Grilled Vegetables
How to Build Your Own Grill
Rather than buying a grill, what about making your own? The great thing about making your own grill is that you can make it the exact shape, size and height you want it and you can add whichever accessories you are going to use. You can also save money by building your own grill, depending on the materials you use. If you know how to make cement and mortar and you can lay bricks in a straight line, you can make a brick grill. Alternatively, you can make a grill out of a 55 gallon drum or even sheets of metal.
The type of grill you go for depends how many people you plan to cook for at once, how much space you have available, what your budget is and how good you are at making things out of metal or building with brick.
How to Build a Grill Out of a 55 Gallon Drum
Before you begin, there are a few important things to know. You should use a drum from a food industry, such as a vegetable oil drum. Do not use a drum that held a toxic substance like gasoline or anything flammable. If you have not done much welding, it is a good idea to work alongside someone who has or get somebody else to make your grill for you. Welding is not for the inexperienced!
You need to quarter the grill, cutting down lengthwise. One of the quarters will be the lid. You will need a grinder to break the seams at the ends of the barrel. Next, you need to cut some angle iron and weld it to the barrel to serve as a support for the grill. This also reinforces the barrel.
You can use thick mesh for the grill and weld metal rod around the edges so you do not have any sharp bits. You can use half-inch box tube to make rings, which fit around the barrel and then steel to make the legs. A set of hinges is attached to the lid. You will need to cut vent holes into the lid. Before using your barbecue grill, you should season the grill with lard and a wire brush. Let the lard melt in the flames to season the grill and it is ready to use.
For more grill building ideas and instructions see our other articles in this series.
Part 2
How to Make a Charcoal Grill - Plans for Building a Charcoal Grill
Part 3
