Fire Pit From a Satellite Dish

We had a large dinner party / BBQ in our back yard a couple of years ago at the beginning of  the summer. As the sun sat the girls at the party started getting cold. All I had on hand was a few #10 cans that we punched holes in, filled with charcoal and lit. Imagine 5-10 girls trying to crowd a small can of coals for heat. So I went in search of a Fire-pit / Brazier for my next party. I couldn't find one anywhere. I looked for one of the round kettle style charcoal BBQ grills to convert but couldn't find one of those either. When I returned home discouraged I tripped over an old Satellite dish laying around my garage. It gave me an idea. With no more than $10 spent this is what you get. Cheap and effective and kind of cool. IF you wish you could add a lid or use tighter mesh to reduce sparks and up your cool factor. It works great with either charcoal or old wood you have laying around. I generally just use the branches and limbs that blow out of our trees during the spring.

Materials list.

Old truck tire rim.
Old satellite dish with LNB arm and all mounts removed.
Roll of wire mesh Approx 4x6'
8 bolts with nuts and washers
Spray paint (I use black, you choose your own favorite.)
A wire grill style rack. One from an old grill is perfect.
4-8  2 inch pieces of steel wire.

Step 1: Spray paint the rim, rack and dish.

Step 2: Cut the rack roughly in the shape of the dish.  (I left two of the wires longer on each side, then I bent these beneath the dish to keep the rack attached without using screws or bolts. If you wish to take the rack in and out cut all of them short.)

Step 3: Pre-drill 8 evenly spaced holes around the rim of the dish the diameter of your bolts.

Step 4: Fold the mesh in half lengthwise.  Wrap around the rim of the dish the folded side up.  The mesh will over lap. Tie the ends in by stitching together with loops formed from the steel wire.

You can use charcoal or wood for your fire as both work great. Wood has the advantage of producing flames for longer and coal will sit and give off a lower warm heat for longer.
Light her up and enjoy!