The DIY Smokeless Fire Pit Everyone Is Copying
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- čas přidán 1. 04. 2021
- The original DIY smokeless fire pit that everyone copied. Want to know how to make a DIY Smokeless fire pit that actually works? I added the crucial part to make my fire pit smokeless that most people forget. If you're building a fire pit check this video out. I’ve got lots more DIY outdoor projects coming up so make sure you don’t miss those. For this video I even made my own concrete paver caps for the fire pit. I'll show you how to make concrete forms so you can make your own pavers as well. It's super easy using foam insulation sheets. If you want to have less smoke around a fire make sure you use dry wood. Using green wood will create more smoke. Make sure you build a fire that burns efficiently so it can get lots of oxygen to burn off all the fuel. 👍 SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2Iy7PK3
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Never had a fire pit. Never wanted one. Never knew smokeless ones existed. Never watched a video on one. Watched the whole thing and now it’s on my todo list. Thanks a bunch CZcams.
Lmfao. I was like I guess I'm making a smokeless fire pit !
Nicest thing it ever did for you……. :)
Love fire pits! Had one at the last house and now I'm considering a Solo Stove
Man, CZcams is expensive.
Concrete likes to explode under high heat.
Fun fact: The oelic acid in PAM reacts with the lime in the concrete to create a thin layer of soap. That's what causes it to release from the mold. I worked as a chemist for a company that basically made industrial "PAM" for concrete molds.
when we poured concrete for a new barn addition we just sprayed the forms with used motor oil/diesel fuel mix and it worked good.
@@djomegaminus Use corn oil. It's non-hazardous, biodegradable and environmentally safe, and acts as stated above due to the oleic acid in it. No need to worry about the metals and preservatives in motor oil.
@@rabidhellhound9714 used motor oil is free!
@@djomegaminus But unhealthy if your kids are going to be around it. Just looking out for you.
@@rabidhellhound9714 how dumb are your kids that they risk being contaminated from used motor oil? If a kid drinks or licks used motor oil, then you have a bigger problem than the motor oil.
His personality would have me watching all of his videos. Even if I have no intension on doing the project. 😂😂
Yep heeeezzahamazzing
Ditto Asf ❤️
HAHA! Same here!
Haha for real. Super rad dude
Agreed!💯 Couple minutes in I was subscribing lol 😆
I really like this guy! He's funny but not too goofy. Very smart and handy too. He inspires me to do some of his projects at my place. Very entertaining and fun at the same time. Remember; Confucious says, "if you can't fix it with duct tape? You ain't using enough duct tape, my friend."
💯
I was lost until you started talking to the mold, “Please be good, don’t break, etc.” I perked up then, thinking “Finally, a technique I’m proficient with.”
I would have liked to have seen a final test with large logs like you had in the beginning smoke-filled pit. In order for a true test, all conditions should be the same. The use of twigs/small pieces of wood doesn't convince me. The finished product looks great though.
Yes! I tried this out and it’s definitely not smokeless with regular size firewood.😢
Man! What a mind you have. If you thought this out all by yourself, you can work for NASA! Man you are unbelievable!!!
This video inspired me to make my own fire pit. Thank you so much. I would like to share some tips. When using the DOW foam board for your mold make sure you put the concrete on the clean side. I did a full circle instead of the 4 pieces and when I took it out of the mold, the cement had absorbed some of my trace lines, the barcode and DOW logo. I tried to sand it off but it's deep-set and I will have to paint it. Also, I used contact cement at first to attach the pieces and the glue ate away at the foam. I ended up securing it with screws and then caulked the seams. Ultimately it came out great and everyone is amazed that I did it myself.
PL 300 it the non melting foam adhesive. Its blue too
Awesome!
If someone’s really worried about the spacing of the bricks removed on the bottom. Just remove the three and spread your other bricks out instead of having three big holes have a bunch of small holes between each of the bottom bricks, basically divide the space between them.
Also you can put the shredded fiberglass in the concrete mixer, they sell concrete reinforcement fibers that are already shredded that is pretty much the same thing and comes in a bag. But you dump it in with the mix in the mixer and it sticks through all of the concrete.
That usually shows in the finish
What Shane said 👆
This Guy is a first class presenter, so much more interesting than many others.
I know, I love his style!
he's actually very funny
Here's another method to try to improve your control over the route the air takes in supporting the burn. Place the long burning pieces of wood on the bottom of the firepit and decrease the size of the wood as you build up the pile in flat layers, with small spaces between them. Now, your kindling wood is on top of the next largest layer, right on top of the pile. This is where you light the fire. Think of how a candle works: there is no smoke because all of the unburnt gases in the heated wax under the flame have to pass through the flame, and are burnt up. Smoke is off-gassing of the burnable material in the firewood, and it is not being burnt if it blows away as smoke. With this inverted method, the kindling burning heats up the material underneath the initial flame, and most of the gasses produced are burnt up in the fire at the top of the pile, By the time the pile is burnt, you will have produced some very hot coals, when they have cooled somewhat you can build another virtually smokeless fire by adding dry wood from big to little pieces on the coals, then relight kindling the top of the. Give it a try; it's easy to do, and you'll get much more fire and much less smoke from your wood, with virtually no extra work except building the fire upside down. This might even make your fire ring work even better! This method also drastically reduces smoke in wood stoves. especially when starting one.
I saw a video that concept is used in drafting. The guy dug a hole out side of the fire pit under the bricks. I cant remember he may have put a concrete tube in it but it came up like a pipe. I dont rember exactly but it was supposed to act like a flu, a draught system. Like you are saying how to stack the wood. The air draughts in what you describe. The big iron rings at campground just have one or 2 U shaped holes cut into side and at bottom. You keep it clear of wood and ash to help fire to burn. Im no expert.
While I certainly appreciate the design there are two significant problems with this. As an individual who works a blacksmith forge there are some things that I see that your average layman might miss. First: Galvanized Steel gives off zinc-oxide when you heat it up, this is no bueno. Even with good ventilation I would still be very reluctant to risk any exposure. Second: Concrete is never truly dry, there is always SOME moisture inside of it. Now what do we know about moisture when it is heated up? Yes, it EXPANDS into steam which can cause the brick to literally explode, which can cause injury or death. Always use firebrick or cinderblock for fire pits.
Really good points you make. Scary to think how many people have watched this and probably used the same materials.
Hard to believe nobody else caught that.
I wonder if Tractor Supply realizes their liability? I just checked and the rings are sold for fireplace use.
@@wildtimbrown Are they galvanized steel? If they are maybe whatever regulatory agency in charge deems outside to be adequate ventilation. Maybe it is and I am just being overly cautious.
The ad said it was galvanized.
That "no I haven't seen it" just deserves a subscribe man, awesome
I 2nd that
Here here....new sub
3rd that, my man!
Awesome video." No I haven't seen it " New sub. 🤣
best ending to a video yet... 😂
I love this guy. Real, competent, humble, funny. This is a guy to have a beer with...at the fire pit!
While the ad was playing, I read ur comment & just by the way u describe this him. I'm subscribing his channel.. 👍
Bum boy
The way I made my existing paver brick fire pit into a smokeless is i dug a foot or two deep hole inside of the pit and then another hole of equal size two to three feet away and then made a 3" tunnel connecting both pits and ran a 3" pvc drain pipe through the tunnel and put a 90 degree angle coming out of the second pit and then buried that pit and cut off the pvc sticking out flush with the ground to protect it from the mower. It works great as long as you know how to stack fuel properly for a smokeless pit.
I’m pretty sure my city zoning won’t let us do that. 😊
I’m just jumping on here to say I followed this video just about to a T over this weekend, and this 100% works. And it makes sense why it does when you understand the physics of it. Thanks HAXMAN!
Another hint, you can buy Fiberglass particles to mix IN WITH the Concrete. Easier and will make the WHOLE Project stronger.
be carefull with that, you might get a carcinogenic result during your first couple of fires
@@auyara007 5tr
@@auyara007 Only in the state of California. 😉
it would be much stronger with two reinforced bars across, better than fibreglass which is for hair line cracks and not for reinforcing concrete slabs.
Chicken wire
Just an fyi on these stock rings... The sizes vary by a few inches because multiple rings are stacked within each other for shipment from the supplier. So dont be set in stone (pun intended) about the number and layout of blocks you will need, just get your ring and adjust the blocks as necessary.
Jon, you are on another level. Thanks
This is true I just bought one yesterday and they were all labeled 3" but clearly different
You can't argue with success! Love the before and after videos side by side, the left one really smoky. I thought your idea of making the top holes large was interesting allowing lots of second-burn air in; Smaller holes might show more of a visual fire-jet appearance but might not burn as completely, also might cause leakage through cracks around bricks. In any case, I think this is just really fun and I love your sense of humor! Great video and super fun project! "Those who can, do! Those who can't, criticize!"
I just finished rebuilding mine. It was about 10 years old. Thanks for the inspiration! Here is what I did different. First, I did not drill all those holes in the metal ring. Waste of effort. After leveling the pit I lined the bottom with fire brick leaving about 1" space between each brick then packed some sand in the spaces.. It gave me a level floor that I could scoop ashes out of. Next I used four more fire bricks under the bottom edge of the ring raising it up that 1 1/2". My outer block was about 1-1 1/4" higher than the top of the ring. That left enough space for the air to circulate and be drawn up and back into the fire just as the holes do. Also I made forms the same way but instead of four heavy ones I made eight. Easier to handle and looks great. They overhang about 1/2" outside and about 1 1/2" over the inside ( they extend past the inside of the metal ring to force this air between the block and the metal into the pit for that secondary burn. Works great. The blocks were adheared together but I left the cap blocks not glued to be able to facilitate replacement of fire ring someday. I painted the fire ring with heat resistant grill paint. It works great! Lastly, I did not do any of that baking soda thing. Just filled the forms and tooled it smooth. I used a sidewalk edge tool to round the edges a bit and a trowel. I tapped the sides of the form to be sure the concrete settled properly. Every day that has seen it loves it. Northern Tool has some metal fire wood grates to put down in the pit to raise the wood up a bit and that helps get air under the wood. They also have a snuffer cover to keep the pit dry during off times and looks great. I painted that black too. Oh and another thing ...I did not like leaving out a few blocks for air to be drawn in to the pit. I left about 1/4" space between each block in the second and third course of block. That was more pleasing and was very effective at feeding oxygen to the fire all around the pit. I tested the draw with a lighter. While the fire pit was hot on the inside I lit a lighter and held it up to the cracks between the blocks on the outside and the flame was sucked in to the pit as expected. Now no creatures can get in during the down time and it looks great. And one more thing. The ring size I wanted was 36". Beware when you go to buy one at Tractor Supply. Measure it to be sure it will work. They lable them as 36" but they are not all that size. The company shipped to their stores three rings banded inside each other. Each ring is assembled. The sizes are as follows: outer banded one is about 36" the middle one about 34" and the most inner one is about 32". It is impossible to fit three rings exactly the same size inside each other but apparently the manager did not understand. They are all labled 36" so to him they must be. ( Even a tape measure did not convince him).
I don’t know why this landed in my recommended videos, but I’m happier man for it.....”No I haven’t seen it.” 😂 You’ve earned my subscription sir.
Because Google or Apple heard you talking about a camp fire or Fire pit or too much smoke etc. They are always listening...
IBID
You were probably looking at the Solo Stove Smokeless fire pit like me and not wanting to pay $300-$400. The internet can read my thoughts of thinking how to make my own.
Yes.. me too
First time I've ever seen an Aussie Scotsman from the south.
Yeah I was giggling at the accents, and couldn't tell if he was going for well travelled or something in particular!
I’ve used old wire coat hangers instead of rebar for small projects. Great video it’s Memorial weekend here on the California central coast and we get overrun with tourists. I’m staying home and building a smokeless fire pit. Thanks again for the really well done video.
Great idea on the hangers! This project is on my list soon. Wondering how difficult it is to bend rebar? That could be another option for reinforcement.
Then burn wet wood to drive the tourists away !🏃
Such a nice looking DIY smokeless fire pit. Those custom cap stones really set this one off. I just might have to go this route as I haven't been satisfied with what I've been seeing for cap stones
Awesome video and content. Much appreciated! From a structural engineer ~ counterintuitive approach to strongest concrete possible is to keep the chemical reaction of the concrete curing going as long as possible. Where the driest concrete mix provides the strongest result, as soon after the surface of the concrete sets up, saturating it with water (as long as it will not remove or wash away the outer cement material) will keep the curing process going. So putting wet burlap or even submerging in water if practical, will get you more strength. Loved this video, learned so much!
Thanks and thanks for the info!
“No, I haven’t seen the dog food scoop.” Classic husband response! Lol.
Yes, lying to your wife is hillarious.
@@jamese9283 Yes, that was hilarious! Grow a sense of humor, James.
@@birddogne666 Hilarious? Let's not go overboard. It's just every day home life stuff. Like the time my sister's dad used a spatula from the kitchen to clear a clog in the toilet. Or when someone uses an expensive screwdriver to scrape bird shit off pavement. And every one of these people go "Errr? No. Never saw it." Hilarious? No. Just "classic" fibbing. Chuckle-worthy fibbing? Maybe. But hilarious? No.
@@birddogne666 The thing that makes it the funniest is that it was totally staged... ;-)
That was hilarious
You could have put the fiberglass in the mixer when you were mixing and could have saved a little time & distributed it throughout. That & use Leinwrbers latex with water.
My sister bought a Solo, moved and it had an outdoor fireplace, sold the Solo to me. Your fireplace is bigger and I think better. We gave ANOTHER fire pit away. I like your show. Thx, the MIDDLE DAUGHTER!
Using fiberglass is good, but you don't have to rip it up like that. Since the concrete is the matrix, it will flow and form around it. Cutting it into 6" wide strips is much better and cleaner. You will get a stronger final product as well. Another tip to increase strength would be to use ground-up ash from your fire in your concrete mix.
I'm interested in how the ash helps strengthen the concrete?
Appreciate the efforts to entertain and educate. I especially like the fact that you are stringing videos together. Taking the firepit area and then adding lights. Allowing the project to grow with each video. You earned the like and subscribe.
Nothing like watching videos out of order but that's the way I am! Always enjoy your content! Keep up the great work!! Take care, be safe and God bless!
You're a natural teacher. Thanks for doing what you do!
Your excitement after the concrete worked out is how I feel after every project that goes right finally 😂
Excellent mix of accents. Pretty funny to hear someone else celebrate in a Scottish accent or other foreign accent. It’s fun! You had fun!
Scottish accent haha
I was able to get the blue foam from Lowe’s, but the contact cement I bought melted it. I saw others were having that issue too. So what I ended up doing was skipping the glue and just using duct tape for all the molds. Worked great!
Get a hot glue gun. They're like duct tape and zip ties, you'd be surprised how many uses you find for it. It would perfect for making foam molds.
Aloha from Hawaii! Best DIY SMOKELESS FIRE PIT TUTORIAL! ENTERTAINING TOO! MAHALO!
I was skeptical at how this would turn out, but it looked great, and it functioned really well. Top quality DIY.
A North Carolina accent just makes this 100% better. Feels like home.
His accent is very pleasant to my ears. His beard and hairy arms are quite lovely.
North Carolina..?? I thought I heard some Australian in there... 👍😎 mate
If you taper your molds just a little (aka Draft Angle) they come off easier - especially deeper molds.
These cap stone molds worked easy because they were shallow and you used a mold release, but
the draft angle is just a tip for future projects.
You can also put a hole in the mold and use compressed air (or water) to push the castings out.
I've seen a lot of DIY channels , when you incorporate your family into it, it's amazing . I've mentioned your channel on Facebook to incourage family more into anything you do . Inspiring.
Wow, thank you
I know I thought of his kid when he was adding the texture. That looked like fun.
Great video and I love the foam board. Much easier than the way I do it now. You can also use a mortar mix with a releasing agent for the top. It will pour like pancake mix and it's ready to go in an hour. You can also skip the fiberglass addition. Check it out.
Fun video! Being the housewife, I have used a dustpan for removing ashes from our BBQ grill and our fireplace (so I have not complained to my spouse about abusing/losing it). Maybe using a dustpan instead of the dog-food scoop could work. (Some dust pans are rather narrow and could make concrete spread better.)
Nice. Perfect amount of explanation , humor and use of stuff on hand. Thanks!
To texture the concrete on a drive way,small size 1/4” rock salt use to be used and troweled in. Next day you can broom and hose off the driveway. This also works on pool decks. Looks really good
That looks amazing! A couple of minutes into the video I'm thinking "I can do this!". By the end, I felt like I'd watched Merlin perform a miracle.
Pretty cool build, esp the venting technique! One thing I do when I mix concrete or cast stone seating is I a get a gallon can/jug of brake rotor shavings from a brake shop, put it in the water for 3 days that you are using for the crete or sand cast mix. Gives the stone look great color and does not bleed off after sealing the surface with concrete sealer
Man, John C Riley's little brother really can build one hell of a pit! Thanks for this gonna try it out
lmfao i picked up those vibes. so great.
Thanks for your demonstration. You kept the entire process entertaining and informative. Love the bits of humor! Keep up the good work.
"No I haven't seen it". I think every man on the planet, no matter race or age, knows this moment well.
You could be talking about world domination and about to invade another country and that question will come out of no where. I will give a like and a share out of basic male respect.
That last comment earned my like and my subscription!
A quick suggestion: Before putting the ring in place, coat the inside with vegetable grease or lard. The first fire of any consequence will seal it from rusting and can be re-applied for future protection. The black patina will absorb heat energy and help to reduce smoke.
Thanks for idea
Yea... that ring won't last a year....
@@robertmueller6979 Really? I've had that exact same ring in my yard for the last 4 years, no rust. Thinking about doing what he did with the landscape blocks.
Not everyone lives in a desert...
@@robertmueller6979 I've had a cheap Black Friday Home Depot fire pit that sat out in the elements since 2014 and the bottom finally rusted through completely this last fall. I think a good thick ring with no bottom would last a quite a bit longer.
Please make a video cleaning and organizing the shed!
That would be sooooo satisfying!
But in time lapse, so it looks super fast and easy!!👍🏻
I loved the "Collateral Damage " in the shop & the wife asking 4 the "Dog food scoop". It was a great & successful video. I laid these pavers for years. Wish I had made caps like u did here!!
Adding Perlite to the concrete mix will dramatically reduce the weight while keeping the needed strength. It is great stuff. Home Depot sells it in their garden shops. Perlite is used in gardening.
I sell Perlite on my farm. If you're in NH. Lol.
Perlite is great stuff. I've used perlite and straw in natural cobb and it's awesome.
@@DowieFarm You wrote, "I've used perlite and straw in natural cobb and it's awesome." That would be one excellent addition to cob construction. How exactly did you do this? And how much do you sell the Perlite for?
as an Englishman I subbed for the Australian/Scottish/English accent mashup...oh..and the firepit.
😁 I appreciate that!
+1 from an Aussie
Haha mate I just done the same thing!🏴 😂👍
@@Barrygvid A Scotsman an Englishman and an Aussie all walk up to a fire pit... 🤣
I thought he sounded american like southern.
Guy seems like a funny bloke and has a happy family. Loving the English and Scottish accents
I just found this guy today & this is only the second video that I have seen of his & he is fast becoming my favorite. I believe that he can do about anything! God bless you and your family🛐
Great step by step guide. I just took mine out of the forms and rinsed them down. They too look "A-Mazing"! I'm going to water them for a week before my first fire to cure the concrete. Thank you for the entertaining and helpful instruction. Much appreciated.
Dude - I really enjoy the videos you make. They are very well filmed and also extremely informative. Keep doing them please!
My favorite moment of this video is his very last words about the dog food scoop. I'm going to build one of these this week and see how it does
It was very informative but got to say that last part with your lady friend asking for the dog scooper was A KILLER LOL 😆
You need special alcaline resistant glass fibre as reinforcement. The "normal" glass fibre will definitely resolve in the alcaline cement i.e. concrete.
Hint : if you make one or more air intake openings under the fire, combustion will improve substantially. Your air inlets higher up indeed will help to burn off the smoke.... but the airsupply under the fire will prevent the forming smoke.
First time viewer, and new subscriber here!!! 10:45 If you don't like the old weathered look, and want a more artsy fartsy look, use crushed glass, but not just any crushed glass. You'll want to use the stuff intended to go into propane or alcohol tabletop fire "pits". What's really nice about the crushed glass I'm talking about, is that there are no sharp edges, AND, it comes in many different colors. 12:40 For about the same price, or even less, as the fiberglass mat you used, you can get a bag of fiberglass that is already shredded and ready to be mixed right into your concrete mixer. I like to toss in one handful of fiberglass per bag. This gives you a nice even blend of fiberglass throughout the cement for extra strength. You should be able to find it right next to the bags of concrete mix. I think I'm going to be building one of these next weekend. GREAT VIDEO!!!!
Check out Ruby Lake Glass ... excellent selection of colors.
Did a variation of this with field stone. Works amazing!! Thanks Haxman!!
This was actually my next to do project. I was totally going to just slam the pavers in a circle and call it good, but I think I can do this! Thanks for the video!
a little angel named perfection gets its wings when a builder says.. "yep I'm going to redo this ".
sick build!
Thanks!
The “oh snap” when pulling the cap out of the mold was my favorite part lol
VERY nice work! Another project to add to the home project list! Thanks for sharing!
Your molds and templates instruction is very helpful! Thank you, Luv it!
Instead of removing a lot more bricks and leaving a lot of empty space, you can remove less bricks and space out the existing bricks to pull air from all around the outer ring, rather than only through a few big gaps.
Would that then make the inner ring unnecessary or does having the chamber do something more than just holes?
@@macdaddy9344
I think if you stacked the paver stones with space between EVERY stone, effectively making the same diameter circle with just 1~3 lesser blocks, that’ll feed enough oxygen to the fire.
Keep in mind: once the first layer is built that way, you can build subsequent layers that way also. Plenty of air & oxygen.
That said, this project has its merits.
We get to BUILD something. 😁😁😁
I think it's just easier to make it symmetric if you pull 3 bricks than if you try to distribute that same amount of air space between all the bricks.
I'm not sure I'm convinced it's all that "smokeless" without more of a demonstration. He's gonna get SOME fresh air heated up and blowing on the top. I'm not sure how much. I think if he put the fire up on a grate and the bottom of the inner wall level with the grate, then he'd have a real down-draft gasifier, like those Solo-brand portable fire pits.
With his design, I'm not sure how much draw he's getting or how long it takes to heat up and start pulling air. But if you added the grate, underneath it, it'd start pulling any smoke and unburned volatiles down the bottom, up the sides, and come out through the holes at the top, where they ignite in the gasifier fire pits. The way he's got it isolated, he's just bringing in fresh air at the top.
I'd like to see the full-blown, brick-walled down-draft gasifier. It'd be better than the all-metal ones they sell, because those bricks would warm up and radiate more heat for longer. Maybe.
@@macdaddy9344 It would make the inner ring partially unnecessary, but having it would help a bit. The best configuration would be having the air holes on the bottom going in a spiral, so in the worst case scenario (strong winds), you end up with a fire tornado going up and to a side, rather than wild flames going straight on the side.
There's not much of a difference, between not having the inner chamber and having straight holes, and there's not much of a difference between having straight holes and angled/spiral/vortex holes, but there's a fair bit of difference between having spiral holes and having the inner chamber.
But you'll notice the difference best when seeing it in practice, I guess.
@@harrymills2770 Might be easier to be symetric if you end up with the same number of bricks on each side. Also, adding a layer of stainless steel sheet on top of those 4 stones which together cover the whole thing can increase the cooking area significantly. Especially if aside from taking a brick or two from each layer and spacing the rest of the bricks on every layer, then expanding the cement slabs more towards the center, then adding some support pillars to hold the cement tables, then adding a layer of stainless steel on top of the cement tables.
However, it would be best to fill the bottom of the cement with a fairly thick layer of clay mixed with sand, so the heat of the fire slowly vitrifies the clay mixture. Ideally, it would be made from soilcrete/dirtcrete, with 4% cement, 8%-12% water, and the rest soil which is mostly clay and a bit sand/sandy, then using some flat weights on a pole to compact that down a lot. The result will look a lot like actual stone, and the high content of clay and sand will bake it into a stone from the bottom, slowly but surely.
I mean, in the past, that's how our ancestors made cave houses, they dug up dirt in a cliff, packed down the walls and roof using some heavy things (like rocks, for example), then set up a big fire inside, which burned for half a day or more, covered most of the entrance and chimney hole with loosely packed dirt (which us then more easily removed), then by the next day or two, when the room finally cooled down, the walls were stone-like terracotta.
You can try something like that with a mud/dirt fireplace, if you want. The fire has to be quite hot, though, and to stay hot for at least 6 hours, then cool down slowly. You can pack loose dirt and gravel to the sides, to help it stay hot for longer (to turn into terracotta) and to protect from the wind.
About to build a firepit and glad to see there are design options to help with the smoke. Two changes I'll incorporate: 1, instead of removing alternate blocks I plan on spacing all blocks at the base about 2 inches; 2, instead of drilling all the holes along the top of my steel 4' fire ring I plan for my top cap to sit 1 1/2' above the top of the ring thereby allowing airflow to rise up and spill over the ring below the bottom surface of the overhanging top cap. Too many holes, too many years, too little patience. Thanx for a great video.
@Danger WillRobinson -Any update? I was planning to try a gap at top as well, though smaller to ensure adequate pressure.
@@myjunkmail007 any update from you as well?
I'm thinking of doing the same with the gap. How did it work?
Yep.... amazing pretty well covers it!👍👍
I forwarded this video to a friend. This is a very informative video and hopefully he will use your advice. I hope next time we visit his home we will truly enjoy his beautiful fire pit minus the smoke!
In Baja, we use old washing machine tubs on cinder blocks.
I have one in Florida, stainless steel is best, does not rust
Motor oil is the best release agent for concrete. Also, great “rebar” for small projects is dry cleaning hangers. Those turned out amazing!
I never thought of using dry cleaning hangers that's perfect Kelly!!
@@robbyers7614 If you find you don’t have enough for a project, most every dry cleaners has a rack of free hangers that people bring their clothes back on. Hope that helps. 💞🇺🇸
@@BostonBorn I had no clue, and I thank you....it rhymes.
@@robbyers7614 that’s a fine rhyme 😉
Chicken wire
I'm from Iran and we don't have that prepared ones so you just gave me the best Idea to build it my self
It's just not fair!!!!! You are the most talented & ingenious man I have ever seen!!!
Really enjoy your videos. Curious, I've seen other smokeless designs with holes at the bottom of the ring -- I believe to supply air to the fire -- and the upper holes to provide the "second burn". I believe the Solo stove does this. Did you intentionally leave out the bottom holes?
Thank you for the video!
I tried using a rigid pink styrofoam I had around. I bought contact adhesive, and it melted the foam. Ended up using some thick MDF and holding it together with fasteners.
Owesome. Thanks to you i just made my own fire pit with a 200L barrel and 40 holes of 2.5cm and it works just great. Thumb up for your video.
Did not know about the fiberglass. So good to learn this stuff. I have never made anything with concrete but I keep wanting to.
A few things. If you need your
Mixture more liquid consistency so it fills a mold better, don’t add more water because it gets weaker and doesn’t set properly. A cap of laundry detergent when mixing your concrete makes it act like it’s way more watery but doesn’t need to evaporate the extra water so
It has better strength. Secondly. We found instead of Pam for a release spray, crisco cooking grease mixed with a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil works best Mixes into a paste that is great for release
Year late to the party, but good points! Also, instead of tearing the fiber and adding it in the middle of the concrete, he could have added it to the mixer and had it mixed throughout the concrete for a better end strength.
Dude I tried it with 7” x 12” just threw them to see if the concept would work and it works awesome. Love the idea and concept. I am super impressed on how great this works
What did you use as the cap, the top pieces?
@@timhart5354
I had landscape stones about two levels high then just thru on 7x12 rectangle along the top all the way around to see if it would work and it does. But I have made a new fire pit. Using the ring but I dropped it down a bit from the top so I would not have to drill holes I have small gaps in between some of the bottom row but I need to make all blocks on the first row have gaps to allow more air in and I still have to add the top caps similar to what you did with the concrete caps. I’ll let you know how it works once I have it done 👍
@@timhart5354
I also lined the inside of the fire pit with the 7x 12 laying horizontally so that the top caps 7x12 would match the same profile
This is the old fire pit I am talking about
Can’t really explain with out a picture can’t send picture on here
for a moment I thought you were going to use the foam stuff to cover the pit. I thought "what is wrong with this guy" but as the video progress I saw that you used it to make the frames. looks awesome...
You did a great job with this, and the humor made it even better, I’m building one soon, thought I’d see how it’s done, and you nailed it. Thanks.
12:11 a little tip. You should always pour fresh concrete into fresh concrete, never away from it. This prevent voids in your slab. These things are going to get hot, any air pockets can cause explosions.
You are technically correct, especially if you were building an enclosed fire box like a fireplace but with the pits the heat goes straight up, and therefore, very little heat is generated on the cap
Super entertaining practical videos! Have you considered using the bricks in such a way as to force the incoming air in at an angle so that all air inlets work together to create a vortex - driving the general direction of the combustion in a counter/clockwise direction within the pit. Done correctly - you may not need the metal liner at all. Extreme, fast combustion would literally create a fire tornado in the pit (& how cool would that look)!
Great project and I'm glad to see you donned eyePRO. I almost lost vision in the L eye for not wearing while drilling metal.
My guy.... you have earned a “subscribe” on my first time ever watching one of your videos! No not because I mistook you for the “Russell Crowe next door dude,” but because you are funny as hell and you darn well know what you are doing. Much respect.
Same.
Exactly , agree 100% !!
Dude got a sense of humor !
Usually just watch and don’t comment, but the dog food scoop bit at the end ... hahahaha GOLD. Thanks for taking the time to make this tutorial. Love it!!
Thanks 👍
So I just started a backyard project where I am going to have a fire pit and this video popped up, I will definitely take this into consideration when building it.
Damn man. Nice concrete formwork and results.
I like how you drift from Australian into Scottish
Gotta admit that was my favorite part too.
came straight to comments to see if anyone else noticed haha :D
Prolly all his inner ancestors were stoked as much as much as that fire :)
100 percent Dingo Haggis
I love the comedy and accents in this video. Great job!
Nice . You made me a fan of bonfires again.
I LOVVVE tractor supply, especially that little display of cheap tools right when you walk in the front. I get stuck there like a fly on 💩.🤩
Watched a few other vids on this DIY concept. Was skeptical on the amount of work you put in on the cap process and how it would look in the end, but that final product was top notch once placed on the pit. Nice work. Also, my first vid of yours that I've ever watched so I'll have to check out your others and Subscribe.
Thanks!
I felt good in the first half then this guy turned DIY up to 11 haha great project, love the Pam trick
Yep, got me at the custom concrete part.
I absolutely love your videos...thanks for the content you give us ❤️
Fantastic job and idea. I will be for sure making my pit like that.
Thank you