How to Build Your Own DIY Smokeless Fire Pit

By Test Editor Bradley Ford Recent smokeless fire pit testing got me to thinking that it might not be too hard to make one myself. Without taking anything away from the companies making smokeless fire pits, they’re fairly simple once you understand how they work. The short story is this. I started with a 55-gallon drum, cut roughly in half horizontally, as the main body. Then I slit one of those halves vertically down the side and squeezed it to a smaller diameter to fit inside the other half; this created the double-wall construction that makes these fire pits work. After adding a bottom, I created a cap that bridged the tops of the inner and outer walls. Finally, I cut holes around the base on the outside, in the bottom inside, and around the top edge inside. It’s certainly not as pretty as those commercially available, but it works. And there’s pride in building it by hand. [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [How to Build Your Own DIY Smokeless Fire Pit]( [How to Build Your Own DIY Smokeless Fire Pit]( By Test Editor Bradley Ford Recent smokeless fire pit testing got me to thinking that it might not be too hard to make one myself. Without taking anything away from the companies making smokeless fire pits, they’re fairly simple once you understand how they work. The short story is this. I started with a 55-gallon drum, cut roughly in half horizontally, as the main body. Then I slit one of those halves vertically down the side and squeezed it to a smaller diameter to fit inside the other half; this created the double-wall construction that makes these fire pits work. After adding a bottom, I created a cap that bridged the tops of the inner and outer walls. Finally, I cut holes around the base on the outside, in the bottom inside, and around the top edge inside. It’s certainly not as pretty as those commercially available, but it works. And there’s pride in building it by hand. [Read More]( [Amazon Prime Day 2022: Everything We Know So Far, Plus Early Deals to Shop Now]( [Amazon Prime Day 2022: Everything We Know So Far, Plus Early Deals to Shop Now]( Your complete guide to the mega-retailer's biggest sale of the year. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [These Gutter Cleaners Will Help Keep Your Gutters Free of Leaves and Debris All Year]( [These Gutter Cleaners Will Help Keep Your Gutters Free of Leaves and Debris All Year]( From scoops to blowers, these tools will keep your gutters clear and protect your home from damage. [Read More]( [Wayfair Is Having a Blowout 20th-Anniversary Sale This Weekend]( Wayfair Is Having a Blowout 20th-Anniversary Sale This Weekend]( This one is not to be missed, with unbelievable deals sitewide. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Toyota’s 2023 40th Anniversary 4Runner Is a Tip of the Hat to the Car’s Heritage]( [Toyota’s 2023 40th Anniversary 4Runner Is a Tip of the Hat to the Car’s Heritage]( It’s a fifth-generation 4Runner SR5 Premium with special graphics and other design cues to commemorate the occasion. [Read More]( [Naval Aviator Interest Rose 500 Percent After Top Gun’s 1986 Film Debut]( [Naval Aviator Interest Rose 500 Percent After Top Gun’s 1986 Film Debut]( The TOPGUN program isn’t all fun and games. Find out what it really takes to be a TOPGUN fighter pilot. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Win a Nintendo Switch ($1,000 Value)!]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( PopularMechanics.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019