36" side fire box backyard build

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Well over the weekend we got the doors all situated. still have to clean up the jams, and finish the door straps but the hard part is done. Doors didn't seem to spring on us at all. I didn't get a picture of it but the firebox is cut and ready also.


 
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Last night I got the door straps about 75% done and then I ran out of gas for the welder so I'm hoping to have that finished today and the pit up in the air and on legs today or tomorrow
 
Alright so over the weekend we got a lot done. I finished welding out the door straps/seals, got the cook chamber on the legs, welded in the drain, welded in the angle to hold the tuning plates, and started building the racks to hold the shelves.

(the firebox is just sitting on the ground. That is not where it will actually be placed)








Yesterday I picked up a sheet of 3/16" plate so I can cut out the tuning plates
 
 
What valves are yall using for grease drains? I'm thinking 1" - 1.1/2" valve just because I know if I have this size pit loaded down with meat it will have a lot of drippings
The fairly large drain valve will keep it from plugging up with stuff.....   Good choice......
 
 
The fairly large drain valve will keep it from plugging up with stuff.....   Good choice......
Thanks Dave.

I need some direction on the tuning plates......I picked up a sheet of plate, and my plan is to cut rectangular pieces and run them the distance of the pit. Knowing this is not an exact science, and it will require some tweaking, whats an educated guess of the amount of tuning plates I should start with? how wide should I cut them? and what is the distance between each tuning plate?

the cook chamber is 6 ft long
 
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Tuning plates should be installed above the FB/CC opening... maybe 2-3 inches....   the first plate is usually tight against the FB.....  Then spacing between the plates can vary.. 1/8 or so for the second plate and progressively increasing to the end of the CC.... leaving a reasonable gap at the last plate....   The plates can be adjusted by baking "pop open" biscuits on the food rack and adjusting the plates to adjust the heat..   OR, I have read where an infrared non contact therm can measure the plate temperature...  don't know how good that works since you want to know the temperature a the cooking surface...

As far as plate size, probably 4" width or so....  1/8" X 4" by XXX steel can be sheared to length to fit...

On some smokers, the first plate may have to be cut to fit the contour of the CC fit up area.....

# of plates....   60" CC at 4" plates..    15 plates would fill the CC...  13 would leave 8" if they were tight..
 
 
Tuning plates should be installed above the FB/CC opening... maybe 2-3 inches....   the first plate is usually tight against the FB.....  Then spacing between the plates can vary.. 1/8 or so for the second plate and progressively increasing to the end of the CC.... leaving a reasonable gap at the last plate....   The plates can be adjusted by baking "pop open" biscuits on the food rack and adjusting the plates to adjust the heat..   OR, I have read where an infrared non contact therm can measure the plate temperature...  don't know how good that works since you want to know the temperature a the cooking surface...

As far as plate size, probably 4" width or so....  1/8" X 4" by XXX steel can be sheared to length to fit...

On some smokers, the first plate may have to be cut to fit the contour of the CC fit up area.....

# of plates....   60" CC at 4" plates..    15 plates would fill the CC...  13 would leave 8" if they were tight..
That's a great starting point....thanks a ton
 
Looks awesome..... you will be able to tune any heat range you want, on the cooking grates....   looking forward to seeing the grub you put out...
 
 
Looks awesome..... you will be able to tune any heat range you want, on the cooking grates....   looking forward to seeing the grub you put out...
Thanks Dave. That's what im looking for.

I'm still kicking around Ideas on how to get my stainless handles made. Not sure exactly what I want to do yet, and I'm looking online at what other people have done. Once I figure out what I want ill have those made.
 
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Well last night I didn't get as much done as I was hoping but I did make progress. I got all of the shelves built, ground seamlessly, and in the pit. I will get the expanded metal on tonight, as well as the shelve guides so they can be extended out of the pit with weight but wont fall forward.







Handle material...304 stainless


 
Well my wife had a death in the family so we have been out of town so progress slowed a bit. BUT I did get some work done yesterday afternoon and got the rack completed and welded in the limiting guides so I can extend the shelves all the way out with weight and they wont topple over.
 



 
 
RIDElow,

Sorry for your lose, but the pit has come a long way! 

I can't weld so I made my first pit out of plywood.  

Keep working and keep us posted.

Teddy
Teddy, Thank you for the kind words.

You know at one point (not so long ago) I couldn't weld either.....Now its a fun hobby. I found a new 220 miller welder, started with some scrap metal, and when my welds didn't look like the pretty ones on the internet I was seeing I figured out why. Give it a shot you might impress yourself
 
Well over the weekend (in between thunderstorms) I got one of the end caps fit up, hole punched for the exhaust, and the 90 welded up.
This is not the side where the exhaust will be mounted but it had better lighting at night while we were fitting it up

 
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