Help with Big Baby

[wylde chef]

A while back before they laid me off my job built a big baby double barrel over/under smoker for me to use. The other day (2 years later) their moving out of the building and lo and behold one of my former work friends got the boss to give it to him and he gave it to me. I tell ya I coulda cried.

Anyway...

On this particular build the two updrafts are spaced towards the outside edges of the barrel's with the exhaust dead center. The two up drafts are, well drafty. theres a lot of daylight in there id like to get sealed up. Now had I thought about it while they were building it I would have recommended that they solder those tins together, but alas hindsight is 40-40

I'm wondering what I can use to seal those up a little better that wouldn't involve a sandblaster to get em clean enough to do the job. It hough about some sort of wrap but I need some better ideas. so here I am asking those that know..

 

[fugs]

I have used grout (like you would use between tile ) it work great ,but  it depends on the hole.

Don't be afraid to use alot.

 

[tom37]

If there is no movement such as a door, you can use the fireplace gasket cement. For the door I use height temp RTV sealant. Got it on my reverse flow stack connection thats right above the fire box and the RTV has held up very well. And very flexible as well.

Good Luck and hope to see a pic of what you have.

 

[devonsdaddy]

i, too, have the big baby double stack...built homemade!  i don't have the holes you have, but i do agree with tom37 who said you can use fireplace gasket cement.  i have enclosed my two pipes which connect the bottom and top barrels for better heat retention.  i'm not sure the grout as suggested before will handle your burn-off heat, which can reach temp's of 400-500 degrees.  that big-baby can heat up quick!  

anyway, good luck...also a big of advice i have for ya since i've been cooking on this all summer long...be careful of your heat that comes up from your two pipes.  sometimes, the heat's just too much and i've had a couple of run-in's with it charring some ends.  i've got tapers within the pipes, but it can only hold down so much.  so, i'm in the process of constructing small, removable heat shields that'll disperse the heat in the upper barrel, but still allow the smoke to travel upward and freely.  

if you're interested in trading tips/recipes using the big baby, just him me up at [email protected]

good luck!