Convert an Oil Drum into a Charcoal Grill

• 1). Cut the oil drum in half lengthwise using the reciprocating saw. Measure and mark the lines before you cut to avoid mistakes and to make sure that all edges are even.
  
  
• 2). Clean the inside of both halves of the oil drum. Use the sandblaster to remove any oil, paint or other residue from the inside. It is imperative to remove all oil from the drum to prevent a health and fire hazard when you begin to use the drum to cook your food.
  
  
• 3). Drill 20 half-inch diameter holes along the bottom of the lower half of the oil drum. The holes should be in two lines of 10, spaced evenly along the entire bottom of the drum. These holes will provide the ventilation and are essential to allow the charcoal to maintain a flow of oxygen.
  
  
• 4). Use the angle iron to weld a metal grate for the charcoal to rest on. Wedge this grate into the bottom of the drum. It is preferable for the charcoal to rest on the grate rather than sitting directly on the bottom of the oil drum, because this allows for better ventilation and prevents the metal drum from heating up too much.
  
  
• 5). Use the angle iron along with the welding torch to fashion two flat supports to place inside the bottom half of the drum, approximately 8 inches above the lower metal grate. The supports should be approximately 1/2 inch below the opening of the oil drum. These supports make the grill stronger and hold the cooking grid or mesh in place. Weld these supports into the bottom half of the oil drum, spacing them so that they evenly trisect the drum.
  
  
• 6). Weld the metal handle onto the top half of the oil drum. Position it so that it is centered and close to the cut edge of the top half of the drum.
  
  
• 7). Place the top half of the oil drum on top of the bottom half, making sure that they are lined up evenly. Weld the two door hinges to both halves, on the side opposite of the metal handle. The hinges should be positioned close to the each end of the oil drum.
  
  
• 8). Construct the metal frame to hold the oil drum using the square steel tubing. A typical 55-gallon oil drum has dimensions of 33.5 inches x 22.5 inches, but you should measure your particular drum just to make sure. First, cut four pieces of steel tubing to form a rectangle that will hold the barrel. These pieces of tubing should be welded together so that the bottom half of the oil drum can securely rest in the rectangle, without danger of falling out.
  
  Cut four more pieces of tubing that are of equal length for the legs of the frame. Typical grill legs are approximately 2.5 feet in length but can be adjusted to your liking. Weld the legs to the rectangular frame you created previously.
  
  
• 9). Place the cooking grid onto the supports inside the bottom half of the oil drum and place the entire drum into the metal frame. Open and close the lid to make sure that the hinges work properly. Use oil to lubricate the hinges if they get stuck.