2012 - Volume #36, Issue #2, Page #08
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Hand-Crafted Fire Pit Business
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“We only use American-made steel – and recycled steel whenever possible,” explains artist Melissa Crisp, who designs and does much of the freehand plasma cutting. The heavy steel often comes from discarded metal storage tanks.
Crisp says the first pits they made were for the family’s own use a couple of years ago.
When they started attracting interest, she came up with more designs. Her father, Tom Appel, searches for the steel, welds, and helps with plasma cutting. Her mother, Marlene, takes photos and runs the office and website. And Jason, Crisp’s husband, who owns a welding business, also cuts and welds.
The fire pits are 30 and 36 in. in dia. and treated on the outside to develop a hard rust coat, which lasts longer than paint.
What sets Appel Fire Pits apart is that they are heavy duty (3/16-in. and 1/4-in. thick steel) and designed to last for decades, Crisp says. Plus, they come in a variety of beautiful designs and can be customized.
“I would have never guessed that I would love steel,” says Crisp, who has always been an artist. With the plasma cutter she cuts graceful curves for “Sand Dune” and “Ocean Fire” dolphins; jagged edges for “Forest Fire;” and patriotic eagles, stars and Liberty Bells for “Freedom Fire.”
She recently added four new designs to the family’s growing line of pits that start at $660 (including shipping in the continental U.S.) and top out at $1,140 for special orders. All fire pits have a lifetime warranty and a numbered brass plate.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The Fire Pit Gallery, LLC, 983 W. 3rd St., Niles, Ohio 44446 (ph 888 409-0020; www.thefirepitgallery.com).
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