How to build a stone barbecue

When Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, Zeus had him chained to a rock – not to some black metal box with tiny wheels and a propane tank. It was and remains a matter of fitting elements to the occasion. At the banal end is your quick family burger. Go ahead and black box it; Olympus won’t deign to notice. But when a cottage crowd gathers for the weekend worship of fire, water, and serious food, it’s time to barbecue on something more worthy, like stone—a solid altar for all the marinades, glasses, and elbows that gather around a flame.

Here are tips and ideas for building a stone barbecue at your cottage. To see complete plans for the Cottage Life stone barbecue, see the June 2001 issue.

Project toolbox

• wheelbarrow for hauling and mixing
• hoe for mixing
• crowbar for prying up stone
• sledgehammer
• small hammer
• trowels: large triangular and narrow pointing
• level
• wire brush to clean the rocks
• yardstick
• chisels: one wide and one narrow
• circular saw with masonry blade
• steel-toed boots, safety glasses, gloves

Materials

• mortar mix
• concrete mix
• heavy-duty mending plates
• high-temp stove paint
• firebricks
• high-temp refractory cement
• grills
• concrete slabs
• concrete caps
• downspout splash blocks
• scrap of pipe