Title: firepits-msg
Subject: Useful ideas for firepits.
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: firepits, ovens, camp, fire, cook, SCA, outside, kitchen, firepit

firepits-msg - 3/3/13

Useful ideas for firepits. Firepits for when you can’t dig holes because of
campground rules.

NOTE: See also the files: camp-kitchens-msg, camp-ovens-msg, camp-showers-msg,
camping-ideas-msg, ovens-msg, utensils-msg, Kentwell-Hall-art.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: oguinn at proaxis.com (C and D Carter/Briggs)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Household camping
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 17:44:02 GMT

whheydt at slip.net (Wilson Heydt) wrote:
>CapnCarp <capncarp at aol.com> wrote:
>>Having camped in period from 1174 to 1863, there are many ways to deal
>>with the situation of low-tech camping.  First, learn to dig a firepit
>>...

>My Lady Wife has dealt with other areas in which it is difficult or
>dangerous to apply all of your ideas where we live.  I'd like to deal with
>one she missed.  On nearly all of our sites *no*one* *digs* a firepit.
>Site regulations don't permit us to dig holes in the ground for such
>uses.

>       Hal Ravn                                Hal Heydt
>       Mists, Mists, West                      Albany, CA

An alternative to digging a fire pit is to bring one.  We use a large
Weber Kettle Barbeque with the legs removed.  We also bring
bricks to prop it up on if its a particularly dry season.  With a
large piece of sheet metal under it , it was even legal at 30 Year.

  One advantage to the Weber Kettle is being able to put the lid back
on at night to put the fire out.  I'm always able to rekindle a fire
from the coals the next morning.

Baroness Kate O'Guinn                          C. Carter
An Tir                                         Jefferson, Or.

From: powers at colon.cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Household camping
Date: 11 Mar 1997 13:53:43 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science

>An alternative to digging a fire pit is to bring one.  We use a large
>Weber Kettle Barbeque with the legs removed.  We also bring
>bricks to prop it up on if its a particularly dry season.  With a
>large piece of sheet metal under it , it was even legal at 30 Year.
>Baroness Kate O'Guinn                          C. Carter
>An Tir                                         Jefferson, Or.

Variations on a theme:  I found the base for a round glass coffee table
that the top of a globular barbecue fits into.  It supports it off of 
the ground and has the outer ring of the table support about 4" from the 
edge of the barbecue and at the same level providing a convenient support
for spits, toasting forks, support bars for grills, griddles, etc. It also
provides a "safety zone" as the rim of the table support stays fairly
cool compared to the rim of the fire holder.

wilelm --Better living through scrounging-- the smith

From: ***** <BURTIS at ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Household camping
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 06:56:40 GMT

whheydt at slip.net (Wilson Heydt) wrote:
>CapnCarp <capncarp at aol.com> wrote:
>>Having camped in period from 1174 to 1863, there are many ways to deal
>>with the situation of low-tech camping.  First, learn to dig a firepit
>>...
>
>My Lady Wife has dealt with other areas in which it is difficult or
>dangerous to apply all of your ideas where we live.  I'd like to deal with
>one she missed.  On nearly all of our sites *no*one* *digs* a firepit.
>Site regulations don't permit us to dig holes in the ground for such
>uses.
>
>       Hal Ravn                                Hal Heydt
>       Mists, Mists, West                      Albany, CA

One way is a tripod and a fire dish 18" off the ground.  We can't always dig fire pits either. 
But a fire dish off the ground and someone always there to watch it works fine.  Also it gives off enough light for bardics.

Lord Karl Redstone
An Tir

From: wtp at nds10758.cb.lucent.com (Powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown
Date: 18 Jun 2001 18:51:08 GMT
Organization: Lucent Technologies, Columbus, Ohio

>    One of my pet peeves of the West is that A&S does not include the art
>and science of making mundane essentials look period. Every camp could
>easily have a 2gal plastic bucket filled with water for little or no cost.
>But, it would look like a plastic bucket. An A&S contest to come up with
>ideas to camouflage plastic buckets would be most useful.

Why when the wooden buckets from ice cream makers are generally available
at the fleamarkets, garage sales and thrift stores cheap.  To really dress
it up do some punched brass work like the ones found in the ship burials.
Or hide the offending wire band with a wooden strip to resemble the original
ones. 

Also the canvas water buckets look OK and work well too.

If you are going to spend the effort camoflaging stuff coolers are a better
cost benefit ratio IMNSHO...

Thomas

>   Or, we could just take a page from the forest service, and have a
>controlled burn of tents to provide a fire break....... *grin*
>db

W.Thomas Powers

From: "ruadh" <ruadh at home.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 19:23:28 GMT

one of the tent vendors.... sells canvas covers for coolers and the like.
One large cooler cover could cover two fire buckets.   The canvas water
bucket collapse too easy, with the 'play' going on in camp; and they weep
till empty. 

Ru

From: Cynthia Virtue <cvirtue at thibault.org>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 15:27:44 -0400

ruadh wrote:
> The canvas water
> bucket collapse too easy, with the 'play' going on in camp; and they weep
> till empty. Ru

This is what I was told by a sutler:

*Linen* canvas water buckets will absorb the water into the fabric,
which then swells, reducing weeping/leaking significantly after the
ramp-up is over; in my experience, about 6 cups worth of leaking.

Setting the bucket down causes more weeping, because 1: something in
contact with the sides or bottom produces capillary action -- why you
should make sure nothing touches the walls of your tent when it's
raining, and 2: something in the grass can produce a change in the
performance of the linen.  I'm not so sure about 2, but 1 I've seen.
--
Cynthia du PrŽ Argent (Hartshorn-dale, East)

From: wtp at nds10758.cb.lucent.com (Powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown
Date: 18 Jun 2001 21:15:08 GMT

>one of the tent vendors.... sell canvas covers for coolers and the like.
>One large cooler cover could cover two fire buckets.   The canvas water
>bucket collapse too easy, with the 'play' going on in camp; and they weep
>till empty. Ru

If they are "playing" around the fire then letting them burn without putting 
them out will deal with the problem nicely---at least the canvas buckets don't 
break when fallen on,  they should be supported off the ground anyway.

My bucket; previously owned by my Uncle Samuel, doesn't seem to leak.

I do have a canvas water bag that is supposed to be soaked for 24 hours 
before use and then the outside stays damp providing evaporative cooling
for a very nicely cooled supply of water. If you don't pre-soak it it 
leaks quite a lot till it's made it's point...

On the whole I try not to cover fire safety items as they may need to be 
used by random strangers who happen to be in camp when something goes 
*wrong*.  (OTOH in 20+ years of smithing I have never had to use a fire
extinguisher and knock on wood never will---but the quench tank has slopped
a little now and then when a the ground has decided to examine a piece...)

Perhaps we should discuss cover iconography so that folks will be able
to recognize that that's where the water is (and hope no-one used it and did 
not refill it before they re-covered it)

Thomas 

From: Charles Prael <cprael at lts.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 22:39:51 -0700

Just as an added point, our group went and picked up a simple field hoe,
which we drag along to events we're camping at.  If the ground is
sufficiently grassy to be an issue, we'll hoe out a clear area for the
cooking pit.  Usually involves 45-60 minutes of effort (tops - depends
on how big a circle you decide you need), and makes the whole thing much
safer.

Mike Adams wrote:
> I suspect it is already included, but is habachies(sp), and VC Kylsons
> fire pot (above ground metal pit sort of thing), included in the firepit
> restriction?
> 
> I suggest that fire extinguisers be purchased for the event? In the
> classes for the fires, AB I believe are the wood and like. C is for like
> metals? Extinguisers can be "rented" for a modest fee?

[NOTE - The ratings for fire extinguishers are:
A - solids such as wood, paper
B - liquids such as gasoline
C - electrical
D - metals (extremely unlikely except in some industrial situations
     -editor]

> 
> Lord Morgoth

From: bronwynmgn at aol.comnospam (Bronwynmgn)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: 19 Jun 2001 13:05:11 GMT
Subject: Re: Firepits and like for K.West Crown

db <deadmonk at hotmail.com> writes:
>But, it would look like a plastic bucket. An A&S contest to come up with
>ideas to camouflage plastic buckets would be most useful.

Why camouflage a plastic bucket when Panther and other suppliers sell wooden
ones in various sizes?  We have one, and are purchasing another one this year. 
Besides making trips to the water faucet much more fun, they will be serving as
firebuckets at our cooking fire at Pennsic.  If worst came to worst, we could
also take the bung out of the 5 gallon water keg and up-end it, but it wouldn't
pour out as fast as a bucket.

Brangwayna Morgan

From: Kimberly Sargen <ksargen at charter.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Above Ground Fire Pits
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 17:43:31 -0700

"Ghita" <maestraghita at aol.com> wrote:
> My campsite at Pennsic now has a gas line running through the middle
> (we're by the lake). We had our fire on the other side of the creek
> last year but it didn't work out as well as we liked because of the
> slope. We'd like to have a fire pit in the middle of our camp, but we
> can't have ground fires.
> 
> Short of investing in a commercial/retail fire pit, are there any
> directions on-line for building a fire pit from other materials? The
> less modern it looks, the better, but we'd like to have at least 30"
> of fire space in it.
> 
> I've seen the Dragonwing design, and we may have to go that route, but
> I've heard of using 55 gallon drums (food grade only!) as well. I've
> seen a picture of one using a washing machine drum as well, but that
> would be not the most period thing in the world.
> 
> We thought we could put whatever we build on a framework of steel pipe
> so legs would not be an issue.
> 
> Please advise. Thanks.
> 
> Ghita

To add my two cents -

The 55 gallon type work nicely, if done properly, ie, make sure you put in
enough holes at the proper height to allow adequate draught.  The sort made
out of the washing machine tub - fine in a pinch, but beware of cooking on
it in the wind (speaking as the voice of experience) - wear some sort of
fire resistant kit for that sort of fun.  The holes in them make for good
draught, but wood is sort of a no go, unless you feel like burning
matchstick sized firewood.  The heat coming off can, however, set cotton
alight... Or at least scorch it.  Burned through two skirts and warmed up my
legs before I noticed anything... Part of that had to do with the heat,
too... It was nearly 100 degrees that day... A little localized heat didn't
matter until the top skirt smelled like someone gone amuck ironing...  *LOL*
Learned my lesson - WEAR A LEATHER APRON...

There are several portable fire pit types floating around... Most of them
involve a tripod with chains to hang the dish, and/or the grill(s).

Consulting with Mr. Cooper is an EXCELLENT idea.  Also, take a look at the
West Kingdom fire rules for some ideas... We're all fire safety nuts out
here... Gee, wonder why?  Is it that something goes poof out here most every
year?...

Veronica

From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Above Ground Fire Pits
Date: 14 Apr 2004 20:31:44 -0700

If you want an actual medieval design, I know where you can find one. 
The Cleveland Museum Of Art has in its collection a medieval tripod
brazier.  This is a big thing shaped like a large metal pie plate or
more like one of those old Sear's forges.  It looks like a barbeque
grill only taller.  The originals weren't designed for cooking.  They
were placed indoors and burned charcoal to provide heat in the winter.
 Unfortunately the museum's web site does not currently include a
photo of this particular item.  You might want to e-mail them for a
photo and specifications.
>
Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

From: fynreswolf at aol.comtrash (Fynreswolf)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: 12 Apr 2004 23:00:15 GMT
Subject: Re: Above Ground Fire Pits

>My campsite at Pennsic now has a gas line running through the middle
>(we're by the lake). We had our fire on the other side of the creek
>last year but it didn't work out as well as we liked because of the
>slope. We'd like to have a fire pit in the middle of our camp, but we
>can't have ground fires.
>
>Short of investing in a commercial/retail fire pit, are there any
>directions on-line for building a fire pit from other materials? The
>less modern it looks, the better, but we'd like to have at least 30"
>of fire space in it.
>
>I've seen the Dragonwing design, and we may have to go that route, but
>I've heard of using 55 gallon drums (food grade only!) as well. I've
>seen a picture of one using a washing machine drum as well, but that
>would be not the most period thing in the world.
>
>We thought we could put whatever we build on a framework of steel pipe
>so legs would not be an issue.
>
>Please advise. Thanks.
>
>Ghita

I have used a round steel shield blank for many (more than 20) years and have
had no problems. You might want to look for an old harrowing disc and weld
short legs onto it.

Ld Terric

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:49:30 -0400
From: "Mike C. Baker" <kihebard at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Cooking Tripods, Supports, Pompeii Brazier,
	fire height
To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

>> For places that don't allow ground fires, what is the
>> minimum height that the firepan needs to be above the ground?
>
> Usually 12 inches, but from what I'm hearing it varies from
> place to place. 
>
>> Sharon
>> gordonse at one.net
> --
> Saint Phlip

Height-above-ground:  I've seen 18 inches as often as 12, and
occassionally as much as 24.

My personal preference is higher than that:  whatever puts the grill /
cooking surface at a height that reduces the amount of time that I have
to bend over to reach the pan / griddle / pot.

Amra, Kitchen Idiot
Adieu, Amra / ttfn - Mike / Pax ... Kihe (Mike C. Baker)
SCA: al-Sayyid Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra, F.O.B, OSCA

Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 21:27:22 -0400
From: "Daniel  Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Odd OOP Thought
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Just got my Cabela's Christmas catalog.   They have some Coleman "Fire Pits"
that look very interesting.  30" shallow copper or stainless steel dish, a
slat steel frame, dished mesh cover and a grate to support the wood.  Made
me think of a few non-intended possibilities.  Take out the grate put a
propane fire ring under the pan on its stand, and you have a bigish
wok/paella pan set up perhaps?

Daniel

Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:22:42 -0600
From: "Kathleen A Roberts" <karobert at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] medieval boil-in bag meals
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:30:13 -0500

<<< I would vastly prefer to prepare these things over a cookfire,
but the SCA in our kingdom hasn't allowed fires consistently for
years, >>>

the outlands as well.  too much fire danger.  but we are
all getting very good with our propane and propane
accessories.

my husband adapted one of those copper bowl fire pits to
propane by drilling a hole in the bottom and running a
hose and pipe gas distributor (with some mentoring from
the local hank hill).  we put lava rocks on top of the
cross pipe and it works really well.  the lava rocks make
for some nice warmth.  i could even grill on it if i
wanted to.

cailte

From: gaojihuiyuan <gaojihuiyuan at yahoo.cn>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Fire Science: Fire Pits
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 03:31:46 -0700 (PDT)

Fire Science: Fire Pits
A large selection of fire pits, grills, patio heaters and torches.
Wood burning and gas models. Custom design service available.
http://www.healthhuman.com.cn/Fire-Pit.htm

Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 12:48:32 -0400
From: "Barbara Dodge" <awench1 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for a Fire pit
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Try www.sportsmansguide.com.  Search word "fire pits".  They have many with 
and without cooking accesories.

 Felicia

Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 04:21:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Arianwen ferch Arthur <caer_mab at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for a Fire pit
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Iron dwarf 
http://www.medievalmade.co.uk/tools/  (contact web site from living history fayre http://www.livinghistoryfairs.com/traderscontacts.php) but really does not seem quite correct...

his email is irondwarf at medievalmade.co.uk

When I spoke with him one thing he said was that his had thicker bottoms and wouldn't melt out???

Arianwen ferch Arthur

Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 16:11:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for a Fire pit
To: SCA-Cooks <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Stefan li Rous wrote:
<<< DFofH-Firepit-art (8K) 11/17/08 A firepit that sets up large and packs down small by Duke Frederick of Holland.

The second file includes the plans to make a not-very-difficult  
firepit which Duke Federick has made popular in the West Kingdom and  
elsewhere. If you don't wish to build it, I think there are also some  
references there to folks who have them available for sale. >>>

This is the same fire pit that Master Johann von Drachenfels sells, which i posted previously:
<<< Here's the classic "West Kingdom fire pit".
http://midtown.net/dragonwing/firepit.htm >>>

It is highly effective and packs down small so it's easy to transport and store. I recommend it.

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	firepits-msg	Page  of