DIY Tiki Torch

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 21

This is the twenty first post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects. It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Simply Easy DIY!

Here in Florida we need bug repellent because we've got a lot of bugs.  Especially Mosquitoes and no-see-um's. But wait...there's more. We've also got various biting flies, ants, and spiders that all love our property since we back up to a canal with standing water.

Sometimes it just seems you can't go outside without being eaten alive.

But, these tiki torches go a long way in helping curb the bite attacks. This is really important to us because we have a family member who is prone to allergic reactions.

We've bought bamboo tiki torches from a certain big box store. They stand about 5 feet tall and the idea is that you stake them into the ground and light a canister that is on the top.

Overall this is a good idea but unfortunately, if you've got sandy soil like we've got, they often fall over pretty easily.  Young children also have to be kept away to prevent injury.

So, when my wife saw Mitch build his own customized torches with deep metal stakes she added the project to my honeydew list.  A refillable mason jar was an added bonus because we've got a lot of them around from canning.

I'm sure we've got an old canning jar that can be re purposed.

Oh, did I also mention that he did his own Shou Sugi Ban wood burn technique on this?  I recently built a project using this same technique as well.

For more information on the Shou Sugi Ban wood burning technique, check out my post on the DIY Wine Rack where I tried my hand at this technique. It turned out great!

DIY Tiki Torch

Tools & Materials Wood Burning Torch Spar Urethane (indoor/outdoor) Wood Glue  Miter Saw Pallet Wood and 2x4 Epoxy Circular Saw Random Orbit Sander Various grit Sandpaper Router  Tiki Torch Fuel Hose to Pipe thread Metal Spike (to hold the torch in the ground) Quart Mason Jar   Table Saw Band Saw Drill Tiki Torch Wicks Paracord (optional)

Final Thoughts

Common sense tip of the day:

When using wood burning equipment you should exercise extreme caution because you'll be working with fire and fuel and injury may result. Additionally, when using a tiki torch, whether your own DIY version or one purchased from the store, be sure to always practice safe precautions to prevent injury. Always follow manufacturer's safety instructions and all that blah, blah, blah.

I hope you enjoyed today's featured project and don't forget to stop by "Mitch Deitrich" YouTube channel to check out even more great woodworking videos from him. Don't forget to subscribe.

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!