Hey, thanks Adam! Really neat to hear from someone that inspired it in the first place. I reference your channel quite a bit, congrats on the growth the last couple of months!
@@AverageDadChannel I really appreciate it! Not sure what your goals are but keep making quality content and over time your channel will pick up more and more steam!
@@AverageDadChannel do we absolutely need the ring? I am building a firepit with donated very nice blocks but I don't want to invest in a ring. Thanks
@@kingbee4474 yes if you’d like to make it smokeless a lot of that will come from the channel of air between the blocks and ring, worth considering one I think even though they aren’t super cheap
@@AverageDadChannel Thanks so much for the advice. I will start by making it smoked. What is the cheapest best base to put at the bottom of the fire pit? Gravel, sand...? I currently have grown grass. Thanks again!
I'm an average dad just like you. You showed much more practical means to build the pit which I have to do again (but better). I liked your money saving aspects. The other guys don't worry about that so that's been my drawback so far. Keep adding more!
Pretty cool man. I found your video for what ever reason the TH-cam algorithm steered me here. I have been thinking of making one but at first your system to me was like whatever it doesn't matter blah blah blah. But seriously it does matter, and thank you
I just built one of these exactly how you did it (same stones and pattern from Menards and same ring) and it is awesome! Thanks for such a great video.
ln about 5:55 into the video, you said you sealed the inside of the spaces of the bricks. Did you use that High Temp Sealant or what? How many layers starting from the bottom did you seal? I love your diagrams. Maybe just quick drawing to show exactly how much you sealed, how high up to go, and if every adjoining space between bricks in that layer was sealed, both vertical and horizontal. I'm a RN and tend to over think everything to be safe the first time. Thank you for the info! Of all the videos out there, I picked YOURS!
Hey Darlene thanks for picking my video! So I only used the high temp silicone on the black ring as shown, everything else is just placing bricks or stones as close together as possible. I wasn’t sure how I may modify it but it would probably improve it if I I stacked it and reassembled using some sort of cement or construction adhesive. It probably wouldn’t need to be high temp as the middle and outside of the stones won’t be nearly as hot as the metal insert.
@@AverageDadChannel I watched it many times and did see that you had put some regular orangish red small blocks in front of the places you thought air might seep in, leaving the intended removed block spaces open. This may have created some additional stability to the fire ring the way you have it. I do have a few construction caulking tubes lying around and I'll put some in the creases of the exposed layers below the lower lip of the fire ring, just for the sake of over-kill and no need to purchase it. :) thank you for your prompt response. I am so looking forward to summer to get this going! I did subscribe to your sight too! Maybe do one on how to fix a washer agitator by removing it, replacing the "dogs" or "dog ears parts that are worn down by use, so the agitator can catch once again. This part is cheap and comes with the amount you'd need to replace them all. I can't imagine how many are tossed to the roadside just because agitation stopped and these small parts simply no longer catch into the grooves to create the agitation motion. You would create a simple feel to this fix!
Amazing job at responding (even to the less desirable comments) and great video content. Love the true on a budget attack with FB marketplace and northern tool references. I've only watched your two so far, on the patio and fireplace but have subscribed to see more. Enjoy your takes and editing, keep it up. (Going to reference yours when doing my own soon)
Just did a similar build, I dont think my wood is seasoned the best but I'm still getting a lot of smoke but the airflow is incredible. It's like 100x easier to start and maintain the fire. I'll count that as a win for now while i work on tweaking my design. I'm thinking of skim-coating my inner stone ring with some fireplace mortar to reduce air loss between the metal and stone layers. Thanks for the video!
Hey Matthew, another thing I did that didn’t make this video is once the fire was going I lit a firework smoke bomb and held it near the air intake openings to check for leaks that limited the amount or pressure coming out the secondary burn holes. Also remember the wood needs to stay below the secondary burn holes for it to direct smoke back toward the middle. Cheers
I am really curious about the effect of the primary air intakes. I understand that adding oxygen to the bottom will generally be better for combustion, but the smokeless feature should only need the secondary air? Could you do a comparison with and without the primary air feed?
Great job and great video ❤ very well put together. On your question about the fire fingers. My thoughts are that the solo stove fire pit is a two piece stainless steel construction with air gap. The ring you/we buy is a mild carbon steel so with that the stainless steel holds in a lot more heat than carbon. That’s why you see it in cookware so in the pit it heat the air a lot faster and hotter than the carbon setup. Plus the block that is used absorb heat as well so it takes away from the heat from the air. Just my thoughts though. 👍
Hey thanks for the feedback and kind words Tim. The hope is once everything is warmed up the exterior blocks will help radiate some heat to the air rising up in that chamber, but good point on the type of steel. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many stainless options from a quick search, the one I found on Amazon already has a bunch of holes in it for airflow but I'm not sure they would provide the same benefit as this design.
Тип стали на нагрев никак не влияет. Нержавеющая сталь просто дольше прослужит. Главное отличие этого костра от покупной печи в соотношении диаметра и высоты. Чем меньше диаметр и выше стенки, тем сильнее будет нагреваться воздух во внешней камере и эффективнее будет работать печь.
Nice video. I didn't think of plugging the holes with aluminum foil to test how well the smokeless feature is working. I am going to try out my fire pit for the first time soon and i'm going to do the same thing.
I would suggest not making the holes larger, but smaller. You want to built up some heat and pressure so that they are more jet like, and less floppy garden hose. Great video, you've got it without any more improvements really!
FYI your grandma's oven just needed a new thermal couple lol. It is the little sensor that tells it when its at temp. Otherwise, you get full blast because its saying its not to temp. They wear out over time. They are super easy to fix in old ovens, that is why people still have functional stoves that are 50+ years old. IDK but I don't suspect my new LG is going to get even half that lol!
@@AverageDadChannel LOL well mine actually had an oven that needed to be fixed. I offered to fix it a million times but she was like "well then how do I know how long to cook stuff then?" Well mom, you figured it out the first time, I would cut the cook time in half and start checking from there hahaha.
This is awesome thanks. Explains it really clearly. I’m keen to do something similar but was hoping to do it set in the ground, so that the top of the fire pit is at ground/patio level. Do you think that I could add in pipes to feed all the holes you’ve described (both at the bottom of the fire and the top) that would ventilate a few feet away? Would they draw air without the aid of a fan? Or do you think I’d need to have a fan to force air down the pipes? Would be interested in your and others thoughts. Thanks. :)
Hey JCN, sorry for the slow response. That is a really interesting idea to put it in ground. Warm air rising will help you, once the fire is lit it will want to draw air in from somewhere to replace the air going up. If you have air inlets via pipes the fire should want to draw that air in without a fan I'd guess. Not exactly what you're trying to do, but check out How to Home's video on the smokeless fire pit where he adds a air inlet to the below it via a pipe for some inspiration. Cheers.
great video!!! I think you will get those flames on the top if you have enough air pushing through those right? If you close half of them or open more air intakes it should work, right?
Thanks Renato! Ya I wasn’t sure if the holes needed to be a different size, air needed to be warmed up more, or the air intake needed to be increased, but I think I will try removing additional bricks first and see how that does
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Try plugging up some with foil just for fun and see what happens. You’d ideally like a vortex to happen. The other option would be to add a small 12v or battery powered fan somewhere that just boosts the whole thing
This has probably already been discussed but it appears to me that you would have to seal those exterior low holes from coming all the way through the stones into the pit (lower the ring) ...forcing the warm air up through to the reburn holes is critical. I believe this would make your build way more efficient.
Hey NN, bricks at the bottom in the inside are suppose to separate the air feeding the main fire and air feeding secondary burn, but that would be a good experiment to try to see if it helps
Smaller and fewer would be difficult with the existing insert so I’ll probably remove more bricks to increase the intake, which should also increase the speed of the exiting air
Thanks Scott. Top holes are 5/8”, 2” on. Center apart about 1” from the top edge. The four bottom inlets for the primary burn are the size of standard bricks or 1 3/4” x 3 1/2”
56 holes, none drilled in the bottom but the insert doesn’t go all the way to the ground so some air from outside can get in below the insert to feed the fire. Holes ended up being a little larger than 3/4”
Hey HISCS, yes very likely. This was the smallest diameter insert I could find. If I could weld I would’ve come up with some sort of cylinder to make it taller, but alas I cannot
I would cement in your paver blocks. That would help seal up any gaps from the outside. Should increase your "vacuum pressure", this providing more adequate air directed where you want it to go
Smaller and fewer secondary burn holes should make fire fingers more likely since it will increas the speed/pressure of the air. I think the best way for you to get them though is more and better stacked fuel. The commercial ones are made small for that reason probably, the smaller diameter makes the require less fuel while burning at maximum efficiency.
To have better fire fingers I would put back the brick from the middle so it draws air only from the bottom to create a less turbulent draft and make sure the air warm up when it reach the top holes. And maybe put big rocks at the bottom so air comes from almost underneath. Like 6 inches of fist sized rocks so the wood is a little higher than your bottom vents spaces.
How has the silicone held up over time? It is rated for intermittent 600 and constant 500, but your temps hit 800 to 900 F. Just curious as I am planning to do your build 🙂. Thanks!
Hey Nancy, glad you’re on the case. The cracks between the top bricks will allow some small amount of air to escape. I have checked this with firework smoke bombs and it seems to be negligible, but I may use some sort of mortar in the future to seal them better
Hey JA, Im not sure what type of wood I had for this video, but the design should dramatically cut down on the smoke output regardless wood you use. Well seasoned hardwood will give you a cleaner, less smokey burn
Honestly I think you could get the same results just by having the spaces in the brick not having foil in it. At least in this video, there seems to be no secondary ignition of wood gases (smoke).
If you build it higher it may help with increasing the temp and pull air in faster allowing those secondary to ignite. Proportionally yours is much wider and flatter than the product you are trying to replicate.
Hey Josh, ya I couldn’t find an insert that was this style and taller, but agreed on the sentiment that the proportions on this one are not as optimal as the commercial ones.
@@AverageDadChannel great video. I am looking at a 4’x2’ round galvanized water trough to get a little more height. I would cut the bottom off. I’ve even considered an oblong one instead of round. I am building from scratch, so I will likely pipe in a fresh air intake for the bottom of the fire like one of the other guys did.
I have a concrete paver firepit that I want to improve airflow. 15” finished height, with 12” high x 30”w 4mm thick steel ring inside. I have top cap course that overhangs ring, so unable to remove with taking all pavers off. Any thoughts to improve airflow without removing pavers? Thx
Hey man, if you want to improve airflow without removing the pavers one thing you could dry is getting a masonry bit that could drill holes into the concrete pavers and then adding holes in the metal insert at the top and bottom (for secondary and primary burn)
One thing I see missing on all DIY smokeless burn pits is the interior lip at the top on professional models. See the flame at minute 1.32. It causes a little bit of compression (not much) and redirection drawn air towards the center. Also, the DIY designs are a lot wider, but not taller. I would go a couple more bricks up to lengthen the draw on these wider designs. I think this would help.
Hey Travis, ya I knew that going into it about the height, harder to find taller off the shelf rings. That’s a good point about the caps though, I’ll have to try to find something I can put on top
I have been thinking about building one myself for entertaining. it will be used in the mountains so I thought it might help in preventing hot ashes from floating in the air and starting a forest fire ( might have to add a screen anyway). Have you thought about adding an electric air pump to put more air pressure into the fire pit? I thought if could find one that is quiet or bury it in a box underground that might work, also it might help in getting a fire started faster. One question that I would like to know: Since the fire burns hotter do you go through wood much faster? I'm assuming it does. Thanks for your video instructions. James/ California
Hey James, Buds Smart Home channel included a bilge blower in a build he did. I was unconvinced the seemingly small benefit was worth the trouble including figuring out how to get power to it. Yes any method increasing air intake and combustion efficiency will make the fuel not last as long. Mine does go through wood faster than if, say you were camping and making a fire, but is reasonable for the benefit we get. I would think adding a blower or anything else may cause it to burn inconveniently fast. Cheers
Really nice video, thank you. Definitely something I will think of trying. Just want to check, after each change to the insert (enlarging holes) you must have re-applied the Rust-oleum paint, correct? And do you think the super high temps you might achieve will break down the High Temp silicone you used, and you will have to re-apply it some time or more than one time in the future. But super idea and instructions.
Hey Bob, thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the video. To your questions: yes I did reapply the Rust-oleum paint when enlarging the holes on the insert. When I did that I applied a little bit more silicone to try to make it seal better and saw that the silicone on the vertical surfaces had deteriorated and become brittle and cracked, but the silicone on the horizontal surfaces seemed fine. This matches temps for the top flat part reading significantly lower than those of the vertical surfaces closer to the fire. So those spots may need reapplication after a season or two. Cheers
Thanks Wardo! I added links to the blocks I used in the description, and I haven't had a chance yet to increase the air intake but with the weather changing I'll probably try that out in the next month and make a quick follow-up
You might could use some strips of high temperature ceramic insulation to seal at the bottom. They sell sheets of it on Amazon. It's used for such things as furnaces and kilns.
Hey Carrie, that would only feed oxygen to the primary burn, see the end of the video where I show the small amount of smoke that is still produced is pushed back to the hottest part of the fire to burn off
Ya good point DR, that would’ve been a lot faster. I did want to show the whole process though of starting the fire and then as it warms up how it transitions to “smokeless”.
With so much of the structure siliconed and sealed off, how hard would it be to remove the insert? I'm just thinking that, over the winter (or summer, depending on when you're planning to use it?), this setup will be a great home for rodents if it sits idle for very long. The last thing I'd want to do is fire it up after a couple months and smell a chipmunk nest getting slowly cooked!
Hey Jacob, I talk about the paver cost in part 1 where I build the flagstone patio (I think you meant pavers not papers?) Good point on the automotive paint, that was $9 I’ll add to description later
For it to work better you need a smaller diameter fire ring, or a much bigger fire. Your steel in not hot enough to create the fire fingers you talk about.
600 deg caulking? that firebox will get much hotter then that with all that air... There are 2 problems with this type of design... 1) smoke keeps mosquitos away... 2) this makes a very hot "firebox" that will burn your wood up much faster then normal and even faster if you get the top holes igniting... that's super heated air and probably creates a much stronger draft... better have a lot of wood handy...
Really liked the video. Very in depth and thought out. I liked the addition of the silicone under the lip of the insert. Well done!
Hey, thanks Adam! Really neat to hear from someone that inspired it in the first place. I reference your channel quite a bit, congrats on the growth the last couple of months!
@@AverageDadChannel I really appreciate it! Not sure what your goals are but keep making quality content and over time your channel will pick up more and more steam!
@@AverageDadChannel do we absolutely need the ring? I am building a firepit with donated very nice blocks but I don't want to invest in a ring. Thanks
@@kingbee4474 yes if you’d like to make it smokeless a lot of that will come from the channel of air between the blocks and ring, worth considering one I think even though they aren’t super cheap
@@AverageDadChannel Thanks so much for the advice. I will start by making it smoked. What is the cheapest best base to put at the bottom of the fire pit? Gravel, sand...? I currently have grown grass. Thanks again!
Nice pit! Smokeless is new to me. I’ve been dealing with smoke in my face for a few decades now. But there’s still time to enjoy something new.
Absolutely, whether it's DIY or the pre-made ones, I'd highly recommend the smokeless option if you have fires often
I'm an average dad just like you. You showed much more practical means to build the pit which I have to do again (but better). I liked your money saving aspects. The other guys don't worry about that so that's been my drawback so far. Keep adding more!
Hey Bo, thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it. I’m working to post the next one as soon as I can!
This helped so much with deciding whether to keep the bottom open or seal it off. Good info
I didn't know the secondary burn holes make such a difference. I'll incorporate those in the fire pit I'm building. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching, good luck!
This is everything I could’ve ever wanted and then some
Pretty cool man. I found your video for what ever reason the TH-cam algorithm steered me here. I have been thinking of making one but at first your system to me was like whatever it doesn't matter blah blah blah. But seriously it does matter, and thank you
Seriously, glad you enjoyed it and found it interesting
Very impressive. Thank you for sharing.👍
Thanks for the compliment!
Lol how true. Both my wife and daughter made me get rid of a fire pit because of smoke in their hair. I will try this
good luck!
I just built one of these exactly how you did it (same stones and pattern from Menards and same ring) and it is awesome! Thanks for such a great video.
Thanks for the kind words VP, enjoy the fire pit
I would argue this isn’t so average….but above average
Thank you for that above average comment sir
👍I’ve watched many smokeless pit videos well done you thank you for sharing
thanks gypsy girl 👍
ln about 5:55 into the video, you said you sealed the inside of the spaces of the bricks. Did you use that High Temp Sealant or what? How many layers starting from the bottom did you seal?
I love your diagrams. Maybe just quick drawing to show exactly how much you sealed, how high up to go, and if every adjoining space between bricks in that layer was sealed, both vertical and horizontal.
I'm a RN and tend to over think everything to be safe the first time. Thank you for the info! Of all the videos out there, I picked YOURS!
Hey Darlene thanks for picking my video! So I only used the high temp silicone on the black ring as shown, everything else is just placing bricks or stones as close together as possible. I wasn’t sure how I may modify it but it would probably improve it if I I stacked it and reassembled using some sort of cement or construction adhesive. It probably wouldn’t need to be high temp as the middle and outside of the stones won’t be nearly as hot as the metal insert.
@@AverageDadChannel I watched it many times and did see that you had put some regular orangish red small blocks in front of the places you thought air might seep in, leaving the intended removed block spaces open. This may have created some additional stability to the fire ring the way you have it. I do have a few construction caulking tubes lying around and I'll put some in the creases of the exposed layers below the lower lip of the fire ring, just for the sake of over-kill and no need to purchase it. :) thank you for your prompt response. I am so looking forward to summer to get this going! I did subscribe to your sight too!
Maybe do one on how to fix a washer agitator by removing it, replacing the "dogs" or "dog ears parts that are worn down by use, so the agitator can catch once again. This part is cheap and comes with the amount you'd need to replace them all. I can't imagine how many are tossed to the roadside just because agitation stopped and these small parts simply no longer catch into the grooves to create the agitation motion. You would create a simple feel to this fix!
Amazing job at responding (even to the less desirable comments) and great video content. Love the true on a budget attack with FB marketplace and northern tool references. I've only watched your two so far, on the patio and fireplace but have subscribed to see more. Enjoy your takes and editing, keep it up. (Going to reference yours when doing my own soon)
Thanks Will, appreciate the feedback. Always open to ideas on what would make the videos better to watch.
Good luck when you do yours!
Cool video. I’m only commenting because I saw the license plates. St. Louis here lol
I use the smoke as a bug deterrent, but I like the idea.
Thanks Jager, ha that’s true this will be more susceptible to bugs, pick your poison I guess
Thank you. This video helped a lot. I'll be sure to use your affiliate links for purchases
Glad it helped, thanks Breon!
Just did a similar build, I dont think my wood is seasoned the best but I'm still getting a lot of smoke but the airflow is incredible. It's like 100x easier to start and maintain the fire. I'll count that as a win for now while i work on tweaking my design. I'm thinking of skim-coating my inner stone ring with some fireplace mortar to reduce air loss between the metal and stone layers. Thanks for the video!
Hey Matthew, another thing I did that didn’t make this video is once the fire was going I lit a firework smoke bomb and held it near the air intake openings to check for leaks that limited the amount or pressure coming out the secondary burn holes. Also remember the wood needs to stay below the secondary burn holes for it to direct smoke back toward the middle.
Cheers
I am really curious about the effect of the primary air intakes. I understand that adding oxygen to the bottom will generally be better for combustion, but the smokeless feature should only need the secondary air? Could you do a comparison with and without the primary air feed?
You, sir, just earned yourself a new sub. Great video.
Thanks Miner, really appreciate it
Great job and great video ❤ very well put together. On your question about the fire fingers. My thoughts are that the solo stove fire pit is a two piece stainless steel construction with air gap. The ring you/we buy is a mild carbon steel so with that the stainless steel holds in a lot more heat than carbon. That’s why you see it in cookware so in the pit it heat the air a lot faster and hotter than the carbon setup. Plus the block that is used absorb heat as well so it takes away from the heat from the air. Just my thoughts though. 👍
Hey thanks for the feedback and kind words Tim. The hope is once everything is warmed up the exterior blocks will help radiate some heat to the air rising up in that chamber, but good point on the type of steel. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many stainless options from a quick search, the one I found on Amazon already has a bunch of holes in it for airflow but I'm not sure they would provide the same benefit as this design.
Тип стали на нагрев никак не влияет. Нержавеющая сталь просто дольше прослужит.
Главное отличие этого костра от покупной печи в соотношении диаметра и высоты. Чем меньше диаметр и выше стенки, тем сильнее будет нагреваться воздух во внешней камере и эффективнее будет работать печь.
Did the "high-temp" silicone work out?
-- I notice the temps approached 600 degrees.
It has cracked in some spots but still seems to be working ok. You’ll probably need to reapply every season or two depending on your design
Beautiful!!!
Thanks Brian!
Nice video. I didn't think of plugging the holes with aluminum foil to test how well the smokeless feature is working. I am going to try out my fire pit for the first time soon and i'm going to do the same thing.
Thanks! Let me know how it goes
Do you take out bricks on the second row?
Very cool build. Makes me wanna build one now......
Thank you!
Nice work!
Thanks!
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks JP!
I would suggest not making the holes larger, but smaller. You want to built up some heat and pressure so that they are more jet like, and less floppy garden hose. Great video, you've got it without any more improvements really!
Thanks Chad!
FYI your grandma's oven just needed a new thermal couple lol. It is the little sensor that tells it when its at temp. Otherwise, you get full blast because its saying its not to temp. They wear out over time. They are super easy to fix in old ovens, that is why people still have functional stoves that are 50+ years old. IDK but I don't suspect my new LG is going to get even half that lol!
Lol hey Jake, there was nothing wrong with the oven itself, she just left things in it too long 🤪
@@AverageDadChannel LOL well mine actually had an oven that needed to be fixed. I offered to fix it a million times but she was like "well then how do I know how long to cook stuff then?" Well mom, you figured it out the first time, I would cut the cook time in half and start checking from there hahaha.
Very cool.
Thanks MS!
This is awesome thanks. Explains it really clearly.
I’m keen to do something similar but was hoping to do it set in the ground, so that the top of the fire pit is at ground/patio level.
Do you think that I could add in pipes to feed all the holes you’ve described (both at the bottom of the fire and the top) that would ventilate a few feet away? Would they draw air without the aid of a fan? Or do you think I’d need to have a fan to force air down the pipes?
Would be interested in your and others thoughts. Thanks. :)
Hey JCN, sorry for the slow response.
That is a really interesting idea to put it in ground. Warm air rising will help you, once the fire is lit it will want to draw air in from somewhere to replace the air going up. If you have air inlets via pipes the fire should want to draw that air in without a fan I'd guess. Not exactly what you're trying to do, but check out How to Home's video on the smokeless fire pit where he adds a air inlet to the below it via a pipe for some inspiration.
Cheers.
great video!!! I think you will get those flames on the top if you have enough air pushing through those right? If you close half of them or open more air intakes it should work, right?
Thanks Renato! Ya I wasn’t sure if the holes needed to be a different size, air needed to be warmed up more, or the air intake needed to be increased, but I think I will try removing additional bricks first and see how that does
Try plugging up some with foil just for fun and see what happens. You’d ideally like a vortex to happen. The other option would be to add a small 12v or battery powered fan somewhere that just boosts the whole thing
Excellent job! Looks good
Thanks Don!
I have the same white cork board in my garage just fyi…. Good work on that.
I’m glad we could share that commonality
This has probably already been discussed but it appears to me that you would have to seal those exterior low holes from coming all the way through the stones into the pit (lower the ring) ...forcing the warm air up through to the reburn holes is critical. I believe this would make your build way more efficient.
Hey NN, bricks at the bottom in the inside are suppose to separate the air feeding the main fire and air feeding secondary burn, but that would be a good experiment to try to see if it helps
You need smaller and fewer holes for those flame fingers, so the air can be expelled faster and in a continuous flow when it reaches the main flame
Smaller and fewer would be difficult with the existing insert so I’ll probably remove more bricks to increase the intake, which should also increase the speed of the exiting air
I just did mine - It's much easier to drill the holes on the workbench before you put it together
Hey Steve, good to know. I could especially see the advance there if one was using a drill press vs cordless drill.
Cheers
how many pavers of each kind did you use, hard to count in the video?
Hey Jordan! 64 of the trapezoid shaped blocks and 44 of the bricks
Keep it up, great content.
Thanks Johnson, appreciate it.
Great video and information. What was your final hole sizes, top and bottom. Spacing apart and from edge? Thank you.
Thanks Scott. Top holes are 5/8”, 2” on. Center apart about 1” from the top edge.
The four bottom inlets for the primary burn are the size of standard bricks or 1 3/4” x 3 1/2”
Soooo. How big were the top holes (1/2")? (and how many )
Did you make them bigger?
-- to confirm... there are no holes in the bottom??
56 holes, none drilled in the bottom but the insert doesn’t go all the way to the ground so some air from outside can get in below the insert to feed the fire. Holes ended up being a little larger than 3/4”
Is it possible that the solo stove concept has a limit, radius wise, to how large it can be and still get the secondary combustion fingers?
Hey HISCS, yes very likely. This was the smallest diameter insert I could find. If I could weld I would’ve come up with some sort of cylinder to make it taller, but alas I cannot
Great job, man! (With the edition also!) Cheers!
Thanks Fellype, cheers!
I would cement in your paver blocks. That would help seal up any gaps from the outside. Should increase your "vacuum pressure", this providing more adequate air directed where you want it to go
Yup good point, I plan to go back and do that when I have time
Smaller and fewer secondary burn holes should make fire fingers more likely since it will increas the speed/pressure of the air. I think the best way for you to get them though is more and better stacked fuel. The commercial ones are made small for that reason probably, the smaller diameter makes the require less fuel while burning at maximum efficiency.
Yup, good point
Hi, did you mention the diameter of the insert and total diameter of the brick work? Thanks
Glad Ifound you
Glad I could help
Great video!! Above average dad for sure!!
I agree with Brenty!!
Cheers very helpful
Thanks, glad it was
The hair and stache are exactly the look I’m going for the moment I get out of the military
Love it. My wife isn’t a huge fan but now I tell her it’s part of the AD brand ha.
Thanks for serving.
Great video! Where did you get your bricks and what sizes are they?
Hey Tavio, thanks! Sorry for the slow response, links for the bricks are in the bottom of the video description
To have better fire fingers I would put back the brick from the middle so it draws air only from the bottom to create a less turbulent draft and make sure the air warm up when it reach the top holes. And maybe put big rocks at the bottom so air comes from almost underneath. Like 6 inches of fist sized rocks so the wood is a little higher than your bottom vents spaces.
🎉😮 5:43 😮😢 5:44
Great build! I’m going to do this!
Thanks Dyounger, you should!
How has the silicone held up over time? It is rated for intermittent 600 and constant 500, but your temps hit 800 to 900 F. Just curious as I am planning to do your build 🙂. Thanks!
It’s held up ok, I think it does noticeably help but I’ve had to touch it up every season or two as it’s cracked some where it gets hottest
Nice enhancements to what others have done on TH-cam!
Thanks Tyler!
What about sealing all the cracks between the top bricks
Hey Nancy, glad you’re on the case. The cracks between the top bricks will allow some small amount of air to escape. I have checked this with firework smoke bombs and it seems to be negligible, but I may use some sort of mortar in the future to seal them better
The holes on top are 1/2” wide and 1.5” from the top? How far apart did you space them from eachother?
They’re 1.5” on center (spaced apart) and a little under an inch from the top
@@AverageDadChannel sweet. Thanks. I’m gonna give this a whirl.
hello, is it really effective even you use the right firewood? like oak wood that produce less smoke
Hey JA, Im not sure what type of wood I had for this video, but the design should dramatically cut down on the smoke output regardless wood you use. Well seasoned hardwood will give you a cleaner, less smokey burn
@@AverageDadChannel thanks bro
Honestly I think you could get the same results just by having the spaces in the brick not having foil in it. At least in this video, there seems to be no secondary ignition of wood gases (smoke).
If you build it higher it may help with increasing the temp and pull air in faster allowing those secondary to ignite. Proportionally yours is much wider and flatter than the product you are trying to replicate.
Hey Josh, ya I couldn’t find an insert that was this style and taller, but agreed on the sentiment that the proportions on this one are not as optimal as the commercial ones.
@@AverageDadChannel great video. I am looking at a 4’x2’ round galvanized water trough to get a little more height. I would cut the bottom off. I’ve even considered an oblong one instead of round. I am building from scratch, so I will likely pipe in a fresh air intake for the bottom of the fire like one of the other guys did.
I have a concrete paver firepit that I want to improve airflow. 15” finished height, with 12” high x 30”w 4mm thick steel ring inside. I have top cap course that overhangs ring, so unable to remove with taking all pavers off. Any thoughts to improve airflow without removing pavers? Thx
Hey man, if you want to improve airflow without removing the pavers one thing you could dry is getting a masonry bit that could drill holes into the concrete pavers and then adding holes in the metal insert at the top and bottom (for secondary and primary burn)
@@AverageDadChannel thank you for the tip. Happy burns
One thing I see missing on all DIY smokeless burn pits is the interior lip at the top on professional models. See the flame at minute 1.32. It causes a little bit of compression (not much) and redirection drawn air towards the center. Also, the DIY designs are a lot wider, but not taller. I would go a couple more bricks up to lengthen the draw on these wider designs. I think this would help.
Hey Travis, ya I knew that going into it about the height, harder to find taller off the shelf rings. That’s a good point about the caps though, I’ll have to try to find something I can put on top
it took two days of coming home from work to drill all the holes
at least it's done!
I have been thinking about building one myself for entertaining. it will be used in the mountains so I thought it might help in preventing hot ashes from floating in the air and starting a forest fire ( might have to add a screen anyway). Have you thought about adding an electric air pump to put more air pressure into the fire pit? I thought if could find one that is quiet or bury it in a box underground that might work, also it might help in getting a fire started faster. One question that I would like to know: Since the fire burns hotter do you go through wood much faster? I'm assuming it does. Thanks for your video instructions. James/ California
Hey James, Buds Smart Home channel included a bilge blower in a build he did. I was unconvinced the seemingly small benefit was worth the trouble including figuring out how to get power to it.
Yes any method increasing air intake and combustion efficiency will make the fuel not last as long. Mine does go through wood faster than if, say you were camping and making a fire, but is reasonable for the benefit we get. I would think adding a blower or anything else may cause it to burn inconveniently fast.
Cheers
Really nice video, thank you. Definitely something I will think of trying. Just want to check, after each change to the insert (enlarging holes) you must have re-applied the Rust-oleum paint, correct? And do you think the super high temps you might achieve will break down the High Temp silicone you used, and you will have to re-apply it some time or more than one time in the future. But super idea and instructions.
Hey Bob, thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the video.
To your questions: yes I did reapply the Rust-oleum paint when enlarging the holes on the insert. When I did that I applied a little bit more silicone to try to make it seal better and saw that the silicone on the vertical surfaces had deteriorated and become brittle and cracked, but the silicone on the horizontal surfaces seemed fine. This matches temps for the top flat part reading significantly lower than those of the vertical surfaces closer to the fire. So those spots may need reapplication after a season or two.
Cheers
Any updates on the pit? Did you change anything around
Hey Braydon, nothing yet-been working on the next video. My goal is to try some adjustments in the fall.
HI AD good video. Which two different bricks did you use for the build? Also, any idea if the higher air intakes make a difference?
Thanks Wardo! I added links to the blocks I used in the description, and I haven't had a chance yet to increase the air intake but with the weather changing I'll probably try that out in the next month and make a quick follow-up
What about using something like this to create better seals?
You might could use some strips of high temperature ceramic insulation to seal at the bottom. They sell sheets of it on Amazon. It's used for such things as furnaces and kilns.
What was the overall diameter of your pit area
Hey Julian, the pit area is 43.5” in diameter
Wouldn't drilling a few holes about 2 inches up from the bottom help too? Thats how a smokless fire pit you'd buy that's portable is designed.
the gaps in the stones at the bottom are suppose to serve that function
You don't even need the fire ring, just using your rock or bricks with gaps on the bottom layer should do the trick.
Hey Carrie, that would only feed oxygen to the primary burn, see the end of the video where I show the small amount of smoke that is still produced is pushed back to the hottest part of the fire to burn off
You only had to take the aluminum foil out and watch the smoke disappear to prove or disprove your build.
Ya good point DR, that would’ve been a lot faster. I did want to show the whole process though of starting the fire and then as it warms up how it transitions to “smokeless”.
With so much of the structure siliconed and sealed off, how hard would it be to remove the insert? I'm just thinking that, over the winter (or summer, depending on when you're planning to use it?), this setup will be a great home for rodents if it sits idle for very long. The last thing I'd want to do is fire it up after a couple months and smell a chipmunk nest getting slowly cooked!
Haha it’s pretty easy to grab by the secondary burn holes and lift out, not a bad idea for off-season.
I'm the opposite, I want rodents to nest in it during the winter so I can smoke them out during the spring. Mwahahahahaha.
@@markanders250 😂🤣😂🤣
In your costs, you didn't include the papers or the automotive black paint you used,
Hey Jacob, I talk about the paver cost in part 1 where I build the flagstone patio (I think you meant pavers not papers?) Good point on the automotive paint, that was $9 I’ll add to description later
For it to work better you need a smaller diameter fire ring, or a much bigger fire. Your steel in not hot enough to create the fire fingers you talk about.
Hey Al, ya this was about the smallest diameter insert I could find. The steel does get above 500F which seems like it should be hot enough
You forgot to factor in the cost of the bricks lol
covered those in the flagstone patio video
600 deg caulking? that firebox will get much hotter then that with all that air... There are 2 problems with this type of design... 1) smoke keeps mosquitos away... 2) this makes a very hot "firebox" that will burn your wood up much faster then normal and even faster if you get the top holes igniting... that's super heated air and probably creates a much stronger draft... better have a lot of wood handy...
More wood and mosquitos are the price you pay for not having smoke on your eyes! Pick your poison and to each his own…
Breeo did it first 👍🏻
Hey John, wow you're right, looks like by almost 5 years!
Thanks for the correction.
Get a micophone
Hey Bru, your point is the voiceover quality is not good enough?
If there was a second ring around this one with 1-2 inch room between the rings, the air inside would get hotter and lead to flames coming out the top
Hey Bro, I agree! I wasn’t able to find anything “off the shelf” like that when I built this but that may be a good upgrade to try later
Do you take out bricks on the second row?