Well, I thank all of you for your ideas and I may not have explained myself and feeling very well.
I often wonder whether I should do just that... form my own 501C, buy the pit they think might be worn out, and go my own. BUT
I have had a really good experience working with my church overall... sure there are hiccups, but its worth the fight. I get to have that big ole pit without having to find a place to keep it, and as it looks like... keep it up.
David Klose is maybe 27 miles from us so having him do the firebox I bet solves a few problems. One is, metal shops are notoriously slow. David has fireboxes built separately so they can just be slapped on. A modern firebox.
Next is, I coul fart around and design one.... why not have one designed by a guy who already views the pit as one of his children.
Scrap Metal Value is substantially more than they paid for it. Did I mention the chamber is well... as thick as a finger?
So I kinda want the church to keep this pit up. And thats the last part. I have finally gotten the facilities committee to see the pit as "property" and maintain it.
So I am working on it.
Now if it was an Oyler.... I would have told them to get rid of it because it was filled with Asbestos and taken it for myself.