LumberJocks

Fire Pit cover

Project by spaids posted 433 days ago 781 views 3 times favorited 9 comments Add to Favorites Watch

My father-in-law asked for a cover for his fire pit. He didn’t want much just anything to throw over it. You can see that he has a very nice patio and I couldn’t just give him a piece of ply to lay on it. I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to try to learn how to make a large panel/table top. Well like I said he didn’t want anything nice so I got the cheapest pine 2×4’s that “looked” straight from the big box store. Oh my were they wet! These boards twisted and turned so much. I planed them and the next day its like I did nothing. A biscuit jointer would have been a great tool for aligning these but I don’t have one. I ripped dados down one side of the boards and put tongues on the other side all with my table saw. This turned out to be more trouble that it was worth. I just couldn’t ever seem to get these boards squared up and as such the groves and tongues didn’t like meeting. After I glued it up I had at it with a belt sander on the joints. It feels smooth to the touch but it is NOT flat. I put some minwax stain on it (forgot the color) and a few coats of minway clear shield. I was very sick of this by the time it was finished. I have to say that after it got some color it looked a lot better and all the mistakes made it look more like a distressed piece. Oh well, all he wanted was a piece of wood so he and my mother-in-law were both very happy to have something that was a bit more usable. Now to convince my mother-in-law that you don’t need a coaster to set your drink on it.

-- Wipe the blood stains from your blade before coming in.


9 comments so far

View lew's profile

lew

4515 posts in 655 days


posted 433 days ago

Nice Job!

I’ll bet even the cheapest pine wasn’t all that cheap- and as you pointed out- they were still crappy!

Lew

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

3495 posts in 977 days


posted 433 days ago

wow this looks great…this really changes the look and will be attractive to the eye…now it makes the pit much more usable because people can sit on it ( i am guesssing its sturdy enough)...the uneveness may be an advantage…because rain water will run off—-hopefull to the outside…

Also…asuming you cant put this on right after a fire?

Looks greeat!!!!!!!!!

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

View Richforever's profile

Richforever

341 posts in 620 days


posted 433 days ago

Nice rich color that goes well with the patio. Wonderful job!

-- Rich, Seattle, WA

View roman's profile

roman

1125 posts in 793 days


posted 433 days ago

a wooden cover for a fire pit?

am I the only one awake tonight?

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

7368 posts in 1146 days


posted 432 days ago

Great comeback, you’re learning the first steps of a good carpenter, take something crappy and make it look good. That looks mighty good to me.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

View dsb1829's profile

dsb1829

368 posts in 527 days


posted 432 days ago

The end result is very nice, but I feel your pain on the big box lumber. I usually stock pile pine 2×4 and 2×6 boards in the shop just so I know that they have had a couple of months to air dry. Never know what you will get if you just start working with them from the store.

-- Doug, woodworking in Alabama

View janice's profile

janice

301 posts in 325 days


posted 286 days ago

Hey O’Fallon. Nice to meet you. Love the firepit cover. Hard to believe that was just 2×4’s. Very pretty. I like your work.

-- Janice

View irishcolleen's profile

irishcolleen

40 posts in 381 days


posted 285 days ago

You made those 2X4’s look great! I really like the color…..I have a lot of trouble staining pine, so you have my thumbs up!

View spaids's profile

spaids

461 posts in 593 days


posted 285 days ago

Thanks for all the comments (and concerns…roman). I’m surprised at the two lumberjocks who have commented in the last day when the project was posted 5 months ago. Did I make it to the “roll the dice” spot on the front page?

If anyone is curious this cover has not yet been burned. I bet my father-in-law that it wouldn’t make it a year before it got burned up and I think he is being extra careful with it to spite me. :)

-- Wipe the blood stains from your blade before coming in.

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