Burn Barrel that works

[Diggin It]

I cut four - 2" holes around the bottom of my barrel. Barrel sits up on four bricks - evenly spaced around the barrel. This eliminates the chance of a "hot barrel bottom" starting a grass fire.

That's what I used to do, plus a few pick ax holes in the bottom to let rain water run out since I didn't use the lids.

Problem I found was the hotter fires degraded the metal faster and made them rust and collapse faster. When I could get them for five bucks each it wasn't big deal to get four or five at a time. But then the local junky yard guy started charging ten bucks and didn't always have good ones.

I've got a couple of stumps that are too big for me to dig out, but not too big for a barrel to sit over if I cut the full bottom out. The side holes and some chips and chaff might get going hot enough to get the stump to charrin'.

 

[RSKY]

I put six slots close to equal distance around the bottom and middle. The flames will swirl out the top. Burns paper very quick except for glossy magazines and they won't burn in anything. Sister found a plastic box of quilt tops that had a hole in the bottom and they were soaked from a leak in the basement. We threw them in two or three at a time on top of the paper/wood fire that had been burning for a couple hours. And they all brunt.

One problem: The wind was blowing very hard today and the flames came out a foot or two from the vents on the downwind side. Burnt the grass three or four feet away. Sister has learned to watch the smoke and always approach from upwind. Really funny to see my 73-year old sister scream and hop backwards to avoid the flames.

Second problem: When I put the top (top off an old dishwasher) flames sometimes come out the side. A long way out the sides. Can't really cover the top and walk off from it.

Old barrels would sit and smolder for three or four days before completely consumed. This will be ready to dump in two days with ashes completely cool.

Next time we work, probably next Tuesday, gonna throw in a pack of old firecrackers wrapped in a plastic bag. That should wake up my 73 & 79 year old sisters...... Maybe not, oldest had to have a stress test today. That might mess up her pacemaker.

RSKY

 

[jaxs]

Used water heater tanks last longer and can be 80 to 150 gallons. Problem is convincing plumbers to sell them for scrap iron price.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I cut a 4"x4" door at the bottom of mine, and use an electric leaf blower set on low to crank the fire up. Works awesome!

 

[metalbender]

I cut a few 6x1 angled slots near the bottom. Fire swirls and burns hot. Empty into the pit in the fall.

 

[jaxs]

Getting flames to swirl and rise 4 feet above the barrel isn't near as difficult as putting out grass fires caused by floating embers.

 

[turnkey4099]

In Lane County Oregon, you can be fined for burning anything a Burn Barrel. Its just straight out illegal in the entire county. Doesn't matter much to me as you can build and burn just about as big an open burn pile as you want.

Same in Washington state wide and the state will pay a bounty for reporting someone using one.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I made me a real pretty burn barrel.
I used a 1.5 inch hole and drilled 4 holes nicely spaced at the bottom and another 4 just below the first ridge but staggered between the lower ones.
Used my jig saw to neatly cut the top off.
Works like a charm all while looking good.
Heck I even painted the last with some stove paint I had left over.

LOL, on earlier ones simply used my small axe to puncture holes and cut the top off.
While crude it did the job.

To get another year usage, I tip mine over to dump the ashes out periodically as wet ashes sure rust out the bottom rapidly.
To comply with local fire regulations I have a mesh screen that act like a spark arrester that I cap the barrel while burning. Actually I salvaged a screen that came from a deck style fire pit as it was just the right size.
Also for between usages I made a crude lid of sorts to prevent rain from soaking the interior.

LOL, my last one is almost like a piece of garden art.

Do you wax it regularly?

 

[PILOON]

Do you wax it regularly?

LOL, no, and also not my tractor.
Heck my car has never seen wax either.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

You guys are sure working at it hard.

I use about a magazine full of 7.62 NATO ball ammo and shoot the barrel from 2 sides (90 degrees rotation), which pierces both sides of the barrel. The exit hole on the back side is usually key holed, so it's even better ventilation.

Fairly quick and entertaining at the same time.

I have to replace my barrel every 5 or 6 years because the bottoms rust out on them. I just have the barrel sitting on the ground all year, whether I'm burning anything in it or not. Every few months I will dump out the contents of the bottom into my trash bin (when it's fully cooled obviously). I'm usually only burning cardboard, a little wood, and paper. Very seldom burn anything else.

 

[RSKY]

Getting flames to swirl and rise 4 feet above the barrel isn't near as difficult as putting out grass fires caused by floating embers.

That is true. Next one will have the vents a little higher and maybe a little smaller. My main problem with that was the wind blowing very hard.

RSKY

 

[amhicks21]

I wanted to try building a "smokeless" burn barrel as to not bother my neighbors. I did the normal holes, but then wrapped the outside with steel siding with the ribs pointed in to create a 1" space. I left the siding 2" taller than the barrel and used an old metal table top with a hole in it a little smaller than the barrel diameter to funnel the preheated air along the sides and to the top of the barrel. Of course, you cant ever have zero smoke if you're burning wet stuff but most of the time it works very well.

 

[Diggin It]

I want flames contained and controlled.

I don't light up on windy days.

Immediate ground area is cleared as best as practical.

I gave up on barrels. My area is within stacked concrete blocks on three sides. Front is open wide enough for loader bucket to dig out when necessary.

 

[artf]

One box of .45 ACP later, I had 2 barrels, side by side, done.

I did have to sit down to space them out correctly.

 

[RSKY]

I know somebody is thinking, "How can this guy get that excited about a burn barrel?". My two sisters and I are cleaning out my mother's house after she passed away October last year. She was 96 and never, NEVER, threw anything away. To give an example, we washed and saved all the name brand canning jars, Mason, Kerr, Ball, Atlas, etc. but threw away all the mayonnaise and other jars. We had fourteen large trash bags full of jars to get rid of. I filled them as much as possible until sisters couldn't lift them. Took them to a place with public dumpsters and dumped them. So you can imagine all the other stuff we are having to get rid of. Mom's house was always neat and you wouldn't know there was all this stuff stored until you started opening closets and going into the attic etc. So the two burn barrels get started first thing and burn all day when we are there.

RSKY

 

[Cycledude]

I use a stick welder to cut about 6 vertical slots about 6 inches long a few inches from the bottom of the barrel so air can feed the fire from the bottom, barrel lasts about 5+ years, and it always burns excellent !
I don’t burn very often and usually only right after or during rain or when the ground is covered with snow pretty much eliminating the chance of fire spreading. Where I live no burning permit required when the ground is covered with snow.

 

[Diggin It]

To give an example, we washed and saved all the name brand canning jars, Mason, Kerr, Ball, Atlas,

SOME of those may be worth some money if you can find the right collector(s).

 

[PILOON]

While a pick or an axe is adequate to make air holes, I found that a quality hole saw does a nice job and just as easy to do.
I found that about 1 1/4 inch size was about right otherwise embers would tend to fall out.

Also I'd suggest a lot safer than an axe or pick that might deflect and injure.

 

[Wakey]

I wanted to try building a "smokeless" burn barrel as to not bother my neighbors. I did the normal holes, but then wrapped the outside with steel siding with the ribs pointed in to create a 1" space. I left the siding 2" taller than the barrel and used an old metal table top with a hole in it a little smaller than the barrel diameter to funnel the preheated air along the sides and to the top of the barrel. Of course, you cant ever have zero smoke if you're burning wet stuff but most of the time it works very well.

I made a smokeless fire pit. Once it heats up a bit more there is even less smoke.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

then there is the rocket stove style: