The base ring is the part of the incinerator that keeps it standing upright. It is a permanent fixture attached to the bottom of your incinerator during assembly. The base ring is located on the outside for stability, and because it’s on the outside, ashes fall straight down to the ground or on top of the ash catcher. The ash catcher is an optional item. It is placed on the ground underneath the incinerator to catch the ashes. This helps make ash removal much easier.