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How to drill drain holes in a cast iron chiminea?

DallasG

Hello, my mum bought a cast iron chiminea and it doesn't have a drain hole, either by design or forgetfulness, I would like to drill/make a hole(10-12mm) in the bottom to allow water to drain out if any gets in there. I do have access to a hand drill(corded) but after looking around I'm confused as to what to use, a drill bit, a burr bit, hole saw, etc. But I'm open to other options. Thanks in advance for any help.

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EricL

Hello @DallasG

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about drilling into your cast iron chimenea.

Before you begin, I suggest calling the supplier or manufacturer of the chimenea. I recommend asking them if you can drill through the chimenea or if they are willing to exchange the unit to one with a drain hole in it. It's best to get information about the chimenea before you drill into it as it might get damaged accidentally.

In regard to the drill bit, I suggest using one that is rated for steel. A good example is the Kango 13mm HSS Drill Bit, you'll notice the material icons on the packaging indicating what it can drill through. Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves and goggles. Please make sure that the drill bit will fit into the chuck of the drill.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

DallasG

Hi Eric, the chiminea was bought online and the store it was bought from no longer exists, there was very little information with it, and no brand I can look up to find contact info for.

The construction is bolt based so there are several(6) holes already in the base section, I think the lack of holes was maybe a mistake, as the top is fully open with no lid for the top or mention of using one in the 2 page instruction manual.

Maybe I am just over thinking it, and it really doesn't need a hole to drain, in my head I guess it makes sense to have one.

Thanks for the reply though, and suggestion, I don't think my drill can take any bit larger than 10mm, though I haven't used it in years, we have cordless drills but I don't think they offer enough power to drill the metal as they are 12v, fine for smaller jobs but not at all heavy duty.

EricL

Hello @DallasG

Would you be able to share a photo of the chimenea? This will give our members a better idea of its shape and form. I'm still a bit hesitant in the idea of drilling into your chimenea as it was technically not designed into it. But having said that the body has been drilled into so drilling a drain hole is not out of the equation. My other suggestion would be to cover the chimenea with a small tarp to prevent water from pooling inside and just taking it off when you wish to use it.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Noyade, @Remarka6le, @TedBear and @JoeAzza for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @DallasG

I also have a bit of hesitation in drilling extra holes into the chimenea, mainly because its cast and will be heated constantly.

A question tho that comes to mind is how big a hole are you after? Instead of a large hole maybe 4 of 6mm holes instead to aid drainage? Being something that is outside and gets reheated id say its likely to rust no matter what so the small tarp that @EricL has mentioned may be a lot easier to do.

Dave

Noyade

"But I'm open to other options."

I have a clay version @DallasG. I too would be hesitant on drilling holes in cast iron, especially if you're lighting fires in it. I'm assuming it's outside in the weather? I'd have a crack at making the missing lid - maybe from wood or a Bunnings cement product - then just cover it with an old raincoat. With a mounted head it may even repel potential intruders, like a scarecrow.

Note @Dave-1- it's a Port Kembla Australian Iron and steel raincoat - circa 1979. 😁

EricL

Hello @Noyade

Thank you for sharing the photo. It's great to see that the raincoat is still in service even in 2026!

Eric

Dave-1

Morning @Noyade

:) hahaha I havnt seen one of those for years! I was at the MSB over the harbor and we had something almost the same :) But the steelworks stuff was gold.

Dave

JoeAzza

Hi @DallasG

I agree with the previous comments , do not risk drilling a drain hole , it could crack the cast iron when heated, however if it has feet fitted to the base with screws, then there should be enough gap in the screw holes to allow water egress, you could also try a layer of sand inside the bottom of the chimnea to soak up rain water and place a cover over the top when not in use, try a plastic plant pot or similar (with no drain holes) for a lid.

DallasG

Thanks for all the replies, I've been crook the last week and not really been able to keep up.

This is not my picture, but this is the product in question.

Charmate-CM140-051-ModernCastIronChimenea-02__99688.1583193625.1000.1000_1024x.jpg

I was thinking only a 10-12 mm hole, in the centre, there will be lava rocks as a heat shield of sorts, I guess my only thought about the hole was trapped water creating some kind of steam issue, but I guess yes a cover would be a better solution, as you can see from the image there is a door and combined with the hole on top if it pours down the whole base would fill pretty quickly. It does have 6 holes drilled on the outer edge of the base for the legs, so I figured one more wouldn't hurt, with the lava rocks there would be no direct heat, but hey this is my first attempt at using one and really, I'm just going off what I've seen on BBQ's with those little vents on the bottoms, I guess theya re more for ash removal than water. I'm not really worried about rust, the screws have rusted already but the bulk of the cast iron is untarnished,

R4addZ

Hi @DallasG

It would be very easy to make a concrete lid for that by taping some builders plastic to the top after pushing it in a bit then simply using a firm mix, mould the concrete into the top pushing it gently in around the edges and maybe push a galvanised ring into the top to make a handle. when it's dry remove it all and paint it to match. It may be worth taping some plastic over the whole thing to save cleaning off any runs you may get.

JacobZ

Hi @DallasG,

What are the rough dimensions of your chiminea?

Maybe something like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/jumbuck-full-sized-area-heater-cover_p0403636 , which is 46cm in diameter and 123cm long, would fit?

Jacob

Dave-1

Good afternoon @DallasG

Sucky being crook :/ Especially if you want to do something (fix heater) and your body and head just go "nope"

I like @R4addZ's suggestion and when I went to look for metal lids at Bunnings I thought of a second hand metal pot lid instead. Even if its reversed or just an old larger pot over the top?

Dave

DallasG

The concrete lid might be a little bit too heavy for mum, but a good idea.

The cover I think is too small at the base to cover it completely, and mum does like the look of it more than possible water.

The pot lid sounds lit the go, might have to go to the op-shops and have a look around.

So the consensus is drilling a hole is out, but I had to ask, just get out of my head, it makes sense in my head but there are other solutions it seems and maybe I just overthink/overengineer stuff.

R4addZ

@DallasG

If you go for the pot top, or you could use something like an old Nescafe tin lid as some of those would be large enough, buy some light chain and solder it to the underside of the lid. You can then fix a weight (like a large nut) to the end of the chain. this would hang down the chimney and prevent the lid from being blown off.