RF Trailer Build Starting, it's getting close.

[matts]

Raining all morning here so I was able to get back on the build.  Today's goal was some more welding, installing plate and the duel stacks.

Due to a miscalculation on my plates, I had to go get another piece to act as my valley piece that I originally planned on using a piece of angle iron.  So I went to the steel supply fab shop and they cut me a piece of plate and went ahead and put a bend down the middle.  This actually worked out great as it was a big help dropping in the 3/16 plates.

After the plates were tacked in (still low on weld gas), I started on the smoke stacks.  Due to not wanting to go buy anything, I found these 3" conduit pipes and cut them off at the bends and mounted them off the back at lower grate level.  I like the dual exhaust look.  I will be adding dampers on top of the stacks.  The dampers will be cap slide style and each damper will be operated by one lever with some linkage.

Here are the updated pics.  Like I mentioned, everything is just tacked down since I am almost out of weld gas.

 

[trips66]

Matt, that is coming along great. I love the dual exhaust and may have to rethink my design a bit for that. Just so i dont have the same brain fart with calculations, what happened with the angle iron to where you could not use it and had to go to the shop. Did you not make the two individual baffels wide enough? By the way i was up in your neck of the woods earlier today. I found a 250 propane tank up in  Chillicothe, and hope to start working on my build in the next couple of weeks. Keep the pics comin.

 

[matts]

Trips, ya my individual plates were to narrow.  Definately wait till after the firebox is mounted before measureing.  That was the brain fart that screwed me up.  I am keeping my eye out still for a propane tank.  I am already planning my next build.  

Here is the progress for today.  Didn't get to spend too much time on it, but was able to get the lids roughed in.  That was a bigger pain in the but then I thought.  The thin walls on this tank has been an issue from the very beginning.

 

[tom37]

The whole thing looks great Matt, I really like the way the doors turned out. Am I seeing it right that the door close to the fire is the one that opens first?

And I hope its just the camera angle, but is the garage door tall enough for the stacks to fit when you pull it out? I ask this since it took three of us to push/lift/tilt and pull mine out of my garage when I was ready.

Nice work.

 

[matts]

haha, ya its the camera.  I did plan for that when I was cutting the length.  At least I hope.  The door will go up another 6 inches or so plus lifting up the front of the trailer will drop those down as well.  I wanted the stacks taller, but getting it out was on my mind.

Yes, the rear lid opens first.  The lids are just screwed down right now till I get everything adjusted.  Then I will be adding counter weights to both lids.

Just when I think I am getting close on this thing, I stand back and realize I have a bunch left to do.  Lots of little stuff.  Hopefully will be getting the whole thing sandblasted this weekend.  Thats my goal anyway.  Then it will be final assembly.

 

[matts]

Started working on the fire starter back up burner tonight.  It will be around 32" long when its all said in done and will pretty much fit the whole length of the firebox.

I still have some fine tuning to do to it like adding another row of holes close to this row. I can't crank the gas up all the way and get all the yellow out without the flame blowing itself out.  So more holes will be put in.  But I am happy with how it is working so far.  This will mounted so the flames shoot out sideways.  The burner will be covered by a shield to keep ash and junk from getting into it.

The flames in these pics are around 6 inches tall with a row of around 22" of holes.  The holes are 1/8" diameter and spaced every 1/4"

 

[harryho]

Excellent looking flame shooting out of that homemade burner.

I'm so amazed with the creativity in this board. Makes me want to build my own rig one of these days.

 

[matts]

Thanks, it was pretty easy with the right parts and personal help from Tejas Smokers.  It wasn't 20 minutes after I ordered the venturi, he called me and told me everything I needed to know on how to build and set up my burner the way I wanted it.

 

[tom37]

I really like the burner Matt,

Any chance you may share the info on that build, or maybe make a wiki out of it.

Thanks

Tom

 

[matts]

Tom, I wish I took take any credit for this, but I can't.  I knew I wanted to start with a venturi that I found at Tejas Smokers.  I ordered it and put a message in the order about hole sizes and placements, 20 minutes later I got a call from Jim at Tejas.  I told him what my plans were and he told me what I needed to do.  

Pretty much from what I understood, most pipe burners have 1/8" holes spaced on 1/4" centers.  How much heat you are wanting determines the size of the pipe needed.  I told him that this will primarily be used to help starting the firebox and getting temp up faster.  But, I also told him that I wanted the ability to run the whole cooker off this burner if I had to.  Thats when he said to use the 1 1/4" pipe for the burner.  The extra gas pressure needs enough room to stage before venting and burning.  We went over a few different senarioes which started with a single row.  He said I would probably have problems with the flames blowing out when I cranked up the pressure, which is exactly what happened.  So he suggested adding another row of holes should fix that.  Thats next on the burner detail.  I may do that tonight still.

Hope that helps. Here are a couple pics of the parts I used.

Little more progress on the pit tonight.

 

[matts]

Spent all day welding and maxed out the duty cycle on my welder twice.  A little more welding in the morning and off to the sandblaster in the afternoon.  I can't wait to see this thing blasted and start putting the finishing touches on it.  Still tons of work left on it, but its getting close.  All my friends keep asking every day if I am done yet.  They are already planning the party.

After I got done for the day, thunderstorm rolled in, I got it back in the garage and started playing around with how I am going to lay out the front area.  I picked up a tool chest at sears and plan on mounting it on the trailer for tools, spices and ever other little thing.  I think this is how I am going to mount everything.  Every where around the tool chest will have side rails and expanded metal.  The front will be boxed in to hold coolers and the area behind the tool chest will be boxed in for hauling wood.  The two propane tanks will be mounted in front on the tongue like how they are on campers.

I really starting to come together and I am started to get excited.  The wife is ready for me to be done with this thing as well, but I think its for different reasons then mine.

The trailer will be painted the same color grey as the tool chest.  The tank and firebox will be black.

 

[Bearcarver]

This is really coming along GREAT!

Thanks for including us in the process!

Gotta love that flame!!

Bearcarver

 

[otter]

I know, a lot of this project is going to be too thin, but it's my first build like this and it is on a extreme budget. For the heat loss issue, I will be adding LP to the firebox. I don't plan on this being a propane cooker, but I want it there for start up and the just in case I need it part.

  I think you will be pleased with the lp add I'm planning a build but with the IP in the cooker  good luck and good smokeing/cooking

 

 

[sawruff]

looking good man

 

[matts]

Well, I got it back from the sandblaster today.  took the day off from work to play with this thing.  Rushed home and spent all day on it getting more stuff welded on and to get a first coat of paint on so it won't rust up.

Once I got home I started on the railing and different sections where everything will be stored.  Did a few more things to the tank and got the trailer primered and a thin first coat on the tank.  I still have more metal work on the firebox and a little up front, but its starting to take shape and I can start to see the ending.

 

[bigmatt]

Great work Matt.  I like the way things are moving along.  If you don't mind me asking how much did the sandblasting run you?  It seems like the only way to go-Hand prepping that thing would take forever...

 

[harryho]

That's an awesome looking rig.

What are you doing for counter top space?

Where are you looking at placing the propane tank?

 

[matts]

BigMatt, The sandblasting cost $75.  I think that is pretty cheap and definately well worth the money.  The place that did it is a small farm blasting shop out in the middle of nowhere.  

harryho, at the moment there isn't a ton of counter space.  I will have a 2x12 mounted on the smoker under the doors and will be putting a cutting board on the tool chest.  Besides that, probably just your normal fold up table.  I was going to put a big table that attached to the trailer, but I opted to put in the tool chest to store everything.

 

[Bearcarver]

Keeps getting nicer & nicer. Can't wait for the grand finale!!!

Bearcarver

 

[matts]

harryho, I forgot your other question.  I will have two tanks mounted up front on the tongue like how you see on most campers.

thanks Bearcarver, I am getting excited to get it done.