Do-it-yourself barbecue from a barrel will be an excellent tool for culinary arts. In the courtyard of your estate, you can install stationary barbecue but it takes a lot of time and effort to do so. It will be impossible to move a brick structure to another place. The situation is quite different if the brazier body is made of a barrel.
Design features
The brazier, made of a metal barrel, has a number of positive aspects:
- low manufacturing costs;
- ease of construction, mobility, easy to transport;
- simple repair and maintenance;
- easy to clean;
- application safety;
- retains heat well when cooking.
Along with the advantages, this constructive solution also has disadvantages:
- barrel material is subject to corrosion;
- strong heating of the case during operation can cause a burn if safety measures are not followed.
Video "Barbecue from a barrel with your own hands"
From this video you will learn how to make a beautiful barbecue yourself from an ordinary metal barrel.
Preparatory procedures
The good news when making a brazier from a barrel is that the amount of materials needed for work is much less than the list of tools:
From tools:
- welding machine;
- grinder with discs for cutting and grinding;
- measuring tool: tape measure, scriber;
- jigsaw;
- fastening tool;
- electric drill with a set of drills.
When choosing a barrel for barbecue, its size is unimportant. It can be 50, 100 or 200 liters. The main thing is that this container is not previously used for fuels and lubricants. The smell of petroleum products is very persistent and will be present in all dishes cooked on such a grill. For such purposes, containers that no one needs for a long time are usually used. Therefore, it is important to make sure that there are no corroded cavities, especially in places close to the bottom and lid of our barrel. Convinced of suitability source material, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the inner surface as far as possible.
Capacity cutting
Before cutting the barrel, you need to clearly understand the purpose of the future structure. Will it be just a brazier, a barbecue, or a kind of potbelly stove with the possibility of preparing ordinary dishes. Depending on the design chosen, markup should be made on the barrel and get to work. In the process of cutting, we use a jigsaw or grinder. It is important to follow all precautions and direct sparks to a safe place. Work only with protective goggles.
Self-manufacturing
It will be convenient to use the intended support when working with the barrel itself, so let's start with the support.
From any steel profile that comes to hand, we will weld a frame in the form of a parallelepiped (the same cube, only elongated). The profile should not bend, but not be bulky. Its size is arbitrary - from 15x15 mm to 60x60 mm. It would be appropriate to use a pipe of the same size.
The first thing to do is a reliable support for the barbecue
Our frame should be a few centimeters longer than the height of the barrel. Width - less than the diameter of the barrel by the same few centimeters or the same as the last size. We determine the height of the frame according to our height so that later it would be convenient to use the barbecue. The support can take the form of two rigidly fastened racks, welded with half rings, into which the skeleton of the barbecue will be laid.
Cutout
Install the original container in the welded structure of the support, laying it on its side. Let's mark the cut-out lid on the side of the barrel in front of us. The width of the lid must be less than half the circumference of the barrel. The length on one side must pass at a distance of at least 3 cm from the end of the container, and on the other, at least 25 cm to enable this side of the barbecue to be equipped with a chimney.
We cut the cover with a grinder, but not completely. When a cut is made along the line on which the hinges will be installed, they must be welded. This will avoid distortions and inaccuracies in mounting the cover. Only after installing the hinges we completely cut out the cover of our barbecue. It's already functional. You just need to make stops on the body, inside, along the closing line, weld any metal profile so that the lid does not fall through. FROM outer side covers, between the hinges, it is necessary to weld a stop so that fixing in the open position is convenient. Usually make an angle of 100-120 ° C.
Having a barrel and some basic skills available, you can make a convenient barbecue yourself.
Now weld the handle to the lid. We will make it ourselves from a bar or take it ready-made, from unnecessary equipment. We will weld a thin profile to the inside of the body along the side surfaces. We will use it to support skewers and grates when cooking barbecue.
After the cover has been cut out, it is necessary to clean the inner surface from rust and dirt. To do this, we take a drill with a special cylindrical brush and go through the entire internal cavity. After that, to remove the old layer of paint, we will fire the container.
We weld the body of our barbecue to the support, if it has a permanent location. In the case when a mobile unit is needed, we will weld the brackets to the tank and drill holes in the support so that they can be bolted together. This is necessary for the stability of the structure. To create traction, we drill holes or make longitudinal cuts in the lower part of the body. Holes with a diameter of 10–18 mm will help maintain the rigidity of our case. And longitudinal cuts can weaken it. The slots are relevant when installing cast iron grates in the bottom of the unit.
Let's start with the chimney. We do it from the side where we left more than 25 cm from the end of the container. metal pipe We weld the chimney with a diameter of 70–150 mm to the body of the brazier. The place of welding is located in the upper part of the brazier. If you cut off a small piece of pipe at an angle of 45 ° and weld the rotary elbow of the chimney, then the welding point is performed in the end part of the container. With this arrangement of the pipe, traction will be better.
From two halves
The simplest in execution will be a fractional cut of the original container in half. Therefore, braziers from two halves of the barrel are often found.
We cut the container, while welding the loops without finishing the cuts. We weld the handle, then the stop between the hinges, which protects the lid from tipping over. We clean the outer and inner surfaces of dirt and old paint coating. We connect the body of the structure with the support by welding or fasteners. We drill holes in the bottom of the brazier.
This design does not require a chimney. When cooking, the smoke will simply rise and move in the direction of the wind. On the one hand, this is bad, because it is inconvenient to cook, because the smoke will strive to get into your eyes, on the other hand, the food will receive an unforgettable aroma of coals.
Outdoor barbecue does not need a chimney With smoker function
To make a brazier with a smokehouse or grill function, you will need to upgrade any of the models described above:
- Prepare another metal container, preferably smaller, for use as a firebox.
- Cut a cover for laying firewood in it. Drill holes for the traction device.
- Cut connecting holes between the brazier body and the firebox. If the design has a chimney, then place the firebox on the opposite side. If there is no chimney, then it is possible in the middle, blocking the draft holes. If the firebox is located on the side, then the draft holes will need to be closed / welded.
- Weld the firebox with the barbecue body.
- Weld metal strips inside the housing along the line of closing the lid. This is important to create a tightness of the smoking chamber.
- Make a hole for draining fat in the bottom of the case.
Any version of the barbecue can be supplemented with a smokehouse Coloring rules
After completing all welding and assembly work, we can start appearance unit. Considering that the brazier will be exposed to fire and smoke during operation, we will choose dark color painting for the whole structure. Usually black is used. So that the paint can prevent corrosion for a long time, we carefully degrease all surfaces of the barbecue. The paint should only be heat resistant. It is best applied with a pressurized sprayer.
For reliability of quality of the painted surfaces it is necessary to apply three layers.
After the paint has dried, the unit is ready for use. It remains to fill it with food, wood or coal.
When using traditional structural materials (sheet iron, brick) for barbecue, the labor intensity of work and cutting waste increase. Therefore, for a home master, information is relevant on how to make a barbecue from blanks produced industrial way. The best option becomes a propane tank, a drum washing machine, 200 l barrel or a piece of thick-walled pipe. It is about the last two that will be discussed further.
When building a barbecue with your own hands, you should take into account the nuances of cooking meat on coals in this way and the convenience of using the hearth:
Attention! Unlike refractory brick steel, even thick-walled, burns out on contact with an open fire. Therefore, fires should not be made in metal barbecues; it is better to use ready-made coal to increase the service life.
DIY barbecue technology
The most economical option when using a large diameter pipe or drum is a horizontal cylinder shape. However, a vertical-type barbecue grill with a pointed upper edge is often made from long pipes, providing a high aesthetic value of the hearth.
From the barrel
The most common method of making a barbecue roaster remains a 200 liter metal barrel. There are several ways to cut, installation options and chimney designs. This instruction describes the construction of a barbecue from a barrel with your own hands with a small rectangular lid.
Lid
The design is very simple, which eliminates the need for drawings / sketches. At the initial stage, a hatch is cut out of the barbecue barrel:
- width - 5–10 cm must be retreated from each edge to ensure the rigidity of the brazier frame;
- height - about 1/3 of the circumference of the barrel.
The cut out part becomes a lid, hinged to one side of the longitudinal horizontal cut. Hinges can be welded, screwed or riveted to cover and body parts.
For ease of use, a handle made of non-combustible material is mounted on the lid. If necessary, a deadbolt can be added to protect against spontaneous opening in winter during snowfall.
Attention! A thin-walled barrel after cutting out the hatch usually loses its spatial geometry. Therefore, along the edges of the cut from the inside, the body of the barrel is reinforced with a corner, on the shelf of which a barbecue grill will later be laid. 
grate knot
For a uniform layer of coals, a cylindrical surface is unsuitable by default. Therefore, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the convex bottom of the brazier, it is necessary to lay the grate. It performs several functions:
- provides a flat surface for coals;
- allows the ashes to freely wake up down;
- removed to clean the brazier from combustion products.
The BBQ should be sized as in the drawings and photographs below so that the meat is fried quickly, but does not burn.
To fix the grate, corners are used along the body of the barrel, attached to it with rivets, bolts or welding.
Lattice
By analogy with the previous step, the lattice is placed on several supports. If a corner is already welded on one side to reinforce the body of the brazier, the home master will have to add a second corner opposite it. 
A barbecue made in this way is universal. Skewers can be placed on the same corners if necessary.
The most common side chimney scheme among users is:
- in the upper third of the end part of the barrel, a hole is made for the chimney with a diameter of 57–89 mm;
- a 90 degree bend is welded into it;
- a 1–1.5 m piece of pipe is welded to the outlet from above;
- a visor is installed on top of it.
Operation of a cylindrical barbeque show on video.
If the hearth is protected from the weather by a canopy or visor, you can use a rectangular or round hood. If you increase the size of such a hood, the galvanized "umbrella" becomes an independent roof.
The reference node has several options for increasing the degree of complexity:
The optimal height for operation is considered to be 0.8–1.2 m from the ground to the side of the brazier. A cylindrical hearth with a chimney is by default part of a smokehouse or grill oven, which is convenient for the owner of a suburban area.
From a pipe
An economical roaster for cooking meat on a grill is practically no different from the previous version from a barrel. It's just that the barbecue pipe is first muffled on both sides with parts cut from sheet steel. The operational resource is much higher than that of a barrel, since in this case the thickness of the metal is greater. Even when cutting out the manhole cover, the spatial geometry is preserved, the structure does not need to be reinforced with a corner.
In this step by step instructions the design of the original tubular vertical type barbecue will be considered.
With a sufficient amount of thick-walled rolled metal, a workpiece is cut out of the pipe with their own hands complex shape. The pipe should be 1.8–2 m long, it must be installed vertically on the end, and the cut line should be drawn at an angle from the level of 1 m to the upper opposite part of the structure (as in the photo below). 
With an independent cut corner grinder(LBM) it is very difficult to mark the cut line, so you should first draw a template on paper / cardboard.
Additional elements are located at different levels:
- barbecue grill - at the lower edge of the cut, several corners are welded along the diameter to fix it;
- the grate is 15–20 cm lower than the previous grate; corners are also attached to it around the perimeter from the inside;
- ash door - just below the grate on any convenient side, welded on hinges to the body, equipped with a valve and a handle;
- plug - since the body of the pipe serves as a stand for the brazier, the ash compartment turns out to be too large, so the structure is jammed under the ash pan door.
Attention! A chimney with this option is not used by barbecues, as it drastically reduces the aesthetics of the perception of the structure. Instead, a round or square hood is usually mounted.
It will not work to close the cut part of the pipe, so the standard round cap installed instead of a barbecue grill.
If the pipe is not so big, you can also make legs or consider other options. 
Well, a video on how you can build a vertical device for cooking outdoors.
Additional features and decoration
Before you make a barbecue for a suburban area, you should decide on the mode of operation:
And then we plan what elements will be present there. In this case, additional options are:
- countertop - usually fastened with brackets in front of the lid of the brazier;
- shelves - hung on the sides near the bottom of the barrel;
- woodpile - located under the barrel, protected from behind by a visor;
- canopy / visor - made of non-combustible materials on separate racks;
- hood - usually with natural draft in the form of a conical or pyramidal structure made of galvanized.
Metal barbecues are decorated with twisted, forged elements. Less often, the original configuration is attached to the body of the structure. For example, when using a thick-walled pipe, the owner can beat the design in the form of a mortar gun or an old steam locomotive. A ready-made decor option is a used countertop sewing machine, usually decorated with forging.
Thus, if there is a large diameter pipe or a standard 200 l drum, House master can make a barbecue with my own hands. In this case, the requirements from the above instructions must be observed.
But there are those who can not help but surprise. And this, perhaps, is barbecue from a barrel, which you can also make with your own hands!
In order to build such a homemade product, you will need some materials:
tin barrel;
specialized painting for the barbecue itself;
several hooks;
a specialized regulator, which is designed to be able to regulate the temperature process, directly, for a barbecue;
be sure to buy gloves and goggles in order to protect yourself from possible risks;
a grid designed for barbecue;
a grate made of that steel that will not succumb to the corrosion process;
bolt and nuts;
pipes large sizes, which are necessary for chimneys;
resperator;
steel and welding;
polished device;
hammer, and sandpaper;
felt-tip pen;
drill and drills.
Step 1
Before you start the main work, you need to make sure that your container is empty and most importantly, that there are absolutely no liquids in it, so as not to risk your life later, because such liquids can also be acids that tend to ignite.
Install the barrel so that it is convenient for you to remove from it old paint.
Then you need to attach two pieces tightly and weld.
IN without fail check how well your seams turned out. Consider the fact that there should simply be no gaps.
Step 3
In order to make the cuts on the barrel more accurate and symmetrical, draw small markings on it.
Step 4
Weld a few strips of steel to the edges of the sheet that you cut out. It is they who will not allow the lid to fall through when you close the barbecue.
Step 5
After these steps, you need to clean the barrel radically. For such purposes, you can use specialized oil-based products.
Step 6
The base of the barbecue should be made of rods.
As for the frame, it is in the form of a certain rectangle that will fold inward.
Step 7
To make a handle, you must apply, directly, welding.
Next, attach the handle to the barrel itself. And do not forget in the process of working to remove shavings from the metal.
Step 8
Finally, paint the barrel with a specialized paint that can withstand fairly high temperatures.
The article describes all the pros and cons that a brazier made on the basis of metal container. The stages of work on creating a structure are listed, as well as the tools and materials necessary to create such a brazier at home.
Barbecue from a barrel in a few hours
Holidays in the country are most often associated with cooking barbecue in a pleasant company. Some have portable braziers in their arsenal, but most often, connoisseurs of tasty and juicy meat prefer to use more impressive devices. If there is no desire to make it out of concrete and brick, then it is quite possible to build your own brazier from a barrel in a few hours. What is the best way to do this? What improvised materials and tools will be needed in the process of making such a device?
Advantages and disadvantages
A brazier from a metal barrel has an undeniable advantage. With it, you can not only fry meat, but cook it correctly while maintaining juiciness and taste. Thanks to the large roasting pan, which warms up very well and evenly, the meat turns out tasty. Pluses are also:
- Ease of care, quick cleaning;
- Ability to transport over short distances;
- Profitability;
- Ability to self-repair if necessary;
- Uniform distribution of heat inside the brazier.
If you make a combined version, then it is quite possible to cook both a traditional barbecue on skewers and a juicy barbecue. An ordinary brazier that understands cannot cook such tasty meat.
The disadvantages of a barbecue from a barrel include:
- High susceptibility to corrosion. Therefore, it should be covered or hidden during bad weather.
- There is a possibility of getting a burn if safety precautions are not followed, since the entire surface of the barrel warms up quite strongly.
What is required for work
You can make a grill from an old metal barrel or even a gas cylinder. It is important to bear in mind that it is forbidden to use a container in which poisons, chemicals or fuel were cut. A 200 liter container will make a wonderful barbecue that can satisfy all the wishes of connoisseurs of delicious fried meat. To Work with gas bottle much more difficult. In order to make a brazier from a barrel with your own hands, you will need special tools and additional materials:
- Bulgarian with a circle for cutting and grinding;
- Welding machine;
- Jigsaw for metal;
- Steel corner with identical shelves not less than 45 mm;
- Grid for lattice;
- Metal door handle;
- Four wheels on a metal base (for transportation);
- Door hinges;
- bolts;
- Roulette.
Frame preparation
The first step is to make a frame that will securely hold the barbecue. The optimal height is 90 - 100 cm. For this, prepared metal corners at an angle of 90°. On one and the other side, two drains are installed, connected by a jumper. The height of the jumper should not exceed 25-30 centimeters from the ground to ensure reliable stability. Attach a wheel to each drain. It is important to ensure that there are no distortions of the frame, otherwise the barrel grill will not be as effective and of high quality.
Assembly process
How to make a brazier in a few hours? The main thing is to follow all the steps correctly and follow the recommendations. Making a barbecue from a barrel with your own hands consists of the following steps:
- In the side of the metal container, with the help of a grinder, a rectangular hole is cut out. Later it is used as a cover. The side walls must be at least 15 centimeters. In order to place 10 skewers, it is enough to have a capacity of 30 cm.
- Via welding machine or bolts, it is necessary to fix the two parts of the barrel with loops. Weld a metal handle to the lid for ease of use.
- To properly equip inner part you need to weld plates or corners there. A brazier will be installed directly on them.
- To create draft and air circulation in the side parts of the barrel, it is necessary to make holes with an electric drill. The lid can also be perforated if the plan is to use the structure as a smokehouse in the future.
- The made brazier must be fixed on the frame. It is important that the drain hole of the container is at the top. This will be the exhaust hole. In the future, it is better to insert a piece of pipe into this hole.
If desired, you can cover the brazier from the barrel with heat-resistant paint with your own hands. This will allow the design to harmoniously fit into the landscape of the cottage or house.
Among the many designs of a brazier from a barrel attracts with its simplicity and accessibility. The container, laid horizontally, is carefully cut in the longitudinal direction either into two equal parts, or about a third of the side part is cut out, which will serve as a lid. At the same time, the bottom of the barrel should not be touched in order to maintain the rigidity of the structure. The lid is mounted on hinges, equipped with a handle and limiters for fixing in the open state. Most of the barrel serves as a pallet where the grate is installed, coals are placed on the bottom. For convenience, the brazier must be installed on legs or other support.
For work you will need:
- Bulgarian with a cutting and grinding wheel.
- Welding machine and electrodes.
- Electric drill with a set of drills.
- Roulette, ruler, square.
- Hammer, core, pliers, screwdriver.
- Kit wrenches, file.
Materials to be prepared:
- Steel barrel.
- Metal corner.
- Heat-resistant paint (it is recommended to use material for painting car mufflers).
- Sprayer, brushes.
- Self-tapping screws, bolts with nuts.
- Personal protective equipment (glasses, gloves).
The most necessary tools and materials.
In some cases, additional devices available to the user may be required.Where to begin?
Work will start choosing the volume of the future brazier and creating a working drawing. In practice, designs from a 200-liter barrel have proven themselves well, allowing you to cook a lot of food at once and creating an optimal temperature regime. The production of a working drawing is an important stage during which the design solution, details are being worked out, the design of the stand is being thought out, etc.
After the drawing has been created, must be thoroughly rinsed. Completely fill it with water and immediately pour it out before the sediment settles. Dry the container in the sun to release the vapors that may be present inside. This will avoid ignition or even explosion when cutting metal.
Firewood selection
Firewood for barbecue is an important element on which the taste and quality of cooked food depends. It is recommended to use only hardwoods, as conifers have a high resin content, which makes food bitter. The best option - firewood from trunks fruit trees, capable of providing even heat and giving the food a delicate pleasant aroma. Aspen firewood should not be used - the emitted smoke contains toxic substances.
How to cut a barrel?
On the surface of the barrel using a marker and a ruler, cut lines are applied. The barrel can be cut exactly in half, which will allow one part to be used as a lid or make another brazier out of it. Another option is also possible, when the cut off part is smaller than the main one.
Procedure:
- The side surface of the barrel is marked according to the selected size and shape.
- A grinder with a cutting wheel carefully cut off the desired part.
- The edges of the cut on the barrel and the lid are carefully cleaned from burrs, unevenness is leveled.
The cut edges of the lid and the side surface of the barrel must be fixed with a corner, which is fastened either with self-tapping screws or by welding. After welding, the edges are again processed with a grinder with a grinding wheel.
If it is decided to cut the barrel in half, similar actions are performed, the only difference will be the passage of the cut line through the end of the container.Frame creation
The frame, or stand, should be at a height that is comfortable for the wearer. The best option is considered to be 0.9-1 m (counting together with the barbecue), but each person has their own preferences. There are many options for frame design:
- Crosspiece of two rectangular frames connected in the middle part.
- Semicircles with legs in which the barrel fits.
- Conventional supports connected by a rectangular horizontal frame, inside which a barbecue (brazier) is installed.
Other options are also possible.
There are no significant advantages of one method over another, the choice is determined by the taste and personal preferences of the owner.Manufacturing steps
Consider how to make a barbecue from a steel barrel. Procedure(from the very beginning):
- Washing and cleaning of the barrel inside and out.
- Cutting according to the selected option.
- Corner edging.
- Stand assembly.
- Installing hinges and handles (after installation, they can be temporarily removed so as not to interfere with further steps).
- Accession supporting elements for installing a grill or support for skewers.
- final procedures.
- Processing of the interior.
The inside of the barrel is usually covered with layers from previous materials stored in it. Used to remove plaque various ways, the simplest and most effective of which is firing.
The plaque ignites, separates from the walls and is easily removed from the inside.Barbecue with a cutout
This construction is convenient because wind flows do not get inside the pallet, there is no ash coating on the prepared dishes. During operation, the lid leans back and does not interfere with cooking, and after the end of the brazier closes.
Brazier from two halves of a barrel
This option is easier to work with, since all operations on the halves are almost identical. The difference is only in the installation of the handle and interior design- one part needs the installation of a grill and supports for skewers, the second can serve as a stand or shelf for ready meals.
Barbecue smokehouse
There are designs of smokehouses from a metal barrel, but they are completely different from the option in question.
The use of a brazier as a smokehouse is impossible without additional improvements.Refinement to the smokehouse
To create a barbecue-based smokehouse, you need to create an additional element - compartments for laying fuel installed instead of a support under the barbecue. It is another barrel, equipped with a cutout of such a shape that the brazier fits into it from above without gaps and gaps. This is important as the efficiency of smoking is reduced due to smoke loss. Both compartments are connected by a chimney, through which smoke enters from below to the upper part (brazier). To do this, it is convenient to use the hole for the cork, available in both barrels. The result is a kind of smoke generator, which simultaneously serves as a stand for the barbecue.
Painting
For painting, you must first prepare the surface - clean, degrease, sand it. Some of these jobs are done before barrel cutting, others just before painting.
The application of paint can be done both by spraying and manually - with a brush.What paint to apply?
Given the specifics of the brazier, you will need a black matte paint that is resistant to high temperatures. The best option would be a special paint for car mufflers. The usual coating will not work, because when the case is heated, the paint layer will bubble and peel off.
Grinding and firing
All these operations are most easily performed mechanically. For grinding, an electric drill with a nozzle is suitable, firing is best done with a torch, and for painting, an electric airless spray is used.
These devices significantly speed up the work and allow you to get the best result.Useful video about making barbecue from a barrel
Advantages and disadvantages
Do-it-yourself brazier from a metal barrel has the following advantages:
- Possibility to prepare various dishes, not only shish kebabs.
- Ease and convenience of cleaning, repair or maintenance.
- You can cook many dishes at one time.
- Ease of manufacture.
- Convenience, economy of use.
The disadvantages include:
- The tendency of metal to corrode.
- The walls of the brazier get very hot.
- Difficulty or impossibility of transportation.
