Anyone build their own fire pit?

[chaingang]

I would like to incorporate a fire pit into a retaining wall that I will soon be building. The wall will probably be stacked stone or a commercial concrete product. I would like to make a brick fire pit recessed into the wall. It won't have a chimney, more like an open top square just recessed into the hill side. It will be about 3 feet tall at the back wall. I know there is a difference in brick for fire places. What about mortar? Is this a project for an above average do it yourselfer? Any pictures or advice is appreciated.

 

[88thunder]

I am interested as well...

 

[Bevis]

I was at someones party Friday night that had something like that. I'll see if they will let me take pics of it, and can get any info.

 

[mackrmnn]

I've been planning on building a small one on my new patio. Everything I've read says to use fire clay for mortar as it expands and contracts at the same rate as the fire brick. Also leave an air gap between your fire brick and other building materials to allow for different rates of expansion.

 

[george4]

They are very popular now in my area. I know of two that are simply dry stacked football size rocks in about a 4’ circle and a foot high on bare ground. Another is more finished with a firebrick bottom and sides, it is a 30” circle about 8” high. I understand firebrick is often used to line fireplaces and a special mortar is used to withstand the heat. Another is the cut off convex end of a cylindrical tank, maybe 30” diameter with the center of the convex side set a few inches into a concrete pad for stability. I am fabricating one of 3/16” plate steel, 2’ square bottom, 6” high sides angled out from the bottom at 45 degrees and it will set on 14” steel legs. Mine has a 1” steel tube around the perimeter, 8” inches out, so that people can sit around the fire and put their feet up. I see mostly oak that is being burned and have not seen any problems with any of the designs. Great social gathering places.

 

[Kinger]

This is what I did:
<a href="http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/amking75/?action=view&current=IMG_7851.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/amking75/IMG_7851.jpg" border="0" alt="Fire pit"></a>

<a href="http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/amking75/?action=view&current=IMG_7860.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/amking75/IMG_7860.jpg" border="0" alt="Patio"></a>

Not exactly what you are describing. I just used readily availble blocks from a home improvement store. I had the sheet metal shop that I work for make a ring out of 10 ga. steel and painted it with grill paint. I have had a few fires so far lasting a couple of hours and no excessive heat transfer.

 

[chaingang]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I had thought about the metal ring or raised square also. I really like the raised patio too. Nicely done. I think for simplicity sake I may just build the wall with the alcove and then fab up a metal pit with a removable grill grate. We have lotsa campfires through out the fall and winter here. It's great to gather around, have a few beers and do some bench racing.

 

[51Magnum]

Here is the one we built in our "money pit".

 

[nate379]

Mine is 1/2 a 55 gal drum with some legs on it. Nice that I can move it around and easy to dump out when it gets full.

 

[onemoretry]

Not exactly what you asked for, but here is what I did. It runs on a propane line from the house.