Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Frugal Living => Topic started by: funstuie on August 18, 2009, 21:50
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Hi All,
Long time reader, first time poster ;)
I am quite proud of this one so I figured I would pass it on. Last summer I got one of them terracota chimneas from b&q and it fell apart after one season. So this year I decided to do something about it.
I built this:
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa303/funstuie/BNpgUvgBWkKGrHgoH-CUEjlLlvSVBJqugBr.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa303/funstuie/3b96_1.jpg)
It took 2 weeks but most of that as I was very cautious about cutting into the cylinder so when I got the valve off I filled it with washing up liquid and water and left it for 2 weeks. the main build took about 3 hours.
The main bottle, I found on the side of the road, the chimney was an old piece of metal pipe I found in a skip, the hinge for the door is an old gate hinge I salvaged when my neighbour got a new fence/gate put up and the bolts I had anyway.
It's been used almost every weekend this summer even in bad weather, I have gone through about 10 pallets in wood and some old trees which another neighbour had at the back of his yard.
But my welding is rubbish and the first chimney fell off after a few weeks out in the rain so I repaired it last month using an old fire extinguisher which I found on the side of the road (that was an odd one as I spotted it driving along with the wife and she thought I was going mad skidding to a stop and jumping out to grab a manky old can). It's perfect now and I don't need to use anything to make the chimney higher (I was using some spiral) as it's big enough now. Also I replaced the handle with a large bolt as it would glow red hot so was useless the bolt works perfect. I will get some more photos or MK2 tomorrow when the camera has charged up.
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That is excellent! I am planning on making a pizza oven at some point but quite like the idea of making one of those home made chimineas too, you could vary the size by using bigger gas cylinders.
Have you cut any air holes in it or does it just get the air in through the door?
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As I use it as a chimnea I just leave the door open for air but you could put few holes in the door or just below to get a draft.
There are loads on ebay these days and I was thinking of making some more as I found a couple more gas bottles but I can't be arsed.
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is that colour the metal once the paint has come off or is it black-leaded?
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well done it looks just the job - I'm married to a coded welder so think I have just found another job for him, after the kitchen extension and a people greenhouse (conservatory to most people) :lol:
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well done, thats v. impressive! There are loads of plans on t'web too about making them into indoor stoves - yours is virtually one already. Congrats again. amc
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That is brilliant, mate - I'd buy one!
Great job.
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well i never!!!
are you taking orders?????
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Sorry, absolutely no buying or selling is allowed on the forum.
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what if we all made a HUGE donation to the site :) :) :)
youv'e got to agree its a great design.
perhaps we should have a for sale section??
home grown or homemade ONLY
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Aunty deletes members for buying or selling on the forums, so be warned, she is really mean :ohmy:
Great job by the way Stuie :D
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How about swapsies? ;)
I have l.ots of chutney! :lol:
No, that really is fantastic and I'm ever so impressed.
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is that colour the metal once the paint has come off or is it black-leaded?
No, the original paint burns off after the first burn (it stinks). It's been painted with some plasticote BBQ paint from wilkos. Cost about £4.
well done, thats v. impressive! There are loads of plans on t'web too about making them into indoor stoves - yours is virtually one already. Congrats again. amc
I was actually thinking of putting it in the house but I would be constantly worried about it, my welding is no great and the door doesn't fit quite right. It's perfect for the garden though.
Getting the valve off is going to be the hardest part but I borrowed a stillson from a mate which did the job. Also if anyone is thinking of making one a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade is all you need to cut it. It's pretty simple once you get going.
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Stuie,
That's brilliant! :)
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Forgive me for repeating the obvious but if you try this don`t forget to make sure the cylinder is empty before you do anything and after taking the valve out with a wrench not a grinder or gas torch YOU MUST FILL THE CYLINDER WITH WATER TO PURGE THE GAS.
Until you have done this you are working with a bomb, one spark and there will be a big bang.
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Forgive me for repeating the obvious but if you try this don`t forget to make sure the cylinder is empty before you do anything and after taking the valve out with a wrench not a grinder or gas torch YOU MUST FILL THE CYLINDER WITH WATER TO PURGE THE GAS.
Until you have done this you are working with a bomb, one spark and there will be a big bang.
Goes without saying. The bottles I got were empty but I still it open and venting for a week before I took the valve out. I then left it upside down for 24hours and them I filled it with soapy water and left it for 10 days or so. I also left the water inside while I made the first hole in the side just to be extra cautious.
If you google or look on youtube there are a good few guides to making one and most give detailed instructions on getting the valve off and cutting the bottle.
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Out of interest, shouldn'tmost cylinders be returned to the supplier? ::)
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Yep, but you only have to go down the local tip to see how many get handed in there - and presumably somewhere before that someone lost their deposit!!
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It's only Calor where they will have lost their deposit. I retail Flo-Gas which is part of British Gas and they only have deposits for certain sizes of bottles. That looks like a 13kg to me which has no deposit. Have about a 100 empty ones sat in my yard, could be a new business line? Would Flo-Gas not ask though why I buy in 100 bottles and then only return 20?
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Excellent job. 8)
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It's only Calor where they will have lost their deposit. I retail Flo-Gas which is part of British Gas and they only have deposits for certain sizes of bottles. That looks like a 13kg to me which has no deposit. Have about a 100 empty ones sat in my yard, could be a new business line? Would Flo-Gas not ask though why I buy in 100 bottles and then only return 20?
Tell them you used the others in a raft race! :lol: