Home incinerator project

[jezreel]

Haaaaaa. . . It's interesting this topic is up. Trad, i remember when you got your first burn cage. My trash pick-up out here, in the country, has raised its prices so much i started thinking about burning. i remembered you posted about your burn cage, and was searching to see what you had. Low and behold, i found this new thread. So, i saw this burn barrel construction on youtube today. it is REALLY good.

I think I'm gonna give this a try and quit paying this ridiculous trash fee. I mean, i wasn't paying this much for trash when i lived in Dallas.

 

[CH4Ohio]

An actual "incinerator" is an appliance that uses fuel to reduce waste to ash. Gas-fired incinerators used to be common. Rarely seen now. Seems like you're looking for suggestions on a how to build a better "burn container contraption".

 

[CliffordK]

I have 2 burn barrels I made from 120 Gal propane tanks. I cut the top off and burned vent holes in the sides & bottom with a torch. I've been using them for 12 years now and they are no where near rusted through. The trick is to cut enough holes to get good air flow. If you do it right, it sounds like a jet engine when you get a good fire going.

I pick them up with the grapple and dump the ash.

If you try this, make sure you take the proper precautions before cutting up a propane tank. There are several posts here on how to do it safely.

Good sized air tanks show up from time to time, and they don't explode.

 

[1 Old Man]

I just ventilate a 55 gallon drum with .38 specials so it can get some air and then light a match. Need a few holes in the bottom for drainage and the rest around the circumference. Low tech solution. It does fill up with ash after a while.

Traditional solution, practical and cheap. However, this part of the country requires larger holes so it calls for .45acp, but .38sp will work in a pinch.

 

[ning]

Trash is expensive here and we are no longer allowed to use burn barrels, but the recycling center takes paper and cardboard and my cash-back recycling more than pays for the trash fees on what little non-recyclables we actually dump.

When we did burn though I just knocked over the burn barrel the day after a burn to dump out the ashes. Burn barrel was an old metal barrel with a hole in the bottom.

 

[tradosaurus]

For free, you can just dig a trench and burn in trench like my grandpa and dad used to do.

I need to control the embers as well as most of my property are trees.

 

[tradosaurus]

When you say “don’t have…” do you mean it‘s not available, or are you saying you don’t want to pay for it?

Don't want to pay for it. Because I don't need it nor want to opportunities of loose dogs dumping my trash along the road.

 

[tradosaurus]

Haaaaaa. . . It's interesting this topic is up. Trad, i remember when you got your first burn cage. My trash pick-up out here, in the country, has raised its prices so much i started thinking about burning. i remembered you posted about your burn cage, and was searching to see what you had. Low and behold, i found this new thread. So, i saw this burn barrel construction on youtube today. it is REALLY good.

I think I'm gonna give this a try and quit paying this ridiculous trash fee. I mean, i wasn't paying this much for trash when i lived in Dallas.

I've seen that but I need a bigger container than a 55 gal drum opening (~24") so I don't have to cut boxes to make it fit or stand there feeding the fire until it all burns.

I'm probably going to buy another XXL pryo cage in the 11 gauge thickness. They didn't offer this thickness when I originally bought it.

Then I will probably leave off one of the sides and make a mesh top to keep the embers from catching nearby trees on fire. I can elevate the sides by using cement deck blocks.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My Dad made one in the 1950s, my drawing is terrible but the idea. He poured concrete first about 5ft x 6ft. Cinder block & morter up about 4ft, then "chimney" in back. Overall about 6 to 7 ft tall. At chimney top a cinder block sideways with tin a few inches up to keep rain out.
The bottom front 1/4" steel plate about 18"×30", hinged to open for air & to clean out ashes.
Top similar steel plate slides across for opening, spring handle on it. It's all made out of scrap junk. 70+ years old still used today.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

People think it's a BBQ grill

 

[CADplans]

Burning anything in typical cinder or concrete blocks will destroy the blocks very quickly.

The burn area has to be lined with fire brick.
(Blocks disintegrate because they are full of moisture, water is what cures the cement holding the block together)

Even with fire brick lining, too much heat from a high energy fire will still crack the blocks that are holding the firebrick in place.

My BIL tried for years to have a burner for their beach pavilion.
He must have rebuilt a half dozen times in a decade.
No matter how it was built, after a year or so, the block would crack.

He finally gave up, and bought a propane grill for use at the beach.

Steel is the best answer to building a trash burner.

 

[CliffordK]

I've accidentally trained my cats to make sawdust out of cardboard boxes.

 

[319Quahog]

I'm probably going to buy another XXL pryo cage in the 11 gauge thickness. They didn't offer this thickness when I originally bought it.

That's either a very small person or the XXL is huge. Thanks for bringing these up though. I've been looking for a trash solution to reduce what I have to bring to the transfer station---save up my plastics/stryofoam and only bring them once a month in their $3 pay per throw bag.

I haven't put a ton of thought into it. Still leaning towards rolling my own with concrete/fire brick, but if I go with a purchased solution I'll check out their large with a base and put it on pavers in the woods. No need for a lid in my situation.


XXL

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Burning anything in typical cinder or concrete blocks will destroy the blocks very quickly.

The burn area has to be lined with fire brick.
(Blocks disintegrate because they are full of moisture, water is what cures the cement holding the block together)

Even with fire brick lining, too much heat from a high energy fire will still crack the blocks that are holding the firebrick in place.

My BIL tried for years to have a burner for their beach pavilion.
He must have rebuilt a half dozen times in a decade.
No matter how it was built, after a year or so, the block would crack.

He finally gave up, and bought a propane grill for use at the beach.

Steel is the best answer to building a trash burner.

I'll take pictures of Dad's (rip)...70 years and still going strong

 

[tradosaurus]

That's either a very small person or the XXL is huge. Thanks for bringing these up though. I've been looking for a trash solution to reduce what I have to bring to the transfer station---save up my plastics/stryofoam and only bring them once a month in their $3 pay per throw bag.

I haven't put a ton of thought into it. Still leaning towards rolling my own with concrete/fire brick, but if I go with a purchased solution I'll check out their large with a base and put it on pavers in the woods. No need for a lid in my situation.


XXL

The XXL is huge. Assembled dimensions are approximately 35" in diameter x 47" tall.

It's going to be even taller once you elevated it with cement blocks. What I like about it is the ability of throwing just about any size cardboard box in it without having to cut it down. I also have trash compactor bag I throw in about every 2 weeks.