Today I got myself a NICE red

[Keith Perkins]

22 1/2" Weber grill. http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0384_zps194b8479.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0384_zps194b8479.jpg.html)

I've got a bunch of left over bricks so I wanted a 22 1/2" size Weber top to make a fire pit. The neighbor has one on a semi rim and my plan was to build a "brick box" big enough to hold it plus a little then fill around the rim with sand. The wife has sort of wanted one since we moved in. Thinking of doing it right there on the corner of the patio.

So I've been searching Craigslist and I spotted an add for this grill that said it was converted to a fire pit. The add said it was red, which was my first choice of colors if it was the bright red. They stopped making that color grill in 1999. Well when I called her and she said she'd say the top was in good shape and that it had the kettle too I thought bonus, I don't have to find a semi rim. She said it had no legs, I thought no problem I wouldn't need them anyway. When she said she wanted $5 for it I said I was on my way!

They had "converted" it to a fire pit by setting the legless kettle on a piece of clay pipe. I wouldn't say the top is in good shape, but it was in better shape than I was expecting. The lid handle condition really pleased me. From the serial number being on the top vent and it having metal handles on the kettle it had to be built in the 70's. We'll see how long it takes to get the fire pit built and if it ends up here or in the wife's "alternate" location.

[joanstone]

Funny guy, you got me!

[Bill63SG]

Looks good for $5.I keep burning my pits out.Need to go with the heavier cast iron,or put one right on the ground and use bricks.

[Keith Perkins]

Is the word touche? I'm hoping to re-purpose this little piece of history for a long time. It'll make a good project.

I went to the Weber warehouse sale just after they stopped making red. They sell dents, scratched, discontinued, etc once a year at it. Stood in line for like 2 hours if I remember right. They hand out food samples off the grill while you wait though, it's all good. A guy in front of me in line asked one of the employees why they quit making them. The employee said the cost of getting rid of the processing material by-products was so expensive, because they were so carcinogenic, they couldn't make any money on them. They had two 18" ones left, period. The guy bought both of them.

[pastry]

damn't keith, gave me blue balls. You know I love reds.

[Wes]

Nice round shape but the vent hole size to lid is a little off.

[Second Hand Pat]

You are a tease Keith. Enjoy the fire pit.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

I figured you were getting some Red discus (most are pigeon based and I know you hate that) and thought, no, not Keith. Lol.

Good looking fire pit for those late, cool nights around the fire talking discus.

[SMB2]

Is that charcoal or peppering?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Is that charcoal or peppering?

Lol

[Keith Perkins]

Elliot, I don't EVEN know how to respond to that. Keep an eye on my Homesteader section though. Some day when my Golden's and Red's start working on the next generation I may have some nice reds.

Wes, that response is the absolute best. You're going to have to make it up here for the next MWDA meeting. Spring picnic and fire pit burning...very late spring, lol. The firepit is going in the alternate location, so I think I'm going to pour a little slab etc. Going to be a lot more work, but oh well.

Pat, but you love it so.

Well Jeff, if I had had tank space I wouldn't have minded getting the group you scooped up.

It's funny Stan, because when I cleaned the top a bit I see it has a bunch of tiny pin head size flecks out of the porcelain. White peppering.

[Trier20]

Nice find! For $5 what the hell right! She'll do you well for years of fires and beers beside it!

[Keith Perkins]

Just came in from doing a little measuring. :) Going to pour myself a little 40" floating concrete slab for the fire pit in the rock area where the fountain is. Construction will probably start in two weeks. Got a lot of rock, dirt, and sand I want to move around before I do the slab, so it may be five steps back before any forward.

Been researching the old red girl, she was built in 76 or 77.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, but you love it so.

I would Keith. I love sitting around a fire. :D

[Keith Perkins]

I would Keith. I love sitting around a fire. :D


You are a tease Keith. Enjoy the fire pit.

I was talking about the teasing. :D

[Second Hand Pat]

I was talking about the fire pit ;)

[Keith Perkins]

Turns out it's going in a spot I didn't even consider. Step 1 is done, but there's at least seven or eight more good size ones to go.

[Keith Perkins]

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0401_zps500f6b18.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0401_zps500f6b18.jpg.html)

The slab is poured, and that's Vanessa's dog Nutmeg that we've had for the last month inspecting it. I wish I had taken a picture of the pile of rock on the tarp on the patio I pull off the weed barrier, or all the topsoil I hauled to the garden from under the weed barrier, or the tarp full of topsoil sand mix that was next, and then there was the wheel barrow and two recycling bins full of sand under that. My hole must have been close to 3 feet deep when I was done.

I layered the rock and topsoil/sand mix back in the hole first, then rock and sand, and finally packed sand. Should be a great base for the concrete. Ran three 2 1/2" concrete screws an inch into the adjacent concrete patio before I poured my slab. Hoping for zero movement.

[Trier20]

Looks great Keith! Hope the shoulder works it's self out!

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice start on this project Keith. You check that slab with a lever yet :D

[Keith Perkins]

Looks great Keith! Hope the shoulder works it's self out!

Thanks Brandon. We're working on getting the gardens planted now, so no progress on the firepit. My wife will be gone for sisters weekend next weekend, so it'll get done then if not before. The shoulder still sucks, but the drugs are good.


Nice start on this project Keith. You check that slab with a lever yet :D

Thanks Pat. No, I haven't remembered to do that yet. I know the pitch is good, just not sure if it's a little too good.

[Bill63SG]

but the drugs are good.




:thumbsup:

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Looks great Keith. Hope the shoulder gets better so you can get back to them water changes without the drugs, Lol.

[Keith Perkins]

I've been working through the discomfort. Had to pea this morning just before six so I decided to get dressed and weed. Finished hand weeding the veggie garden and I pulled the multitude of long weeds in the annual garden. The WCs have gotten behind, but there's lot's of racing on today. Maybe get stuff planted between the races today, that would leave tomorrow to build the pit if the weather cooperates. Sure nice out there now.

[Keith Perkins]

Nice start on this project Keith. You check that slab with a lever yet :D

Okay Pat, I scanned back and saw this post and headed to the garage. The slab has been officially checked. On the slope away from the house the bubble was at the edge of the second outside line. That's actually less pitch than the patio. Shockingly the slab pitches back toward the patio ever so slightly. We'll see what it's like when I add the weight of 224 1 5/8x4x8 patio bricks, a 22 1/2" Weber grill kettle and lid, and sand. It's pinned to the patio, so any movement should only be good...as long as it's not too much.

[Keith Perkins]

At 6:30 my wife noted tomorrow's forecast did not look good. I suggested we should try to do our planting and after a little discussion off we trudged. Two hour later all the planting is done and the sprinkler is on. The slab is covered so even if it's raining tomorrow as long as it's not windy I can work on the fire pit. If I start tomorrow, I'll likely finish it tomorrow.

[Keith Perkins]

Here's a picture of the previous work.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0401_zps500f6b18.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0401_zps500f6b18.jpg.html)

Here is the results of the Memorial Day work. I thin layer of the adjoining gravel inside, covered with a couple inches of sand. It's what was left in the bottom of one of my two recycling bins.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0417_zps9231f6fe.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0417_zps9231f6fe.jpg.html)

It was raining here Tuesday evening, so Wednesday I did this.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0420_zps54bf3f31.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0420_zps54bf3f31.jpg.html)

It's pouring here now, so I guess I'll get to see how it drains. The weekends suppose to be nice, so I'll get some finished product pictures up soon.

[Bill63SG]

That looks sweet,Keith.We cant have them on the ground,have to be elevated,but I put up a full fence last year,so who know's now.

[Keith Perkins]

I read today that fire pits need to be 30 feet from your house and have a screen around them. This is 15 feet. Good thing charcoal grills only have to be 10 feet away. :D

[Second Hand Pat]

Keith, you did a really nice job on your fire pit...very professional looking.

[chaoslite]

I like it!! Grilling a t-bone on my little grill like that.

Mishka

[SMB2]

Nice work. Glad to see you're using a light sand (pool?) bottom. That should take care of the Peppering.:p

[Keith Perkins]

Thanks Mishka, me too.

Good one Stan. Actually the sand came from about a foot below where the fire pit is. My entire neighborhood sits on a sand vein, so once I removed the landscape rock and 10 inches or so of hauled in top soil it's almost pure sand underneath.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Great job Keith. Now you can come over and help me build mine.

Whens the first official BBQ kick-off?

[Keith Perkins]

Great job Keith. Now you can come over and help me build mine.

Whens the first official BBQ kick-off?

Thanks Jeff. It took me about 5 years to come up with the plans for this one, I'll start working on your plans now.

Still working on the kick-off date, but late afternoon June 23rd is a possibility.

One step closer to being done with the project, hopefully finishing it up this weekend.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0423_zpsba3bfea5.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0423_zpsba3bfea5.jpg.html)

[Bill63SG]

Thanks Jeff. It took me about 5 years to come up with the plans for this one, I'll start working on your plans now.

Still working on the kick-off date, but late afternoon June 23rd is a possibility.

One step closer to being done with the project, hopefully finishing it up this weekend.

http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/CozyKeith/IMG_0423_zpsba3bfea5.jpg (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/CozyKeith/media/IMG_0423_zpsba3bfea5.jpg.html)

Gives Brandon plenty of time to remember the beer.

[Keith Perkins]

Gives Brandon plenty of time to remember the beer.

:)

[Trier20]

Gives Brandon plenty of time to remember the beer.

.............sigh

[Wes]

Whens the first official BBQ kick-off?

Fish fry Keith? everybudy bring some runts.

[Trier20]

Hope you enjoyed the beer I remembered. Too bad the other two couldn't enjoy it with us

[Keith Perkins]

I enjoyed it immensely. Look how much money you saved without them coming. :)

[DiscusLoverJeff]

I enjoyed it immensely. Look how much money you saved without them coming. :)


HEY!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trier20]

I enjoyed it immensely. Look how much money you saved without them coming. :)

I know right!

[DiscusLoverJeff]

I know right!

HEY HEY!!!!!

[Trier20]

HEY HEY!!!!!

LOL :D

[warblad79]

That red is very round

[Bill63SG]

HEY HEY!!!!!

As re-run would say,HEY HEY HEY!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

This is what Keith is doing tonight while enjoy a little wine

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/P070313952054_zps82cea585.jpg (http://s925.photobucket.com/user/Second_Hand_Pat/media/P070313952054_zps82cea585.jpg.html)

[discuspaul]

You captured it perfectly, Pat - that's exactly what I thought Keith's first cook-out would look like, till he got familiar with his new set-up !!! LOL
No offense, Keith - quite frankly, I'm sure you did a good job of your first bbq & just love the Weber !

[Keith Perkins]

That's what a fire looks like with a very cheap basic cell phone apparently. I didn't think that picture looked that bad when I sent it out, but maybe the red wine obscured my vision a bit. Took it to the next left this evening, the kids made smores on it. Okay, grandma made the smores, but the kids ate them.