We love small bonfires. The kiddies traditionally roast marshmellows, the adults gather around and tell stories and jokes. With just a nip of fall in the air, they seem best when you have to crowd in to keep warm.

We found that the liner to old clothes washers make an excellent firepit. They are made of steel/porcellan(sp?) covered with plenty of air holes, and hold up very well. If you can find an appliance store/repair person, you may be able to get one for free. They are portable too, we take ours down to the lake on those nights when we have an afterdark fishing party.

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), November 23, 2001

Answers

RICKSTER...GOOD IDEA AND SOME ARE STAINLESS AS WELL.WOULD LAST A LIFETIME.BUT MAY I SUGGEST A FINE METAL GRATE FOR OVER THE TOP TO STOP BURNING EMBERS FROM EXPANDING ON THE FIRE ELSEWHERE.YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND AN OLD WASHER AT ANY ROAD SIDE DUMP.SO YOU ARE RECYCLING AND CLEANING UP THE ENVIROMENT.I THINK LANDFILLS SHOULD HAVE A LARGE HOLDING AREA WHERE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE OF USE CAN BE HAULED AWAY.PARTS FOR APPLIANCES.AFTER A PREDETERMINED TIME THEN THEY ALSO GET BURIED.BUT WHAT GETS HAULED AWAY OR SOLD IS THEN LESS TO BURY. NOW FOR PEOPLE WANTING ANOTHER IDEA TO BURN RUBBISH IN THE BACK YARD.A FRIEND OF MINE RECYCLED A SATELITE DISH FROM THE DUMP.ITS ONE OF THE ONES MADE OF MESH AND TUBES ALL WELDED TOGETHER.HE LIGHTS A FIRE AND THEN THROWS THE SATELITE DISH OVER IT TO CONTAIN IT. THEY ARE TRYING TO BAN THOSE LITTLE OUTDOOR FIREPLACES THAT ARE SPRINGING UP IN ALL THE PREPPY NEIGHBOURHOODS IN MY AREA.SO CHECK FIRST AND A PERMIT MIGHT BE REQUIRED TO USE ONE IN THE DRIER SEASONS AS WELL.

CORDWOODGUY PS: I RECYCLE THE WASHING MACHINE TUBS FOR KEEPING THE SAWDUST I USE IN MY CORDWOOD MORTAR WET.THE HOLES ALLOW THE WATER TO DRAIN OFF.

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), November 23, 2001.

good ideea CORDWOODGUY another good idea is to release your shift lock key. On the ineternet THIS IS SEEN AS SCREAMING.

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001.

Grant:

Cordwoodguy has an eye problem which makes it difficult to him to read lower case letters. Thus, he types all in upper case so he can see what he is typing. He is not 'screaming', just communicating as he is able to.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 24, 2001.

Rickstir,

A sensible, efficient idea, except that you lose the romance and ambiance that a campfire can provide.

-- Rick#7 (rick7@postmark.net), November 26, 2001.

yeah Rick, they're great. Have one in heavy use at a cabin back east over 10 years and it's never burned or rusted through. Use an oven rack to put on top for cooking. Sit it up on 3 or 4 bricks/rocks to let air up through the bigger hole in the bottom and you'll have a very hot burning fire.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), November 29, 2001.