Indoor fire pit

[peternap]

I am building an indoor firepit at the barn. Looks something like this:



I have seen them in ski resorts but can't find a hood for it. Any ideas?

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Just wanted to say I like the way that looks!

[MountainDon]

A big inverted funnel, like the top off a big brew vat. I imagine even used if you could find one that would be expensive. Would look cool though.

[muldoon]

That is pretty.

I have been thinking about making my own version of the conical fermentor, which is what I think Don was referring to in his post.  This company sells the hoppers

http://www.toledometalspinning.com/products/hoppers/

You might need to fabricate an inline fan to help it vent

Or you could move it outside

I use a 64" 1/2" wall round pipe that came off an oil rig.  Nowhere near as pretty as yours, but I am a consummate recycler. 

http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/May%202008/_thumbs/640x480-IMG_1595.JPG
http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/May%202008/_thumbs/640x480-IMG_1597.JPG

[Jens]

Get an old satellite dish, cut out the center, attach ducting above the hole, plaster the whole thing.  Or just have a hole in the ceiling, with a skinny wall that goes up to its edge behind the pit.  Build the wall of non combustibles, or with airspace veneer, and tilt it back slightly.  The smoke will follow it straight up and out the same way it uses your body as a drafter when you are standing next to the pit.

[glenn kangiser]

There are large spun copper fire pits available.  We got a couple from Costco but I don' think they have them now.  One of them would make a good smoke collector.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

You know, I got to thinking about this, and when we lived in WI, I went to the Alaskan Fireplace store, and they had free-standing fireplaces (Not built into a wall, but out in the middle of the room) and they had a chimney that was supported by four posts on the four corners  of the fire pit but otherwise open to a height of about 4-5'.  From that point up, it just looked like a regular square/rectangular chimney (it was flared at the bottom to catch the smoke and then funnel it out.)  I don't know if that paints a very clear picture or not, but it is worth a shot to look into something like that. You might check out their website:
http://www.alaskanfireplace.com/

[peternap]

Thanks Guys! Some good Ideas and better than making it from scratch...I hope.

That brings up another question. I have 2 small Boxwood heaters that go in the bedroom and bath. A larger Vermont stove that is the main heat and now the fire pit. That's a lot of chimney pipes.

The double wall stainless pipe to go through the roof is expensive. I've looked at it and I don't see any reason why I can't make them and in fact, make them heavier and sturdier than the factory stuff.

Any thoughts on that and Glenn or Don, if you want this moved over to the building section, feel free

[MountainDon]

Peter, I'm not a chimney pipe expert, but the only double wall I've seen is the type with mineral wool insulation stuffed in the one inch space. Is that what you mean?

I've also seen the triple wall which is simply 3 air spaced concentric pipes. The convection currents cool the air spaces. And as my neighbor found out if you don't assemble and seal it properly, rain enters the stove. But that's another story.

That's not something I'd make myself, but I'm interested in seeing how it would be done. I see the hard parts being keeping the pipes in proper position while mineral wool is packed in, if you go that route, and joining the sections.

[peternap]

I can make a jig that will hold the parts with little trouble Don. I may make one and set it up on my forge and just see how the outside gets. My stoves sure aren't going to get any hotter than that

[glenn kangiser]

I don't see any reason it wouldn't work, Peter and have even thought of doing it with plain black stove pipe of various sizes..

[NM_Shooter]

Hi Peter, I was going to do this in my addition, but I chickened out.  I started doing some research, and found some data that said that the size of the chimney is based on the size of the open air space (intake) for the firebox area.  I wanted to have a pretty large firebox, but it was going to mean I needed a 16" diameter chimney or some such nonsense.

I think fire codes are tough for home-made fireplaces too. 

Not trying to throw cold water here... I like your idea.  Just some things to consider.

-f-

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Peter, I don't know what's going on, but I responded to this thread yesterday and it is not here today.     I was looking through a real estate brochure and saw an ad for planika fires ( I think that their website is something like planikafires.com??)  and thought of you.  I don't know about the fuel supply and how readily available it is or anything, but thought it was an intriguing idea and you might want to check them out!

[MountainDon]

I saw that post with my own two eyes... followed the link in it.  Can't find it anywhere. 



Glenn, do we have a problem???

[John_C]

I saw the link too.  It looked to me like the had reinvented Sterno and colored it green.

[MountainDon]

I also had a post of mine disappear, but I put it down to operator error.   

[glenn kangiser]

Make that another one-- I'm sure I posted one the other day and it was gone too --- I just thought I was I was crazy and didn't actually post it.

Good thing we have some younger ones here who don't have CRS disorder....