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Buggy
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# Posted: 1 Feb 2012 23:50
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Looking to build some bench seating around my fire-pit. I would love to get any tips and pictures from those who have tackled a project like this.
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 1 Feb 2012 23:56
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great topic! We used to have fires on the beach, but the water level has come up . . less beach . . . thought it would be fun to build a fire pit for gathering but worry about our wooded area with trees. . . wonder about building a pit with a screen? Pics and ideas please!
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 05:43
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i picked up some eatern red cedar slabs at the sawmill, which is a thick section of the side of a log where they saw mill a huge log to square it up--really THICK mayber 6 to 8 inches thick---going to take some cedar logs about 2 foot long and chainsaw a half moon section where the slad will fit in=and have a cedar campfire bench==one of my projects at camp in the near future!!!!!
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 07:56
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For those with haulin' capability, some stone slabs make great seating. One might be able to use log rollers to get them from truck/trailer to fire pit. 200 years from now, the stones will still be maintenance free!
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DaJTCHA
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 17:58
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If you forward to 1:15 in this short video, you'll see how we handled fire pit seating at our camp. (3) 5.5" wide boards with a backer board to keep them together as one piece and then placed on top of pine tree trunks. Best part is they can be stored in winter or moved around easily as they are (3) pieces for each bench.
http://youtu.be/_6BpBcE0e9E
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davestreck
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 18:10 - Edited by: davestreck
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I like the "Leopold Bench":
Simple to construct out of PT 2x's and carriage bolts. Stable, comfortable and cheap.
Google "Leopold Bench"; there are many free plans available online.
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mrmiji
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 20:13 - Edited by: mrmiji
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How about this monstrosity?
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 21:11
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Considering the fact that for much of every year we have moderate to high, even very high and extreme forest fire danger we did not think a fire pit was a good idea at all, even though we love fires. Sparks and flying embers can travel an amazing distance. So rather than do without a fire we bought a cast aluminum chiminea.
Then we stuck it inside out gazebo! An 8" dia black chimney pipe was the right size to fit the top of the chiminea pipe. That goes through the roof with insulated pipe equipped with a fire approved chimney cap.
The seating is more limited than with an open pit. The advantage is the ability to enjoy a fire even when open fires are restricted. And when it does rain we don't get wet, not that it rains very much.
Those chimineas are available in cast iron as well. We chose aluminum to make handling it easier. Cast iron would be better if there was a danger of it being stolen... just makes it harder. And aluminum has no rust issues.
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exsailor
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 07:10
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I lot of commercial fire pits come with a screen for the very reason of spark control.
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 09:11
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Love this idea! I had been thinking it would be fun to have a fireplace of some sort with a gazebo. We too often have fire restrictions and this would solve that. I've also been thinking of screening in the gazebo and that would keep it bug free. Thanks for sharing!
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Just
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 11:18
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I gess i'm into the stories not the seating ,but there have been some good tales .
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bugs
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 12:49
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We have tried a few types of benches for around the fire pits, along our trails and for our docks. We found simple 2x6 legs with a deck board to be quite comfortable along the trails and light enough to haul out to the best seating areas. 2x4's on cinder blocks work well for places where we can access with the truck. And for some reason a table I made for holding telescope paraphernalia has become our fav morning coffee seating spot
We try to get all our lumber for the seats used from our reno store so sometimes things don't quite match up.... but only we see it and the wildlife does not seem to mind.
trail bench
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wide dock bench
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cinder block bench
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telescope table
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 13:06
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Quoting: Montanagirl I've also been thinking of screening in the gazebo and that would keep it bug free. Thanks for sharing!
We screened all four side incl. the door. Used aluminum screen just in case of a loose spark. After two years I had some exterior add on type storm windows made for one side, the side the wind usually comes from. The bottom glass slides up for when we want thr air. Works well for us. A side benefit is the smoke goes up the chimney rather than blowing in your face.
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 13:13
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Bugs--that photo of the dock and view of lake is fab! Would make a great screen saver . . . sitting here in NW Montana looking out the window at snow dreaming of warmer days ahead!
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 13:16
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MtnDon-great idea on the aluminum screen. We have a small screened in porch. Some kids tried to break in and only succeeded in messing up the screen. We replaced a small portion of it with vinyl screen . . this summer I found a vermin of sort had chewed a hole through it! Aluminum is the way to go . .
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ErinsMom
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 20:10
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MtnDon,
Do you have any more photos? I love the concept.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 20:33 - Edited by: MtnDon
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One thing that could have been better planned was the chimney roof penetration. The rafter bay where the chimney penetrates should have been made a little wider so it would have been easier to position the chimney. As it was I hand to make from special flashing to properly work around the hip. But nothing that could not be solved.
Finished with the cuppola... The cuppola uses a single glazed tinted skylight
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 20:38 - Edited by: MtnDon
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Sheet metal heat protection for the wood wall framing and siding works very well. One inch spaced out from the combustibles. Here is a dial thermometer mounted from the exterior with the probe in the wall space right where the chiminae is the closest to the wall. Approx 50 exteriot temperature with a roaring fire. The sheet metal (flat roofing panel) was too hot to touch a bare hand to.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 20:42 - Edited by: MtnDon
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Ceiling...
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 22:18
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I'm really likin' this!!!! thanks for the detail in pics! What are the dimensions of your gazebo?
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 11:01
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10 foot square. Corner 4x4's are set 42" in the ground
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vandersysml
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 14:27 - Edited by: vandersysml
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Buggy - IMHO sometimes simplest is best. There's nothing better than a massive log to sit on around a camp fire. The tree that's down next to my cabin in the picture has been moved and is now a bench (about 6 inches off the ground on some rocks). Of course it takes a tractor to effectively move something like that. Plus you give up alot of firewood, but for us it made sense. I even used a couple of slices of the same tree to make a "staircase"
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neb
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 15:33
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MtnDon
Very nice.
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eon
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2012 15:30
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I make benches the old fashion way. I split them from oak logs , smooth the billets with a foot adz and then a jack plain. The legs are shaped on a shaving horse with my drawknife and holes in the seat are bored with a brace and bit. It's all done with no electric tools.
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