What to make fire pits from – 9 hot tips

Stainless steel, mild steel and Corten fire pit panels ready to be made into fire pits

In this second article of our Fire Pit Facts series we dive into another question we get asked about fire pits – what the best things are to make fire pits out of.  I’m sharing hot tips on how to choose the right materials so you can have more fun choosing the perfect fire pit to keep you and your friends and family toasty warm outdoors.  You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the good times and good company, and maybe even cook up a storm on a fire pit barbecue!

Missed the first article on which size fire pit to choose? Catch up on Question 1, the first 5 hot tips, and the introduction to the series now!

Q2: “What should my fire pit be made of?”

Metal?

Our own bare steel fire pit, with geometric pentagonal panel shapes and our Ravens company logo.

Metal fire pits come in a wide range of materials, designs and qualities. Portable and larger moveable metal fire pits like those we make here at Ravens’ Way Metalworks are usually made of mild steel or special steels like Corten weathering steel, stainless steel or cast iron. Metal is strong and good looking, and can be made into lots of exciting designs using modern CNC (Computer Numerical Control) plasma cutting machines like ours here at Ravens’ Way Metalworks.

We use our CNC plasma cutter to make fab personalised and custom metal fire pits that are unique and special to their owners and match their personalities and tastes. Our high precision systems allow us to make sure that every customer gets a top quality artisan-made product every time. We can easily and accurately cut exciting and interesting panel shapes for the fire pit structure, and cut bold, beautiful or intricate artistic designs and geometric patterns into the panels themselves as silhouettes or pierce work. We can even add personal or family names or company branding.

Metal fire pits have several other advantages over ones made of other materials. They are movable and extremely durable, and do not suffer the problems of shattering unexpectedly when heated that stone, brick and concrete do.

Pentagonal Corten cooking grill for our own personal fire pit, inspired by Moroccan metalwork and Penrose tiling

Tip 6: Mild steel

 Mild steel is a very popular choice for metal fire pits as it is more cost-effective than Corten weathering steel or stainless steel, and stronger and lighter than cast iron for a given thickness. It can also be finished with a heat resistant paint or high temperature powder coating to stop it rusting, although many people (including us!) love the natural rusty patina that develops over time so choose to leave the steel bare to age gracefully and naturally.

Tip 7: Corten weathering steel

Corten weathering steel is a special type of steel which develops a natural rusty patina just like mild steel does, but unlike mild steel it will not flake and corrode away over time. Corten has that gorgeous warm orange colour of fresh rust once its weathering process is complete, and it will keep that look for decades. It’s around four times the price of mild steel but offers a premium option if you want your fire pit to naturally develop that mellow, rustic look but want it to last a lifetime without much maintenance or any protection from weather.

Celtic knotwork design we cut in stainless steel

Tip 8: Stainless steel

Stainless steel can be used to make premium fire pits and it is very durable. It looks stunning when new as it is bright silver in colour, but it’s worth remembering that if stainless steel is exposed to fire it’s very likely to discolour, and, depending on the grade of stainless steel, it may even rust if heated to the high temperatures found in a fire pit. It costs around 4 times as much as mild steel and about 1.5 times as much as Corten.

Tip 9: Cast iron

Cast iron is an attractive material for chimineas and some fire pits and can give a classic, traditional look. Fire pits made of cast iron are very heavy for their size and can shatter if you drop them or knock them as cast iron is very brittle. Cast iron can also sometimes crack unexpectedly when heated if it is not good quality. It is often hard to tell what quality cast iron is without testing it for impurities or air pockets, so in that sense cast iron suffers some of the disadvantages of stone, brick and concrete.

We use 5mm steel for the barbecue grill and ash grate, 4 mm steel for the fire bowl, and 3mm steel for the base of the “TetraFlame” pack away fire pit barbecue

Tip 10: How thick should my fire pit’s metal be?

At Ravens’ Way Metalworks we make all our fire pits to last. We source all the metals from reputable suppliers who provide quality assurance guarantees and supply steels that have a very high recycled metal content. For the fire bowls we use at least 4mm mild steel or 3mm Corten. A fire pit made of steel this thick or thicker is made to last, and with a bit of basic care will go on for decades.

Our rule of thumb for a bare mild steel fire pit left outside all year is that anywhere between 0.06 mm and 0.2 mm of steel will corrode away each year, depending on how near the sea it is and how much air pollution there is, and whether you clean and dry it after use. Overheating also speeds up rusting, so not letting your fire pit get glowing red hot will help it last longer too.

Cheap fire pits made of thin steel (less than 3mm thick) will very quickly rust away after a few fires if they aren’t carefully cleaned immediately after you use them. It’s also worth noting that steel thinner than 3mm is likely to distort from the amount of heat normally found in a fire pit, and the thinner the steel the more will distort. Cheap fire pits are a false economy and waste the planet’s resources.

Brick, stone or concrete?

Permanent fire pits are often made of brick, stone or even special types of concrete. This type of fire pit can be reasonably easy to make yourself but care needs to be taken when choosing what materials to use as brick, stone and concrete can sometimes crack or even explode unexpectedly when exposed to a fire. This will make you jump, damage or ruin your fire pit, and it could even injure someone with flying rubble or hot ashes, so check carefully what materials are safe to use.

Tip 11: bricks and stones

Bricks and stones can be used for DIY fire pits and can sometimes be found for free but it can be hard to tell just by looking at them which are safe to use. This is why it’s recommended to only use these materials if you can be sure that they will remain safe when heated by a fire. Buy guaranteed heat-safe materials from a reputable supplier if you’re not sure.

Tip 12: concrete

Concrete is also a useful material for firepits and will last a long time but it has a few disadvantages. It can be hard know if it’s mixed correctly if you’ve never used it before, and you have to be careful when making your fire pit that you don’t trap air in the concrete as these air pockets can explode when you heat them. Also it’s not very environmentally friendly in its manufacture or disposal as it takes a huge amount of energy to make and transport the materials to your project, plus concrete has to be thrown away into landfill once you’ve finished with it as it can’t be recycled.

Tip 13: Who you can talk to about which one to get

I hope this article will help you choose the best fire pit for you. If you want to talk about what to make fire pits out of I’d be more than happy to hear from you in the comments section below, or ring us on 01286 882199, or you can use our web contact form. Both me and Jo love to chat about fire pits so let us know your burning questions(!) – and who knows, your question might be in the next Fire Pit Facts article!

Tip 14: Where to find out even more

If you’d like to find out more about the best size fire pit for you, take a look at tips 1-5 in this series in my first article on the pros and cons of portable fire fits, movable larger ones, and fixed permanent ones.

Why not sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear more hot tips in future articles such as what you should (and shouldn’t!) burn in your fire pit, how to cook to perfection on one, the best ways to easily light them, can they be used on decking, patios and grass, how they work, what they can be used for, can they get wet, and how look after yours so it lasts.

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What’s your take on fire pits? Do you have a current favourite? Or a dream design? Let me know in the comments below – and spread that know-how!

See you soon, we’re looking forward to hearing your questions – and happy fire pit hunting!

Nick

TetraFlame Fire Pit Barbecues and Accessories