I can attest to the fact that this will work. I've made something just like this but on a smaller scale for hiking/backpacking. Same design but I used two soup cans, one smaller/one bigger, and there's minimal smoke. I've considered it for RVing but never thought about cheap stainless pots from Walmart! Thanks for the idea.
Nice job. In my opinion, it's just as good as the Solo Stove. Heck, it'll just end up getting damaged rolling around in your camper storage like this one will so, you're WAY AHEAD! I'm with you on watching those flames as the fire burns though. It's very soothing and mesmerizing to actually witness those colorful flames.
That looks pretty cool. I kind of wonder I have one of the professional made ones works good but yes, they still all smoke. Mine was made for pellets. I burn wood in it anyway almost the same result. Have been curious as to if you could add a middle section of holesto add more air possibly even get a third stage of burning
If you kept the handles on the 12" pot, you could then also then bungie from one handle, through the handle on the 8" pot lid and to the opposite 12" pot handle - just to keep it all bundled up during storage and transport.
Pro Tip for anyone else attempting this, get yourself a _STEP DRILL BIT_ ($10 at Harbor Freight) Not only will this go much faster but the holes will be perfect and look machine made.
@@blocksmithing Nothing I can post here…. Older washing machines had a tub full of holes and coated in ceramic. When one died back in the day, we’d take that apart and pull the was tub out. Just fill it with wood and wha-la. all those holes allowed it to breathe and it’s lasted all these years.
@blocksmithing most are stainless steel. Some have plastic on the bottom. Yes just light it up. Being stainless it will last forever. They are awesome!
I have one wrong for two years to be used! 8 just haven't got rid of the inner pole. But now seeing the two layers, I think I'll upgrade even before the first use!
Love your clever and affordable idea! The key to a better flame is more air flow, it will also keep the flame from wandering. Notice the SoloStove has larger holes around the outside. They are larger than the size you made and this gives a few advantages. Most important, it increases the amount of air available for the secondary burn at the top. It’s that air flow that will focus the flame upward. If you double the hole diameter it allows 4 times more air through! Area of circle = π x r2 The radius squared makes it work. Also, you won’t need to drill as many holes - using a Step Drill is less work too. Can’t wait to make my own mini-smokeless!
I say that the pop-up fire pit is the best fire pit I’ve ever used. It’s clean, it’s portable and you consistently get the same experience. It’s like going to your favourite restaurant… you know what to expect. I’m with you: I want to see the wood burn.
@@dallan7740 have you used a pop-up pit? They're reasonably smoke-free because they breathe from underneath. WAY better than a fire on the ground and almost as good as a Solo/double-walled stove. You also get more heat out of it.
I used to punch holes with nails in cans for decorative lights. I would freeze water in them so they would not warp. I think it might make your holes easier and more even.
Beautiful job! Years ago I build one out of a metal 5 gallon pant bucket and galvanized ash pail that had the same upper rim diameter. The ash pail was tapered at the bottom so it created the proper air gap between the layers. both buckets I had kicking around my basement so they only cost was the drillbit and a can of high heat spray paint. I love that you created a stainless steel version!
Received my Solo Stove as a gift from my daughter. I found your information helpful and gave me knowledge of how the device works. I have not used it, so glad to see, the burn in your demonstration. Oh yea, you did a great job!
Further to my previous comment, I have now made one of these, following your very detailed & thorough hints & tips. It works superbly 🎉 The secondary burn was very efficient and looks great. Well worth the price I paid for the pans & the time to actually make it. I'm adding a concentration ring (a stainless steel mixing bowl, with the bottom cut off 😂) for the top, as you were planning. If anyone is considering making one....... Do it! You won't be disappointed 👍👍
Old here, I enjoy an awesome open fire and have so for over 60 years. Doesn’t bother me, but my wife? She got a Breeo fire pit that we can use under our porch. Not portable, but definitely smokeless and freaking fun. I can watch the fire, she can make s’mores and we are both happy. Your version looks very promising! Best to all. B
I absolutely love my solo stove and use it camping all the time. You can see the logs burning quite well with the stove on the ground. Your home made one would be more efficient if you could fabricate the conical ring that goes around the top. By the way, several time a year you can get the mid-size stove for about half price.
I saw a build of a similar version , where the maker bent the upper ring of holes to create a swirl effect. he just put a bit in the hole, and bent it to the direction he wanted. All in all, Great job
I love this idea. I still favor the pop-up, just because it takes so much less space. Also, this would have created the perfect excuse/rationalization to purchase a countersink drill bit! Not a big fan of campfires. Our first year of RV camping we awoke five times in one summer with a wildfire less that five miles away. We keep our rig ready to roll in fifteen minutes and we always scout two ways out of camp site, so we got away safely each time, but still experience a bit of panic every time we smell wood smoke.
Hi Mike, I appreciate your comments. I never thought about being ready to roll in 15 min and preplanning routes out of a campground. I would you to make a video on this
I like having multiple options when I’m planning our outings. I think this is perfect for that reason. It probably wouldn’t be used every trip but it’s another option to add to the fun. Great job!
Very cool idea, is a little bit labour-intensive but you get what you give. I think you achieved what you were out to do and I would not be embarrassed to have one around my camp. 👍 Mike from Montreal.
One of the positives of this smokeless is the size. If you sit it on the ground you could still feel the heat. Larger smokeless fires contain the heat inside the burn chamber. I think of this size as more of a Sportsman's Grill. In the warmer months you won't want the heat. I think you'll use it more often than the pop up fire pit.
As a kayaker, I like the portability of this. Most of the time I can simply build a fire where I camp beside the river but I have a trip coming up that this will be ideal for. I do wish you would spent another 10 seconds using telling about the flashing... I'm sure I'll figure that out but a little more detail would have been nice.
We had a local CNC shop cut a pop up firepit out of 1/8" steel. It folds down into 5 pieces. Yes, it's heavy, but watching the fire burn is the experience I wanted. Thanks for sharing your build!
If you can find a old Weber round lid use at nite when you want to go in. The park rangers want this because then there are no errant sparks. Also make galvanized legs with one horizontal turn going out at least one inch beyond the tube for stability. I have five legs on mine for stability.
Good cutting tools certainly make a big difference on a project like this and I’m sure Jared felt some strain while drilling so many holes. Stainless steel is fairly soft / malleable but quite tough. This tough characteristic makes it harder to cut / drill. Cobalt drill bits (not the cheaper cobalt coated) are the best I know of for the cost. Typical high speed steel and other fancy coated bits just don’t hold up. Tungsten carbide will certainly do it too but they are another level of cost and so hard / brittle that using them in a hand drill almost guarantees breakage.
You did a really good job! It looks great. But the step bit is the way to go. Before I discovered the step bit I used your method on drilling the holes. I have a solo stove. Had it about three or four years. The stainless steel does discolor on it too. I use it when I want warmth. I have a heat deflector which I bought from Solo Stove and it helps with the warmth. I also agree with your statement about the Solo Stove limiting the visual effects of being able to see a full burning fire. Good job on this video.
Watched this earlier in the day. Proceeded to wash dishes after dinner and wondering if a large kitchen pot that comes with a matching pasta strainer would do the same thing. Strainer has tons of small holes on the bottom and sides.
Nice job, came out well. Only thing wrong is offsetting the holes on the bottom. I think the top set are a bit smaller too. It helps to pull air faster/more efficient in the smoke burning.
Great Job. You definitely nailed it. The discoloring happens with the Solo stoves as well. We've had our Solo about 4 years and LOVE it. They have great sales that's when we got ours
Great job!!! I do a lot of thinking. I thought on how to build that solo stove on and off for months. This idea is way better than anything I came up with. I also would have kept cutting the steel with the burn marks on it. I know you wanted the look ( aesthetics).
I almost did this. I was at the store with these in a cart and held off at the last minute. A few days later I bought the name brand 'stove' on sale. Got to say, I love it, but part of me wants to try this with some bigger/thicker pots that have been retired from brewing.
Excellent job! I received a solo stove this Christmas and it discolored on the first fire. I was surprised to see how much mine did, but I think it's normal if you run it hot. Yours did great!
I’ve seen a few of these style DIY smokeless fire pits, even built a small one myself but already thinking it’s too small, I think I’ll have to give your design a try. You definitely made it look easy to make so will have to give it a try, thanks for the video!
I like our Solo Stove, I got the smallest one they had at the time and it is a little bit bigger than I would have wanted. But we have it and use it every week when we travel.
You can save yourself a lot of effort on the next one. They do not need nearly as many primary air holes in the bottom of the burn chamber,as,what you used. On a stove this small perhaps 3-4% of the bottom surface area. Too much primary air and you get towering flames and smoke reforming/condensing above the flames. it will also roar thru fuel. The goal is to just give it enough air to make the woodgas that is burnt cleanly by the heated secondary air. Too much primary, too much up-flow and not enough time to burn at the secondary ports. Since you are also pulling all the air in thru those outer holes a large suction up thru the middle means less air to the secondary. You can experiment with this easily. Throw some soup can lids down into the bottom to cover some of your holes and you will see what I mean. You will know when you are getting close when you start seeing it suck flame downward. This will also help pull that heated secondary air out over the fuel to mix with and burn better. You could probably increase the size of those outer holes at the bottom a bit. As mentioned, a step drill would make this easier, they are good on sheet metal. I build these out of old hot water heaters. The larger the pit, the less primary air they need. The 15” ones I build only use ~1% of the bottom surface area as primary vent size. Have some videos here, username Rronmar…
I bought the wal mart version of this little bigger got carry bag grill top all less 90 dollars that's high but cheaper than name brands nice we set on deck on spare emergency tire so don't burn wood deck works great your looks good lot of time but budget good one I seen use those pots to make counter top water filter
We have the Solo Ranger. Which looks about the size you built. I think the one you built looks great and I agree that one thing I do miss is watching the fire burn the wood. Maybe it’s the pyro in me 😂
If you use pellets there’s no sparks and you can usually use it even when there are campfire bans in the summer. Clean burn too but you need to keep adding pellets.
Very nice build. If you want to go a stepnover you build budget maybe a nice outer finish with somethingnlike Cerakote would add to the aesthetic. As for watching the wood burn, I totally agree. For portable smokeless, this I why i enjoy my Biolite Firepit and have avoided something like the Solo. A model with mesh panels would be the sweet spot
Problem with solo stoves is the heat goes straight up - they won't work as warmers. Yes they have the deflectors but that's a different issue.... It's creative. Good for you
thanks for the engineering. I was startled at the prude of that thing, the original one. Wondering why so expensive! I'll try a shorter version, check if it's as smokeless as the real one, and still watch the wood burn.
Very clever. More clever to leave the handles on the larger pot but a that’s a minor thing. You could probably fashion a handle of sorts that uses the drilled out handle holes.
Kudos on your well executed project! Nicely done within budget. As far as easier ways to drill holes.... Experience is what you have just after you need it! Thanks for the entertaining video
I agree that an open fire is better. Love to watch a fire while listening to a good audio book. If you keep your wood pieces dry and of a reasonable size, you won't get much smoke. As you pointed out, even these super duper fire pits smoke like crazy until the newly added wood starts to burn well (with less ventilation than an open fire) and that takes a long time with large damp pieces of wood, period. I also think that you'll find you can now buy an appropriately sized knock off fire pit in the same store where you bought your pots, so it's hardly worth the effort, IMO
I thought it was a pretty good idea I do like the open flame we have an outland gas fire pit that we take along with us I like that very well but off and on I still do like an open fire pit to enjoy the flames and be mesmerized with some adult ever this great idea I watch you all the time.
Very cool idea. I have considered a Solo stove, but the price is prohibitive. I like the idea of a portable fire pit, as many of the camp sites we go to have above ground fire stoves instead of a pit. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Watching your measurements for the holes AROUND the sides. You could take a piece of elastic, and mark off the number of holes at easy intervals (1" or easier) and stretched it around the object. everything will stay equally spaced. on a smaller object, you'd need smaller intervals, but even numbers.
If you made the holes around the top of the inner 8" pot a bit larger - say, 3/8" or 10mm or so - you'd get a stronger draft between the kettles and a cleaner, more steady secondary burn.
I would have placed the upper holes a bit lower. Maybe a1/4 to 1/3 of inch further down. I also agree with keeping the outer handles, for ease of transporting.
Fantastic idea 👌 Have just started out camper vanning in UK and have made everything, to keep costs down. If it wasnt our 'thing', which it absolutely is btw, it wouldn't have been an expensive fail. Anyway, we like to relax round a fire and this looks ideal. Nothing better than seeing your own creation & hard work bear fruit 😊 Absolutely spot on. Lets go shopping for pans 😂😂
Great video and awesome fire pit!!! In the night time section I saw that the gas escapes from the flange so maybe if you apply heat resistant silicone or welding it should make the trick!
Smokeless fire pits are a fun idea to futz around with, but I agree they aren't the most entertaining to sit around. In addition to not being able to see the burn, you are shielded from the majority of the radiant heat due tot he double wall, and so you have the choice you getting chilly (on a cool night) or leaning in and frying your eyebrows off in the jetwash of heat screaming out the top. Their best application is at a twig stove scale, for cooking, although even then there are more portable ideas out there.
Interesting! Our daughter has the big solo stove. While it works well, I don’t like the outside gets so hot especially when you have children in the area. We personally use a portable propane fire pit when camping. They can often be used in no burn areas when you can’t use an actual fire pit.
Great video and I agree with you about the joys of having and playing with traditional fires. The Pop Up is a great portable firepit, I opted for the Snowpeak and we forget how nice they are to keep even your feet warm 🔥 🏕️❄️🇨🇦🍻
Love this idea. Unfortunately I am a full timer and have found so many places that have oven flame bans because of drought. Because of that I have a propane fire pit as it does not produce any possible flying embers.
I have a propane fire pit as well. A few summers ago we were in Sturgis SD with a burn ban. I went to the local FD and asked if my propane fire pit was okay being no sparks. He asked, "What part of no open fires do you not understand?"
Nice design (and video). Tip for drilling sheet metal... use step bits. They look kinda odd and are an all-in-one bit (usually 1/8" between steps). Because of the design of the bit, they make much cleaner holes in sheet metal. - And no bit changes, so they are quicker.
Great job Jarod. I like your thinking, if you can build it, why buy it? I'm in process of taking a donated 22" Blackstone and trying to "Bare Bones" it as much as possible. I love my Blackstone for RV'ing, but it's getting heavy to lug around and takes up significant storage room in the RV.
I got a Solo Stove Mesa from work. It works great with generic hardwood pellets, but I have wanted to make one for logs for a while. I just can not justify $200+
While at Walmart you could have picked up the Ozark trail version of the solo stove. It'll be much more robust than what you made and considering the time savings, we'll worth it.
We keep the solo stove ranger, $199, in the pass-through of our camper. It’s the smallest of the ground based portable fire pits. It doesn’t take up much space and is a perfect size fire pit for 2 to 4 people. It also comes with a carry bag to keep everything around it clean. We bought the accessory cast-iron grill for the top so we could use it to cook on. I would recommend it over making your own. You mentioned watching the fire, if it’s on the ground, I can watch it all night long. On a table top and I will only see the flames coming out the top.
I can attest to the fact that this will work. I've made something just like this but on a smaller scale for hiking/backpacking. Same design but I used two soup cans, one smaller/one bigger, and there's minimal smoke. I've considered it for RVing but never thought about cheap stainless pots from Walmart! Thanks for the idea.
Glad you liked it. Very cool idea making a small one for camping out of cans.
My kids bought us a Solo stove a few years back but if we didn’t have one already I’d copy your work. Well presented too!
Nice job. In my opinion, it's just as good as the Solo Stove. Heck, it'll just end up getting damaged rolling around in your camper storage like this one will so, you're WAY AHEAD! I'm with you on watching those flames as the fire burns though. It's very soothing and mesmerizing to actually witness those colorful flames.
That looks pretty cool. I kind of wonder I have one of the professional made ones works good but yes, they still all smoke. Mine was made for pellets. I burn wood in it anyway almost the same result. Have been curious as to if you could add a middle section of holesto add more air possibly even get a third stage of burning
keeping the outside two handles would actually make transport much easier
If you kept the handles on the 12" pot, you could then also then bungie from one handle, through the handle on the 8" pot lid and to the opposite 12" pot handle - just to keep it all bundled up during storage and transport.
I made the same comment, then realized you had already made it and I deleted mine. So I agree!
I saw that too
Well if u listen, he said he took it off for the seamless look
The seamless look left holes where the handles were. But he did a great job.
Pro Tip for anyone else attempting this, get yourself a _STEP DRILL BIT_ ($10 at Harbor Freight) Not only will this go much faster but the holes will be perfect and look machine made.
I was actually wondering about that
Get yourself a set of Unibits. They are step drill bits. You won't have to change drill bits all the time. They drill very nice holes as well.
Nice thing is the next size up deburrs the one you just drilled!
Haha I just posted the same thing - $10 at harbor freight
@@c0pyimitati0n and that’s for more than one size lol
Same thoughts
Agreed. Nothing beats my 25 yr old wash tub from an old washing machine. Still going strong after all these yrs.
Do you have pics of that?? I'm totally fascinated!
@@blocksmithing Nothing I can post here…. Older washing machines had a tub full of holes and coated in ceramic. When one died back in the day, we’d take that apart and pull the was tub out. Just fill it with wood and wha-la. all those holes allowed it to breathe and it’s lasted all these years.
That sounds awesome. Is it in another tub or do you just pull it out of the washer and light it up? Is it smokeless?@@jimsjacob
@blocksmithing most are stainless steel. Some have plastic on the bottom. Yes just light it up. Being stainless it will last forever. They are awesome!
I have one wrong for two years to be used! 8 just haven't got rid of the inner pole. But now seeing the two layers, I think I'll upgrade even before the first use!
Love your clever and affordable idea! The key to a better flame is more air flow, it will also keep the flame from wandering. Notice the SoloStove has larger holes around the outside. They are larger than the size you made and this gives a few advantages. Most important, it increases the amount of air available for the secondary burn at the top. It’s that air flow that will focus the flame upward. If you double the hole diameter it allows 4 times more air through! Area of circle = π x r2 The radius squared makes it work. Also, you won’t need to drill as many holes - using a Step Drill is less work too. Can’t wait to make my own mini-smokeless!
I say that the pop-up fire pit is the best fire pit I’ve ever used. It’s clean, it’s portable and you consistently get the same experience. It’s like going to your favourite restaurant… you know what to expect. I’m with you: I want to see the wood burn.
I guess one disadvantage is that it's not as smokeless as something like the solo stove?
@@dallan7740 have you used a pop-up pit? They're reasonably smoke-free because they breathe from underneath. WAY better than a fire on the ground and almost as good as a Solo/double-walled stove. You also get more heat out of it.
@@shawnbaker3910 I have not used one and I defer to your greater experience!
I used to punch holes with nails in cans for decorative lights. I would freeze water in them so they would not warp. I think it might make your holes easier and more even.
I really like this build. Not too difficult or expensive, just time consuming.
Exactly what I was thinking while doom scrolling for hours. My time is valuable. 😂
Beautiful job! Years ago I build one out of a metal 5 gallon pant bucket and galvanized ash pail that had the same upper rim diameter. The ash pail was tapered at the bottom so it created the proper air gap between the layers. both buckets I had kicking around my basement so they only cost was the drillbit and a can of high heat spray paint.
I love that you created a stainless steel version!
Received my Solo Stove as a gift from my daughter. I found your information helpful and gave me knowledge of how the device works. I have not used it, so glad to see, the burn in your demonstration. Oh yea, you did a great job!
Further to my previous comment, I have now made one of these, following your very detailed & thorough hints & tips.
It works superbly 🎉 The secondary burn was very efficient and looks great.
Well worth the price I paid for the pans & the time to actually make it.
I'm adding a concentration ring (a stainless steel mixing bowl, with the bottom cut off 😂) for the top, as you were planning.
If anyone is considering making one....... Do it! You won't be disappointed 👍👍
My motto for DIY projects is “Safety eventually.”
I just pulled the stainless steel drum out of an old washing machine that was headed to scrap metal. Been using it almost 10 yrs now.
That is genius
Old here, I enjoy an awesome open fire and have so for over 60 years. Doesn’t bother me, but my wife? She got a Breeo fire pit that we can use under our porch. Not portable, but definitely smokeless and freaking fun. I can watch the fire, she can make s’mores and we are both happy. Your version looks very promising! Best to all. B
👍🏼
I absolutely love my solo stove and use it camping all the time. You can see the logs burning quite well with the stove on the ground. Your home made one would be more efficient if you could fabricate the conical ring that goes around the top. By the way, several time a year you can get the mid-size stove for about half price.
We use a dryer tub. I’ve got handles & feet welded on to make it easier to carry and to level when needed.
Nice.
I saw a build of a similar version , where the maker bent the upper ring of holes to create a swirl effect. he just put a bit in the hole, and bent it to the direction he wanted. All in all, Great job
Cool idea! I might try that. Thanks.
Great job. I agree watching fire burn is more satisfying
I love this idea. I still favor the pop-up, just because it takes so much less space. Also, this would have created the perfect excuse/rationalization to purchase a countersink drill bit!
Not a big fan of campfires. Our first year of RV camping we awoke five times in one summer with a wildfire less that five miles away. We keep our rig ready to roll in fifteen minutes and we always scout two ways out of camp site, so we got away safely each time, but still experience a bit of panic every time we smell wood smoke.
Hi Mike, I appreciate your comments. I never thought about being ready to roll in 15 min and preplanning routes out of a campground. I would you to make a video on this
I like having multiple options when I’m planning our outings. I think this is perfect for that reason. It probably wouldn’t be used every trip but it’s another option to add to the fun. Great job!
Great idea with the pots, well executed and you achieved your goal. But you are right about being able to see the logs burning.
I got mine from Aldi. I think it was $79 and it comes with a travel bag and works great!
Very cool idea, is a little bit labour-intensive but you get what you give. I think you achieved what you were out to do and I would not be embarrassed to have one around my camp. 👍 Mike from Montreal.
One of the positives of this smokeless is the size. If you sit it on the ground you could still feel the heat. Larger smokeless fires contain the heat inside the burn chamber. I think of this size as more of a Sportsman's Grill. In the warmer months you won't want the heat. I think you'll use it more often than the pop up fire pit.
I found using a step bit made it easier to drill when I made a water filter out of couple of stock pots.
As a kayaker, I like the portability of this. Most of the time I can simply build a fire where I camp beside the river but I have a trip coming up that this will be ideal for.
I do wish you would spent another 10 seconds using telling about the flashing... I'm sure I'll figure that out but a little more detail would have been nice.
We had a local CNC shop cut a pop up firepit out of 1/8" steel. It folds down into 5 pieces. Yes, it's heavy, but watching the fire burn is the experience I wanted. Thanks for sharing your build!
Always excited when you post a new video.
Feels like a great movie to watch.
Thanks Jared
An old washer drum works even better, been using one for 20 years...
If you can find a old Weber round lid use at nite when you want to go in. The park rangers want this because then there are no errant sparks. Also make galvanized legs with one horizontal turn going out at least one inch beyond the tube for stability. I have five legs on mine for stability.
Yeah. More holes would be a goal to make less smoke.
Yeah but no… you don’t get it
This post is IQ 10,000! Now I have to find an old washer
Yep, best thing ever and looks great!
Very cool! I love to see creative ideas like this. I would have used a stepper bit to keep from switching out so often.
Good idea. I thought about using my step bit but the heat from the amount of holes made it nice to swap out bits and let them cool.
Good cutting tools certainly make a big difference on a project like this and I’m sure Jared felt some strain while drilling so many holes. Stainless steel is fairly soft / malleable but quite tough. This tough characteristic makes it harder to cut / drill. Cobalt drill bits (not the cheaper cobalt coated) are the best I know of for the cost. Typical high speed steel and other fancy coated bits just don’t hold up. Tungsten carbide will certainly do it too but they are another level of cost and so hard / brittle that using them in a hand drill almost guarantees breakage.
You did a really good job! It looks great. But the step bit is the way to go. Before I discovered the step bit I used your method on drilling the holes. I have a solo stove. Had it about three or four years. The stainless steel does discolor on it too. I use it when I want warmth. I have a heat deflector which I bought from Solo Stove and it helps with the warmth. I also agree with your statement about the Solo Stove limiting the visual effects of being able to see a full burning fire. Good job on this video.
Fire is certainly mesmerising, hypnotic and enchanting.
Watched this earlier in the day. Proceeded to wash dishes after dinner and wondering if a large kitchen pot that comes with a matching pasta strainer would do the same thing. Strainer has tons of small holes on the bottom and sides.
I don’t think so, you don’t want too many holes on the side or you won’t get much of the secondary burn at the top.
I prefer the sound, smell, and as you pointed out, the sight of a traditional fire pit.
One good thing about the smoke is it helps keep mosquitoes and gnats away
For a DIY it sure looks : PROFESSIONAL.
Nice job, came out well. Only thing wrong is offsetting the holes on the bottom. I think the top set are a bit smaller too. It helps to pull air faster/more efficient in the smoke burning.
Great Job. You definitely nailed it. The discoloring happens with the Solo stoves as well. We've had our Solo about 4 years and LOVE it. They have great sales that's when we got ours
That is awesome!
Very cool DIY project. I'm like you though, I like to watch a fire burn. I think I'm going to try it anyway. Good video.
Great job!!! I do a lot of thinking. I thought on how to build that solo stove on and off for months. This idea is way better than anything I came up with. I also would have kept cutting the steel with the burn marks on it. I know you wanted the look ( aesthetics).
I almost did this. I was at the store with these in a cart and held off at the last minute. A few days later I bought the name brand 'stove' on sale. Got to say, I love it, but part of me wants to try this with some bigger/thicker pots that have been retired from brewing.
Excellent job! I received a solo stove this Christmas and it discolored on the first fire. I was surprised to see how much mine did, but I think it's normal if you run it hot. Yours did great!
I’ve seen a few of these style DIY smokeless fire pits, even built a small one myself but already thinking it’s too small, I think I’ll have to give your design a try. You definitely made it look easy to make so will have to give it a try, thanks for the video!
I like the simplicity and design of this stove. I think I will try to make it myself.
Keep up the good work.
I like the smokeless version....hate smelling like a campfire. I will try your idea
A stepped drill bit is made for drilling thin sheet-metal and if you use plank of wood as a backer when you drill, there will not be any burrs.
I like our Solo Stove, I got the smallest one they had at the time and it is a little bit bigger than I would have wanted. But we have it and use it every week when we travel.
I made on tonight out of a insulated thermos cup, it was successful so now I wanna do the same with a insulated 1 gallon thermos
You can save yourself a lot of effort on the next one. They do not need nearly as many primary air holes in the bottom of the burn chamber,as,what you used. On a stove this small perhaps 3-4% of the bottom surface area. Too much primary air and you get towering flames and smoke reforming/condensing above the flames. it will also roar thru fuel. The goal is to just give it enough air to make the woodgas that is burnt cleanly by the heated secondary air. Too much primary, too much up-flow and not enough time to burn at the secondary ports. Since you are also pulling all the air in thru those outer holes a large suction up thru the middle means less air to the secondary. You can experiment with this easily. Throw some soup can lids down into the bottom to cover some of your holes and you will see what I mean. You will know when you are getting close when you start seeing it suck flame downward. This will also help pull that heated secondary air out over the fuel to mix with and burn better. You could probably increase the size of those outer holes at the bottom a bit. As mentioned, a step drill would make this easier, they are good on sheet metal. I build these out of old hot water heaters. The larger the pit, the less primary air they need. The 15” ones I build only use ~1% of the bottom surface area as primary vent size. Have some videos here, username Rronmar…
I bought the wal mart version of this little bigger got carry bag grill top all less 90 dollars that's high but cheaper than name brands nice we set on deck on spare emergency tire so don't burn wood deck works great your looks good lot of time but budget good one I seen use those pots to make counter top water filter
We have the Solo Ranger. Which looks about the size you built. I think the one you built looks great and I agree that one thing I do miss is watching the fire burn the wood. Maybe it’s the pyro in me 😂
Genius; pure genius! Being DIY gut myself, i like these type of projects.
Glad you like them! Thanks.
If you use pellets there’s no sparks and you can usually use it even when there are campfire bans in the summer. Clean burn too but you need to keep adding pellets.
I have been using a washer machine tub for years we added legs and I’ve got about $ 20 invested
You forgot your cut restiant gloves. Nice job on a dyi project.
yeah, this is pretty awesome.
Very nice build. If you want to go a stepnover you build budget maybe a nice outer finish with somethingnlike Cerakote would add to the aesthetic.
As for watching the wood burn, I totally agree. For portable smokeless, this I why i enjoy my Biolite Firepit and have avoided something like the Solo. A model with mesh panels would be the sweet spot
Hey you should look into step bits for projects like this its a good all in one so you don’t need to swap bits out 3:03
Problem with solo stoves is the heat goes straight up - they won't work as warmers. Yes they have the deflectors but that's a different issue.... It's creative. Good for you
I think there might be a way to give a bit of angle to those top air vents tangent to the surface such that it gives a swirl to the fire.
thanks for the engineering. I was startled at the prude of that thing, the original one. Wondering why so expensive! I'll try a shorter version, check if it's as smokeless as the real one, and still watch the wood burn.
Bigger holes out side as I understand helps the burn better
Try using a high quality unibit, or step drill. Once you hit the correct size, you can use the next size step to deburr the back side.
Very clever. More clever to leave the handles on the larger pot but a that’s a minor thing. You could probably fashion a handle of sorts that uses the drilled out handle holes.
I agree, the handles would be a great thing to have. My biggest complaint about my solo is there is no easy way to pick it up hot or cold.
I’ve picked up my Ranger from the bottom with welding gloves on but not something I do often.
I thought about leaving them.
Kudos on your well executed project! Nicely done within budget. As far as easier ways to drill holes.... Experience is what you have just after you need it!
Thanks for the entertaining video
I agree that an open fire is better. Love to watch a fire while listening to a good audio book. If you keep your wood pieces dry and of a reasonable size, you won't get much smoke. As you pointed out, even these super duper fire pits smoke like crazy until the newly added wood starts to burn well (with less ventilation than an open fire) and that takes a long time with large damp pieces of wood, period. I also think that you'll find you can now buy an appropriately sized knock off fire pit in the same store where you bought your pots, so it's hardly worth the effort, IMO
I thought it was a pretty good idea I do like the open flame we have an outland gas fire pit that we take along with us I like that very well but off and on I still do like an open fire pit to enjoy the flames and be mesmerized with some adult ever this great idea I watch you all the time.
Very cool idea. I have considered a Solo stove, but the price is prohibitive. I like the idea of a portable fire pit, as many of the camp sites we go to have above ground fire stoves instead of a pit. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Watching your measurements for the holes AROUND the sides. You could take a piece of elastic, and mark off the number of holes at easy intervals (1" or easier) and stretched it around the object. everything will stay equally spaced. on a smaller object, you'd need smaller intervals, but even numbers.
Great project! I agree with your thoughts on open fires. If you don’t want smoke go for a gas fire pit.
Yes gas is a great option and good for when there are fire bans too.
Love it anytime you can do a diy build. that's awesome
If you made the holes around the top of the inner 8" pot a bit larger - say, 3/8" or 10mm or so - you'd get a stronger draft between the kettles and a cleaner, more steady secondary burn.
When drilling or cutting stainless steel I recommend stainless steel cutting fluid. A little messy but you’ll save time, aggravation, and drill bits.
Thanks for the tip!
I would have placed the upper holes a bit lower. Maybe a1/4 to 1/3 of inch further down. I also agree with keeping the outer handles, for ease of transporting.
Fantastic idea 👌
Have just started out camper vanning in UK and have made everything, to keep costs down. If it wasnt our 'thing', which it absolutely is btw, it wouldn't have been an expensive fail.
Anyway, we like to relax round a fire and this looks ideal. Nothing better than seeing your own creation & hard work bear fruit 😊
Absolutely spot on.
Lets go shopping for pans 😂😂
I like to build things. I built power generators. Now I think I may tackle one of these. Thanks
Great video and awesome fire pit!!! In the night time section I saw that the gas escapes from the flange so maybe if you apply heat resistant silicone or welding it should make the trick!
Thanks for the tip!
Dawn dish soap is the best cutting fluid for working with stainless.
Very cool idea! Thanks for sharing. The time factor is probably the downside.
Smokeless fire pits are a fun idea to futz around with, but I agree they aren't the most entertaining to sit around. In addition to not being able to see the burn, you are shielded from the majority of the radiant heat due tot he double wall, and so you have the choice you getting chilly (on a cool night) or leaning in and frying your eyebrows off in the jetwash of heat screaming out the top. Their best application is at a twig stove scale, for cooking, although even then there are more portable ideas out there.
Washing machine drums work realy well as a free portable fire pit, not quite smokeless but close enough
Would love to try this, but it looked like a lot of work. I've been looking at the store-built stoves. They are just so pricey. Thanks for sharing.
looks good! I would like to make one smaller, for backpacking.
Neato! You're right, I like to watch the burn also. Thanks for showing!
My pleasure!
Use a green polishing wheel next time to grind the edge makes a better look
Interesting! Our daughter has the big solo stove. While it works well, I don’t like the outside gets so hot especially when you have children in the area. We personally use a portable propane fire pit when camping. They can often be used in no burn areas when you can’t use an actual fire pit.
Great points.
Great video and I agree with you about the joys of having and playing with traditional fires. The Pop Up is a great portable firepit, I opted for the Snowpeak and we forget how nice they are to keep even your feet warm 🔥 🏕️❄️🇨🇦🍻
$25 - totally worth it!
Love this idea. Unfortunately I am a full timer and have found so many places that have oven flame bans because of drought. Because of that I have a propane fire pit as it does not produce any possible flying embers.
Propane is great for that.
I have a propane fire pit as well. A few summers ago we were in Sturgis SD with a burn ban. I went to the local FD and asked if my propane fire pit was okay being no sparks. He asked, "What part of no open fires do you not understand?"
Make Small holes in top and big down. You can get More with
Nice design (and video).
Tip for drilling sheet metal... use step bits. They look kinda odd and are an all-in-one bit (usually 1/8" between steps).
Because of the design of the bit, they make much cleaner holes in sheet metal. - And no bit changes, so they are quicker.
Great job Jarod. I like your thinking, if you can build it, why buy it? I'm in process of taking a donated 22" Blackstone and trying to "Bare Bones" it as much as possible. I love my Blackstone for RV'ing, but it's getting heavy to lug around and takes up significant storage room in the RV.
I'd love an update (in the future) to how long the Walmart pots held up before they melted/warped or just failed.
I got a Solo Stove Mesa from work. It works great with generic hardwood pellets, but I have wanted to make one for logs for a while. I just can not justify $200+
While at Walmart you could have picked up the Ozark trail version of the solo stove. It'll be much more robust than what you made and considering the time savings, we'll worth it.
When did safety get moved from 3dr to 2nd ?
Nice work as always.
Exactly!
1) cost.
2) speed.
3) safety.
We keep the solo stove ranger, $199, in the pass-through of our camper. It’s the smallest of the ground based portable fire pits. It doesn’t take up much space and is a perfect size fire pit for 2 to 4 people. It also comes with a carry bag to keep everything around it clean. We bought the accessory cast-iron grill for the top so we could use it to cook on. I would recommend it over making your own. You mentioned watching the fire, if it’s on the ground, I can watch it all night long. On a table top and I will only see the flames coming out the top.
Good points. They do make a nice product.
Nice build. Definitely better than a spendy Solo Stove. You've inspired me.
Awesome! Thank you!
Tip: Get a spring loaded center punch - No hammer needed - Align the tip and press