Material size/type for baffle/tuning plates

[bigdaddybama]

I have a Char-griller outlaw that I am having a great time with. I bought it last July and have done most of the standard mods (dryer vent to lower stack to grate level, charcoal basket, new tires, new thermometer, flip charcoal basket upside down.)

I want to add a baffle and some tuning plates and I have access to some. 080 thick aluminum. Will this be OK or do I need a different metal or a different thickness?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Mark



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[lovinspoonful]

Yes and no. Look at it this way, the baffled plates do two things: they redirect the flow of heat to help distribute it more evenly throughout the chamber based on shape and configuration, and they provide more mass to absorb and equalize heat variations. Aluminum flashing does a fine job of the former and a lousy job of the latter. That said, going the flashing route allows you to more easily experiment with various shapes and designs to see what works best. Down the road you can always translate the winning configuration into thicker steel plate, if you like.