my first big build

[dakotaxdan]

A buddy and I started our first big build a couple of weeks ago and with the exception of having to chisel out cement of one the tanks we are using we are moving along pretty quick. We are using two water tanks that im guessing are around 200 gallons. I'm a welder by trade and my buddy is a journeymen plumber. He was able to acquire the tanks for free while redoing a heating system in an old school building, we had to drive about four hours there and back to get them but hey you can't argue with free. The red tank that you will see is slightly thicker than the other tank, lined with cement, and had a giant hole for an entry point to access the heating element inside so we decided to use this tank as the firebox and patching metal for other tank that had six ports on it. I will start posting pics of current progress and think I have a pretty good grasp on this with my welding experience and have spent hours reading plenty of the forums on here but please feel free to give me any pointers that you can![ATTACHMENT=885]smoker21.jpg (2,274k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT] [ATTACHMENT=886]IMAG1328.jpg (2,072k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT] [ATTACHMENT=887]IMAG1357.jpg (2,043k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT] [ATTACHMENT=888]IMAG1358.jpg (2,046k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT] [ATTACHMENT=889]smoker print.jpg (1,242k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT]

 

[dakotaxdan]

I've noticed that when people use part of a tank for a fire box they use the flat side to mount to the chamber. Is this because it is easier to marry the tanks or does somebody know if the round end creates a flow problem? I would prefer to have flat doors and mount the round end to the chamber like my print shows

 

[rasimmo]

It won't cause a flow problem like that. Mine flows great and I left the bottom of the cook chamber sticking into the firebox as a baffle. It has the round side out mainly because it needed to be to fit the trailer frame I already had for it. It will be easier to build the door on that flat surface though. I had to use some 4" flat to extend out of the round end and make the door flat.

 

[daveomak]

I've noticed that when people use part of a tank for a fire box they use the flat side to mount to the chamber. Is this because it is easier to marry the tanks or does somebody know if the round end creates a flow problem? I would prefer to have flat doors and mount the round end to the chamber like my print shows

I'm sure it would work fine....    figuring and cutting and mating a "sphere" to a cylinder is a task....    I think most folk, including myself, would leave that drawing on the napkin, in the bar, where it was dreamed up....    Not saying you thought of it, in a bar...  I probably would have....  I know I would have..  In my younger days....  

Dave

 

[boykjo]

 
figuring and cutting and mating a "sphere" to a cylinder is a task....  

Dave

 

[dakotaxdan]

Awesome, were gonna go that route then! I'm thinking we should be able to get pretty close to perfect by marking the radius with the door cut out and by cutting a piece of the " bell" end out of the scrap tank.

On another note a buddy at work hooked me up with boat and trailer for free. I paid it forward by putting the boat itself on fb for free and to bring me back the trailer. We winched the cooking chamber on the trailer to get an idea of if we're going to have to build brackets to set it up higher for clearance of the fire box. Got dark out so well do the measuring tomorrow.

IMAG1388.jpg

• dakotaxdan
• Sep 30, 2013

 

[dakotaxdan]

mock up.jpg

• dakotaxdan
• Oct 3, 2013

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Rolled the fire box over to see what we were dealing with. Looks pretty good for when we are going to marry the tanks but think I'll have to make at least 8 inch risers to go under the chamber so I'm not scrapping the fire box everywhere we take it