[Sean Price]

Greetings All,

We seem to go thru fire pits every other year, so this one will be different I am to make it last....I hope. I bought this last year for $80, can't believe its $150 now: Landmann Big Sky Fire Pit.

Manual says to line the bottom with sand?

In going thru the reviews most users are suggesting sand and fire bricks along bottom, and to spray it with a high temp paint first before using. I had no idea what firebricks or high temp paint was at all but searching on Menards website I think I got what i need.

- Firebrick, 6 for $18

- Sand, 60lb for $4

- High Heat Spray Paint, 12oz for $4

What do yall think or suggest?

Any sand will do right?

Are those the correct firebricks, I don't see a temperature rating?

Also I'm spraying the inside and bottom with the paint correct?

Let me know what yall think

oNe

 

[Bondo]

Let me know what yall think

Ayuh,...... I think you'll be replacin' it in a couple of years, whether you firebrick, 'n paint it or not,......

Those things are flimsy thin sheetmetal,.......

I make my own fire pits outa 1/4" or 3/8" steel,..... They'll last decades, with no paint, nor bricks,.....
An old tractor-trailer or big dump truck wheel work Great for a fire pit,.......
Maintenance free, just shovel out the cold ash,.....

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Consider checking around your area for salvage tank ends.


https://www.blttanks.com/crafted-tanks/

 

[Sean Price]

haha, i think both of you are correct, so will keep that in mind moving forward.

Since this one was purchases last year, to proceed as planned.

Note: high heat paint from spray can is the way to go here. On the outside I used high heat pain in the made for grills and on the inside, spray paint. Inside help no problem, but outside peeled after the 1st use of the pit. BUMMER, what a waste of time, 4 coats over 7 days...

 

[ron45]

"" Re: Making A New Fire Pit Last ""

Don't use it. :sad: couldn' t resist sorry.

 

[RegeSullivan]

I don't believe any of the box store fire pits will last long especially if you use them regularly. The old split rim truck rims made some of the best "free" fire pits. We've had one at our camp in W PA, (lots of rain & snow) since 1978 that is still in use and I suspect it will last at least another 20 years. I suspect if you want a fancy one that will last you will need to have one made...

 

[Sean Price]

"" Re: Making A New Fire Pit Last ""

Don't use it. :sad: couldn' t resist sorry.

Bwa haha, more like don't buy it right?

 

[Sean Price]

I don't believe any of the box store fire pits will last long especially if you use them regularly. The old split rim truck rims made some of the best "free" fire pits. We've had one at our camp in W PA, (lots of rain & snow) since 1978 that is still in use and I suspect it will last at least another 20 years. I suspect if you want a fancy one that will last you will need to have one made...

Gotcha will keep in mind for next one because I am a bit tired of replacing these every few years.

Purchased this one from Amazon since it had 1500+ reviews but still not too far off from the big box stores models, jus a hair better..

Sean P

 

[Mystriss]

If you haven't bought yet, let me tell ya, at the cabin there was a 10-12 foot across cement ring stuck in the ground as a firepit. Was big enough that the heat didn't crack the cement and it cleaned up super easy with a cheap pressure washer hose attachment.

... hmm only pic I seem to have of it handy is this one where I was playing with the fisheye lens:

That thing was great though. I really want to get one for the house, though perhaps a bit smaller...


Anyway, at the house we have these from Cabelas (two 60" rings stacked up):

We dug down a bit and put in an old steel tire rim, then there's the bottom of a water tank that was supposed to let us catch the ashes and move them to the compost pile - melted. White rocks around it to cover the gap and catch fire bits that fell through the grates on the sides. We too had painted it with "high heat" BBQ paint.

Unfortunately it's not worked out as well as we hoped... 2yrs later:

When we redo this dual ring thing (cause installing the cement ring thing won't happen until we move the septic tank to the other side of the yard) I'm going to do a good 4-6" deep bed of sand, then fire bricks, and I want to go at least twice as far out with the bricks as we'd put in those white rocks. (Of note the white rocks were kinda pointless, they got dirty and didn't come clean, the lawn mower likes to throw them at the house windows, plus the grass and weeds grow up between them pretty bad.) I'd replace those with a 6-8" tall ring decorative retaining wall blocks all the way around the brick ring, possibly two "layers/rows" deep. That way there would be a firesafe brick "moat" around the rings which would also keep the grass and weeds out. As to the rings themselves being all charred and stuff we're just going to repaint them with BBQ paint.

 

[Old Thomas]

I had a 275 gallon fuel tank that was cut in half the long way making two big flat tubs. Each half lasted about 5 years.

 

[huesmann]

If you haven't bought yet, let me tell ya, at the cabin there was a 10-12 foot across cement ring stuck in the ground as a firepit. Was big enough that the heat didn't crack the cement and it cleaned up super easy with a cheap pressure washer hose attachment.

... hmm only pic I seem to have of it handy is this one where I was playing with the fisheye lens:

View attachment 601567

That looks to be like the bell end of a large reinforced concrete pipe.

 

[Mystriss]

That looks to be like the bell end of a large reinforced concrete pipe.

Yeah, I always figured it was a water culvert or bike path tunnel kinda city construction thing. The prior owners had gotten it, I wanted to ask them cause I'm curious like that, but the cabin was a hands off kinda purchase so we only got to chat with the real estate agent. I think the prior owners lived in Texas.

Either way it was an absolutely brilliant as a firepit, big enough to throw whole pallets in for the bonfire wars every winter - not that we could have possibly ever won against the owners of the Arctic Cat dealerships :vs_laugh:

 

[SeniorSitizen]

My burn barrel lasts about 2 years on each end and although mighty thin the middle is still good nuff for another 6 months to a year if i cared to cut the middle out. Nah, the cost 5 barrels 10 bucks.:biggrin2:
Some people perforate theirs with 45 but bullets. Bullets too hi for that so i just cut both ends out then set it on 3 bricks. Contest winner, well good grief no but i don't have any burn barrel competition so i guess i win.

 

[u2slow]

7 of these curved landscape blocks make a good size ring. 2 years so far.

 

[huesmann]

Yeah, I always figured it was a water culvert or bike path tunnel kinda city construction thing. The prior owners had gotten it, I wanted to ask them cause I'm curious like that, but the cabin was a hands off kinda purchase so we only got to chat with the real estate agent. I think the prior owners lived in Texas.

Either way it was an absolutely brilliant as a firepit, big enough to throw whole pallets in for the bonfire wars every winter - not that we could have possibly ever won against the owners of the Arctic Cat dealerships :vs_laugh:

If you ever want another like it, find a construction crew installing RCP and ask if you can have one of their scrap ends. They often have to be cut to fit since the pipes come in 8' sections and are hardly ever designed to have runs in 8' increments.

 

[southernxp]

Another tank end salvage fire pit fabricator https://ssfirepits.com/ My friends wife got him one for his birthday recently. Nice but pricey