How to cut the lid off a metal barrel

How to make a flower bed from a barrel: instructions delightful flower bed ideas

Metal barrels are often left on the site after construction work and repairs. For some, it’s just trash or a simple water tank. And for craftsmen and people with imagination metal barrel is a great material to create useful and beautiful things that will be useful in the economy.

The easiest option is a flowerbed in a painted barrel. You do not need to do a lot of work, and the end result will be very nice.

Who of the children can resist a real train where the barrels have rudders, seats and have been put on the wheels?? The question is rhetorical, most likely you will have to roll all the neighbor’s children, because your own will surely boast of dad’s creation.

Metal barrel can become a roomy storage. If this version of the dresser seems too brutal for your home, why not adapt the barrel for storing all sorts of tools in the garage.

A nest for layers in a barrel is also a good option for those who are engaged in raising poultry. But do not forget about the bedding.

Furniture made from old metal barrels is a separate topic. What not only make from these items. chairs, garden benches, coffee tables, even sofas and bar stools.

Convenient and durable option of creating a stand for the sink in the cottage or in the summer kitchen. If there is no possibility to connect water supply and drain. you can always adapt a metal barrel as a base for a hand-washing sink.

As we see, metal barrels are an excellent material for creating a variety of functional objects. We hope our photo selection will inspire you to create something similar, and maybe you can do even something more creative!

For a long time, gardeners have been using iron barrels from various fuels and lubricants as water collectors under garden house drains. The convenient volume, durable material and reasonable price made barrels an indispensable element of the garden.

Consider other ways to use them; maybe some ideas will be unexpected for you and they will be in your plans for the coming summer. Remember only that before using the barrels you must either rinse out the contents, or set fire from the inside to burn the remains of fuel and lubricants on the walls.

The barrels are a container for burning.

This way of using barrels has been known to gardeners for a long time. In the most hidden, wind-protected part of the garden is placed on a non-combustible base iron barrel with a sawn-off top (lid). The base can be a platform of a few paving slabs or simply earth with the top layer of turf removed. It is necessary to drill a few holes in the bottom of the barrel for the flow of oxygen.

Gradually the barrel is filled with combustible waste from the activities of the gardener, such as paper, cardboard, dry branches, remnants of building materials. Periodically, the contents of the barrel is lit and burns very quickly, as the holes in the bottom create a good draft for the fire. In addition, this method of burning is safe compared to an open fire. the wind does not scatter burning garbage around the site, and you can put out the fire by simply pouring a bucket of water and closing the lid. The ash that accumulates in the barrel will also benefit the gardener, as it is an excellent fertilizer for plants.

Of course, the walls of the barrel over time burn through and need to be replaced, but it is quite enough for 5-6 seasons (depending on the thickness of the walls and the frequency of burning waste).

Let’s choose the wood

The first thing, of course, choose the material from which you are going to make your future barrel. We will offer you the main varieties of wood, which cooperators prefer, tell you what their positive and negative sides are, and help you choose the most suitable variant for you.

Of course, first of all, let’s talk about making barrels of oak. This wood deserves the title of a classic material used by the masters of cooperage. Having high strength, flexibility, this wood contains “tannins” that act as an antiseptic. Moisture acting on the walls of such a barrel makes them stronger. That’s why the service life of oak barrels is measured not by tens but by hundreds of years. Beverages stored in these barrels undergo oxidation and interaction with the wood and have a pleasant fragrance with vanilla overtones.

Spruce, pine

This kind of wood is also used as a material for making barrels. It is soft, easy to work and cut, but not as strong as oak and many other species. Their disadvantage is the smell of resin, so this kind of wood is rarely used as a barrel material.

Of the conifers cooperatives prefer it, especially in those places where its natural habitat is located. It is similar to pine or spruce in properties, but such barrels have no smell. They are good for storing food, especially dairy products.

This kind of wood is fibrous and easy to cut and process. Sturdy material, does not let it dry out, does not smell. Barrels of lime are recognized as the best for storing and transporting honey, caviar, pickles.

Aspen

It is a cheap but long lasting material, it is strong, resistant to moisture, and has antiseptic properties. Aspen has been recognized as ideal for pickling and storing vegetables. The peculiarity of this variety is that it swells a lot, but for the cooper it is rather a plus, because thanks to this rivets are tightly closed.

Making rivets

So, you have decided on the type of wood, let’s assume it will be oak. Now we make the details of the barrel, starting with rivets. These are tapered at the edges, or rectangular boards (sawn or chopped). The latter wins in strength due to the structure of the fibers, which is not subject to breakage when splitting.

To determine the exact amount of these rivets, do the following:

• Determine the necessary parameters of the barrel
• Draw your design
• Create sketches of rivets and bottoms in natural sizes

After these procedures, perform simple calculations that allow you not to miscalculate how many rivets you need. It is calculated by the formula: 2PiR/SH, where:

Making stabbed rivets takes a lot of time and labor, it requires certain skills. The main thing to do is to split the workpiece so that the pieces get a flat surface.

• Radial (splitting goes through the core of the deck, which requires less force)
• Tangentially (does not involve the core, not recommended for hardwoods, it makes the process slower and more difficult)

Raw material is easiest to work with, freshly cut material is best. If you use readymade planks, look how the annual rings go along their plane, without oversawing.

After harvesting must be dried, in the summer, in the air, under a canopy this period will be 3 months. For artificial drying use the following method:

Blanks are now ready for further work.

Varieties of barrel smokers

Smoking machine can be assembled in different ways, each option has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in order not to make a mistake with the choice, the consequences of which can no longer be corrected, it is necessary to carefully study all possible options.

Horizontal position of the smokehouse

The design, in which the barrel is located flat, that is, horizontally, is good for easy access to its interior. Typically, the top of the barrel is missing, or the lid is not sealed, so the first thing you have to do is to weld the open end with a sheet of metal.

• Cut out the lid, which will be attached to the cylinder hinges. Regarding its size, the optimal height is a little less than half of the barrel, for a two-hundred-liter capacity, there will still be plenty of room inside. To open the lid, you need to make a handle, a pawl or bolt will not let it open during cooking;
• To prevent the cut cover from falling in, metal strips are welded along its perimeter, and these strips protrude a few centimeters beyond the edge of the cover;
• On one of the side edges make a hole of small diameter for the chimney, connected by a fitting;
• Inside the barrel, just below the edge of the lid, weld or bolt on the rails for the grill;
• at the bottom we use the same corners to mount a tray, necessary for collecting liquids flowing from the products being smoked, which will greatly facilitate the cleaning of the container after smoking;
• Wood chips for generating smoke are placed directly on the bottom of the barrel.

the main disadvantage of horizontal construction is its size, it will take about twice as much space as a vertical smokehouse. In principle, for dacha this is not so relevant.

With an internal furnace

If for some reason the use of open flame is unacceptable, you can try to make a smoking room with a furnace compartment, located inside.

• The barrel will be vertical, you can not use it for cold smoking. We make on the bottom of the tank a few holes of small diameter, acting as an air vent for the furnace compartment;
• Cut out the door for laying firewood or coals, fasten it with hinges, make a pawl and a handle, weld a band around the perimeter for a tight fit of the door;
• the height of the firebox is about a third of the height of the barrel. Not this mark, weld another bottom, the seam should be tight, and the thickness of metal. enough not to burn;
• From the top of the barrel, preferably on the side, cut a hole for the chimney and mount it, using fittings or corrugated pipe;
• weld on the top the rails to mount the grate;
• make the lid from metal or hard wood, in which also make a couple of small holes. The lid must fit tightly enough to the barrel, so that the smoke does not penetrate.

The advantage of this design is obvious. the internal location of the furnace, and the disadvantage stems from the same: to place the smoke generator outside the barrel will not work.

Using a blowtorch

This method is good because it uses a blowtorch as a heat generator instead of firewood, which is much easier, faster and more convenient. And, except for the two-hundred-liter barrel, you can also use containers of smaller volume. Plus with a slight change in design you can smoke in a cold way.

• prepare the barrel (clean, fry);
• at the top, weld the rails for the rods, if you want to hang the food, and a little lower. to install the grid;
• In the lower part of the barrel, closer to the bottom, we drill a small hole, weld a socket with an internal thread;
• prepare a tube, welded on one side (with a thread on the other side), which will serve as a smoke generator;
• Make a lid for the barrel with a side rim around the perimeter and a handle on top;
• install the smoker on bricks or a low metal base.

Smoking with a lamp is really very simple: we put wood chips in the tube, screw it to the sleeve, put products on top, direct the blowtorch to the tip of the tube with wood chips. It will be much easier to control the temperature than the coals.

From two barrels

This is a design that can be performed for use in two alternatives, one of the containers will serve as a smoke generator, the second as a smoking compartment.

The difference between them will be in the way the tanks are connected. If you connect them directly, you get a hot smoking machine. Using a pipe or corrugated hose will allow for cold smoking, which is considered more attractive.

In the first case, the tank for generating smoke will be installed vertically, and the smoking compartment will be installed horizontally. Cut off the top of a vertically mounted barrel and cut a hole in the horizontal one. Weld one barrel to the other. The advantage of this design is the large area of the smoking compartment, and the firebox can be made from a smaller barrel.

If the barrels are separated by a pipe, the smoke will cool before it enters the smoking compartment, which is the prerequisite for cold smoking.

How to assemble a smoker yourself hot / cold smoking

It is enough to have skills to work with a welder, grinder and other locksmith tools, any specific knowledge is not required.

Diagrams, drawings with dimensions

Here, too, you do not need to invent anything. Ready-made schemes with detailed drawings are easy enough to find on the Internet, you just need to choose the suitable option and proceed to its implementation.

Tools and materials

As we have already noted, without experience with an angle grinder and a welder for such work it is better not to undertake, or to invite a specialist to perform these operations. So, what we will need:

• A barrel with a capacity of 150-200 liters;
• welding;
• sheet steel;
• angle grinder;
• Handle for the door / lid, latches, hinges;
• Angles for guides;
• The means of installing the chimney (pipe, fitting);
• thermometer.

Making the lid

Removable lid for any type of smokehouse. a must. If the design of the device is horizontal, it is cut directly from the sidewall of the barrel, for a vertical device the cover can be cut from a piece of metal or even made of wood, knocked down and cut into a circle of boards.

How to make a chimney

In the case of making the apparatus of cold smoking will need a chimney running from the chimney generator to the working chamber.

It is easier to make a metal pipe (corrugated pipe will also do), but often the smoke inlet is made underground. You will need to dig a trench and cover it with a suitable material (the most durable will be the trench, lined with brick).

Keep in mind that in order to ensure that the smoke cools to the required temperature you must correctly calculate the length of the pipe. As a rule, it is no more than 3 and no less than 1 meter, with a maximum height of 30 cm above the ground.

How to make a firebox

In most cases, the chips are placed directly on the bottom of the barrel, regardless of its orientation. The main condition. the thickness of the wall must be thick enough so that the metal does not burn, and the temperatures from below will be quite high. You can also use any metal dishes (pots, bowls, pans) that are not initially afraid of exposure to high temperatures.

Preparing the base of the smoking compartment

Assembly of the smoking apparatus from a 200-liter barrel begins with its thorough washing and cleaning from substances that were stored in the container before. Inside, you will need to weld/screw the corners for the bars, grate, tray.

How to make a drip tray

Whatever products you smoke, they will always be a lot of liquid. water, juice, fat, which while smoking will be released from the flesh and flow down, polluting our homemade machine. And since access to its lower part is limited, cleaning the barrel after smoking can be a difficult task. To make it easier and use a tray, installed at the bottom of the smoker. This, by the way, will protect the wood chip from getting these liquids on it, which can both put out the smoldering process and activate it (grease).

The easiest way to do this is to use a tray, but for a vertical structure, it must be round, and such is not easy to obtain. It can be replaced by a circle of metal, concave in a small arc inside.

To facilitate the removal of the pallet from the barrel, a hole is made in the middle and a long bolt is fastened.

Making a support

If you put the tray directly on the chips, the smoldering process will inevitably fade due to lack of oxygen and pressure of the container not smoldering sawdust. Therefore, such a tray is installed at some distance from the day of the container. You can use bricks as supports. they will not prevent the smoke to penetrate upwards, but it is better to use a more solid way to install the pallet. to weld corners or, having made 4 holes in the walls of the barrel, set two parallel bars. Finally, small legs can be welded to the tray.

The fixtures for laying the products

Smoking products that are usually suspended, at the top of the container, 10-12 centimeters from the top edge, holes are made for the rods. Below you can place the same bars to install the grid or weld/attach to the walls of the container mounts, for example, in the form of corners.

The firing of the finished cask

How to make a barrel from wood, now (in general terms) is known, but if the material for it is oak, there is one more operation. Such barrels used to age wine, whiskey and cognac must pass the “fire test” for one simple reason. It is the wood flavor that is sure to appear “thanks” to the untreated wood. But this is not the only task of the procedure. It not only allows you to eliminate all undesirable odors and flavor, but also:

• promotes the appearance of simple sugars, which are needed to give the drink the necessary flavor;
• makes it possible to obtain a characteristic color, hue: this feature is important for white wine and whiskey;
• helps to press the rivets against each other as tightly as possible.

In general, cask making companies do the firing before the bottom is put on the barrel. This operation is carried out to tighten the rivets. The frame is placed vertically with the bottom down, then a fire is made. The barrel is bent for half an hour, then fired for another 20 minutes or so.

Another firing, which is done both in factories and at home, looks like this:

• The cask is placed on its side, and sawdust or wood shavings from the fruit tree are put inside. You can also use oak. They are set on fire.
• After the start of combustion, the container is gently rolled over, carefully controlling the degree of burning, making sure that the wood is not charred.

“Yawning” during the operation is not allowed, to fan the fire, too, as instead of gentle firing you can get the opposite result. The ideal surface has a golden hue. Mild firing is done for barrels for white wine, medium firing for cognac and whisky, and heavy firing for red wine.

Operation of woodwork

Service life of a wooden barrel depends on the conditions in which it will be used. It is not recommended to paint the poured vessels with oil paint, which will provoke rotting of wood. This extra hoop protection is allowed.

Constant humidity mode for the container. a prerequisite for its preservation for a long time. Those barrels that are used as liquid containers, should not stand empty. Dry tankards, on the contrary, should not be filled with liquids. Any barrels should not stand directly on the ground, so it is advised to put bricks or planks under them.

To get acquainted with the process of making almost irreplaceable crockery, it is necessary to see it “with your own eyes”. About how to make a barrel out of wood, will tell the following

Master Class “Painting a Barrel” with his hands

There is an option to simply place an ordinary old barrel in this or that place, depending on how you want to use it. But it is possible to approach to the solution of the problem rather creatively and do the barrel paintings with their own hands at home.

Specifically, this master class will describe a step-by-step painting of a fun, brightly colored barrel for the garden or yard.

First of all we need to get all the necessary materials. We will need:

To begin with, we need to imagine a ready version of the barrel and what we would like to see on it. Accordingly to think about colors and directly to the picture itself. Also to think about where our barrel will be, and what idea to carry.

Well here the preliminary project is ready, it is possible to proceed gradually to the next step. It will be to prepare the barrel for painting. For this purpose it should be well washed and where it is necessary to remove the upper layer of wood with sandpaper. It is important to note, that it is done only if you decided to paint a barrel in one of colors. Theoretically we can leave it in its natural state or restore it, but this is a different version of the master class. Go through the primer, and proceed to the next step.

Now we begin to work with paint. At first we will need to paint the inside of the barrel. To do this, we use the color of paint in which we want to see our creation. To not breathe the paint and its vapors, it is worth to think about the option of lengthening the brush.

Next, proceed to paint the outer part. By the way an important point is that usually the paint is applied in two or three layers, so as not to see the base.

When the process is complete, we leave our barrel until all the paint has dried well, then move on to the next step.

The most interesting and creative part of creating our painted barrel. When all the layers of paint dry, we can start drawing the cherished drawing, which came up in advance, or as we go along.

For example, it may be a mug, which will divide the stripes on the barrel. The nose and eyes are made in one section, and the mouth in another. Here already you can do what you want, because our face can have both regular outlines, and cartoonish version. Try different pictures until you stop at one. Paint it in the desired color scheme and let it dry.

Well. our barrel is ready! Now it should be placed in the place where it will be pleasing to the eye.

It can be a hidden face peeking out of the bushes or an accent accessory, which will be located in the most prominent place. You can use it however you want, so everything is in your hands. By the way, you can come up with a whole composition, which will harmonize and decorate your yard or garden. After all, you can paint not only a barrel, but also garden tools, flowerbeds, old tires, etc.

As you can see, a wooden barrel will be useful in any case, because it can be used versatile and for different interior options. It is so versatile that it can turn into a mini bar, table, cabinet, shelf, and even a crib for pets. It will be irreplaceable for the garden interior, where it will be beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

Moroccan stucco. exotic in wall decoration

Mobile beds from iron barrels

Preparing a barrel for a mobile bed is the same as organizing a composter. In such beds you can plant zucchinis and cucumbers; and it can be done directly on the compost, adding a layer of fertile soil on top of 20-30 cm.

Such a ridge is convenient because the sprawling leaves of the planted crops does not take up space on the beds, and hangs and braids the barrel. In addition, if the garden is still in its early stages of development and there are no prepared ridges, barrels can serve as a temporary option, which is easy to move and change as the plot develops.

A simple option for organizing an outdoor oven for cooking in a cauldron. For it is better to use a small metal stove with a capacity of 60 liters. Cut off the lid of the cauldron; drill holes along the top and bottom belts, and cut a door on one side to put firewood in. When buying the cauldron, consider the diameter of the stove, so that it fits firmly on top.

Such an oven is good because it is low in cost, easy to make, and completely unattractive to garden thieves.

An iron barrel

Before you start working on a barrel, it needs to be cleaned in a proper manner. If your barrel has been storing fuel and lubricants, there are several ways to clean the inside of it.

Pour hot water into the cauldron, add dishwashing detergent and leave it to soak for a while. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

On sale you can find special mixtures designed for cleaning of tanks from oil residues, such as SOFEX-TMS-2001.

The new life of 200 litre metal barrels

As you can see, metal barrel crafts are useful, very versatile and can be used literally in any household.

Nikolai Laduba loves to be active, he is engaged in hiking. He’s a big fan of sci-fi. Nikolai’s son is only 7 years old, but he shares his father’s hobbies: what could be better than to cozy up and watch the TV series “Star Trek” with the whole family? Our author takes a thorough approach to all issues, the quality of his articles testifies to this. His favorite book is “The Black Prince” by Iris Murdoch.

Full-size grill from a metal barrel

Have you seen the for a normal grill? So I saw and decided that I would make it myself from a regular metal barrel, which is sure to be much cheaper. In my opinion, it turned out very beautiful, and most importantly reliable. I’ll tell you more about how I did.

Materials required

The first thing to do is to cut the barrel lengthwise into two even halves. It is important to observe the accuracy, because otherwise each further piece of angle or rod will have to measure on the spot, which will complicate the task. After marking, I cut everything with an angle grinder.

Next, you need to make two frames from a narrow angle. You need 4 pieces of 62,5 cm and 4 of 39,5 cm. I cut the ends of the pieces at 45 degrees. I even out the scraps on the flat surface, check them with the square and weld.

Next, I mount the frame on the barrel halves and weld at the corners. The barrel is thin, so you can burn the metal. To avoid making holes I cook them in spots.

In one of the barrel halves I cut with an angle grinder an arbitrary but accurate window through which the air will enter to maintain the heat. It will also help with the ash discharge. I don’t throw away the cut metal, you’ll need it for the door.

On the second half you have to make a window for the chimney. It is cut in the center. You can cut it even less than I have, because the smoke will go through a thin tube afterwards anyway.

Next, I make a stand. Cut 4 legs from a square with a section of 25×25 mm by 85 cm. You’ll also need 2 parts from the thin angle of 62,5 cm and 2 of 34 cm. I cut corners and a square at 90 degrees.

Weld the thin corner between the legs. For the sake of accuracy I use 90° magnetic templates. 25 cm indent from the edge.

I weld the crosspieces obtained to the bottom of the barrel with the large window. Accuracy is very important here.

I mount the almost finished grill on the rack and add long crosspieces. This is already easier.Now I’m going to make a foldable side shelf with a hinged base. This requires preparing a square frame from a narrow angle. I cut 4 pieces at 45 degrees of 33 cm and weld them together.

Preparing a hinged base. For it you will need to cut a square 25×25 mm. One piece at 40 cm and the other at 25 cm. We need to saw off one end of the larger workpiece at 45 degrees. I weld them into a T-shaped stop. The side with the cut corner, should be the front.

Now I weld the frame of the shelf to the sidewall of the grill through the 2 door hinges. And then fix a stop to it, also through 2 hinges.

Repairing a leaky barrel in just 1 minute the grandfather’s way

Steel tanks for collecting and storing precipitation for irrigation and other household needs rust rather quickly, because a lot of time in contact with water. As a result, over the years, such tanks become leaky. A variety of products can be used to repair them, most of which need to be pre-dried, requiring repairs to be made in advance. But there is a method that allows you to close the hole in a minute, and immediately use the tank to fill water.

What will be required:

The damaged area on the walls of a barrel or other steel tank must be cleaned. Peeling rust can be removed with any sharp object, plaque is swept away with a metal brush. Scrape to shine is not required, you just need to get to a solid base to apply the compound.

Then we take the cannon fat and roll it into a ball big enough to cover the damage on the barrel. It is then pressed against the hole from the inside and smeared with a layer of up to 5 mm. If there is not enough gun fat from the ball, it can be added.

Gun fat is a water-soluble preservative. Therefore, after its application the water in the leaky barrel will not change its chemical composition. No iridescent film will appear on it, as with petroleum products. The product retains its qualities for a very long time. A barrel repaired in this way may well last another 5 years or more, until a new hole appears in the side again, which can also be sealed with lard.It should be considered that the temperature range of using gun fat from.50 to 50 degrees Celsius. That is, it cannot be used to repair tanks that need to be heated. Due to its density, the product can quite reliably repair a container with a through hole of 30 mm in diameter.

If you buy cannon fat in a can, inside the product may be soft consistency, resembling solidol. It works as a good easy-to-apply metal preservative, but it’s not suitable for repairing barrel holes. You need to look for brushwood in briquettes. It is thick. It can be found in auto stores as well as auto paint stores. Cannon fat is stored for decades, in addition it is inexpensive, so buy it 1 kg, you can almost until the end of life to quickly repair the barrels and troughs.