Patio heater from Washing machine drum

Some time ago, somebody on this very forum told us all how they'd made a patio heater out of an old washing machine drum.

I can't remember who it was now, but I'd like to thank that person.

Our washing machine recently ceased to be, so we had to get a new one. However remembering what I'd seen on here, in a thread that I can not find, I removed the drum and the wheel thing that the drive belt went onto, and made my own patio heater. In fact earlier today I prepared some chunks of wood to go in it, and as soon as missus's telly program finishes, we're going to pop out and try it.

 

Nice one Dave

Makes you wonder, with a stainless steel drum & all the steel plate around the rest of it which has a scrap value, why they charge you to get rid of one down the dump?

 

Remember though, blokes are firewatchers, so no Rabbit from the Mrs.

 

Really? I was going to take the remains to the tip tomorrow. Might just put it on the drive overnight instead. We have several rag and bone men in our neighbourhood who'll take it, but my reluctance is that some of them are more courteous than others. When I put an old cooker out once, the cheeky so and so's that got there first left various detachable bits scattered all over the street.

 

http://www.letsrecycle.com/prices/metals

 

I HATE those scrap metal guys!!! You can hear em for MILES!!! Gawd you can't get any peace and quiet anymore.
I remember that post as well, clueless! Beats podding out stoopid money on a chimnea!!! Have to show us a pic!!

 

I'm notorious for promising to take pics, and then forgetting, but I'll try to remember to do a pic tomorrow, if I haven't set myself on fire before then that is.

 

The "wheel thing" that the drive belt goes round is called a pulley.
(That will be connected to the drum support (aka spider) that is bolted onto the back of the stainless steel inner drum)

"They" charge to take it simply because they can.
Round here you just put what ever you don't want outside with a note saying "free" and its often gone in a couple of hours.
Best one was we were putting our old 3 piece suite outside, only got one chair out, and a bloke stopped to ask could he have it, he was well happy when we said he could have the lot.

 

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=1TqBSI8ZBzQ&v=1TqBSI8ZBzQ&gl=GB

 

With that new terminology I've just learned, I can say that I had to remove the pulley in order to extract the drum, as there was a massive plastic casing thingy between pulley and drum. Having removed plastic casing thingy, I then reattached the pulley to the spider, and the pulley serves as a stand to hold the drum a few inches above the floor, which should let air flow into the bottom of the incinerator chamber (I made that term up, I think) more easily and also keep the bulk of the heat from causing problems for the patch of floor it stands on.

 

For what its worth, the "massive plastic casing thingy between pulley and drum" is called the outer drum.
(You may have had to remove a nut that held the pulley in place)

When you out the pulley back on you put it on the wrong way round to act as a foot, because the pulley is very slightly angled outwards. (as opposed to being flat)

The outer drum (if you still have it) makes a great planter. (Well it does if you surround it with log roll)

 

There are clues here. Was it you that I nicked the idea from?

 

It worked, very well indeed. Right now, having had a few litres of water poured poured over it for safety reasons (its now unattended) it had a 2x2' paving slab over it.

There are two potential improvements.

1. There was great air flow resulting in an even burn, but much of the energy escaped away from us. I might line 1/3 of the circumference with steel sheet from the outer casing, in order to focus the radiated heat towards the patio.

2. Most (probably 90%) of the heat went straight up. I need to look into making a 45 degree reflector thingy above it.

Or better still, I need to add a grill thingy so I can cook some snacks on it as it warms us.

 

It was me Nice one Clueless, I just hope that your washing was easier to take apart than the one that I used.