Fire pan?

[sionnach]

Need some help on having log fires in the back garden to amuse the sionnach-ettes without lifting turf or damaging the lawn.

I think I need a fire pan but am struggling to find anything suitable that doesn't cost £100. This would be the sort of thing for use on your decking.

Anybody know where I can get something suitable? - e.g. steel tray I can put on top of some bricks

Thanks
Paul

[janiepopps]

Upturned dustbin lid?

j

[morch]

Some sites use steel car wheels as a fire pan, you could get one from a local scrap yard, or even new they can be had for about £15.00

Dave

[led]

Lorry hubs are good, as are the drums from washing machines.

[Nod]

I managed to get a small round portable steel BBQ from tesco for about £2 in the summer.

Just took the grill bit off and use the tray on some bricks to stop the lawn/decking getting scorched.

Doesn't hold that much wood, buty for a small fire it's OK.

For bigger fires I use the steel pan that my cast iron Brazier sits in..........if I'm not cooking anything over it, then I just use the brazier. £40 clearance jobbie from the local DIY/garden centre place last year

[Bardster]

I had a word with a local blacksmith last year and he made me a fire tray just like you require. 3ft square on 1ft high legs, with a 4" rim to stop stuf falling off. Cost me £45. Only thing i would suggest would be make the legs higher. Even a foot off the ground it scorched the grass a little.
The other option is one of these http://www.taylorsgardenbuildings.co. uk/store/customer/home.php?cat=813

[Fishd]

One I saw recently was the top 4 or 5 inches of an old oil drum. Not too heavy, decent capacity and with a couple of bricks beneath it, no damage to the ground below.

[Spikey DaPikey]

Washing machine drum gets my vote, found in skips etc, already has holes, put steel tray underneath, and stand on bricks. Very cheap, and very good :)

[sionnach]

Thanks guys - some very good ideas there. :You_Rock_

The steel car wheel is very appealing as I can liberate one from the hedge just down the road from me.

[Longstrider]

I made one from the biggest roasting dish I could buy cheaply (got it from Matalan for about £3 I think). I drilled a hole in each corner and attached each corner to a lightweight chain (2 long-ish chains with the pan attached about a foot from the ends.) With a tripod I can set the thing up in no time, pin the dangling ends of the chains to the ground with sticks to stop it all wobbling about in the breeze, and have a fire in that without marking the ground at all. The tripod that supports the fire-pan will of course also then serve to hang my billy from (on a seperate chain).

[beamdune]

I saw one of these in action last weekend

http://www.firewok.co.uk/

Not cheap but I guess a lot the price is a for the postage.