My First Reverse Flow Build - 125-Gallon Propane Tank (Plenty of Pics)

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Dave,

Didn't think about blind welding them. Will try it out this AM...

Wizzard,

I will be gentle on the heat and do more massaging than heating.

Thanks to both of you for the well timed advice...
 
I just wanted that nice solid bead of weld around my flange and took the risk, ended up being a lot more work, but sure looks preaty.

I does look nice.....  Unfortunately, that is what warps and twist steel....  Pretty or functional....  every time a bead is laid, the metal shrinks and twists... 
 
yep, I was careful too, Did spot welds and jumped around. The only place it really did it was along the 48" section of the bottom door. Working it in the hyd press took care of it though.
 
I cut the flange off the door. I wasn't a bit happy with the way it turned out. The door didn't warp or twist. The back of the flange drew up when it was welded up. I am gonna start again but this time I'm gonna blind weld the flanges. I was gonna drill the door and weld from the under side, BUT RibWizzard set me straight. I'm gonna drill the flanges and blind weld them from the top and dress the welds...

Again, thanks to all.
 
Got the cook chamber door flange complete. It couldn't have turned out any better.



Here's a shot of the backside of the upper flange. (From rear of chamber) 


The flange is flat against the chamber. Way Cool!!!

Now I gotta draw up some hinges. I intended on using 1/2" pipe and 1/2" round bar, but since my flange is blind welded (spot), it won't be able to carry the hinges. Not an issue, just a minor adjustment. Or the next adjustment.

Thanks goes out to RibWizzard & DaveOmak for the direction on this.

By the way, I contacted a pipe yard in reference to my next build. The smallest pipe they had available was 20" X 3/8" @ $48/ft PLUS $30 per cut. WOW, it would cost me more than I have in this build to build a pit 1/2 this size. The scrap yard search continues.
 
On my hinges, since I used 1 1/2" flat bar, I found weld on hinges with 1 1/2" x 3" flat  on each side of hinge, cut out a section of the flange and blended in the hinge flush with the flange. Since the flange overlaps the door seem, so does the flat bar on the hinges. so it seals all the way around.  Just an ideal that worked out good for me.
 
I like it.. I would rather have low profile hinges anyway. Just my preference. I think the 1/2" pipe will go to handles. I have 3/8" round bar that the pipe will fit over loosely. Shouldn't transfer the heat to the pipe. Or I will use the chipping hammer handle like my other smoker has.. I 'll jump off that bridge when I get to it.  Thanks 
 
BlufftonSmoker, evening..... when you install the hinges, the center line of the hinges should be on the tank side of the flange for the door..... That way, the door will lift and the flange not get in the way....  That mean the door will "cantilever" if that is the correct term...  If the center line is installed over the door, the flange will try and drop down as it opens.....  Does that make sense ?? 

Here is one of my famous drawings....   

 
Evening Dave,

Yes this makes sense to me. I was planning to attach the hinges to the flange but I blind welded them to the door. My original hinge design was to weld 1/2" pipe to the chamber above the flange. Then use 1/2" round bar bent 90-degrees to form the moving part of the hinge. I'm gonna look at it tomorrow to see if I can easily extend this round bar down to the lid and still make it look good. I know I can make it work, I just want it to look good while it works. The prospect of running a piece of flat bar alongside the flange for 2" or so to weld the round bar to will work pretty well. Was thinking of running a bead along side the flat bar and blind welding to the door every 3/4" alongside the flange may just look good enough to suit me. Whatcha think? 

This is what I threw together...


I have obligations tomorrow AM, but I want to complete both doors tomorrow PM.
 
Here one of my sorry drawings, but I actually cust out a section of the flange and used a weld on hinge the same size as the flange material and put it in line with the flange so that it looked like one solid flange when I was done. The hinge overlaped the gap that the flange is meant to cover, and seals it off.

Does that make sense?  Just me being anal about the looks, but it worked out very well.
36a3a796_hinge.png
 
I like the design and how the flange and hinge worked out. It's just that I will have to actually go out and buy the hinge vs I already have the 1/2" pipe & round bar. I 'm heading out today (I live in the middle of nowhere) so I will drop by a metal supply house and see what they have. I stopped by a shop last month & their prices were outrageous.  lemme see what I can come up with.
 
This was the hinge I was planning on, but if I don't locate hinges today I will move these in and add a short piece of flat bar next to the flange to weld this round bar to. Extending the round bar of course.


I've had this old smoker for over 20 years. I cook on it at least once a week with no hinge issues yet. It is a 3/16" New Braunfels smoker from way back when they used metal to build em. Not the light sheet metal they use now days. This thing had a thick layer of paint when I bought it. (It looked good) BUT when I went to season it, the paint fumes were bad. After two seasoning burns, the food still tasted of paint. So I built up a fire and burned it for 2 days straight. I burned every inch of paint off this thing and it has been bare metal exterior ever since. 
 
Bluffton...  Are you planning on installing all the hinges left or right handed so the door can be removed after the install ???  I would, so mods could easily be made later, or the door and smoker could be worked on....     A tack on the pin could be applied and later removed with a grinder if you wanted to keep it from moving....  lots of ways to temporarily/permanently  hold it in place.....  Dave
 
Ya know.... I was thinking no, because I haven't needed to get into this little smoker in all those 20 years...   BUT I plan to open this little dude up and converting it to a RF. To do this, Step 1 will be to cut the firebox door loose...  So long story short, Yes I will install the hinges removable style!!! 
 
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