So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine. I'm
planning on turning it into a firepit but need to know whether or not the
stainless will be able to handle the heat and not deform. It's not extremely
thick, perhaps a hair more than 1mm. Any thoughts?

Thanks

-Tom

It'll twist up like a pretzel. Stainless is a bugger to move when it gets
hot.


"TT" wrote in message
news:rv1ae.4851$H53.335@lakeread05...
So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine. I'm
planning on turning it into a firepit but need to know whether or not the
stainless will be able to handle the heat and not deform. It's not
extremely
thick, perhaps a hair more than 1mm. Any thoughts?

Thanks

-Tom

"Tom Miller" wrote in message
...
It'll twist up like a pretzel. Stainless is a bugger to move when it gets
hot.

Eh?

"TT" wrote in message
news:rv1ae.4851$H53.335@lakeread05...
So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine.

People have been using 55 gallon (mild steel) drums for decades, I'd think
stainless would work just as well, if not better. It's somewhat more
heat-resistant, no?

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Yes, its better that a mild steel drum as far as corrosion goes,but it will
sure buckle into some funny shapes if you get it too hot!



"Tim Williams" wrote in message
...
"Tom Miller" wrote in message
...
It'll twist up like a pretzel. Stainless is a bugger to move when it
gets
hot.

Eh?

"TT" wrote in message
news:rv1ae.4851$H53.335@lakeread05...
So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine.

People have been using 55 gallon (mild steel) drums for decades, I'd think
stainless would work just as well, if not better. It's somewhat more
heat-resistant, no?

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:33:40 +1000, "Tom Miller"
wrote:
"Tim Williams" wrote in message
...
"Tom Miller" wrote in message
...
"TT" wrote in message
news:rv1ae.4851$H53.335@lakeread05...

So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine.

It'll twist up like a pretzel. Stainless is a bugger to move when it
gets hot.

Eh?
People have been using 55 gallon (mild steel) drums for decades, I'd think
stainless would work just as well, if not better. It's somewhat more
heat-resistant, no?

Yes, its better that a mild steel drum as far as corrosion goes,but it will
sure buckle into some funny shapes if you get it too hot!

So try it, but have the base well supported all the way around.

Worst case? You use it as a fire ring once and it warps all to heck
- so you just created an interesting piece of abstract art. Alexander
Calder has made a fortune at it... ;-)

-- Bruce --
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

"TT" wrote in message
news:rv1ae.4851$H53.335@lakeread05...
So I pulled a stainless drum out of my old dead washing machine. I'm
planning on turning it into a firepit but need to know whether or not the
stainless will be able to handle the heat and not deform. It's not
extremely
thick, perhaps a hair more than 1mm. Any thoughts?

Thanks

-Tom



Metallurgically speaking, stainless steel has a different coefficient of
linear expansion than regular steel.

That means that if you heated a three foot piece of stainless bar, and a
three foot piece of regular steel bar, and measured the changes in both of
them, it would be more for the stainless. The stainless piece would "grow"
more with the heat. Also, after the piece is heated, depending on the
amount of heat applied, it may have a different rate of returning to its
original size and shape. The higher the heat, the more the deformation and
the less chance of returning to the original shape, and that's pretty common
with any metal.

Long story short, go for it. As others suggested, support it evenly on
bottom, and blaze away. It is a throwaway item anyway. What can happen?

Steve