>>439847There are lots of plans online to make them out of soup cans and coffee cans. I've made them before and you only need a few tools like pliers and tin snips. Having a small rivet gun makes things a lot better too, but isn't needed really.
The biggest recommendation I can give you is to use fiberglass insulation instead of sand, wood ashes, dirt, or vermiculite, like a lot of DIY instructions say to use. The fiberglass can withstand the heat easily and it stays in place without getting bits of stuff all over the place. It is also the lightest material you can use and is still pretty cheap. The only other material I'd use would be rockwool, but it is more expensive. It has super high heat tolerances, but that isn't even remotely needed.
You'll need to adjust the chimney height to suit your design and cooking methods. Once you get that part right, you can make a much nicer model. Remember, you are shooting for 2 things. Fast burning air flow and no smoke. So, if you are getting smoke, something is wrong with the current design you are using.
Once you have the specifics right, you can focus on making one that is aesthetically pleasing.
