DIY Patio Heater/fire Pit

Hi, with fall (autumn) quickly closing in on us and the evenings getting that bit shorter & cooler this is a great project to make. You can get that extra bit of time outside enjoying a beer or glass of wine without freezing your you know what off. It’s actually surprising how much heat this patio heater/fire pit throws out.

Have a look at the video above to watch how I made this patio heater/fire pit or have a look at my guide below.

Warning do not cut or drill into a gas cylinder unless you are 100% sure it is safe to do so!

Below are links to some of the videos I watched before attempting to remove the valves and wash them out.

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson3

Lesson 4

You have been warned.

The materials need for this are:

Two propane (gas) cylinders with valves removed, the cylinder washed out and left to air for few days.

Approximately 30inches (760mm)of 4 inch (100mm) steel tube.

1 Stainless steel butt hinge (4 inch)

1 Stainless steel knob

8 nuts and bolts

High temperature paint

Making sure the valves are removed and the cylinders are free from any gas cut one of the cylinders in half keeping the top section (There is normally a joint line in the middle of the cylinder so use this as your guide line) then remove the handles from both.

I decided to burn the paint off the tanks in a small fire as it was proving hard to remove it with a grinder and flap disc. After the fire had done its job and they had cooled down I gave them a quick clean with a wire brush.

On a bench I put the two top ends (where the valves were) together and tack welded them before putting them on their side to finish the welding all the way around.

At this stage I marked the position of where the door was going to be cut…. Using my grinder I cut the hole (slightly smaller than the size of the tube for the chimney) for the chimney. Before fully cutting the door out mark the position and drill the holes for the hinge! It’s much easier to do this now.

Attach the chimney by firstly tacking it in place and then welding it all the way around.

Using the nuts and bolts and hinge attach the door. Everything should line up perfectly. I attached a piece of metal to the inside to act as a stop for the door. I held it place with a vice grips while tacking it.

Drill a hole for the door knob and attach it. (Remove it again before painting)

I gave the whole thing (except stainless steel parts) a going over with a flap disc to clean it up and smooth out any rough bits.

I drilled some air intake holes around the bottom to make sure the fire has enough oxygen when lighting.

I applied some high temperature black paint using a paint brush. (It fully cures when fire is lit)

All that’s left to do is light it! I use off cuts of wood in it and that works great. It really is a great addition to a patio area. The way it’s designed doesn’t allow for the heat to transfer down to the ground so it can even be put on grass without burning it. An afterthought I had was that if I did a few adjustments I could turn the top of the chimney into a place where I could cook! It’s like a rocket stove.

If you like this project and would like to see more videos from me you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here: Eamon Walsh DIY Thanks.