clips.

[Lesgold]

Legs were cut this morning and fitted. The R pins allow the stove to be moved so that legs will not fall off. A damper was then constructed from part of the top cowling. It was bent to shape using the vice and anvil. I will finish it later today and then move onto cutting and shaping the damper handle.

[Ben Framed]

Legs were cut this morning and fitted. The R pins allow the stove to be moved so that legs will not fall off. A damper was then constructed from part of the top cowling. It was bent to shape using the vice and anvil. I will finish it later today and then move onto cutting and shaping the damper handle.

👍🏻

[Lesgold]

A few more bits were added to the damper throughout the day. A handle was forged with a hook so that I could use it to lift hot grates etc from the stove. A tapered locating plate was also welded in place to allow for easy installation of the handle. On the inside of the stove a piece of rod was welded to the locating bolt to act as an ash sweeper as the damper is open and closed. A couple of nuts were also welded to the base of the stove to limit the opening and closing of the damper. I have an idea for a heat dissipating hand grip which will be added to the handle tomorrow.

[Lesgold]

The handle grip was made from a piece of fencing wire bent round a former. I used the lathe to hold some 20mm rod and shaped the wire around the former by rotating the chuck by hand. The ends of the wire were then shaped and fitted into drilled holes. Brazing the wire into the holes secured everything into place. A simple ash can will be attached to the underside of the cooker later today.

[Lesgold]

Just finished the last two components of the stove. An old stainless container was fitted under the damper to pick up any minor ash falls that come through the damper opening. Hooks were made so that the container could be removed quickly when full. Two pins and some mesh were cut to fit on top of the cooker. When the day warms up, the stove will be painted with pot belly black paint. I know much of it will peel under the intense heat but it does finish the project. Will post a final photo in a few days when the pain is dry.

[Ben Framed]

Nice set up Les.... Thanks!

[Lesgold]

Here?s the final stove. I may add a couple of hooks to hold tongs, etc on the curved section of the R clips. I will leave the paint to cure for a couple of weeks and then it will be given its first run.

[BeeMaster2]

Les,
Great job. I?m sure it will work out real well.
Jim Altmiller