Wes, Wow. You've got skills. Your design is the only thing I can find on the web that I can learn from for a project I have been asked to do. A long time friend of mine has asked me to build him a permanent smoker behind his business. He had a 7 foot tall steel box set up, but unfortunately folks thought they needed to take it one night some years back. Scrap yard likely paid for the steel that the crooks stole. So, he wants a brick smoker.
I'm in the planning stage and after reading this thread for a few days I've come to the point where I have a few questions.
Your metal specs. (I know your brother made everything for you but I'd like the detail on the frame(s). You said 3/4" angle with stretch steel added.)
1.Did he just face the angle with flat steel to give you the 3 1/2" x 3 1/2 " angle? I'm just gauging 3 1/2" by what I see in your photos.
2.If so, couldn't I just use 3 1/2"x 3 1/2" angle?
3.Door lock up. Anyway to describe the latch?
4.Any number on the hinge posts? 1 1/2" set out from opening?
5. It looks like you had tabs/bar welded onto the frame to set into your brick work. Just one side?
Masonry Specs
1.Your face brick head joint at the opening plumbs with the on edge fire bricks in the fire box right?
2.Your shelf firebrick reveal for the metal racks you slide in? what's that number? 1"?
3. You mentioned you'd make it bigger, 27" deep? or 22 1/2"? (three fire brick or 2 1/2 bond length?)
Flue
You used a chimney flue, looks great. Think I could get by with a stove pipe that has a damper?
Again, great build.
Thanks, Wyatt
Sorry for the delay, our son has been home from the Marines for a couple weeks. He just got back from S. Korea
1. The door frames were made from 1/4in.x 3" angle iron. By building the frames from the 3" angle I could also use the frame as a lintel over top of each door without having to add a lintel to carry the load. On the inside of the door frames he also added flanges on brick layoff to tie it into the courses of brick. More solid frame That will never work loose.
The shelf frames are made with 3/4 angle with stretch metal tacked inside for the racks.
2. He used 3"x3". The bricks did hang off the back a little. If you have 31/2x 31/2 I would use it. Won't hurt a thing.
3.
The door handle is made from 1/2 rod and tacked inside and out on a washer. Flat flange on that to make the latch. The outside is bent to whatever angle you want it to turn. I bought the door springs online. They are stainless. You may want to get specs on the spring before you make the handle so you get it long enough for the bottom cap to hold it on. If you google stove handles there are a ton of them out there.
The catch is a 1/8th steel flange on a angle that will except the latch. Bro did a great job here to give me 0 clearance around the doors and keep the handles a perfectly vertical. Once installed and cured you can bump the flange with a hammer to adjust it in or out a little too. You just don't want to get to abusive or it could loosen the frame.
4. Not sure I understand the question. The hinges are flush to the outside. Bro cut down industrial hinges, welded them and ground them as flush as possible. If you need a picture of a hinge let me know and I'd be glad to get one for you.
5. The flanges that layed between the brick were two per side on the firebox and 3 per side on the oven door. It worked really well. No way these frames will ever work lose.
Masonry:
1. Yes. I tried to rotate the face brick and the fire brick as much as possible to tie both into the door frames. Any void around the door frames I just packed with mortar.
2. The firebrick exposure for the shelves are 15/8ths. Thats more then enough to carry the racks. For me the racks have to go in at a angle then lay them down.
3. I wouldn't make it any deeper. Its a full arm reach for me to put butts into the back. I would make it wider. Not for more volume of meat, but for better air flow. I would go at least another brick wider in the firebox and build the outside according. You can really make it as big as you want, with in reason. Once you get up to temp, it will stay hot.
I like the flue liner because I don't have to worry about it rusting out in 20 years. You really don't need a upper damper. I thought it was a cool idea, but it isn't needed. Please remember steel and masonry don't mix under heat. I had to burn mine out a while back because of mold. I ran it at 500 for about an hour and half. Yep, the upper damper cracked the top. Its not a problem, but to me it looks bad. No one ever sees it though, but I know its there. You wouldn't need a 12x12 liner, you could get by with 8x8. Just make sure you have as much air going out as you have coming in. That makes for good draft.
If you have any other questions or something you'd like to see, be glad to take a picture for you.
Again, thanks for the kind words. I found a few pictures on line and kinda went off my ideas and what I'd seen. I thought it would be cool to document it for others to use.
If you have a minute go into your profile and fill out what part of the world your from. Its very helpful to know what region your in when answering questions about smoking.
Hope you have a great day!
Good to meet you Wyatt.