SUPER HOT SMOKELESS FIRE PIT - DIY Under $200! SLOWMO PROOF!

[@dortot1]

If you're anything like me, you watch a bunch of videos on smokeless fire pits and you glean a lot from each one but yours I enjoyed the most. Thank you.

[@abcxyz9643]

Only guy on youtube building these correctly like a wood gas stove LOL. Love to see it.

[@talkingtomyself6642]

holy crap you can actually see the top holes working! nice shot!

[@beboba2498]

The first diy smokeless firepit which actually works!

[@johnkirk8852]

I have watched a ton of videos on this. I'm so interested in doing this right. I've seen the double rings and all that but I thought mathematically there was a better way without the two rings. You did a great job breaking this down to how this should be done. Makes perfect sense. Thank you. Great job.. Logic always wins..

[@trollpatrol8453]

Not only did you make a smokeless fire pit, but it’s also a wood gasification pit. Which is why there is flames out the top holes. Usually wood gas is wasted and just rolls out of the pit away from the flame. Very nice job! Took 5 videos to find what I wanted to see. It’s possible! Thanks for the design!

[@luckyrockmore2796]

I'm assuming that if you want the actual fire a bit higher in the pit (not as deep) you would drill the bottom set of holes a bit higher in accordance with the layer of pavers that have the gaps between them?

[@trollpatrol8453]

@@luckyrockmore2796 well personally I’d probably add more wood, or buy a ring that is a bit more shallow. You’d still want the holes as low as possible. It’s the wood gas exiting the bottom holes mixing with the fresh oxygen and coming out the top that creates the top flame. If it’s just smokeless you want to achieve, more oxygen is generally the key, along with properly seasoned wood.

[@SteveSalhaney]

When you shifted the ring up to create the seal under the cap stone, what happened to the relationship between the air inlets and the ring ( and bottom holes)?

[@christophercline6001]

Love how detailed you are and how you linked everything you used in the description. Most definitely making this went to your links to buy everything just like yours but Lowe’s is out of all the bricks you used ”must be because of this video” 🤪

[@Jon_Chan]

Haha yea the side effects of a successful build video 😂 I know the rings are all gone at my local tractor supply.

[@bhatsayali11]

Thank you so much for the diagram, a detailed explanation of the phenomenon of “smokeless “ and the dramatic slowmo showing how air pushes in through the holes!

[@markdavidson3863]

Well Looks like I’ll be buying another ring... Hackmans honestly worked for me but this is next level.

[@paulmorgun]

The best smokeless fire pit hands down. I have watched a lot and I don’t think anyone can compare to this one.

[@tedmoeckel1251]

Hey Jon - I have been studying smokeless fire pit DIY videos all month, and this is by far the best one. I am doing my homework and will be building mine next month. I plan on videoing it, throwing it on KZbin and certainly giving you plenty of credit. Thanks!

[@Jon_Chan]

So where’s that video? 😜

[@yangmagic0703]

did you end up building your own?

[@nobodydoingunimportantthings]

One of the best DIY videos on KZbin. But I would pre punch before drilling to minimize travel and align the holes more nicely.

[@mikefahlenkamp9084]

I like it... let me tell you why...I could see right from the start you were a guy who knew how to actually measure "well I had to have a hole on the seam to make it come out even" the size of the top orifice is key... others I've seen drill a huge inch and a half or so....my brain told me some thing was wrong with that...I am happy I stumbled upon this video...great job ...

[@georgewashington938]

4:58 I like how you protected the grass with the insulating gravel layer

[@jefftegenkamp8939]

I used a thin layer of pea gravel then on top of it I put a bag of lava rocks in the same ring as yours. If you pour water over the embers at the end of the night or it rains on it the ash will just dissolve into the ground. I found that the lava rocks really heat up like coals and must help it do this. I never have to clean ashes out.

[@Jon_Chan]

Nice! I’ll have to keep the lava rocks in mind. The bricks at the bottom get wiggled up on the next fire so the new logs are always above the ashes. I think I clean out a pit maybe a couple times all season.

[@privateuploads-geo2625]

So Jon I finished my fire pit, and burned two fires to burn the zinc off of the galvanized ring. We enjoyed the fire tonight and it burned really clean. No smoke at all exiting the ring. I did not see the fire streaks coming our of the upper holes as you did, but it could be that I didn't build quite as large a fire as you did. I used 1 1/2" fire brick for the top course, and sealed it with 5000 degree caulk to the third course of retaining wall blocks, to create a sealed gap around the galvanized ring, and to force the heated air through the upper 1/2" holes. I cut the rectangular fire bricks with a tile saw into a trapazoidal shape. Thanks for sharing what you learned.

[@cynthiagrochowski3721]

My husband just built a firepit following the instructions in this video. It works perfectly and looks great.

[@Jon_Chan]

That’s awesome! 🙌🏼

[@JettaJack]

Nice blast furnace design! You might want to 1) prep the base with some gravel and stone dust so it lasts longer, 2) dry fit the blocks like you did, but glue them in place, and 3) don’t heat up mortar right away, give it time to dry, so you don’t boil the remaining water that’s in it.

[@kevinbreese5739]

Can you please explain what you mean by prepping the base with some gravel and stone dust?

[@colinhotman]

Really is a blast furnace. Consumes a lot of wood but the biggest comment I get from guests is how hot it is; no one is disappointed about standing an extra foot away.

[@firefighterdan]

This is not a blast furnace as the fuel is neither compressed nor "blasted" with superheated fresh air. Blast furnaces use a heat exchanger to heat the ambient outside fresh air and then mechanically "blast" / blow it into the combusting fuel mixture at the BOTTOM of the burn chamber. Delete this sh*t before someone thinks your stupid.

[@chrisbarnes8887]

Looks great and appears to work great. My only comment to anyone wanting to try it is keep your distance the first time you burn on it. The fumes produced when the galvanized coating is burning off the metal ring are very toxic to breathe in. Welders have to take special precautions whenever they weld on galvanized materials.

[@Jon_Chan]

Yep, the first burn didn’t have anyone around the fire. Nasty stuff.

[@FrankPSF]

I agree with Mark TAZ Graves - after watching a lot of these videos, this design has the best concept. Nice video. Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you!

[@Rosenguild]

Do you think the holes at the bottom are necessary if you are holding logs above the ground/stone with a grate? I went with 7/8" inch holes 2" on center for the top holes. Considering making 8 bottom holes which I don't think will detract from performance.

[@Jon_Chan]

When you’re at full burn it’ll help fuel the base of the fire. Since all the heat is pushing the air up and out, it creates a low pressure area at the base which tries to suck in oxygen. Since all the oxygen burns before it gets to the bottom of the pit, you will be waiting for the fuel to get to the top of the fire before it burns. So bottom holes will increase your burn rate and higher heat. If you’re looking to slow down your burn, skip the bottom holes.

[@tylerbogaard375]

@@Jon_Chan Or, you could create some type of system to open and close holes depending on what you want at that time.

[@davidmoore9162]

Likes how you showed the first attempt and the issue you had, then the fix.

[@Jon_Chan]

Probably going to try another improvement next spring 😆

[@briancarroll5696]

Awesome video, thank you for doing this. I did something similar, except i used a 12" x 10' sheet metal roll around the outside edge of a fire ring i bought (Steel Fire ring in place of the tractor supply ring you used). The sheet metal had a 1" gap from the steel ring, creating a envelope all the way around the inside steel ring which was fed with (5) 1-1/4" emt (metallic tubing) inlets, which i set in mortar within the decorative stones i laid around that steel ring assembly.. Have yet to light a fire but ill keep you posted if anyone's interested!

[@murphddaniel]

How’s that work out?

[@exhibitdesign901]

I like this build a lot. I was given a fire ring but it didn't have the flange on top, so this build is perfect for what I have. Thank you!

[@surfcitylocal]

I've watched more than a few of these DIY smokeless fire pit videos and hands down yours appears to be the best design. Thanks for taking the time to produce this.

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you for watching!

[@wazza9089]

I agree, this is just a guess but Jon may have an engineering background with his drawing at the start explaining how it will work. Then the build and re-adjustment with explanations. Found it really helpful

[@Dfgzx12xyw]

Totally agree!!!

[@EddieTuckerIV]

Same and agreed!

[@ljs2001]

I also agree. :)

[@potterportraits]

Built this. Nearly exactly as you list and I have to say it's the best thing I've done in my yard in a long time. It is geeat

[@seangriffin649]

as others have said this is the best design of the smokeless rings out there. I feel its an improvement to the awesome one from Haxman. I also like the smaller holes to make the jets work best. I am scrolling though the comments to see if anyone has other links for pavers that are not out of stock. I will share if I can find some as it is likely an issue I see based on where I live.

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you! And sorry to have contributed to the hardscape deficiency!

[@jeremydavis340.]

If you find any, please post. I can not find any anywhere. I like the look of these I only find mostly tan and red.

[@curtisscott9251]

Super well produced video! I do have one suggestion: Have you considered directing the airflow to make a tendency to vortex? If you can pull that off it will look even more awesome & should increase efficiency while reducing smoke even better. Best wishes!

[@cycoticone1]

How exactly would you get a rotation to the air? The only way I can think of would be with steel tubing in the holes at about a 30* angle. A lot of extra work for a very small gain in efficiency.

[@Provojuggler]

So I am under contract to buy our first house and I have always wanted a firepit, and this is the best explanation of how and why to do things your way. Thanks for putting it together.

[@SamChou]

Great job, lots of scientific reasoning behind this build. You did a better job explaining than most other videos. Here's 1 more sub to get you closer to 1k and monetization!

[@Jon_Chan]

The whole lot of you subbing recently are amazing. Thank you! Was thinking 1K subs would be a year end goal to meet!

[@OGDKNY]

Excellent video on how to diy smokeless fire pit. Best I’ve seen. Running to Lowe’s today to get started. Thx!

[@AllThatJazOfficial]

Of all the videos I have watched on this, yours looks to work the best. I think the deciding factor is you sealed the bottom and only a few holes feed the bottom and stuck to small holes on the top

[@peanutbutter2597]

Great job buddy you should put a piece of bar grate on the bottom so as to keep wood and embers off the bottom

[@fabianbrown7584]

Didn't know I needed one of these until I stubbled onto this video. VERY NICE!!! Now I gotta find that ring.

[@Jon_Chan]

It’s just so mesmerizing to watch! Everyone was just staring at those top holes the whole time 😂

[@MeMe-cd1wy]

Best video on gasification fire pit

[@ingridarchambault4048]

Hi, thank you for the well detailed video. I happen to really enjoy cooking over an open fire - except for the smoke. Before starting to cook I always let the fire burn down low. If I were to put a steel grill on top would thus be good for cooking over do you think?

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

I wouldn't suggest doing that. Anything is possible but not always survivable.

[@luc1ferblack]

these pits run hotter than normal fires if you wanted to cook on it you might need to make a metal stand to lift the food fire to stop it burning

[@tomc3368]

Excellent fire pit design by creating a path for both primary air and secondary air.👍 Kindly provide the height dimension of your fire ring? I will be building a 48” diameter ring that extends from the ground to the underside of the cap. Any suggestions are welcomed. Thank you!

[@RErnie-gv1hv]

Another reason to remove that beautiful grass first. Replant it elsewhere. Very interesting video, and you've a great speaking voice. Which, gratefully, was not drowned out by music. Thanks for that, too.

[@Jon_Chan]

I don’t think I really had anywhere else to plant grass 😅 but yea I should have dug it up. I might try to refresh the pit this year and mortar the whole thing together to see how it goes. We bump into it a few times with the mower and it’s shifted a bit. Hey that’s the first time someone’s told me I got a decent speaking voice…usually people want me to shut up 😂

[@RErnie-gv1hv]

@@Jon_Chan Ask the people who tell you to shut up, "How you gonna learn if I do that?"

[@richardroman24]

This is the way! After seeing 23 thousand video on smokeless fire pit

[@jeffreystrong5333]

Just what I was looking for, I was suspicious that the holes needed to be smaller than Haxman example. Bought the same ring last night.

[@Jon_Chan]

Oh yea, smaller holes gave it better pressure and probably heats the air a bit more.

[@talktolee]

@@Jon_Chan watched the same video before and he had much larger holes...like 2 inch holes all the way around. Glad I found your video!

[@JJPetro]

Nice video and great idea incorporating old technologies. For those who believe its "pressure" doing the work here...it isn't. It's the velocity of the air caused by the vacuum owing to differential pressure between the interior and exterior of the pit :)

[@Jon_Chan]

Ah interesting, so you’re saying the fire is creating a low pressure area inside the pit, which is sucking in air from the high pressure around the pit?

[@whiteraven886]

Definitely seems to be the best video for this I've found. Nice work

[@VileWhiteMeat]

Thank you for the detailed steps in the video. Built the pit using the larger 7x12 retaining wall stones as the 8x4s similar to the ones you linked weren’t available near me. Took 39 of those stones. Did the initial burn off (took about 20 pieces of wood to get it really going to heat up the ring). Then tonight enjoyed a smoke free fire with the kiddos and made tons of s’mores. Thanks again!

[@Jon_Chan]

That is wonderful to hear!! I wish you many more smokeless nights!

[@UncBuffalo]

Built this yesterday! Well worth the time to drill the holes!

[@teknotech]

You have a great production values, both in your pit, and in your video production as well. Very great details and communication, thank you

[@nancyholmes1140]

I too have watched several other DIYers and your design was the best. We have a similar kit that came from Lowes originally. We have to move it anyway and use your idea. I think you are right about mortaring the stones in top. That would really keep the air from escaping, great idea! I guess we should be able to use our original metal fire ring and drill the holes as you suggested, unless it’s no longer sturdy enough. Thank you again for sharing this video. Sorry you melted your shoe!😂. Have a great day!👏👍🤗

[@johnm8961]

If you build this in a freeze/thaw zone then those loose bottom blocks will shift and heave with the ground and crack all the cemented joints. Prefab fire pits use a ring that is high carbon steel to resist the effects of the heat of the fire. That galvanized “metal” will not last that long if you use it a lot and will get rust holes. That will negate all the burn holes that were drilled in the sides. Good luck.

[@thebambi5817]

Finally, I feel like I've been on some kinda crazy quest to find the right build for a fire pit in my front garden....This is it :D Once I can rustle up the cash for the bricks this design is going a the end of my front garden, Thank you so much for sharing.

[@justinharmon8082]

Nice explanation of the theory and a good looking build. Only thing to consider is that yes, the galvanization burns off but as it does it releases toxic fumes, this is why when welding on galvanized materials we wear special welding hoods similar to a scuba set-up. I don't mess around with galvanized products! I will be using your hole layout in my yard soon, thank you!

[@Jon_Chan]

Yea admittedly I should have made a bigger statement about the first burn and the zinc. Stand wayyyy back and get it up to temp real good. The best ring would have been stainless or just steel but I just couldn’t get my hands on anything like that in my area.

[@CodeDoge]

This is awesome and right on budget at $200. Now I just need a house to go with it

[@bhangchai69]

I really like that you made a point of mentioning the size and spacing of the holes and all the material you used. Most of these videos on smokeless fire pits seem to gloss over the details... Judging from gasifier stove designs, I think you could use more air flow from the lower holes to support the primary burn. Just off the top of my head, I would try maybe 6 or 8 one inch holes spaced around the bottom. As it is, you probably have to get the primary air from over over the top of the fire pit or from the secondary air holes. Some have put a 4 inch pipe providing outside air under the fire but I think more air holes around the bottom would work just as well with less hassle.

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you! I do have 8 holes at the bottom (also 1/2” each) and they have been working great. They should have been a little higher off the ground though as after a few fires they do get buried. I am bad at cleaning out the pit though so it does take nearly 10 or so fires for the lower holes to be covered.

[@bhangchai69]

@@Jon_Chan I didn't realize you had 8. Still, they are only 1/2 inch. Will you experiment with primary air?

[@jamiebixby6782]

Incredible to know so much about fire and understand so little about heat?

[@mrroman3862]

you have made one of the best one have seen on the web thank you

[@Cbockhoff]

Thanks for some of the design ideas vs some of the other videos out there. Converted existing fire pit to accept drop in fire ring with 3 inch lip. Will drill half inch holes near the top and a few along bottom. Assuming by your results 8 1/2 holes along the bottom was enough intake down low.

[@Jon_Chan]

Yea I think that was plenty, tho I’d prob keep it about 3” above the bottom. Mine are getting buried at 1.5”

[@MichaelBallard5574]

@@Jon_Chan Echoing everyone on the great vid! Similar question about the bottom holes. I love the concept of airflow at the bottom. Originally I was going to bring in fresh air via a vent pipe underneath but am afraid I would be constantly cleaning it out. I like your idea of the holes at the bottom but wonder if you think it lowers the efficiency of airflow from the top holes? When I look at Solo type pits, they sepearte the fresh air flow from the top. My future decision is in your hands :-).

[@Jon_Chan]

@@MichaelBallard5574 haha thank you! As for the bottom holes taking away from the top holes, I don't think it makes a significant difference. I was looking at Solo's cross sectional diagram and they pull the intake from the same location and splits it between the updraft (bottom holes) and the secondary inlet (top holes) after it enters the pit. Their updraft intake has the advantage of being heated to some degree as it takes a roundable way to get to the fuel. This becomes a top lit updraft gasifier to some degree and those operate on the same principals, one intake split between updraft and secondary. Just gotta keep the lower holes in small quantities as I think too much would then cool the fire too much. pardon my ramble, train of thoughts just keep going

[@mycompute1]

Awesome! I used brick on the bottom with a fireplace grate .Super easy to clean up with Flat blade shovel.

[@Jon_Chan]

That’s a great idea!

[@TheTamrock2007]

I've watched several of these, many were really good. I really like what you did here. Going with your design. And thank you so very much for the complete list of materials used.

[@jankoodziej877]

The problem is how huge amount of wood you need to feed in there to make it work at all. And with such huge amount of wood, it's likely you wouldn't get much smoke anyway, because the heat would be so great. Sadly it's really difficult to scale this solution down.

[@michaelott310]

So I built my fire pit. I drilled 1/2" holes every 2" around the top of the ring. 2" holes in front of every other block joint in the bottom row. I used a little different block. It was gray with a tumbled look. Rounded edges and irregular surfaces. The first fire last night. Works really well.i hardly saw any smoke. There was no wind. But im very happy with it. I didnt see any fire igniting out of the top holes,, but its OK. I also bought a 30" water heater drain pan for the bottom of the pit and drilled a bunch of 3/8" holes in it.. I'll suspend it just above the 2" holes in the bottom of the ring. That would create an air space for the fresh air to go up through the holes in the pan, and feed the fire. t I don't know how to post a picture yet. I posted a 3 sec video titled "Smokeless Fire Pit".

[@Jon_Chan]

Oh that’s neat, I imagine that works well since the air is well spread out beneath the fire and even preheated before it shoots upward

[@foodie_mantra4166]

Awesome 👏..Love the Smokeless fire-pit design..I will try to follow this just will dig a hole n fill it with gravel before making the ring..

[@beldavius]

Excellent video, but there is another reason to dig up the grass besides worrying about the stones settling. The gravel can get super heated and ignite the root structure of the grass and because it's all interconnected, the fire can spread to other areas of the lawn underground without you knowing about it until it springs up elsewhere. That's why in my state the law requires that you dig out all grass and soil down to sand and then back fill with the gravel to bring the level back up. Your smaller hole idea definitely makes more sense, and I will be giving this a try! Thanks!!!

[@Jon_Chan]

Oh wow I had no idea it could spread underground like that. Maybe when I clean it out I’ll dig down some and add more gravel. I only have rocks and silt under my lovely grass, ain’t no way I’m getting to sand in PA. Thank you, I’ll look into it and make sure we dig down for the next pit.

[@amyleejones2104]

Hi Jon - I love your ideas on the smokeless firepits! I have prepared my property for the fire pit and am ready to purchase the ring, stones, etc. Here's my reason for reaching out to you. I had wanted a larger pit ring (48"). However, I cannot find a corrugated steel one like you used in the larger size. Is the corrugated steel better for creating the smokeless pit than say a black steel ring (Amazon: Simond store portable fire pit ring liner, 48" diameter x 12"ht x 2mm thick heavy duty steel)? If it is, I'll go smaller in order to get desired results. I just thought I would get your input before I purchase the materials. I had planned to build it this weekend but don't want to regret changing my original plan to follow your design! Thanks so much! Hope to hear back soon!

[@Jon_Chan]

So going bigger usually means you’d want the pit to go deeper. A wide shallow pit will have very little (or none at all) secondary burn effect. If you take those solo stoves on the market, you’ll noticed they’re nearly 1:1 in depth and diameter. That gives you a really good gasification and secondary burn effect. As you widen the ring while keeping the depth the same, the effect starts to require a bigger and bigger fire. I think 36” by 12” was the biggest I could stretch it to still get those fire fingers at the top. Not saying the 48” is impossible to use, I just think it would need a very big fire or well seasoned wood to have a good burn.

[@amyleejones2104]

@@Jon_Chan After sending the message I watched the videos again and told my son...I think we would always have to have large fires to get the heat up based on what Jon said in the videos... thanks so much for your prompt middle of the night response! Now I'm ready to get the materials 😁 I had to have trees cleared and brush and these awful Florida vines for several weekends to prepare... I'll keep you posted!

[@kbjerke]

That's exactly the kind of fire pit my wife wants!!! Thanks for the video! Subscribed.

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you!

[@cekfraun]

Thank you for the breakdown of the cost and materials to build this. It's very helpful. Your video is great, and I can't wait to try this. I've been wanting to rebuild my old tumble-down firepit with landscape blocks, but now I know how to make it even better. Thanks!

[@davidcraft4909]

Thats really interesting, because I always just thought about making sure you have the first air source, I never imagined or would of thought about adding the second air source. Nice job and explanation of what your are doing. by the way you have a nice lawn too, lol. thanks for sharing.

[@dsh416]

I literally just did this build with the same brick and cap. using the same ring. i had a hell of a time getting the top cap pieces to come together to a circle and have an overhang. ALL because I didn't move the trapezoid brick in closer as i went higher. i unfortunately glued them together (not the cap pieces). i may have to take that top layer apart and just move them in closer.

[@Godisgood137]

The draw up and explanation is on point thank you

[@bobbg9041]

Wow. I.liked it the first fire i think it looked better. Had more action. They both worked really well. Big flames almost no smoke.

[@downunderjuice]

Great job on your pit. Watched lots of videos. You probably have the best. Thank you.

[@rogerhodge2607]

Thanks for information. You did a great job filming the whole project. Love how you listed the details of the whole project. I am going to make one to. Thank you

[@johnnybubu100]

Great build. I have watched a bunch of these and this design is definitely the one I am going to jse!

[@JimConner]

I imagine if the holes were swapped (more on the bottom) it may burn even more optimal. The best firepits ever seem to be old clothes dryer drums. The best smokeless pit I have seen was inground with a smooth raised mound around the lip. Your detail and video work are great.

[@heikkivaltonen1242]

That was impressing and convincing! I have been going through different ideas of smokeless fire pits and this really seems to work. There is now a new project waiting for me at my summer house next summer. Thanks!

[@MrHiss2011]

great job, DownUnder we use a clothes dryer drum it gives out more radiant heat for your legs.

[@Jon_Chan]

That is true, this takes a little while to give you leg heat. But when it does it’s a nice gentle steady heat.

[@kevinbreese5739]

Fantastic video, and awesome detailed description with links, prices and directions. Very thorough and thoughtful! Now I have to ask how has the pit been holding up and performing? Any changes that you would make? Reason I ask is I am going to do basically the same setup, but will be ordering a fire ring, from Etsy, with lip and pre-drilled holes top and bottom, which I'm having him do just just like yours are. But I figured I'd see if I can confirm that you are still totally happy with the setup. Seems some people don't do the holes in the bottom, and also do larger holes, etc, so I am trying to make a final decision before ordering. Thanks!

[@Sarando1]

Final lesson. Don’t stand in hot ashes. Great video.

[@Jon_Chan]

Crap, people actually watch to the end? 😅

[@joshodmo1978]

WARNING! When you heat galvanized metal it releases very toxic Zinc fumes. So I don't recommend using galvanized. Maybe you could get away with it if you spray it with a heat resistant enamel. You can get that spray paint at most hardware stores. But I would recommend a different type of liner preferably steel. But great design! I plan on using this same design with my fire pit just not with galvanized.

[@Jon_Chan]

Agreed, if you can find bare steel, go with that. I actually wanted to do stainless but nothing like that was available around here. Even applying high heat resistant enamel, you’d still need to remove the galvanized layer first. Otherwise the underlying finish would just peel off with the enamel. Not saying that this is safe to burn, but it is less concentrated than welding galvanized metal. Much more air flow outside and with such a hot fire, everyone is a few paces back.

[@miamited69]

Best video on here about this. Some have way to much information. How has it held up a year later?

[@jamesosborn6345]

Nice idea on adding in the bottom holes. I think I might add some to mine to see if speeds up combustion.

[@Jon_Chan]

Yea I think it does kick up the flames faster. I’m actually wishing I took it up maybe 3” from the bottom of the ring because I forgot to account for the rocks I put in. I only had it 1.5” and it’s currently just a little bit above ash and rocks.

[@jorgejimenez8947]

Amazing DIY video. I will definitely be building this in my back yard.

[@bobbyloesch653]

Best smokeless video out there Jon. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to build this.

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you!

[@tommoore6140]

Great job come spring Im going to give it a go. Best wishes from New Jersey

[@Jon_Chan]

Thank you! I think come spring I might do the part I skipped and lay down a proper foundation. It’s settling a bit now and is a little low on the one side.

[@Papasquatch73]

Just about finished. Have to motor the top plate. My price is $247.78. Edit May22, 2023: I have enjoyed this so much. Thank you for putting this video out. Anytime someone comes over and enjoys my fire pit and ask questions, I send them your video.

[@Jon_Chan]

Not bad with all the shortages and inflation! I know the ring went up to like $75 here and there’s like 30 of them sitting out front of Tractor Supply

[@quidquid1969]

GREAT design. I will build them for my friends!!!

[@abraham3901]

Prerty cool man, well detailed on the technicals, building one up soon , thank you.

[@cm.5023]

I went to tractor supply and could not find a single round ring out of all the ones they had. I don't know how they were packed, shipped or unloaded but they were all damaged or ovals. Our local Ace and rural king didn't have this type so I ended up getting one that was as closest to a circle that I could find. I figured I would beat it back into shape. LOL! Easier said than done.

[@widrig7117]

Try Lowes... Bought one there that came in 4 sections, but it works!

[@Jon_Chan]

I noticed that the other day! Was there filling propane and saw all the egg shaped rings. I couldn’t believe how beat up they all were!

[@jimboylan5077]

Totally works. Thanks for the great plans.

[@KT-mp7wl]

Very nice instruction! We made one exactly he did and it turned out great. Still haven’t found any capstone to make 56” outer circumstance though…

[@VileWhiteMeat]

I’m considering doing a 3 or 4 piece concrete top. Just get thin plywood and make a mold the size you want.

[@scottteeters5780]

Thanks, Jon! Super COOL!!!

[@rickaaron6230]

The thing is, when you have more flame, that’s what burns off the smoke. This is a good design, but don’t expect miracles. I copied this after seeing multiple designs (i.e. how the holes are drilled and bottom venting in blocks with a sealed top between your blocks and metal ring on top) and the smaller/lack of holes on the bottom do help with pressure to push air into the flames. BUT, you still need to have smaller and dryer wood to accomplish less smoke. The end result is more flame while burning a fire will give better results. That is why the store bought versions work, they are smaller diameter and there is more flame in a smaller area to burn off the smoke.

[@fredditaylor3170]

Using the Milwaukee step bit, did you have to sand the holes? Great video! 😅

[@Jon_Chan]

Thanks! No it did not need sanding, those bits are nice 👌🏼

[@andrewjawney1]

I imagined seeing a metal skull 💀 with red eyes behind the flames 😜

[@PeterBatah]

Brilliant. Thank you for sharing your time and experience with us.

[@deepthinky7728]

well done ! I think your invention is a really cool idea

[@seamusvan]

Looks like a great design. Why do you have gravel in the bottom? It seems like that would make it harder to get the ash out.

[@Jon_Chan]

It does make ash cleaning a little harder but I find it keeps the pit drier since it lets the water drain out effectively. If you try to use pavers or any cement based stones, they just crumble after a few fires. Lava stones are pricey in my area so these bags of large gravel was the best option.

[@caliindica420]

A fire pit designed by rocket scientist

[@geedoubleu641]

Thanks Jon, great video. I'm using your design for my pit in a few days. I'm wondering what you would tweak if you had to change anything. What do you think about smaller holes on the top edge? I may try 3/8" holes since I can always enlarge them later. Thanks again!

[@Jon_Chan]

I am pretty happy with the 1/2” but 3/8” could very well work better! I think I would mortar the whole structure together…I’m ok whacking the top off in a few years when I eventually replace the ring. The seal needs to get better so it projects even further into the center of the pit. I tried to also dig a deeper hole to sink the whole pit into the ground but it’s got lackluster results. I seemed to have dampened my airflow after burning the lower row of blocks. I was looking to get more heat to our feet. If I can solve the airflow problem then that dropped design works well. I need more tinker time in my life 😜

[@geedoubleu641]

@@Jon_Chan Thanks for the reply! I'm going to use Loctite PL500 to lay the pavers and I'm going for the best seal I can get. I have a wet saw so I can also cut the top row for a very close fit. Really appreciate you sharing the project.

[@simonmelluish5438]

OK, i love this video. i'm going to build this, but i'm in the UK so i'm going to try and video the same process but show where i buy everything from over here :) Thank you for posting this!

[@Jon_Chan]

Do it! I’ll sub :)

[@erichpizer1]

I want to try this using a single vertically stacked circle of hollow modified cinder blocks, mortar etc, applying the same principles, for build speed

[@neilmeiskey5482]

This is a great idea. I already have a firepit that is "lined" with a heavy steel ring (stone laid tight against outside of ring). I have to think about how to put your idea to work.....a ring within a ring! I already have three inlet holes at the bottom so possibly if I can find and "inner ring" that fits, just drill holes at the top. Then of course the "flange/seal" idea at the top. Hmmm....time to get creative without going broke:). I tried to include a picture but can't load it.

[@Jon_Chan]

Ooooo a double ringed pit would be really cool to see! It would probably heat up faster as the outer ring would save you from having to warm up the stones. But yea, the trick is finding an inner ring that isn’t too small.

[@myjunkmail007]

@@Jon_Chan I wonder how small is too small? Breeo, etc make some pretty small ones.

[@jaydee6268]

Wish I had seen this video about $300 and one fire pit ago, Great future project though.

[@lynnsmith7330]

Did you have to cut the top cap pavers? or were you able to purchase them that size? Love the fire pit!

[@Jon_Chan]

No cutting needed! It has a slight wedge shape so it makes a radius when put next to each other.