When I went to clean out our fire pit I noticed there were several holes in the bottom of it in what is called the ash pan. What the heck is an ash pan? I know – I didn’t know the technical term until I started looking for one to replace the rust bucket we currently had. It is the metal bottom of a fire pit that holds the logs. Unfortunately, they are made out of inexpensive sheet metal and tend to corrode quickly. Since we had a square fire pit (purchased at Lowes about three years ago) and purchasing a $20 piece of stainless steel was in the budget we decided to try to prolong the life of our ash pan by just replacing some of the metal. It is a heck of a better deal than spending the $150 to replace the fire pit. Here is what we learned along the way…you can’t find replacement ash pans. I think the fire pit manufacturers are in cahoots making the ash pans wear out quickly so that you have to get a new fire pit every few years.
Supplies:
24” x 24” 26 gauge sheet metal (purchased at Lowes’)
tin snips
bolts and washers
electric drill with drill bits
Rust-Oleum High Heat Spray Paint
Rust-Oleum Hammered Copper Metal Spray Paint
1. Taking a piece of 24” x 24” sheet metal we drew this diagram onto the metal with a Sharpie and then with tin snips we cut along the red lines.
2. Next we formed the metal to fit into the existing pan overlapping the corner edges and then marked them and folded one corner edge back and one forward. Note: we snipped the forward edge so it wasn’t so sharp.
3. Using a made for metal drill bit we drilled holes through the sheet metal and our rust bucket and then attached a bolt and washer through it to hold it in place. We ended up adding a dozen screws to keep it secure.
By the time it was all screwed in much of the bottom of the pan had given way with a bunch of the rust just flaking off.
At this point I am in awe of my husband’s brilliance and a little shocked it worked!
4. After it was secure I cleaned it with some Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro and then let that dry. Next I coated it with some high heat spray paint on both the front and the back of the ash pan. I used Rustoleum’s High Heat Spray Paint in black. I also blasted the metal cover with it too.
5. Next I taped off the stonework on the top of the fire pit and gave the legs a fresh coat of Rustoleum’s Hammered spray paint in Brown.
After I restored the firepit I built a table that fits just over the firepit. This way the wood will protect the new metal pan and will also allow us to get more use out of this area in the hot summer when we don’t make fires.
I know a hot metal man that would have loved to do that for you! …..In our neck of the woods, anyways! :0) Fabulous job.
Would have been nice!
Holy moley, it looks new!! Great job.
Fire ban…bet you filled it with ice and cooled down some drinks!
Great job repairing the fire pit!!
So glad you posted this! We just got a fire pit this year but know eventually it will need a little makeover. Great job! Thanks for sharing.
OMG – we have the same fire pit with the same issues. I need to show this post to my hubbs and see if he will do the same magic! Thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic idea! It certainly looks brand new. I love what a little sprucing up can do. Enjoy. Megan
I’m very impressed!
I wonder if spraying the bottom of a new fire pit ash pan with the hight heat spray paint would extend the life of the pan? I haven’t gotten one yet, but I am glad to know about the issues they could have.
If you drill a few holes in the bottom it will drain the rain water out so it doesn’t rust as fast, also gives more air for better fire!
Yes I failed to mention that. We did drill a hole in the bottom too.
Have been searching for a new bowl. Since nobody actually sells replacement bowls I’m so glad to come across this. Mine is round but I’m sure if I trim several spots close to the middle it will form to the bowl. I will purchase lots of nuts and bolts thinking it will take more with the round shape. thank you so much for taking your time to post all of this with pictures. Very helpful.
Cheryl! I love it when my projects/posts can help out others!
Have you used it with fire? We made a similar repair but didn’t withstand the heat of fire. Would love to know if you have successfully used with a fire in a pit! Thanks for posting….we have the exact fire pit and problem.
Yes ours has worked great.
Great plan! However, did you find that “sheet” metal continued to corrode? I was planning to use aluminum because of its resistance to rusting. Any suggestions/ideas?
I am sure the metal will continue to corrode. This is definitely just a temporary fix – hopefully two years. I try to keep it dry by keeping a towel in it when not in use.
Thanks for the reply. I have just finished my insert (the exact fire pit that you own) and used aluminum instead of sheet metal. Other than changing steel to aluminum, I followed you plan and it came out very well…! Thank you for sharing…! Ron
Awesome! I might have to do aluminum next time. I really love the fire pit and hate to get rid of it. Did you see the top I made for the top of mine? http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2012/07/outdoor-coffee-table.html I think that will help preserve the sheet metal too.
Like you, my wife and I really enjoy our fire pit, and use it during all times of the year. Your idea of the cover as a table top is very innovative…! Thanks for the idea (again).
Happy New Year! Ron
Great tutorial! Obviously, I am facing the same issue and have arrived at your page. As an avid handy man, your husband’s solution is exactly the one I would have taken. Perhaps the only change I would make is to weld instead of screw, but I have a welder at the house. Unfortunately, I have a round bowl and that requires different tools than I have. My dilemma aside, if I may take the liberty of offering a few comments:
- The temps in your bowl will far exceed high-heat paint. The edges will look great, but you will be facing rust in the bottom again. That’s just life with fire and ferrous metals.
- Aluminum is more corrosion resistant, but NOT suitable for the temps present in the bottom of a fire pit. Possibly with the first burn, it will melt/burn through and dump a nice pile of red hot coals on your deck. If you choose to go this route, layer aluminum over steel. The aluminum will help protect the steel from heat/water corrosion, while the steel will provide strength in high temp service.
- If you really like the pit, this is not a huge job for a metal shop. Buy the steel and mark it up. Have them cut and weld. If you use 1/8″ cold steel it will last many, many years.
Hope that helps, thanks for sharing your experience!
Philip
Oh, and I’ve found that open-air metal rust more slowly. i.e. dry it off and remove the towel. It holds moisture and promoted rust. Also, if you’re up for it apply a light rub of oil (veg oil is fine). Personally, I dump my ashes, rinse, let dry, and spray with a mist of WD-40 before covering until next time.
Thank you so much for the tips that is very helpful.
Thank you Phillip. I will have to see how it fares after the year. It sucks that they don’t make them more sturdy. I think all the firepit companies are in cahoots too. It is near impossible to find a replacement pit.
When you citrus sheet metal, for this exact pit, how large was the cut from each corner! Exact measurement?
Cut, not citrus…
I have bought the exact supplies an am ready to cut the corners, but unsure of the exact cut to create the perfect square in the middle.
We used the old one as reference. I am guessing it was about an 8″ cut.
This is great. My situation is identical to yours on the ash pan rusting out ( as well as the mesh screen cover…don’t have a plan for that do ya? ). You are right, you just cannot find replacement ones. Even my elemental handyman skills can handle this job. Thank you !
No we had the mesh screen cover hidden most of the time. It was rusty but not corroded so I just gave it a coat of spray paint.
Thank you so much!! You are a super genius!!
You are welcome Kim!
wow too funny, i have the EXACT same problem you did, with the EXACT same firepit that was also purchased from Lowes 3 years ago. I have been searching for a replacement pan for it and come to the same conclusion you did – they dont make them! while i was starting to think about purchasing the new model for about $100, i think your solution is a much better option! Thanks so much for posting this, it was funny to read your introduction to my wife as it was the same scenario that we are in now!
Ha! So glad this helps you out. Hope you can restore your fire pit and enjoy it like we’ve been able to.
Thank you so much for this. I have been driving myself crazy trying to find them for sale online. Our’s looks exactly the same as yours did.
You are welcome! I am glad it helps and hope you can restore yours to working order like we did.