PLANNING FIRST BUILD ( PICS NOW INCLUDED )

[sholmes]

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• sholmes
• Sep 30, 2013

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• sholmes
• Sep 30, 2013

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• sholmes
• Sep 30, 2013

A COUPLE MORE BABY STEPS.  DOOR NOW OPENS.  TEMPORARY HANDLE.  3/8" THICK TANK, TOOK A COUPLE DOZEN CUT OFF DISC TO CUT THE DOOR OUT BUT IT KEPT IT'S SHAPE ALMOST PERFECTLY.  DOOR IS SUPER HEAVY AND ABOUT A 1/4" OUT OF SQUARE.  NEED COUNTER WEIGHT AND DOOR FLANGES.  ONE MORE HINGE IS GOING IN THE CENTER AFTER I PATCH THE HOLES IN THE TOP OF THE TANK.

LONG WAY TO GO BUT STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A SMOKER.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS THING DONE BY THANKSGIVING BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL HAPPEN.  I AM A HUGE ST LOUIS CARDINAL FAN AND THE PLAYOFFS ARE HERE.  REALLY CUTS INTO MY BUILD TIME.

 

[jarjarchef]

Lookin great!

Since I am learning from what others are doing. I have a question for ya......

I noticed you added the brace/supports/handle brackets on the tank before cutting the door. Is the reason to prevent the door from springing when the cut is finished? It looks like it would help keep the shape and make the seal easier/better in the long run.....

Jeramy

 

[sholmes]

JARJARCHEF

WITH THE BRACES WELDED ONTO THE DOOR BEFORE IT WAS CUT OUT IT KEPT ITS SHAPE ALMOST PERFECTLY, PLUS I LIKE THE LOOK AND IT MAKES A GOOD PLACE TO MOUNT THE HANDLE.

 

[jarjarchef]

Thank you. I had been kicking around doing the same way in my head, but was not sure if in real real world it would actually work.

Your going to have years of enjoyment with your smoker. Looks great!

 

[usherk44]

Good looking build enjoying following along and I really like your design. I hope after you fire it up your able to adjust dampers here and there and control temps in both cc and cook with both at the same time . I'm hoping to have my build complete by thanksgiving as well but bow season ,football ,baseball playoffs, lots going on. Are you still planning on including the grill on the end. I'm building a propane one included with my smoker and its really slowing me down with all the details that go into the propane deal. We plan on putting this smoker right out the back door of the house though so a gas grill is a must for a quick hot dog or a burger

 

[gary s]

Looking good, you will have smoke coming out of it in no time.

Gary

 

[sholmes]

BEEN GONE A COUPLE DAYS TO A BALL GAME IN ST. LOUIS.  GO CARDS!

I AM GOING TO TRY TO GET SOME WORK DONE TO THE SMOKER TODAY.  I AM GONNA PATCH THE HOLES IN THE TOP OF THE TANK AND ADD THE CENTER HINGE TO THE CC DOOR.  I HAVE ENOUGH STEEL TO START ON THE CC DOOR FLANGE. 

I NEED TO GET THE RF PLATE DRAIN PUT IN SO THAT I CAN MEASURE THE RF PLATE AND GET THE STEEL.  I WAS GOING TO USE 1/4" THICK FOR THE PLATE.  IS THAT THICK ENOUGH?  IS THERE ANY REASON TO GO THICKER?

I AM STILL KEEPING MY EYES OPEN FOR AN AIR COMPRESSOR TANK TO USE FOR THE GRILL.  I PLAN TO PUT IT SIDEWAYS ON THE FRONT OF THE CC.  I MAY TRY TO FIND SOMETHING A LITTLE THICKER TO USE.  I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT AN AIR COMPRESSOR TANK WOULD NOT BE THICK ENOUGH AND WOULD WARP IF USED FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL.  I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING ON THIS PROJECT GET WARPED OR RUSTY.  MAYBE IT WOULD BE OK AS LONG AS I KEPT THE CHARCOAL GRATE UP OFF OF THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK.

 

[sholmes]

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• sholmes
• Oct 6, 2013

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• sholmes
• Oct 6, 2013

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• sholmes
• Oct 6, 2013

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• sholmes
• Oct 6, 2013

HOLES PLUGGED, CENTER HINGE ON, AND STARTED ON THE DOOR FLANGE.

 

[gary s]

Looks like you got a good start.

Gary

 

[sholmes]

SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND TIME TO CHECK IN LATELY.  I HAVE BEEN SUPER BUSY AND HAD TO BUY A NEW WELDER.  MY BROTHER MOVED AND TOOK HIS WELDER WITH HIM.

I BOUGHT A MILLER 211.  THIS WELDER IS AMAZING.  I HAVE NEVER USED A BRAND NEW WELDER.

I GOT THE DOOR FLANGES ALL WELDED UP.  HOPEFULLY I CAN FIND SOME TIME TO MAKE SOME MORE PROGRESS ON THIS PROJECT SOON.

I HAVE A LOT OF IRONS IN THE FIRE RIGHT NOW AND WINTER IS COMING FAST.

 

[sholmes]

I am almost ready to start on my RF plate and have a few questions.

How thick does it need to be?

Should I take the smoker outside and burn it out good before starting on the RF plate?  I have not built a fire in it yet.

Can I weld the RF plate to the top of the fire box or is it better to leave a space between the top of the fireox and the RF plate?

I am trying to figure out a good way to install drains in the bottom of the tank and in the RF plate.

 

[rasimmo]

Mine's 1/4" and it works great. I would not go thinner than 3/16". Thicker would not hurt anything other than weight if you had some already.

I did not. I got the smoker all built and then put a good fire in the FB. Ran the CC temp up over 500 that way and it cleaned it all up good.

I would leave a gap between them. It will help with keeping the hot spot an that end down to a minimum.

I still can not figure out why everybody makes these fancy multi piece RF plates with inverted angle in the middle and drain out the bottom. If thats what you want, great, I just like it a little simpler. I welded a 1" 90 on the back of the smoker at the end of the RF plate opposite the FB. I put the bottom of the inlet to it a little below the RF plate. Then I cut a hole with a torch to from the inside for it to drain. My RF plate is one piece and level. It drains great and when I wash it out I just jack up a little on the FB end to help it drain a little quicker. It was simple to do and works great.I think there is a pic of it in my build. I would put it here, but I am having trouble with posting pics.

 

[daveomak]

I still can not figure out why everybody makes these fancy multi piece RF plates with inverted angle in the middle and drain out the bottom.

Ras, morning...   When cooking 20-30 butts for instance...  the grease/fat dripping can get to be quite a bit... sooooo, the tapered, tilted pan helps with getting the grease to the drain faster and reduce the possibility of a fire...  a gallon or so of hot pig fat, burns really good... mainly precautionary measures.....  

Dave

 

[jarjarchef]

Ras, morning...   When cooking 20-30 butts for instance...  the grease/fat dripping can get to be quite a bit... sooooo, the tapered, tilted pan helps with getting the grease to the drain faster and reduce the possibility of a fire...  a gallon or so of hot pig fat, burns really good... mainly precautionary measures.....  

Dave

As Dave pointed out, grease fires are a possibility and not fun. It is not fun to open the cook chamber door and give the last needed component for a flats fire. It can really put a bit of excitement in your day.
Also everyone designs their pit to fit their skill set in fabricating, materials available and how it will function. I agree in the KISS theory, but it needs to be safe and function for my needs to keep clean. So what I have designed in my head may not fit what others will feel fits the KISS formula for them, that is why there are so many versions of the same thing. That is what is so cool about sharing ideas with each other. You can see so many ways to do the same thing and Frankinstein your own way out of many others.

 

[sholmes]

I got a few more things finished up tonight.  I do not have the steel for the RF plate yet so i think i may start on the fire box door next.  I have really been putting off these doors.  I think that they are going to be a real pain to get done.

 

[nick v]

I like how you did your cc door. Are those flanges on there to keep the door from warping? The metal rod going to stay as the handle or are you gonna use a wood handle. Awesome build man. I'm building one myself right now but on a way smaller scale.

 

[sholmes]

I got the idea for the door flanges from a couple other guys on here.  Worked great, hardly any warping.  The steel handle is not staying,  I am thinking about a small wood baseball bat or something for the handle.  I am still going to have to get some clamps to hold the door shut tight.

 

[sholmes]

I got a little time to work on the smoker the last couple nights.  I got the two side intakes installed on the firebox and got the firebox door frame built.  I used C-channel to frame the door and I am ordering some 7/8" rope gasket for it.

Pictures were not good I will try to take a few more.

 

[nick v]

Look forward to those pics. Nice deer in the profile pic. Our modern gun season ended today. Got a doe for meat but couldn't come across a buck big enough. Check out my firebox if you get a chance. You can click in my profile to get to it can't you? I'm new to this forum stuff. I just finished my firebox last week. I think I'm gonna do those flanges like you did. I thought about turning them the opposite way so the bigger part is on top and that could act as a door stop but then adding the handle wouldn't be as convenient.

 

[rasimmo]

Here is a my RF plate drain.

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• rasimmo
• Nov 25, 2013

The valve and pipe were replaced before paint. This was on hand at the time. It will drain all but a thin film with it set up level. I have a piece of 2" flat on the end to make it a pan. No way for drippings to get to the fire. If I build a fire big enough for it to travel out of the FB and 5' under the RF to the grease, or hot enough to ignite it without direct contact, I deserve a fire. If anyone wants to build a complicated RF plate to prove fabrication skills, have at it. What I did was a lot easier, a lot less weld, and works just as good. I am not trying to start an argument, just stating my opinion. We all know how those are though.

Sorry SHOLMES for getting this a little derailed.