250gal Reverse Flow Trailer Build
- Thread starter jwsimpleville
- Start date
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rasimmo
Meat Mopper
That's a whole lot better than him sitting on the couch playing video games. He'll be able to brag that he helped build it too.
ribwizzard
Master of the Pit
I could tell you a million stories of the crap my Dad had me do, Im surprised I survived to tell about it.
if you do it right they have to take a nap in the project...
He just opened his eyes when I took this. He had been grinding and grinding and grinding for hours. He had laid in the middle and rested while I was measuring some other stuff and started snoring. It was about half an hour nap for him. He earned it.
Good job letting the kiddo help. They will help a lot more if they can learn a very useful skill.
He just opened his eyes when I took this. He had been grinding and grinding and grinding for hours. He had laid in the middle and rested while I was measuring some other stuff and started snoring. It was about half an hour nap for him. He earned it.
Good job letting the kiddo help. They will help a lot more if they can learn a very useful skill.
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He's got grand ideas of a yard cart for the next project. If he keeps working as hard as he was this day I may have to oblige his request.
So I got a little more work done today, cut and welded in the baffle plate and the drain.
She is 100% watertight, I filled it with about five gallons of water and let it sit. Never lost any water until of course I opened the ball valve.
n2 bbq
Smoke Blower
So after adding as much rebar to the counterweights as possible they stil dont seem to be heavy enough to hold the door open firmly. I can barely give the door a tug and it will come slamming down. Any suggestions on how to either increase their weight or simply get them to apply more hold to the door?
I just dont want the door to slam shut on me with a slight breeze.
I just dont want the door to slam shut on me with a slight breeze.
caublecustomfab
Smoke Blower
I was talking with a friend of mine and he said if I cut them loose and move them as high and as far back as possible, it's kinda like moving the axle under the trailer, and should change the hold of the counter weight. Any thoughts on this? Sounded good when he said it, but I lack in the fabrication background so I figured I would throw it out there and get a second, third or maybe even fourth opinion.
jabbo
Meat Mopper
Making the arms longer will is what is needed. The higher on the door you mount them, the more strain you place on the hinges. The best mounting point is the middle of the door. When it is mounted and the door is open about even with the top of the tank, the distance form the center of the tank to the weight should be the same as the distance from the center of the tank to the bottom edge of the door. This will make the balance point there and, when opened past this point, the door will fall to the rear. It will also give you plenty of closing force without being to heavy. If it will not balance at this point you either have too much weight or not enough. If it is too much, shorten the arms. If it is not enough make them longer are add weight. Sounds more complicated than it is but it works like a charm. Think of it like a teeter-totter. My door weighs over 200lbs and I have no problems opening it and feel perfectly safe under it. You can see it on my build thread, "As Promised." Looks great so far. Good luck!
ribwizzard
Master of the Pit
Im not a bog fan of tall counterweights, I'll mount the arms to the door as close to the hinges as possible, using a cardboard template, I will open and close the door until I get the radius I want the door to stop at while keep the height as low as possible. If you use a 4-5 inch pipe, you should be able to load enough scrap in there to counterweight that size door,
Its not a good pic, but this one is balanced very well and does not stick up a mile either.
Its not a good pic, but this one is balanced very well and does not stick up a mile either.
dragons breath
Meat Mopper
Just a thought. If you start with the door in the complete open position you'll see where to tack the counter weight arms, (closest to hinge area), on the door and all the clearance problems will be obvious. Where to locate counter weights and miss anything that could be in the way. This also allows you to use the counter weights as door stops by having them rest on the tank or other structure in the area.
I was thinking exactly that, I cut the weights off and I will start with the doors propped open and the counter weight in place just slightly lower than where it is now. Then I will measure the gap between the two to get the length and know where I need to mount it on the door.
I will take some pics of the process as it goes and keep everyone updated on if this process works out for me.
jabbo
Meat Mopper
The weights don't have to be very tall. Mine are only that way now because we ran out of time before the first event. We are planning on cutting them at a 45 degree angle which will both work as a door stop and give a much lower profile while maintaining the same balance point. My personal preference is a cable system either with weights or some type of actuator, but if a counter weight is what you want, these guys know there stuff.
So in every minute of my spare time I've been working on all the little odds & ends trying to finish this thing up.
I've been taking some pictures, but to be perfectly honest not as often as I'd like. Anyways heres a few more pics to add to the collection.
I've been taking some pictures, but to be perfectly honest not as often as I'd like. Anyways heres a few more pics to add to the collection.
So I have a question for those that have built smokers. I'm getting the angle and 3/4" #9 expanded steel tomorrow to make the six grates, in making the grates do I set them up so the food sits on top the grate and angle or should it sit down in the grate?
I certainly hope that question makes sense, because while I can picture alot of things in my head sometimes I can't quite translate that into words easily understood by others.
I certainly hope that question makes sense, because while I can picture alot of things in my head sometimes I can't quite translate that into words easily understood by others.
jw, morning...... Good question.... I would have the grate on top of the angle, for only one reason I can think of...... If you remove the food grate to wash, the surface the food come in contact with, will be off the ground,cement or what ever, and you can wash it through the grate... Thinking of taking them to the car wash type thing... and scrubbing with a brush.... Of course, over time, the grates will sag and that reason won't make sense anymore.... So, in retrospect, I don't think it makes any difference....
Dave
Dave
rasimmo
Meat Mopper
I don't think it makes much difference either. I would probably put them where it sits on top. I think it would have less drag on the angle iron supports that the grate slides on.
ribwizzard
Master of the Pit
Position the angle so that it sits on top, also weld your expanded metal on top of that, do not install it from underneath or you will have a lip all the way around your cooking grate that will hold in grime.
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