Altoids Sours BBQ Grill

I decided to try my hand at making an Altoids tin grill after reading about the eBq.  This one is powered by a standard-sized charcoal briquette and is capable of cooking a full-size hot dog (cut down to size) or smaller hamburger patties with ease.  It gets mighty hot after it's fired up so use plenty of caution and keep a large glass of water handy.

If you decide to make one of your own please post a picture in the comments!  I'd love to see what you guys are coming up with.  The propane version is coming soon! :D

Step 1: Materials

Materials
1 Altoids sours tin
4x 1.5" sheet metal screws with wide heads (or 4x washers to match)
8x nuts to thread on screws
70mm metal computer fan guard (similar style to the one shown)
92mm metal computer fan guard (similar style to the one shown)

* I scavenged my fan guards from an old computer power supply.  They just happened to be the correct size

** I think these are the same fan guards that I'm using: 70mm and 92mm

Tools
Dremel tool with cutting wheel
Drill with bit slightly bigger than screws
Tin snips
Pliers/Needle nose pliers
Screwdriver
Safety goggles and gloves

Comments

[ch1pm0nk]

Love the idea here. I just finished making my own, albeit a tad bit bigger. I made it out of a 1 cp measuring cup, some fan grills, and screws. Great job on the grill. I call mine the "No-Frills-Hill-Grill"

[vmspionage]

I love it! Looks like you did a great job putting this together. Did you make the upper grill yourself?

[ch1pm0nk]

No the top grill part was cut out of another type of fan grill. Its a 120mm aluminum generic type, just a bit different from your typical circular fan grill.

[donnyk]

I was really impressed by your altoids BBQ grill. I wanted to do the same but couldn't find any altoid sours anywhere. I had some metal food containers laying around and decided to use those. Here's what I came up with.

It's a bit bigger. Holds 4 charcoal briquettes.

I also made a lid and used a drawer handle on top.

I grilled up some salmon today. It was ok. I think it needs to be hotter to get that delicious seared flesh thing going.

Thanks.

[kittigirl123]

yours looks awesome! what tin did u use?

[donnyk]

I really don't know. It was part of a $99, 90-piece kitchen set from Fingerhut.

[vmspionage]

Wow, that one turned out great! Thanks for sharing your project with us =)

[jkilpatrick1]

That is so cool!!

[c3ralki1l3r]

what kind of grill could you make form a square one?

[-l WORK l-]

Nice grill but I was wondering what was the bottom fan part of the grill is for?

[aaronXtreme]

to put little tools to clean the grill with

[gwestlun]

Good news, Valentines day and Easter is putting out metal containers of M&M's
you can use instead of the Altoids tin. Made one today and it turned out great!

[jmitchell29]

what size fan fan guards did you use?

[gwestlun]

I used three and four inch, just cut down to the size that fits and away you go!

[hossweightlifter]

nice pics

[gwestlun]

Thanks for the compliment, I used a canvas paper as a backround. worked great!

[Frowney001]

How did you attach the handle to the top?

I have one of those tins, and I made one, but with shorter feet.

I just need to know...

[gwestlun]

I used a brass nail, it even had a slight twist to it's body so It looks special. I used JB weld underneath. holds great! good luck and pls post your pics, thanks!

[fogman103]

Can you buy the containers online anywhere? If so please send me a link.

[gwestlun]

I haven't looked on line, just had some from Christmas, Easter, and Valentines day from Walgreens, target.

[chamilton4]

I have a few of these kicking around- I just may have to make one or two of these.

[cberry240]

Looks good. Nice work.

[BIGB3AR]

Works great. I love it. Cooks hotdogs well.

[aaronXtreme]

I have a website that sells stuff just like this and much more. please tell lots of your freinds obout my website @ www.krazykontraptionz.com

[diycook]

I love the mini weber but is the coolest ever... but are the fan grills safe to cook on?? I know that some metal surfaces are unsafe once you heat them?? Just a question as I will be making one of these for my son and he WILL use it!!!!!!

[snaponit]

good question

[mason0190]

Maybe if you used shorter screws this could be collapsible!

[Chumlee]

i live in england an no way near me sells altoids sours, any ideas of other tins?

Joe

[Frowney001]

I am soooo gonna make this before next weekend, so I can show it off at the camping trip with the other Boy Scouts in my troop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LegoGuy23]

That's exactly what I'm gonna' do!

[r3cycl3dartrat]

Hi. I apologize for the lack of knowledge which led me to ask this question in the first place (thanks for the great gift idea btw!) but where does one find a fan guard in a computer (which computer part?) and do they need to be those particular sizes? thank you for any help!

[vmspionage]

If you are trying to salvage them from an old computer that's about to go to the dump, you can usually find them on the back of the case and inside on the power supply. The thing is they are not always the same style and size, and what you find may not work for something like this. This website sells what looks to be the same ones I used, but I didn't purchase them so I can't say for sure. Mine came off a dead computer power supply and just happened to be the right size. 70mm http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9406/ffg-21/70mm_Fan_Grill.html?tl=g47c221s996 92mm http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2615/ffg-05/92mm_Fan_Grill.html?tl=g47c221s542 If all else fails, improvise! =)

[vmspionage]

Whoops, looks like instructables removed my formatting.  Here are the links to the fan gills

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9406/ffg-21/70mm_Fan_Grill.html?tl=g47c221s996

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2615/ffg-05/92mm_Fan_Grill.html?tl=g47c221s542

[bbutler4]

any disscount codes?

[bbutler4]

K. Thanks

[bbutler4]

I have a candy tin and everything else but the Computer Fan Guards. I don't have an old computer. Any stores sell them seperate

[profpat]

great for camping!! i like it!

[NE patsrock]

it really looks like a grill

[scottymac495]

if anyone has a pellet gun, you can use larger sized metal pellet containers, thats what i plan to use. should work just the same

[l0rd0ct0d0rk]

You should probably wash them thoroughly, though, they may contain traces of a chemical (lead) that has been proven to cause birth defects in the state of California.