Sturdee's BBQ Improvements

Quite some time ago I posted details of my BBQ area make over.

Since then I covered the roof with shade cloth and installed overhead fans for cooling. This has made it a very comfortable area for relaxing and having a quiet drink.

However as a lot of my more urgent jobs are now finished :D I decided to finish the area by making a few more improvements to make it even better.

We wanted to improve the storage to make it easier to get at the chair cushions, keep the bbq crockery & cutlery close at hand and have a sink nearby. Also the actual built in bbq could be improved by incorporating an extra side burner and a small deepfryer.

As I have finished the sink unit and am well advanced in building the storage & serving bench a few photos may be interesting.


Peter.

The outdoor sink unit is made mainly from the framing and flooring packs obtained at the time direct from the mill and melamine cover sheets obtained through a kitchen cabinet maker. The sink unit was obtained through skipdiving from an office renovations.

The unit features a storage space for the old bar fridge (which still needs the door respraid) and HW is provided through an urn with the waste being recycled into a garden bed.

Here are some pics of before being an overview of the bbq area and a close up of the corner of the new sink unit.


Peter.

And here are some pics of the sink unit showing various views with the last looking from the outside.


THe crockery & cutlery storage bench is being built on the opposite side and I'll post details when that part is finished.


Peter.

That makes quite a dramatic change Peter :2tsup:.

It gives the area a sense of permanence and makes it more of an entertainment area.

Very nice Peter.

I have heard through th grapevine that owner occupiers are going to need certified painters in the future to maintain their property.

OK peter only joking.:wink:

On the other side of the bbq area opposite the new sink unit I have built a storage and serving bench.

Previously there was a red gum seat sitting in and on the edge of the garden bed. I removed the top and cut of the uprights to which I bolted some treated pine cross pieces. These provided the base for the cupboard so that it stayed of the garden bed.

The cupboard is again made of timber from the old framing and flooring packs and the inside lined with melamine. Again the outside is painted white to fit in with the area and the timber top had four coats of lacquer.

There are four drawers on the left hand side for cutlery and serving utensils (made of melamine with a timber front) and shelving on the right. The two picnic baskets will contain plates, cups, mugs and glasses.

Here are the photos of the new bench:


Photo 1 is the original view of the area.

Photo 2 is the new serving bench from inside the bbq area.

Photo 3 is the view from the front entry to the bbq showing the back of the cupboard through the greenery.

Photo 4 is the side view.

Photo 5 shows the cutlery drawers.

Photo 6 shows the shelving.

Peter.

Excellent work Peter, Looks terrific.:2tsup::2tsup:

Thanks.

Next will be a storage area under the house but open from the bbq area to store seat cushions.


Peter.

I’ve been asked to show more progress details on the bbq improvements I’m making so here is a progress report on the seat cushion storage cupboard I’ve started to make in the BBQ area. It is a storage cupboard built in under the house but with easy access from the outside. See photo 1.

Behind the wall area chosen there was a general storage platform which I had built back in the dark ages so this came in handy.

Firstly I had to clear the stuff from there and re level this platform. I then cut an opening in the wall and removed the masonite backing the wall. See photo 2.

I then built a small frame which sits on the old storage platform and nailed on the floor being t&g flooring. See photo 4. Photo 5 shows the flooring from the inside and photo 6 shows the frame as well.

The masonite removed from the wall when I cut the opening I used to enclose the top of the cupboard. See photo 7. Although it looks a bit crappy once painted it will be quite okay. Photo 8 shows it nailed top the underside of the floor bearers.

Next I built the frames for the sides and back see photo 8.

I planned to make the side and back wall from t&g flooring as well, but this morning I saw a load of yellow tongue flooring of cuts being thrown out in the hard rubbish collection. So rather than letting this go to waste I collected same and used it to make the sides and back walls and cut the opening to final width. See photo 9.

Next stage is the puttying and painting the insides before making the final frame and doors.


Peter.

So when is the party Peter?:rolleyes:

Quite a bit more to do Rob before rechristening, I'm also planning to extend the actual bbq working areas on either side of the bbq, which means moving the two centre supporting posts that hold up the whole roof.


Peter.

It will have to be tested sometime soon. :2tsup:

And this is what it looks like after its first coat of paint (photo1) and the second photo shows a close up of that crappy looking masonite that I recycled.


Peter.

And the cushion storage cupboard is finished. The doors are made (simple frame construction but joined with double dowels on each corner and covered with ply) and hung and painted.

An easy accessable cushion storage and worth the effort of making.

Peter.

The BBQ unit is built into a stand which has a 600mm * 600mm side shelf on either side neatly between the two centre posts that hold up the BBQ area roof.

Whilst it has proved adequate, I would like to have more room for a prep area, the occasional use of a deep fryer and a side burner making it a more useful outside kitchen.

In addition some extra storage area for cooking utensils etc would also be handy and the whole base is to be covered to fit in with the rest of the area.

The bench extensions to the unit are relative easy to make and need only to be bolted to the existing sides, but I will need to erect new supporting posts before removing the existing ones and thus make the room for them. The new posts will also provide support for the outside edge of the bench extensions.


Photo 1 is the existing BBQ.


Photo 2 is the left side bench extension prior to painting and photo 3 after the first coat of undercoat. Photo 4 & 5 show the right side extension.

The extensions are made of old recycled timber, hence some are of a different thickness, and the base is of recycled yellow tongue flooring.

The enclosed space of the LHS one will have the space for a drop in cutting board or deep fryer and the same space on the RHS one will be for the side burner hence the opening in the bottom for access to connect the gas line.

Nex step is to laminate some posts together and install them.


Peter.

Making the new posts was quite easy by ripping them from my stash of hardwood and then laminating them together. As they were too long to rip in the workshop on the TS I resurrected my old Triton MK3 and did them outside. I am glad that I kept the Triton for otherwise it would have been a difficult job.

To ensure that the new posts would go exactly the right distance from the edge of the BBQ I clamped some timber as spacers and support to the existing posts to hold the new posts while fixing them. Photos 1 and 2 show the details.


Then using an offcut from making the posts I marked out the top location and bottom as per photo no 3.


Photo 4 shows a post cut to size and the post stirrup affixed ready to put in place.


Photos 8 and 9 show the posts bolted to the top beam, clamped to the timber supports and ready for concreting into the base pads.


They are now concreted in and when the concrete has cured I can remove the old posts and start the fun part of finishing the projects.


Peter.

The new posts are now ready so I have removed the old posts as per photo 1 & 2 and bolted in the previously prepared extension boxes as per photo 3 & 4.

Next the doors, tops and enclosing the bottom parts.


Peter.