DIY Dutch Oven Cooking table

The true meaning of one mans junk, is another mans treasure.  

Article and photos submitted by: John Sieck

Image courtesy of John Sieck

I like to take someone's "junk" and turn it into something useful.  I like to think of it as "re-purposing" items other people consider junk and would otherwise throw away.  That is how I got into restoring cast iron cookware, and from that got into Dutch Oven cooking.

Image courtesy of John Sieck

 I had looked at some of the commercially produced Dutch Oven cooking tables and was not very impressed with the quality or durability for the price.  I had recently bought an old gas grill for the propane tank.  Something you might find at a Garage Sale or on Craig’s list.  Rather than discard the grill itself, I thought maybe something could be made out of it.  After dismantling the grill down to the frame, idea’s started to form.

Measurements were taken.  A mockup of the top metal table top and sides were first made from cardboard I had laying around. With this, I could see how it would all fit together.  In this stage it was decided that the sides could be taller.  The sides were raised to 9" inches.

Image courtesy of John Sieck

A friend of mine had access to sheet metal tools.  From a simple sketch and my cardboard patterns, he made the top from scrap 16 gauge mild steel from a local HVAC shop.  

Image courtesy of John Sieck

Side boards were salvaged from a cabinet maker that had incorrectly cut some drawer sides.  The wood ended up being another salvaged source of otherwise scrap material. The boards were trimmed down to fit, and also replaced the original gas burner that had been removed.  These boards were attached with ¼ “Carriage Bolts.  This gave the unit a more finished look and provided additional work surfaces.

The fabricated metal cooking surface fits the frame as planned, It fits 2-12" camp ovens with room to spare. The only expense I have it this is the scrap price for the steel top, and 12-1/4" carriage bolts and hardware for about $30 total.

 

Image courtesy of John Sieck