Like many things, this was based on something I saw on Pinterest.
I couldn't convince myself to spend the $1,000 they were asking for on the online shop. I'm guessing a lot goes into shipping costs, but I also didn't want to deal with 1/4". To me, that thick of metal makes the fire pit unwieldy and defeats the purpose of making it collapsible. I decided to go with 10 ga.
I kept to the original design for the most part because I hoped the original designer knows more about fire pits than I do. My only notable changes are adding handle slots (1.5" for ergonomics) so I can easily move the pit while assembled, and of course the thinner gauge of steel. I consider this rev 1 so I can see how it performs after a month or two of use.
I stayed late one day and paid my boss for material and cut time on our new Mitsubishi fiber laser. The normal laser operator also stayed behind to keep an eye on me as I loaded and ran the job. Always good to have a second set of eyes.
