Am i over thinking this darn thing?

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hdsmoke

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Aug 20, 2009
300
10
Ohio
Ok, so a couple years ago i started a UDS.  It had the dreaded red liner.  I burnt, wire wheeled, sweated, cussed, and finally gave up.  Partly because the Craigslist gods opened up and dropped a new 18.5 WSM in my lap for $100.  I scrapped that barrel with a smile and have enjoyed my WSM very much. 

However, the CL gods parted again and TRIED to drop a new big WSM in my lap for $300.  It was a scratch and dent and had a few dings and one particularly ugly one on the rim of the smoker that might have effected lid fit/seal.  Then the old lady says its your $$ do what you want but do you really need another smoker?  Well...yes, yes i do.  So i told her if i didnt buy it i was building one.  She said ok, you will get more satisfaction out of that anyway.  Shes probably right (darnit).

So, i get another drum from work.  Yes red liner again.  I burned it out, with a pallet and then some good hardwood firewood, put a leaf blower up to an intake hole and let it run and hit everything with the weed burner...i had every part of that barrel glowing at one point or another during the burn.  SOB was HOT. 

She cools off and yep, still in there, but this time when i hit it with the pressure washer the red liner actually came off!  YES!

Now heres my over thinking question.  Its not down to bare metal...but it is close enough that its rusting.  There was oil (saddle oil) in it but i looked at the MSDS and its not petrol based, but 2 non-hazardous ingredients, one of which is fish-oil.  But i am still wanting it to be cleaner...im paranoid.  What do you all say?  Season it and cook or go the sand blasting route and be extra safe?  I dont have pics yet. 
 
HD, morning..... sounds like the drum was well over 1000 * deg.....  If all the loose stuff is gone, You could coat it with peanut oil and break it in with charcoal etc at 450* deg  several times until the drum was coated well with cured oil.... and then use it......   Of course you would loose sleep at night wondering if it was safe to cook food in and probably have it sandblasted anyway.....  

I am going to say it doesn't matter if it is safe..... It is whether or not you think it is safe and what to do.....   If the wife see the red liner that is left she is going to ask you if it is safe every time you use it ......

 I would blast it to save future headaches.....   Dave
 
Can you take a grinder and get the rest of the stuff out of there? It's probably going to start rusting like you said so are going to want to get it seasoned as soon as you can. Once you season it you shouldn't have the rusting issue on the inside.
 
Well...i answered my question already.  I called a powdercoater i do business with and he also does blasting.  $20 bucks to do the inside.  No brainer.  I can sleep well and eat well. 

I could take a grinder to it...but thats not my idea of fun, thats why i gave up on the other one.  It REALLY sucks running a grinder inside a drum.  The $20 is well worth it for my mental happiness not to mention the fact i would probably pay $100 before i crawl back inside one with a grinder.  Yes, its that bad. 

I already inhaled enough of the liner from the first one i attacked than i would have eaten on smoked food in my lifetime.  I had a dust mask on but you really need a respirator in there. 
 
Hey just noticed your name and profile pic!  Im a fellow 'fowler.  But lacking on the "collecting" part.  7 years of pretty hardcore hunting...3 goose bands and finally my first duck band this year.  Depressing. 

 
My suggestion would be to sand blast it if you have access to one and then season it.

Then you will be good to go mentally as well as physically. 

I love mine...Good luck with yours,  John
 
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ohio state uds
 
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