For cooking on outdoors delicious grilled food, the barbecue grill is an indispensable assistant. But on condition of it compliance with stated preferences.
To understand which option is the most suitable and whether you can take matters into your own hands, you need to find out the advantages and disadvantages of all popular types of gratings.
Purpose of the barbecue grill
A barbecue grill (grill grill) is a device with which various food products are cooked over an open fire or in a specially designed oven.
Photo 1. Some barbecue grates have legs for positioning over the coals.
The use of gratings has a whole several advantages:
- food is being prepared without the use of oil, which has a positive effect on health;
- on it convenient to place several types of food at once;
- easy in the process control the degree of roasting;
- the design itself doesn't take up much space;
- does not require any additional accessories.
Important! When cooking over an open fire, follow safety precautions: Wear protective gloves, control the intensity of the fire, and avoid contact with flammable objects.
Barbecue grates are divided into several types. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, after analyzing which you can easily decide on a suitable option.
Selecting the mesh material
Considering that today there are many different interpretations on the topic of barbecue (barbecue, electric grill, gas barbecue oven, etc.), it is worth clarifying that we are talking about grills suitable for use in ordinary garden stoves .
Nickel
This is the most popular choice. Made from coated steel thin layer nickel They are like one work surface, and with two folding ones, which are fixed together with a clamp.
Basic dignity:
- Price. This is the most a budget option presented on the market.
- Variety of shapes and sizes. For a non-standard form factor, the same production technology is used, but the source material is thicker - steel rods of larger diameter. This gives the barbecue grate the necessary rigidity.
- Prevalence. Such gratings are sold in absolutely any store, and it won’t be difficult to buy one even at the very last moment on the way to a picnic.
Basic flaws:
- Poor fixation of rods. This problem occurs especially often with small grilles. If handled carelessly, the wire begins to slide into different sides, and compact products fall into the fire.
- Fragility. After just a few uses, the applied coating peels off and particles stick to the food. If you continue to use the grate after this, rust will appear on it.
Cast iron
This material is practically “indestructible”, which makes it ideal in many ways:
- He does not oxidize. This means that rust will never touch it.
- Careful attitude towards products. Firms that have put production on stream cover finished products special composition, which prevents sticking and burning food to the grill. Like the famous “thinking about us” frying pans.
- Durability. Over many years of use, this material is more likely to become boring than deteriorate.
- Fixed hole diameter. The grill does not deform under pressure or heat, and pieces of food will not fall through the holes.
- Wide range of sizes. Pick up suitable option It’s not a problem for your own stove.
Possible flaws:
- First and foremost - price. Cast iron grates for barbecue are much more expensive than their counterparts in the shop. This, of course, fully pays off in terms of durability, but not many are willing to shell out that amount of money right away.
- Uniformity of forms. Most often it is a rectangle or circle. If there is a need for a non-standard form, then it is better to look for something else.
Caring for this grill It couldn’t be simpler: it can be cleaned by anyone in a convenient way- both wet and dry. Special conditions no storage required either.
Stainless steel
Not the most common choice for making gratings, but it has a lot of advantages:
- Unique shape and size. If frequent use is expected non-standard forms, then this is the most suitable option. You won't have to look for a replacement soon.
- Durability. Stainless steel is very resistant to high temperatures material that does not deform over time.
- Optimal stiffness. The rods perfectly maintain their original position without compressing the food excessively (taking into account the moderate load).
Minuses in use:
- Burning food. Since the material is not coated with any non-stick compound, there is a possibility of food sticking to the grate during cooking.
- Price. It’s not as expensive as cast iron, but it’s not a “stop and buy” option either. This is something that is bought deliberately for many years.
- Inaccessibility. You rarely see such a product in stores, so many people prefer to make them with their own hands.
Although food particles remain on the rods after cooking, care It's very easy behind bars. All carbon deposits are cleaned off under running water with a special brush and dried well.
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How to do everything yourself?
If you want to make a barbecue grill yourself, then this is the best choice for this. stainless steel. Of all available materials it is the easiest to get and easy to work with. It can be made into absolutely any shape and size that will fit your existing stove.
Important! Argon is best suited for welding stainless steel, so if you have it, feel free to get down to business.
Stages process:
- From a suitable size stainless steel sheet, at a distance of about three cm, cut out the middle part.
- Between external and internal border draw a dividing line.
- For the main part take wire of the same material with a diameter about 3-5 mm.
- Trim the rods to such a length that, crossing the hole, they reach the drawn line.
- Weld the ends in this place. There is no need to weld the rods together at the points of contact!
- Make the cuts at the corners of the frame and wrap free edges inward, pressing tightly against the rods themselves and in the voids. This will protect against cuts.
- Frequency distribution Use wires at your discretion. But make sure that pieces of food do not fall through the holes.
- Availability pens- not always necessary. If you need it, then make it from a thick rod, attaching a wooden holder to the end. The length of the handle should not exceed the width of the grate itself, otherwise the balance will be upset.
- If you really want to, you can move away from the canons and weld the rods gratings are not standard diamond patterns, but snake or some other weaving.
Homemade grates are also made of cast iron, but this method is rarely practiced due to technical complex process. Welding is very demanding strict compliance temperature regime and the use of special electrodes. At the slightest deviation from the norms, the structure of cast iron begins to collapse. For simple lovers and newcomers this method is absolutely doesn't fit.
There are many devices for cooking over a fire. Barbecues, tripods, various tagankas, let’s combine all this variety into one universal design.
Tools needed, and devices.
1. Welding inverter.
2. Angle grinder.
3. Magnetic corners for welding.
4. Sharpening machine, you can get by with a grinding machine.
5. Industrial hair dryer.
Materials needed.
1. Metal water pipe 3/4 inch diameter.
2. Metal water pipe with a diameter of 1/2 inch.
3. Metal strip 3 cm wide and 3 mm thick.
4. Metal square with a cross section of 10 mm by 10 mm.
5. Metal profile pipe with shelf dimensions of 20 mm by 20 mm.
6. Metal profile pipe with shelf dimensions of 15 mm by 15 mm.
7. Corrugated fittings with a diameter of 10 mm.
8. Rolled reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm.
8. Wire with a diameter of 3 mm.
9. Nuts, bolts, washers.
10. Welding electrodes.
11. Heat-resistant paint.
12. Cutting and flap wheels for a grinding machine.
From a pipe with a diameter of 1/2 inch we cut a piece 80 cm long. From a pipe with a diameter of 3/4 inch we cut 4 pieces of 5 cm and 2 pieces of 2 cm.
We weld a nut to a pipe with a diameter of 1/2 inch at the end; this will be the stand itself.
It is better to use a seamless pipe with a diameter of 3/4 inches, otherwise you will have to cut off the seam inside as it interferes with inserting the pipe into the pipe.
If you find a pipe that is seamed, you can quickly cut off the seam by holding a rasp in a drill.
We drill holes in sections of 3/4-inch pipe.
We weld nuts onto the holes.
We weld small pieces of rolled reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm to the threads of the bolts. The result is a fastener for the rack.
We make the frame for the hob from a metal strip. We calculate the dimensions based on the size of the existing grill grate.
In order to withstand correct angles, when welding we will use magnetic corners, but we still check the diagonals.
To prevent the grill grate and hob from falling through the bottom of the frame, we weld two more strips.
We slightly cut out one shelf for the handle of the grill grate and make cuts for the skewers.
We weld the cooking surface for pans and pots from a metal square. The surface size should be a couple of millimeters smaller on each side than the frame size to avoid jamming when heated.
We weld small legs at the bottom to level hob with frame level.
We attach the frame to the stand from a profile pipe. Cut 15 cm from each profile. We weld a section of profile 15 mm by 15 mm to the frame. In a section of profile pipe measuring 20 mm by 20 mm, drill a hole on one side and weld a nut for fastening. We weld fasteners to the stand to the other side. The profile pipes are inserted into each other and fixed with a clamp in the required position.
For compactness, the thrust base of our design is made to the size of the frame. We weld nuts to four sections of corrugated reinforcement on one side. The nuts are better wide or you can weld two together. We weld the other edges of the reinforcement to the rack mount.
We cut a 60 cm piece from a profile pipe measuring 15 mm by 15 mm. We weld a fastener to the rack on one side and a limiter on the other. This will be a hanger for the pot.
We weld the remaining fasteners to the rack on top and weld the bent reinforcement. We will hang a poker and all sorts of fire accessories on this part.
Of course, you can do without a poker, but it’s more convenient with one.
We cut five 15 cm sections from the reinforcement, weld the threads to one side, and sharpen the other side. The resulting pins will be stuck into the ground.
We bend hooks from wire with a diameter of 3 mm.
All the parts are ready, all that remains is to paint them with heat-resistant paint. After drying, the parts must be thoroughly heated with an industrial hair dryer to bake the enamel, otherwise it will crumble.
For ease of transportation, we sewed a canvas cover for the entire product and separately for small parts.
Now instructions for assembly and operation.
We screw the pin to the post and stick it into the ground.
We screw the remaining pins to the persistent base and also stick them into the ground. If the soil is hard, we hammer it with an axe, this will only add stability. Secure with a clamping screw.
Install and fix on required height hob stop.
We install and fix the hob itself.
We install and fix the suspension stop for the pot at the required height.
We install the suspension.
Hello. Today I want to talk about how I made a tripod for a fire.
... As I have already mentioned several times, my friends and I from time to time go by car to the forest, where we live in tents for several days. This tradition has been going on for more than twenty years, and we are slowly acquiring the necessary comfortable rest in the forest, with things. Among them is a tripod for a fire, which freed us from such activities as searching in the forest for suitable “slingshots” and crossbars, and then installing them near the fire. The tripod we purchased was like this (photo from the Internet. It’s not the season, and ours is hidden somewhere on a distant shelf.)):
During operation, a number of shortcomings were revealed, namely:
1. There is no way to quickly adjust the height of the cauldron suspension. (On fires, as a rule, there is no “twist” to quickly make the fire smaller)))) If there is a lot of boiling, there is only one thing left to do - regulate the heating by raising or lowering the cauldron (cauldron). Doing this by hanging it on another link in the chain is good only in theory! In practice, you need at least two people - one lifts the cauldron (and it’s heavy!), the other hangs the chain. And even doing it together with outstretched arms over a blazing fire and a boiling cauldron is still a pleasure!)))). In addition, if you hang it high, the rest of the chain tends to get dipped into the cauldron))).
2. Insufficient width! We have a large company, and if, for example, a fifteen-liter boiler is hanging, then it should only hang at the bottom! It is impossible to lift it, since the “legs” narrow at the top. In order for it to fit high, too, the tripod must be more than two meters high...
3. Lack of compactness. Even when folded, it is more than a meter long! Not every trunk fits lengthwise or across! And if you place it diagonally, it takes up a lot of useful space!
4. It cannot be put aside if it is temporarily not needed! That is, I would like the assembled tripod to be a rigid structure that you can, wearing a glove (it can be hot!), simply put it aside temporarily, and then just as easily put it back in its place. (And when in this case, it did not change its geometry even if it was carried by one “leg”) And ours, when you try to lift it, folds. (And she is hot!))). That is, you can still remove it and throw it aside, but putting it back over a blazing fire is problematic! You need to wait until the fire goes out a little.
Considering all these points, I decided to make a new one with my own hands. And this is what I got:
In this photo it is not completely unfolded. The lower sections of the “legs” are telescopic!! If you extend them too, then the height from the ground to the hook (in its upper position) is 1 m. 60 cm!! It’s just that now is not the season for trips “out into nature” and I photographed it in a room whose dimensions did not allow us to fully capture such a massive structure.))))
Here's what I needed to make it:
1. Profile pipe section 15 by 15 mm.
2. Profile pipe, cross-section 20 by... mm. (Needed for making a U-shaped guide, so any cuttings of a profile pipe with one wall of 20 mm will do)
3. Sheet iron 5 mm thick. (I have a “corrugated” one, this is not necessary)
4. M14 stud trim.
5. square (rolled) 10 by 10 mm.
6. square (rolled) 12 by 12 mm. (Needed to strengthen the bending points (“elbows”) of the “fifteen” pipe, so short pieces are suitable).
7. Hanging spring element from the system suspended ceilings"Armstrong".
8. Wire with a diameter of 4 mm.
9.Cut off a 16 mm reeling tube. (Not necessary.)
10. M6 bolts 25 mm long. (3 pcs. for making axes of “legs”)
11. M6 cap nuts. (For the same reason.)
12. M6 wing bolts. (3 pcs. For fixing telescopic parts.)
13. M6 nuts (regular)
14. M14 nuts.
15. M5 wing bolts (3 pcs.)
16. Wing nuts M5 (3 pcs).
17. Heat-resistant enamel.
I wrote this list and I’m shocked!!! After all, he was making a simple, one might say, primitive product, and a lot of names of materials were required!
But nothing!! We are not looking for easy ways!!! The product turned out great and meets all the criteria I set! This means that your time and energy were not wasted!!
So, where did I start?.. Do you think, with a drawing? If so, then you are only partly right!
The fact is that I never make drawings of my homemade products! This takes time, but there is never enough of it! Besides, homemade products are my hobby! This means that each product is made in a single copy! Therefore, after its manufacture, the drawing will certainly not be needed! And since God did not offend me with spatial thinking, I prepare all the “drawings” of homemade products only in my head! As a rule, I do this while driving, where I spend a lot of time, spinning around the city every day. And I only draw individual parts on blanks, before taking up the grinder!)))) And if I need the intuitively needed size to be “converted into meters,” then I imagine the future part, holding a tape measure in my hands, looking at it, and mentally trying on the future part for it))))
But now I still drew a little... That is, I simply drew a sketch of a tripod of the size I would like, on a scale of 1: 1 on a sheet of cardboard.))).
And then it’s easier. By attaching the blank to the sketch, I made one of the three main elements. (I started with the upper parts of the “legs”).
According to my idea, this part will have two short “arms” at the ends, bent at a certain angle. The upper “arms” will be dressed with their ends on the axis, and, through them, are hinged to the upper plate. The upper and lower plates will be tightened with an M14 pin, and the “shoulders”, being sandwiched between them, will ensure rigid fastening of the “legs” and the desired angle of their placement...
In short... Look at the photo of the finished product, you’ll understand everything right away))):
If the pin is loosened and the plates are spread apart, then “the legs can be folded to a position where their long parts become parallel:
That is, the mechanism for folding the main units is clear. By tightening the plates with a pin, we force the “legs” to diverge until their upper “shoulders” are firmly clamped between the plates. The structure will take on a rigid final shape.
Since it is impossible to bend the profile pipe at the desired angle, I, using a template (sketch), estimated the required length of the “arms” and the desired angle, and made cuts?
Since the upper “shoulders” will have to withstand heavy loads, I decided to strengthen them. I cut out one wall:
From 12 by 12 mm square rolled stock, I cut three sections and made transverse cuts in them with a depth of approximately half:
Then, Bent up desired angle using the "sledgehammer method"
I “measured” the angle by applying the blanks to my sketch.
After that, I hammered the resulting amplifiers into the pipe:
Then he bent the “opened” parts to them and boiled them thoroughly, paying attention to the cut at the bend.
After pre-treatment with a grinding wheel, I drilled holes for the axles:
That's it... The upper "shoulder" is ready. I made the lower one with similar amplifiers, but I had to cut off the “arms” completely, hammer in short amplifiers, and then weld them, because the design there will be slightly different:
Having found the center, I drilled holes in them for the pin:
From a piece of pipe with one wall of 20 mm, I cut out three “landing” for the upper “shoulders” (as we remember, I have them square section with a side of 15 mm, and inner size landing turned out to be 16 mm.):
And welded them to the top platform.
Here I will describe my mistake. Initially, I planned to screw in the stud from below, so I welded an M14 nut to the top plate, protecting its thread from metal splashes with wet paper:
But already at the first “trying on” it turned out that tightening the hairpin from below is very inconvenient - the “legs” get in the way. Therefore, I drilled out a thread in this nut and welded a similar nut to the bottom plate. The pin will now screw in from the top.
In the corners of the lower platform I made cutouts for the “legs”. Now, when we clamp our structure, the lower platform into which the pin is screwed will not be able to rotate.
The next thing I did was to make a comfortable collar from a hairpin. First of all, I drilled an axial hole in it, 6 mm in diameter. I will need this in order to make a “tricky” cauldron suspension mechanism that is continuously adjustable in height, which I will tell you about later...
Drilling the hole was difficult. Drilled in a vice. To do this, I screwed on three nuts and “tightened” them well. He held them in a vice so as not to spoil the carving:
I constantly lubricated the drill, drilled at low speeds, made sure the drill was parallel in all planes... And the drill was short. Then I had to aim from the other side...
But it worked!
To make the collar, I screwed two nuts onto the end of the stud and welded them:
Then I drilled two blind holes in their edges (so that they could reach the stud), hammered bolts into them and welded them:
.... And I realized that I was wrong again!!!
Since my tripod is folded in cross section will have a triangular shape, then it would be logical to make the case for it triangular! And such a crank will in any case protrude beyond the tripod...
So I cut off one bolt:
And welded two:
Such a knob can be rotated so that it does not stick out beyond the upper triangular plate, and it will be even more convenient to rotate it than a bolt with two knobs.
Next I started making the lower parts of the “legs”. As planned, they will be telescopic. A 10 by 10 square will come out of a 15 by 15 pipe.
(The profile pipe has a wall thickness of 1.5 mm. Theoretically, a 12 by 12 square rod, from which I made amplifiers, should go in there. But in practice, it can only be driven in there with a sledgehammer, since the pipe is welded and has a welding seam inside. That's why I chose a smaller section).
The telescopic extensions will be clamped to the desired position using wing bolts. Therefore, having cut out three sections of pipe of the required length, I drilled a hole with a diameter of 8 mm in them closer to the edge, and welded an M6 nut over them:
It was hard enough to do arc welding. To fix it in the desired position and to protect the thread from metal splashes, I used a bolt, which I “don’t mind”))))
I cut off the “extra” from all the pipes behind the welded nut:
I put it on the bars:
Welded and sharpened:
This design will protect the inside of the pipe from clogging with earth if we stick it into the ground without unfolding the telescopic part, and, at the same time, will serve as limiters - it will not allow the rods to go inward when folded more than necessary.... And it looks somehow “more organic”.)))))
...Initially I was thinking about how to limit the departure of these elements. And he even came up with an idea... but abandoned this idea because then the telescopic structure would not be collapsible! And if sand gets inside, it will be difficult to clean! Therefore, I decided to exclude this moment, and in order not to accidentally stick out the “legs” more than they should, I simply painted their upper part with red enamel. As soon as red appears - stop! You can't push it any further!
Now we will make the top mount. As planned, it should fold. But you can’t make it telescopic - the “knee” on the top gets in the way. And if you just fold it to the side on the axis, there won’t be enough rigidity. So I came up with this compromise solution:
The “legs” will fold on the axis, but having spread them 180 degrees, you can move them a little back so that their ends fit into the pipe of the upper part, and clamp them in this position with a wing bolt and wing nut. The result will be a rigid fastening at two points - the hinge will be “immobilized by a telescopic moment!”
I implemented it like this:
I cut three square pieces with a side of 12 mm and drilled holes with a diameter of 6 mm in them:
After that, I cut one side lengthwise with a grinder:
To “muffle” the ends, I clamped them in a vice, inserted a bolt into the slot, and simply bent the walls together with a hammer. After that, I slightly “baked” it with welding and ground it with a grinding wheel to give it the desired rounded shape. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of this process, so I’m posting a photo of the finished element.
