Nothing beats a relaxing night with friends under the stars. Throw in some marshmallows roasting over a free stainless firepit in your backyard, and the fun is taken to a new level. Today I will share with you how I transformed a piece of trash into a beautiful firepit. As a bonus, the natural design of this upcycle project seems to produce less smoke and more effectively vent the fire than a traditional outdoor fire.
Ready for a Strange Twist?
One of my favorite sections of The Sawdust and Cornbread Blog is the pictures page. There is a photo list of things you can use for another purpose. Thanks to this blog, I get to add a washing machine. Yep! You read that correctly. You are lucky if you or someone you know has a broken-down washer. We will snatch the drum out of that sucker and create a beautiful, free stainless steel backyard firepit.
Disassembling the Washing Machine
Every washer is different, but I’m guessing the way to get to the washer drum is very similar. I should mention my broken machine is a top loader. I’m not sure if front-loading machines come apart the same way. Also, my machine has a stainless steel drum. You wouldn’t want to use a plastic drum for a firepit.
I find taking things apart oddly satisfying. Seeing the inner workings of the washer was enlightening. The retired homeschool mom will now come out in me. I highly suggest you bring your older kids to help with this project. They will learn some reverse engineering, mechanics, basic tooling methods, and how to upcycle. Everyone wins! And at the end, you get to share smores made over a washing machine part. How COOL is THAT?!!!
Removing the Washer Shell
Here is my poor, broken, overused washer. Looking at the backside, you see several hex screws. These are easily removed with a hex head driver bit. Once those are loose, the shell peels away from the sides.
Freeing the Washer Tub
With the washer frame removed, I am left with the plastic tub which surrounds the washer drum. I took a hacksaw to sever all the connected drainage tubes. This is the ideal time to lay a towel under the tubes. I found out the hard way.
Removing the Top and Agitator
The white ring top has little push tabs holding it on. Squeeze those in and the top pops off. To get to the agitator screws, you take some pliers and pull out the cruddy gross part in the center. It lifts right out. Now you can loosen the hex bolts inside and remove the agitator.
Almost Done! Taking off the Stand and Plastic Shell
The stand on the bottom of the washer is a little tricky but nothing you can’t handle. There are some wires to snip loose and more hex screws to unscrew. Once everything is off the bottom, you can slide off the plastic casing. One metal pole in the center is soldered in place. I had to enlist my husband to use his grinder to split the pole. It ended up being a pole within a pole. He ground the second one loose and we had our stainless steel fire pit!
Setting Up the Free Fire Pit and Putting It To Use
I gave the stainless drum a nice hosing off and carried it to my makeshift gravel “fire circle.” The gravel isn’t necessary, but I like the way it sets this area apart. You can always use the drum in a grass or dirt area in your yard. Placing the drum upside down, I spun it around a few times to mark the diameter in the gravel. I then took a shovel and dug about a foot down staying inside my circle. Now, turn the drum right side up and stick it in the hole. I had a little fun climbing inside and jumping up and down to settle it into place. That is it! This gorgeous, stainless steel firepit is ready and waiting for our next campfire!
How the free Stainless Firepit Works
The firepit glows beautifully both close up and far away. All the punctures, once serving as wash water drainage, now light up displaying glowing magical designs. Smoke seems to escape in a less concentrated manner making it easier to stay in a comfortable position by the fire. Another bonus solves a pet peeve of mine. We like our fire to last a good long time in our indoor woodstove. Outside, I want the fire out fast when an evening of entertaining is done. Having air filtering in through the side holes keeps a strong fire burning the entire time. The wood burns faster and more efficiently. In the past, I checked the fire for HOURS after parties. Now, it takes a lot less time for all the embers to fizzle out.
I hope you find this upcycled washing machine hack as useful as we have. Be sure to bookmark this blog and visit often for more cost-effective DIYs. Also, be my guest at the Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube channel for weekly home project videos. Until next time, one little spark is all it takes!
Lora Lea
