Every single day millions of oil barrels are produced and disposed of across the planet, most of which end up in landfills where they live the rest of their days contributing to global pollution and posing a serious hazard to our health and the environment. It’s no wonder when you think of oil barrels, it’s the last thing you’d want anywhere near your home. But luckily there’s DIYers like us and njoyard at Imgur who believe even the biggest eye sore can become something blindingly beautiful.
It all started with a red 200L motor oil barrel he found that was obviously used to store fuel from the smell of it. Although it was in great condition, it would need a lot of work before it was ready for a cookout. The first order of business was getting it clean!
He started by pouring sand into the barrel to soak up any remaining fuel and then washed it out with dish soap and water while shaking it vigorously quite a few times. After rinsing it out and letting it dry overnight there was no more traces of fuel.
Two passes with an orbital sander got most of the red paint off and he finished the entire surface with a steel brush on a drill. Although it made a huge mess and left red dust everywhere, the barrel emerged shiny and ready for the next step: cutting it open.
Making straight lines with a marker on a curved surface is not very easy so njoyard found it better to use painter’s tape instead. The hole he cut on the side was 5/16ths (1/4th + 1/16th) of the circumference of the barrel and he left about 2″ of steel on the right and left. Using a jigsaw with lots of lubricant on the slowest speed and lowest pendular setting gave him smooth cuts with barely any force.
The grill and lid piece then got two coats of heat-resistant paint. While the paint dried, njoyard began to assemble the wooden frame out of douglas fir and wood screws. Once the frame was complete along with wheels on the legs, it was sanded and stained to bring out the wood’s rich color. The barrel grill laid inside the frame perfectly.
He then attached the lid piece to the grill with hinges using rivets and added a steel handle to make it easy to open and close.
For a cooking surface, he used two rectangular grids he found online and secured them side-by-side with 1-inch steel shelf supports.
He was now in the home stretch with only a few details left before the much anticipated taste test! Air intake holes were drilled on the bottom surface of the barrel so the flame gets oxygen. The lid also wobbled a bit when open so njoyard added some reinforcement strips to give it more rigidity as well as bumper stops so the lid had a resting position when closed instead of collapsing inside the grill. With the thermometer as the finishing touch, this old barrel was now ready to start its new life by churning out some carnivorous delights!
Check out more photos and get extra details: njoyard | Barrel Grill | Imgur