Guys on RU-vid: "Get out your grinder, welder, and band saw"... Geena: "Well actually a drill and some PVC works"... OWNED. This is much better than the other solutions!
I just built my first one for my wife and here are some comments: 1. A 3/4" auger bit fits perfectly in a piece of 3/4" Schedule 40 PVC pipe. 2. Unfortunately the 3/4" bit won't go through a 3/4" threaded fitting. I solved this by using a 1" threaded fitting (requiring a 1-1/4" hole in the bucket) and then used a 1" to 3/4" reducer. Works great! 3. The toughest part for me was cutting the window in the 3/4" pipe to let the dirt out. I used a band saw with a fine tooth blade and just freehanded the window. It looks like the one in the video has two windows, but I was worried about losing strength. One window seems to work well. 4. I made my window a little too wide (cut too deep) and the tip of the auger bit will try to escape if you let it angle as you pull it up. Being careful with technique can eliminate that, but if I make another tube, I will cut the window a little shallower (narrower). 5. My cordless drill has two speeds and we have found that the faster speed is much better at bringing the dirt up and ejecting it from the tube. 6. We used a smaller bucket than shown and the bottom isn't very thick which makes it kind of flimsy. I may consider reinforcing it with a piece of plastic either inside or underneath. Again good technique and keeping the bit straight probably makes this unnecessary.
