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Ah, it’s autumn. Most Americans consider it their favorite season of the year. Sweaters and boots are starting to make a comeback, the scent of pumpkin spice is making a comeback, hay rides and corn mazes are back on track, and fire pits are waking up from hibernation. Anybody with s’mores? If you’re looking for a new fire pit and happen to have an old washing machine with a steel drum lying around, don’t throw it away. With some creativity and a few tools, you can upcycle this machine into a DIY fire pit in under 10 minutes for free (via YouTube).
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Most washing machine drums are made of stainless steel, which can withstand high temperatures. These drums have dozens of holes for water to flow through, but when used as a fire pit, air moves through these openings instead. One of the important factors to consider when installing a fire pit is proper ventilation. This not only allows for a cleaner burn, but also reduces smoke and carbon monoxide build-up, making the porous metal drum the perfect fire pit. Additionally, its cylindrical shape helps contain fire.
Preparing to use the drum as a bonfire stand
The first step in converting a washing machine drum into a fire pit is, of course, extraction. Although not all washing machines are the same, the basic steps for top load washing machines are the same. If the drum base is plastic, remove it and discard it. It cannot be used in the pit. If it is made of metal, leave it attached. You will also need to unscrew the top of the machine to completely remove the drum. Make sure there are no interfering pieces of plastic or wires, as demonstrated by YouTuber @ecologicaltime. Once the drum is removed, remove any plastic parts inside.
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In the first YouTube video, the creator cut three 32-inch pieces of metal and screwed them to the drum to lift the drum. For the base, we used a large, sturdy saw blade for cutting concrete. The original base of the drum was probably plastic, so I removed it. Note that although this demonstration is based on a top-loading washing machine, there are other ways to upcycle the drum depending on the type of washing machine you have.
In the Kids of the Wild version, the drum base is made of metal, so the blogger left it attached to use it as a fire pit base. They didn’t even raise it. There are some upcycled front-loading washing machines, but as A View from the Clouds shows, separating the drum can take some effort.
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Customize your fire pit
One of the best things about DIY projects is that they can be customized in many ways to match your surrounding decor or suit your personal style preferences. As for the upcycled washing machine drum, you can add legs as described in the previous section, but you can also change the exterior color with paint. Perhaps you want to create a chevron pattern or paint the whole thing in a solid, bold color. You can also do both.
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When painting any type of firebreak, not just any type of spray paint can be used. It must be a spray paint designed to withstand high heat up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The label on the can will tell you whether the paint is a high heat spray. Be sure to clean, sand and dry the pit/drum before spraying.
No matter what type of drum you have or how you upcycle it, don’t forget to remove all plastic parts and create a metal base if your drum doesn’t already have one. Also, be careful not to touch the drum as it gets very hot, and if you decide to paint it, use only high heat spray paint. Happy upcycling!
