A lot of times, I see something really cool, that I want to buy. Then, if you're like me, you say, "I think I can make that myself, and for less money." Well, when I saw a firebowl, and a ventless tabletop fireplace, quite a while back, I started thinking of ways to make one myself, but, for use, not only indoors, on a tabletop, like a nice dining room table, but could also produce a higher, more impressive flame, for outdoor use. So, the flame height on this, has 2 settings. One for indoor, one for outdoor. It's simply a matter of...well, you'll see.
Most of these ventless tabletop fireplaces, start at about $40.00, and after that, the sky's the limit. Do you have about $25.00, some patience, and a 2 liter empty soda bottle? The minimal tools required? Yes? Then let's do this! (By the way, you can use absolutely anything thin and plastic, or even a nice dollar store glass bowl for this as well. Use you're imagination. :) You just have to make sure, it has a minimal 4 inch diameter radius for clearance, and a minimum, of 3 1/2 inches of depth.)
For this project, the minimal tools are;
- A handsaw. Any type.
- A hobby knife, or single edged razor blade.
- Vegetable oil.
- Tape. Masking, Scotch type, Duct Tape, anything you may have around.
- A Dollar Store plastic mixing bowl.
- A medium sized spoon that you don't care about.
- An empty glass bottle 750ml.
- A hammer.
- Paper towels.
The parts you will need to buy, are as follows;
- Dollar Store plastic mixing bowl
- Mortar or Concrete mix.
- Portable Double Wall Stainless Steel Coffee Cup 220ml.
- Ceramic Wool (The cheapest I've found it, was $9.49 shipped, for a 12x12x1 inch section. It kind of sucks, because you need so little of it. Just a 3.25" round piece is used. Maybe you can find it at Home Depot or Lowe's for cheaper.)
- 2pc 2-3/4" 7cm Dia Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink Strainer Bath Basin Mesh Drainer. (It's only offered in 2 pieces, and you only use one. But, it's not bad to have a spare. $5.29 shipped. I ordered about 4 different kinds, until I found this one, which fits perfect!) So now you have you're firecup needed for this project, for $9.18, instead of 30-$50.00.
- A old metal pot lid, or kettle lid. I'm sure you have several you never use. This will be used, as a Fire Cap. I will explain later.
- Fuel (The $25.00 needed for the project DOES NOT include the fuel. Of course you will need it. This can be a bit pricey, but I've found the best deal is at Amazon. They sell 3 1QT. bottles, for $30.00, or the better deal is 12 1QT. bottles, for $60.00) Regal Flame Premium Fireplace Fuel is what you'll be using. A picture, of the exact one I use, is way below.
- Extended Lighter. (Most likely, you already have one of these. If not, they are very cheap, and you can find them anywhere.)
The above picture is a really nice looking Stainless Steel Fire cup, ready to go, you can buy, for $30.00 shipped.
This more fancy shmancy one, can be had, for $50.00, above.
Or, this one, that I figured, would work for this project, can be had for a mere $3.89 shipped. Look up Portable Double Wall Stainless Steel Coffee Cup 220ml. Make sure, when you're looking for this, you're getting one from China. People are trying to sell these in the states, anywhere from $8-$14.00. This, is the patience part I spoke of earlier. Don't want to wait a few weeks? Buy the same one for double or triple the money, if you MUST, have, it, sooner! lol.
I am lucky enough to have a Dremel tool handy, to take off the handle. I used a simple cutting wheel. This, is where you would use you're saw of any kind.
The handle, cut off.
Now, grab you're hobby knife, or single edged razor blade, or what you have that is sharp. The cut does not have to be perfect, or flush in any way. Just make sure the cut is above, where you will be pouring in your cement or mortar mix, around the cup. For lame reference, I used an empty, 2 Liter bottle of Squirt soda, for this project.
This, is where you break out the vegetable oil. (Doesn't have to be Wesson) lol. Pour in, an amount, that covers the bottom, and maybe a millimeter or 2 above the bottom covering.
Pull off a few paper towels, for not only soaking up, but, also covering the entire interior, of the the plastic bottle. REMEMBER, this is just a plastic bottle. Use whatever you want, when making this mini Firebowl. The idea here, is just to keep it small enough, for indoor, as well as outdoor use. My suggestion earlier, of using a Dollar Store glass bowl, will only be used, once. But same principle, using the vegetable oil. Heck, you may not even have to break the glass to get your cement/mortar mould out. Never know. Anyway...
!
012.JPGYou can never go wrong with a Dollar Store plastic mixing bowl. I've used it countless times, even has a rubber bottom circle piece, to stay gripped to whatever type of surface you're mixing on.
Okay, go get you're concrete or mortar mix.
This is not a big dilemma. Having more mortar or concrete dry mix, is better than having less. Use you're best judgement, before adding the water.
Sorry the picture is a bit dark. But I believe you can see the consistency, you need. It should look like stirring cold ice cream in a bowl, until is has an almost smooth, yet able to pour it look.
Take you're Fire Cup, and this is where you bring out the tape you may have on hand. Lay it out, as I did, then trim it with your hobby knife, or single edged razor blade. Scissors can also be used.
Now, pour in a decent amount, and push your Fire Cup in, to see how it will sit, and rise. You will want to do this, again and again, as you add more into the mould. Paper towels should be on hand for this process as well, as it will make a little mess.
Once you have you're fitment right, for you're Fire Cup in the mould. Pull it out one last time.
Now use a hammer, or, as I have here, a light weight rubber sledge. I ONLY, use the handle of the light sledge for this. Bump out, all of the air bubbles. Start from the bottom up. if you use a transparent type of plastic mould, you can see, where the bubbles need to be bumped out, and watch the concrete/mortar fill in. Go around the mould several times, until all bubbles are gone. This includes towards the top. You need to tap towards the top too, as the air bubbles, will release. This makes sure you have the smoothest finish, when pulling/cutting from the mould.
Now, take a 750ml bottle, and set it like so. It keeps the Fire Cup, set in place. Leave it there for a day. Pull it off, and let it dry, for one more day.
Now, what to do with the excess mortar/concrete mix. 2 choices. 1. If you think you'll never use it again, simply leave it the way it is, as the mix will dry, and throw it in the garbage. 2. Spoon out the excess, in the garbage. Then fill the bowl about 1/4 of the way up with water. Use you're hand, rubbing the mix off the sides, and into the water in the bowl, until all sides are clean. Then, pour the water, with what little mix is left, into the garbage. Now, wipe the bowl dry with paper towels, and you can use it, over and over.
Here, is you're raw indoor/outdoor mini firebowl. I just used a single edged razor blade, made a few cuts, and peeled the plastic mould away from mortar/concrete form. You can see it's still a little damp. Now in the open air, it will dry very quick.
Fully Dried. If you see any imperfections, you can use use some 80 grit sandpaper to shape it. You can see that mine has some small holes in it. This comes from not getting out all off the air bubbles. You can make a small mix again, and fill the little holes in, and sand them flat when dry. Or, you can just leave it the way it is.
Here is your cut out piece of Ceramic Wool. Take it, and push it down into the bottom of your Firecup.
Now just place the mesh drain cap on.
This is clean burning fuel, made esepcially, for indoor/outdoor use. No harmful chemicals, and is totally odorless. It is made out of vegetables. Make sure you get the ones, with the RED CAP. Regal Flame makes several types, but this one, is the best. I've read several reviews, and found that some of the others have an odor, and this is the one to get.
Pull off the mesh screen. Pour in the fuel, about 8/10ths of the way up. Do not place the mesh screen back on the Firecup yet.
Using you're extended lighter, light the fuel. Let it burn wide open for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, cap the fire by placing the metal kettle lid, or pot lid, I told you in the beginning about. You only need to place this over the Firecup for a second or 2. The fire will go right out. Pull the firecap off right after the flame goes out, and set it aside. The rim of the cup will be very hot. Place the mesh screen over the Firecup. The best way to do it I've found, is to hold the mesh screen about 1 inch directly above the rim, and drop it into place. That way you don't burn you're fingers on the rim of the cup. Now, re-light the fuel, by simply placing the extended lighter over the mesh screen. It will fire right back up.
The reason for the 4 minutes of letting it burn wide open, is, I've found, that if you place the mesh screen over the rim, after filling with fuel, and lighting it that way, it has a hard time staying lit, due to being "Cold". So instead of wasting several minutes, and countless clicks of the lighter, the 4 minutes wide open, saves a lot of time.
By the way, you've just seen the 1 of the 2 settings, of the Firecup. When outdoors, let it burn wide open if you wish, as the flame rises way higher. When you cap it, and place the mesh screen over, and re-light it, you'll see the 2nd setting, which is much lower, but still very cool looking.
I've found, that when filled 8/10ths of the way up with fuel, lighting it, and leaving it wide open, the flame will last about 1 1/2 hours. filled up the same amount, and lighting it with the with the mesh screen, it will last, about 4 and 1/2 hours. 
These are some still pictures I took, of some of the flames you will be getting, when left wide open.
These are some examples, with the steel mesh screen on. As you can see, it's a much lower flame, but still very cool.
You don't have to let the fuel burn itself out, after each time you want to use it of course. Just use your firecap, place it over for the 1 or 2 seconds, and extinguish it. Again, pull off the cap, right after the fire is out. If you leave the cap on, it gets real hot, real quick, and you won't be able to get that cap off, for about an hour, when it will be cool enough to take off.
This is a very fun, and easy project. If you have any questions, or I may have left something out, please don't hesitate to ask.
