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Project 02BBQ

Hibachi-Style Table Grill

A heavy duty charcoal grill, built for genuinely high heat. The body is 6mm steel with airflow holes down the sides, standing on adjustable legs with slim tips so almost none of that heat reaches the counter underneath.

The grate is 8mm stainless steel rods, chosen for how well they hold heat and sear evenly. Inside, a stainless charcoal basket sits above the airflow holes, keeping the coals spaced correctly under the grate. It sits on a solid walnut base for safe handling.

Enquire about this piece↗ Made to order · 5 to 6 weeks · Greece only
Hibachi-Style Table Grill, finished
Materials
6mm steel body8mm stainless rods, walnut base
Dimensions
610 × 220 × 210 mmWithout handles
Time spent
About a week
Finish
Body in heat-resistant clear varnishRods heated & seasoned with oil

The Process

A steel plate leaning outdoors, the raw material for the build
01 · The scrap metal sheet, collected for free from a friend's small business.
A steel plate with the first cuts marked and started
02 · Initial cuts of the metal sheet.
A hand operated hydraulic press bending a steel rod into a handle
03 · Hand operated hydraulic press, bending the handles.
04 · Welding.
An angle grinder throwing sparks while smoothing a welded seam
05 · Smoothing out the welded joints.
Close-up of a sanded steel edge showing blue and purple heat colours
06 · Detail, after sanding.
A hand resting on the perforated charcoal basket for scale
07 · Almost there, hand for size comparison.
Wooden spacer strips holding the grate rods evenly spaced in their frame before welding
08 · The spacers for making the grates.
The firebox test-fitted on the walnut slab before the legs and grate
09 · Animation with all the parts.
Close-up of the airflow holes, handle and foot on the mounted firebox
10 · Airflow detail.
Close-up of the adjustable foot bracket bolted to a leg
11 · Adjustable feet detail.
The first fire, flames rising from the empty firebox outdoors
12 · First fire.
Close-up of the seasoned grates and the weld joining a handle
13 · Seasoned grates, and detail to the welding.
Looking up through the airflow holes and grate from inside the assembled firebox
14 · Inside the grill, looking up through the grates.
The finished grill seen from directly above, on grass scattered with leaves
15 · Finished, from above.

Tips &
Tricks

What I would tell someone building the same box tomorrow. Steel is less forgiving than wood and it remembers everything.

  1. 01

    Prototype in cardboard first

    Cut a prototype from an old box before touching any steel. It gives you a clear read on the real dimensions, and whether the shape actually suits your needs and fits your countertop.

  2. 02

    Fold the end panels, do not weld them up from plates

    To get the five-sided end panel out of the octagon, do not cut the steel all the way through. Cut about two thirds of the way, then bend it. Weld carefully along the whole cut afterward.

  3. 03

    Space the grill rods with wood spacers, and get help

    Spacing the rods evenly is genuinely difficult. Cut spacers from wood, with the thickness worked out from the grill area you want. Do it with two people and take your time, it is one of the most important parts of the build.

  4. 04

    Drill the airflow holes before the end panel is attached

    Do not make the mistake I did. Drill the airflow holes while the five-sided end panel is still off the main body, not after. Use a bench drill, step up through multiple bit sizes from small to the final size, and always drill with oil.

  5. 05

    Steel and stainless: slow speed, steady pressure

    For drilling both steel and stainless steel, use a slow speed with firm, steady feed pressure.

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