Halloween Pumpkin Log Burner

Hi, Here's a quick halloween style log burner, perfect of keeping warm on these spooky nights. Made totally out of bits I had laying around the workshop.

All-in-all this project can easily be done start to finish in a day.

Didn't originally intend on writing an instructable on this project, so apologies for the lack of photos during the making process

Materials -

1. Empty Gas Bottle
2. Scrap Steel Pipe (I also used a 1' to1 1/2' steel pipe reducer I had laying around)
3. Hinge
4. Dead bolt
5. steel for fire grill (optional)

Tools -

• Safety equipment (gloves, eye protection, dust mask) Better to be safe then sorry.
• Plasma Cutter ( You could probably get a similar affect using a drill and dermal with a cutting disc)
• Welder
• Drill & large drill bit
• Sharppie
• Card (For Template)
• Angle Grinder ( Cutting & sanding discs)
• Paint Stripper/ Sandpaper
• Instance Rust- (Hydrogen peroxide- Vinger - Salt)
• High temperature paint (Optional)

WARNING

Gas bottles cad be extremely dangerous. especially when cutting them apart. always makes sure gas bottle is empty before starting.

Preparing the bottle

1. open valve fully (to make sure its empty)
2. remove valve from top the bottle. (this is a hell of a lot easier if you cut the protective collar around the valve. and use a big pipe wrench.) Mine valve had previously been smashed off the hammer so I had to drill it out slowly instead (so that's also an option if you can't get the valve undone)
3. Fill with water to the brim, and empty. (this will force out and gas stuck in the bottom of the bottle)

Now is also a pretty good time to strip the paint off the bottle I used paint stripper wire wool and a wire wheel on a grinder. but be prepared some of the paint on these bottles can be nightmare to remove.

Template (Optional) :-

I made a template of the face I wanted, Mostly to make sure my eyes and mouth were symmetrical, (But the sky the limit here, go as intricate or simple as you feel comfortable with) You can just freehand a straight onto the bottle with a permanent marker if you don't fancy making a template

I also marked out my door at this point, I made it as big as possible so I could get a reasonable size logs inside, mines is just short of half the circumference of the bottle, but again the size is totally up to you.

Plasma cutting

I used a plasma cutter to cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth. Originally planned to cut the eyes and mouth out entirely but I ended up like the effect by leaving the pieces attached in the corners and only removing the outline (you could possible get a similar affect using a drill and a dermal with a cutting disc on.

I also used the plasma cutter to cut around the valve on my bottle, to give a bigger hole for the chimney

Disc cutter

I then used a cutting disk on a 4'1/2' grinder to cut out the door as I find it far easier to cut a straight line with a grinder

Drilling

I also used a 13mm drill to drill some air vents in the bottom for air flow, but you could use use an angle grinder to cut slot instead

Door :-

By a happy coincidence my hinge turned out to be the same size as the door I'd cut out. (Some time it better to be lucky then good.)

I used a few magnets to keep the hinge and door in the right place well I welded them together. even so I did end up with a small gap between the door and it surround. which leaks smoke.

used an old deadbolt I had laying around the workshop to keep the door closed, I was missing the bottom catch but a M6 nut did as a replacement just fine again I used magnet to keep everything in the right place as I welded

Chimney / Stalk

I used a scrap off-cut piece of 1' pipe and a 1' to 1 1/2' pipe reducer I had laying around workshop but you could use any bit of pipe(s) you got laying around

I cut the pipe at a random angle that looked cool, I think it should be between 45 and 90° to get a good airflow, Then welded it to the pipe reducer before welding the whole stalk/chimney to the bottle

I've marked this step as optional as it will work fine without it. but you will get a better fire with one, As the air can flow underneath the fire

I had on old fire grill laying around the work shop and decide to use this in my pumpkin. I simply use a 12' cutting disk to mark out the circle(just happen to be the perfect size) and cut it out with the plasma cutter

At this point its pretty much a functioning log burner but I wanted a bright orange rust look,I started by going over the whole pumpkin with a wire wheel again removing any left over paint.

(Optional)I then spray-painted the bottom range of the pumpkin with some high temperature black paint I had left over from building a forge

Instance Rust

Firstly I masked off the eyes and mouth the covers the entire pumpkin with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar and salt ( No need to be to provided with the quantities but I use roughly a 80% hydrogen peroxide, 20% vinegar and a good spoon of salt)

I used a brush to put a good coating of this, leaving it for roughly 15 minutes before applying a second coat, to get a good bright orange layer of rust it would obviously rust on its own over time, but this give the same results in lest then half an hour

Bare steel Or Black

I initially intended to leave the eyes and mouth bare steel but change my mind and ended up painting the black with high temperature paint, (Still not sure which Version I prefer.)

And its finished!

Also work great with just a torch inside instead of fire, (I used a bit off broken brake light lens to turn the light red & orange) also get a core production of the face if you put it towards a wall

Hope you like this quick little spooky project.

Look forward to seeing you spooky Versions