Thursday, October 30, 2008

Riverwalker's Fire Bowl


What is a fire bowl? It's quite simply an old brake hub off a large truck or bus. They are quite heavy, able to resist high heat temperatures, and will safely contain a fire built in them. The ones in the pictures are from the drag axle for a bus. The simple thing is you can even use smaller versions from trucks or even cars for that matter. Many auto repair shops have them laying around and you can probably get them for free. You can also check with diesel repar shops or truck garages to see if they have any. They are generally sold for scrap and you can pick them up for a few dollars. Add a grill from one of your old rusted out, thin metal pits and you can start grillin'.






Single fire bowls can also be stacked to make a double fire bowl that can be used for grilling, cooking hot dogs, or just roasting marshmallows. You can let the smaller coals and ashes just drop to the bottom or you can place a small, shallow pan underneath to catch the ashes. These weigh approximately 40 pounds each, are 3/4 inch thick, about 13 inches high, the large open end is about 15 inches across, while the bottom part with the bolt holes is about 13 inches across.
At 40 pounds, one is easily carried by most anyone. Two can be packed at one time if you're a hefty fellow.







Looking for a way to spread the heat around? Try using a fire bowl. A fire bowl safely contains the fire and absorbs a large amount of heat that is slowly given off to the surrounding area. Think of it as a portable cast iron stove for outdoor use.
Riverwalker

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They also make a greatstarter forge for your Home blacksmithing needs.

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous

Great tip there! My brothe-in-law is looking for one from a big tractor to use as a fire ring - the fire rings they sell at the tractor supply places don't hold up to the intense heat if you keep them burning several days in a row. The cast iron will glow "cherry red" for days with no apparent damage.

RW