Anyone else have a fire pit?

[lwlynch]

We just got a fire pit? It was really nice.. I never knew how much fun we would get out of just a place to burn some wood.
My husband however couldn't get it to burn from wood, so I let him get a box of pine mountain logs... just this one time.. They are a bit expensive..
I am now researching how to make a fire...lol...
I also got a bottle of lighter fluid...lol

[Frugal Nurse]

LOL!! thats funny!

I have a fire pit and for the first year, we enjoyed it. After that... well... I can't get my husband to do anything.
So the kids sometimes (twice in 3 years) light a fire and fumble around it too.

I think you need to make it to Eagle Scouts to get the lighting the fire thing down pat.


It's quite enjoyable.

[bumplett]

ohhh, I'd love to see a pic!

my hubby wants one, but we want to build it ourselves.... haven't done it yet...

[Mom23boys]

I have often thought about having one and so has DH, but we have never taken the plunge. Keep us posted on how the log burning goes. Hopefully you will get it figured out so you don't have to buy expensive pine mountain logs again. Enjoy!!

[coup]

We have one and I love it!

Former Girl Scouts can start a fire too - not just Eagle Scouts (okay, this is coming from someone who was in Girl Scouts for 9 years and has 2 older brothers who are Eagle Scouts!)

Actually, my Dh usually lets me start the fire because I am better at it than him. I think I'm just more patient. My goal is to use just one match. Sometimes I do and sometimes it's more!

Here's how I do it:
1. Gather some small dead twigs - smaller than your pinky. I make a little teepee with these and light that.
2. Once that is going, add bigger sticks - pinky size and up.
3. Then add your big stuff.

We live in the woods, so it it pretty easy for us to collect the sticks needed. If we didn't have so much "starter" available, then I'd go for the fire logs too.

Enjoy! We used ours 2 nights ago and made smores. The kiddos loved it!

[Darlene]

We have one. We made it from rocks from the creek and it needs to be rebuilt, using another product close to the heat. We have some mega bonfires and in the beginning their was alot of popping rock, not such a safe thing. It's really nice to sit there at dusk, looking out at the creek, swallows flying and diving, fire going and thenn it's bat time!

[forHISglory]

Yes, we built one back in our woods from stones that we found on the property. We love to build a fire and sometimes roast hot dogs and marshmallows, or just sit around the fire. We found, tho, that we must be careful in choosing the stones. Some stones will explode with the heat. We had one stone blow up and pieces of the rock blew up to 5 feet away!

[Frugal Nurse]

BLOW UP! I've never heard of that!!
Does anybody know?

(maybe there was a bullet in it? like from the western frontier?)

I dunno... I was just thinking something fantastic!!


But HOLY explosions! the damage that could have done to eyesight!
Thank God you're all okay!
sheesh. strange things happen

[suki]

Ours is dug into the ground and made with fireproof brick. We use it several times in the spring and summer. Every year at the end of the school year we've hosted a party where the kids burn all of their papers and such in the pit and then roast marshmallows over the coals.

A few years ago my hubby and brother hand-hewed pine logs for an historic log cabin restoration. We use these hand-hewed chips for kindling. I thought of bagging them up and selling them because they are great fire starters... but around here there's not much of a market for that (or so the local convenience stores think, the campers think otherwise). And shipping would make them too spendy. So, I haven't done it.

Anyway, dry kindling first, then slightly larger wood. Split wood catches easier than round and any wood should be seasoned (dried for at least a year) or it will be too green to start. Fallen limbs are good. Once you have some coals going... add more wood but always make sure the fire can breathe.

Yes, some rocks will explode... I believe it''s due to their moisture content. We were raised around such fires and were taught which rocks to use and which ones were dangerous around a fire. I can't tell you what they are called, I just know what they look like. This is why we used fireproof brick instead of rock for ours. We got the brick for free several years ago.

[mikandmari]

We bought one a few years ago at Sears with our son's employee discount. We love it so much that it's starting to get holes in the bottom! I'd like to build the next one.

It's a great way to clean up the sticks that fall in the yard...

[mommy4ever]

We do, but at our seasonal campsite. Still, we sit around in the evening.

Tips to start the fire. If you can, go to a construction site and ask if you can have the cut offs, the 2x4 burn very clean and aren't that smelly. You might have to cut them to fit.

All I do four ours is do 2 parallel, then 2 perpendicular, roll up 2 pieces of newspaper and tuck it under. Light. This start easily, as 2x4 are dry. Then you can add a log for longevity. This is what I do at the campsite and for our fireplace. Works everytime. Of course adding some dry twigs is nice if you have them. At the campsite I do, here I don't.

[suki]

Yep, 2x4's (and sawdust!) are great... just don't ever burn treated lumber (fumes can be toxic).

On the exploding rock... googled it out of curiosity and porous rocks like sandstone and those with a high water content like ones found in/near creeks and rivers should be avoided because they will explode. The water inside the rock boils, steam pressure builds up and Kablamo, rock shards go flying.

Enjoy your pit!

[Persimmon Lace]

We have one, I use pinecone firestarters to light ours. I love to have a fire on cool evenings and cook out over the coals. You'll enjoy it alot!

[Starlight9803]

We are putting in a fire pit next weekend. DH is lining the bottom with fireplace brick we already had, and using a 6 inch metal "ring" that he got from who-knows-where. He planned it out according to the ones at the campground we go to. I'm sure we'll use ours all the time.

[ukbb]

I wish I could get the blasted things banned. I have several neighbors that use them and with no A/C my house gets filled up with their smoke. Stinks to high heaven and kills my allergies.

UKBB