About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?

Thanks,

Arthur

In article ,
"Arthur" says...
About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?

Split a 45 gallon steel drum lengthwise to make two fire baskets -
support securely on concrete blocks or a bit of scaffolding. Bakers
used to use metal trays with a wire grill base, don't know if you can
get them any more but it might be worth asking around, otherwise some
old display rack, but make sure you get it really hot to burn off any
crap (and maybe scrub with a wire brush) before putting food on it
(likewise the drum to remove any contents or paint).

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:11:34 +0000 (UTC), "Arthur"
wrote:

About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?

30-40 people aren't actually that many for a barbecue. One halved
oildrum is quite adequate - most barbie builders go overboard on the
size, then find they've built something too cumbersome to ever light up
again.

You need a big fireproof bucket, a grille over the top, and some legs to
support it. How you build these is up to you, and what tooling and time
you have to hand.

You need nothing more than this. Anything else is mere flummery.

My barbecues are propane gas cylinders, sliced with a plasma cutter and
MIG welded. They're thick enough steel to last outdoors for years, even
unpainted. I don't advise working these, unless you're moderately well
equipped, understand the safety aspects of working them, and have read
the slicing-up method I've posted in the past.

As an easier source of steel to work, then oil drums are a possible, But
these are now rare (in steel), getting harder and harder to find, and
may contain toxic or noxious materials. An angle grinder and steel
cutting disk is an adequate way to cut them, even if you have to buy it.
You'll also need that angle grinder for grinding edges, and with a wire
brush for cleaning.

Flat sheet steel boxes work fine as barbecues.

If you can't weld, then you've a problem in building a multi-use
barbecue. But drilled holes and cheap stove bolts (Screwfix) will hold
it together for a one-off.

For legs, use steel pipe/angle, especially if you can weld. Otherwise
make small steel feet to stop wobbling, then support it on something
else. This can be brick piers (clumsy IMHO) wooden trolleys (huge wated
effort IMHO) or a foot of narrow steel is enough to keep it cold enough
to sit on wooden trestles or sawhorses.

Grilles can be bought as commercial stainless steel welded mesh - but
this is expensive. Cooker oven grilles can be recycled, grilles from the
council fridge tip (take the plastic off!) or even shopping trolley
panels.

Veggie food won't barbeque on a grille (it falls through the gaps), so
make a flat sheet griddle instead. I use 3/8" steel, for even heating
and better pancakes.

Plain rusty steel is usually food-friendly after a trip through a
bonfire and an angle grinder with a wire brush.

Avoid galvanised and zinc plated materials. Avoid cadmium plated
fasteners ! Prefer stainless over chrome plate - chrome is OK, but it
tends to flake off as razor-sharp shards once rusting.

Don't cook on the first lighting. You'll be amazed how much oil and
paint still needs to burn off.


Lighting:

#1 Use a chimney to light it - two foot high, 6" diameter and used as a
charcoal pre-heater with newspaper in the bottom and charcoal on top.
Let it burn hot, then dump it onto the main flame bed.

#2 Use a propane blowtorch to light it.

#3 Use oxygen gas from a welding torch to get it burning. This can burn
black charcoal into grey coals ready for cooking on within a minute.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message



You need a big fireproof bucket, a grille over the top, and some legs to
support it. How you build these is up to you, and what tooling and time
you have to hand.

You need nothing more than this. Anything else is mere flummery.

Do you need all that for an outdoor grill?

If he hasn't a supply of old oil drums or doesn't trust them (polyester
resin drums perhaps that need to roasted clean) he can knock a pit up
out of concrete blocks or if he fancies himself, make it permanent with
bricks and mortar.

A length of steel mesh would be the only expense if he can find a dump
of old bricks.

If he wants the steel drum style without the steel drums, perhaps he can
find a couple of car bonnets or boots to make the fire tray and the
grille.

Some more ideas on he http://bbq.about.com/


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Arthur" wrote in message
...
About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?



Thanks for the tips.

Any recommendation on fuel?

Minimal smoke would be a preference.

Arthur

Andy Dingley wrote:
Veggie food won't barbeque on a grille (it falls through the gaps), so
make a flat sheet griddle instead. I use 3/8" steel, for even heating
and better pancakes.

Expanded metal mesh is quite good for sausages and vegetables, but
burgers tend to stick/disintegrate.

Owain

In article ,
"Arthur" says...

"Arthur" wrote in message
...
About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?



Thanks for the tips.

Any recommendation on fuel?

Minimal smoke would be a preference.

What does anyone use apart from charcoal? The smoke is part of the
reason BBQ food tastes better than indoors food.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 20:05:38 +0000 (UTC), "Arthur"
wrote:


"Arthur" wrote in message
...
About 30-40 people and god knows how many kids.
Anyone know a how to build a diy barbeque from a readily available
(make do and mend) parts?



Thanks for the tips.

Any recommendation on fuel?

Minimal smoke would be a preference.

Arthur


Local fallen tree branches, get a good fire going, and then cook on
the embers when it has died down.

Rick

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 08:02:56 GMT, Rick wrote:

Local fallen tree branches,

Potentially great, but they'll take literally hours to burn through
before they're ready to cook over. You'll also need about 3x the volume
and 10x the weight, compared to charcoal, to get similar "cooking
power".

You can also throw more charcoal on and be back cooking in a couple of
minutes, but a log of timber will set you back ages.

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 11:11:51 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 08:02:56 GMT, Rick wrote:

Local fallen tree branches,

Potentially great, but they'll take literally hours to burn through
before they're ready to cook over. You'll also need about 3x the volume
and 10x the weight, compared to charcoal, to get similar "cooking
power".

You can also throw more charcoal on and be back cooking in a couple of
minutes, but a log of timber will set you back ages.

Cooking on a wood rather thanb a charcoal BBQ does take more skill,
where as cremating the food takes less skill.

Rick

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 11:11:51 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 08:02:56 GMT, Rick wrote:

Local fallen tree branches,

Potentially great, but they'll take literally hours to burn through
before they're ready to cook over. You'll also need about 3x the volume
and 10x the weight, compared to charcoal, to get similar "cooking
power".

Hi,

IME pallet wood from fairly clean pallets is pretty good, doesn't take
too long to go to embers.

cheers,
Pete.