My new toy - an incinerator - advice needed

[MrsKP]

I've decided I want an incinerator (I have my best thinking moments at silly o'clock browsing for the allotment).

There is a grate in the allotment shed that I could use, but I'm scared of turning the whole shebang into a pile of ash (where would I keep my stuff?).

Now bearing in mind I'm not very handy, I don't have access to an oil drum (and wouldn't know what to do with it if I had one), I'm calling on my friendly gurus (you lot  ;D) for advice.

Do I want one with holes in the side or bottom ?  I guess a lid with a chimney is pretty essential.  Is galvanised the norm ?

Does anyone have any recommendations or things to avoid ?

Grateful as always.

;D

[MrsKP]

[SnooziSuzi]

I use one of the shop bought jobbies that has holes in the sides AND bottom, and a lid with a chimney flue on it and it works fine.

Wilko's have one in for £14.99  http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/7070040

I'm not the handy type either, and as we all use plastic wheelie bins now as opposed to the old metal types it's not as if you are likely to get an old dustbin that you could drill into.  Shame.

[Froglegs]

Bottom fell out, the lid looks like it will follow,only got it this time last year,go for one a bit better than the one Wilko's got on offer.

[MrsKP]

Sadly no Wilcos up here Suzi, but at least I know to go above £14.99 now !   ;D

:o @ froglegs.  presumably they don't come with year long guarantees !   ;D

Thanks for the tips folks.  I actually got brave with the grate in the shed today and didn't manage to burn anything down.  Didn't actually manage to burn much apart from a whole newspaper if the truth be known.  I've kept the weeds in the fireplace now to dry out a bit and will have another bash tomorrow.

8)

[Belinda]

I have one similar to this -

http://www.gonegardening.com/xq/ASP/dept_id.4050/pf_id.1100029/referer.9C914K6XVCE79HEKA7KMBC9Q3EV32G08/qx/gg_shop/product.htm

- although it definitely did not cost me any more than £10. What I like about it is that you can take the bottom out and fold it flat for storage in the shed, thus reducing exposure to the elements and the likelihood of rust.

[calendula]

Grateful as always.

;D

A full grate   ;D  can be made out of bricks or breeze blocks with a small chimney made out of almost anything tubular - should last forever, breeze blocks come with ready made holes in them as well if holes make for a better fire  :)

[mc55]

Mrs KP don't do it. I used to have fires on 'open ground' and decided I needed an incinerator.  Got one with holes in bottom and fancy lid with chimney.  It is rubbish  >:( >:( I find it almost impossible to get anything to light and it needs almost constant attention when it is finally going.

My advice, stick to your grate.

[caroline7758]

Ebay have got lots like Belinda's- I thought stuff would fall out of the holes, but I might try one.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GARDEN-INCINERATOR-NEW-R-R-P-24-99_W0QQitemZ140161146024QQihZ004QQcategoryZ75665QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[tin can]

B&Q sell them ...but they are about £40 if I recall.

[MrsKP]

ooh mixed bag of goodies here !

having successfully not burnt down the shed on a couple of occasions now, I might just drag all the infected stuff inside to dry off and get some bbq brickettes to start off the party !

I love A4A, it saves me money !   ;D

Cheers people.

[bluebedouin]

 If you want one similar to this. 


You can get one for free almost anywhere!

[Larkshall]

I have always considered it to be a waste to have anything galvanised when you are going to have fire in it. The fire destroys the galvanised coating, paint would be as effective. The cheapest and most effective way would be to buy four pieces of 50mm x 50mm welded steel mesh say about  2 or 3 feet square, wire them together in a square (if you leave the wire loose it will fold flat). You really don't need bottom bars or a chimney. If you want to feed air in underneath, place rows of bricks with a gap between them, in a square large enough to stand the cage on.

[MrsKP]

love it doubedouin.  Recycling at it's best !

I'm really glad I asked the question, it's definitely given me food for thought.

;D

[Heldi]

You not mates with someone at a garage Kaypers? You'd get an oil drum for nowt. I've got one and I have had some tasty fires init.Ray Mears would be proud of me lol. I really like to imagine I'm a hood on the streets of LA ..lmao! Down and out morelike  ;D

The guy at the garage even dropped it off for me on his way home...chucked it over the fence...saved him having it hanging around for when the oil drum picker upperer comes I s'pose lol.

[SnooziSuzi]

I have vague recollections of my mother burning rubbish in the back garden in our metal bin when there was a refuse collection workers strike in Germany...  ::)

[carolinej]

I remember setting fire to our rubbish in the metal bin. This was accidental though. I would empty the ashes fron the Parkray fire into the bin and sometimes it would set everything in there on fire. It was OK as long as I left the lid on, just had a very hot bin. WOuld probably have taken my eyebrows off if I had taken the lid off.

Incidentally, I did lose most of my eyebrows once, but that's a different story ::)

cj :)

[woppa30]

I know they look good and all but please avoid galvanized incinerators. Its a zinc coating which, as already stated, burns off and these zinc compounds are toxic. Trust me, I'm a  chemist...

[MrsKP]

I remember reading that somewhere woppa which is one of the reasons I asked.

Failing finding a trolley parked in the middle of the plot, I'm going down the grate route atm.  Just got to learn how to start a fire now ...... where's a local ned when you need one?

;D

[timf]

Failing finding a trolley parked in the middle of the plot.

buy one they only cost a pound from morrisons  ;D

[MrsKP]

ASDA give them away free !  Are incinerators the new black buckets ?

8)