A-Maze-N vs ProQ Cold Smoke Generators

[Bearcarver]

I missed seeing that picture before in this thread.  That try did not fare too well!  Which brings me to the quote I just put into another first cheese post about experience coming from mistakes. 

Another question about your dust -- do you use the entire limb of wood, bark and all -- or do you use only the wood?

I had thought about going to an oak furniture store near me -- but then thought about the fact that they would not tend to care what was in their dust bin.  Sometimes pure oak, sometimes composition board.  The later would *NOT* be a good thing.

Dale,

I worked in two different Cabinet shops, and had my own Cabinet shop for 15 years. The two I worked for would not have been good, because all of our machines were tied into a network of dust collection branches. Everything went together. When I had my own shop, it would have been easy to separate my Radial Saw & my Table saw from the rest of my equipment. Radial saw, Table saw, Miter Saw---Good. Planer, Jointer, Shaper, Sanders, Lathe, Horizontal Boring Machine ----Bad. I could also clean them out easily, before changing woods, so it could all be Hickory, Oak, Cherry, and Maple, and no other crap. You would have to really be in good with a Cabinetmaker to get him to do that kind of thing.

Bear

 

[tjohnson]

Dale,

My answers are in "RED"
 

I missed seeing that picture before in this thread.  That try did not fare too well!  Which brings me to the quote I just put into another first cheese post about experience coming from mistakes. Yea, the prototype was made of stainless steel screen material, and defintly had a meltdown upon ignition.  It did prove to me that a maze was going to work and lead me to produce the first 15 prototypes that were sent out to guys on SMF in April.

Another question about your dust -- do you use the entire limb of wood, bark and all -- or do you use only the wood?  Most of my products are a "By Product" of the lumber industry and the bark was removed long before it was kiln dried.  I use some chips, but mostly coarse sawdust and planer chips.  All goes into a grinder until I get the correct size.   It's kinda time consuming when you think of it!

I had thought about going to an oak furniture store near me -- but then thought about the fact that they would not tend to care what was in their dust bin.  Sometimes pure oak, sometimes composition board.  The later would *NOT* be a good thing.  I think it's a great idea for anyone to collect sawdust, as long as they can be sure if free from the stuff that will make you sick.  I can purchase a "Semi Load" of sawdust for $600, but it's full of the nasty stuff.  This is the sawdust that goes into heating pellets not BBQ pellets.  Cabinet shops are in the "Cabinet Business, not the "Sawdust Business", unless you find a small shop like Bear had and they are willing to save some clean sawdust for you.

Todd

 

[dale5351]

I could also clean them out easily, before changing woods, so it could all be Hickory, Oak, Cherry, and Maple, and no other crap. You would have to really be in good with a Cabinetmaker to get him to do that kind of thing.

You confirm my suspicions.  The place I am thinking of ( http://www.columbiaoak.com/   ) makes a lot of very good and solid stuff.  We have bought several pieces from them over the years.  I have been in what I think is one of the places where they make some of the stuff, about as big as a small grocery store -- doing all sorts of things.  Some of the things are solid oak.  Some of them are oak veneer on composition.  They will do other woods -- but as you said, I'm sure that their eye is on their profit margin for making furniture -- and sawdust is just a nuisance to them to be disposed of.  They'd have no reason for keeping it to one sort of wood.  Nor keeping any kind of uniformity on the size of the dust.  IOW, just not suitable for our purposes.
 

 

[dale5351]

Todd,

Your comment on that first prototype makes me think of our visit to Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday.  I saw a stainless steel wire mesh thing designed to use as a silverware drawer.  I told my wife that I'd bet that it would burn sawdust -- once!  Your picture is confirmation of that.

 

[tjohnson]

Maybe I should have come up with a "Disposable Smoker"

Naaaaah You guys would have never fallen for it

Todd

 

[tjohnson]

I contacted both MossyMo and Dave54 and offered to send then each a 6x6 A-MAZE-N-SMOKER for their review. 

Both responded "Yes."

Will wait for the results

Todd

 

[scarbelly]

Since I did not get a response to my post here I sent it as a PM and will report on the response if any

 

[richoso1]

Todd, I deleted your OOPS! postings.

Rich

 

[tjohnson]

Thx!

Can you throw an extra hundo in my bank account if I post my account #?

TJ

 

[scarbelly]

Thx!

Can you throw an extra hundo in my bank account if I post my account #?

TJ

 Hey Todd just send me a PM and I got ya covered. Just be sure to include the routing # and your signature so they will accept the money

 

[richoso1]

Thx!

Can you throw an extra hundo in my bank account if I post my account #?

TJ

Have you been talking to my wife? She's always asking me for the same...

 

[tjohnson]

Hey Dale!

Thanks for the "HEADS UP"!!!!

Quote:

What is the cost of the sawdust?  I can look at Todd's web page and see dust sold in 1 lb lots and in 5 lb lots.  He passes on the shipping cost of US Priority mail without additional cost.  Hence 1 lb dust is 4.49 + 10.70 = 15.19 and 5 lb dust is 10.95 + 10.70 = 21.65 (ordering in 5 lb lots is a no-brainer choice).

I reviewed my shipping tables today.  The cost to ship 1# US Priority Flat Rate in now $4.75 and No Longer $10.70.  Big "OOPS" on My Part!!!

Just trying to stay competitive......

THX

Todd

 

[chefrob]

thx todd for fixing my shiping cost today.................. and this wasn't mine.........

 I reviewed my shipping tables today.  The cost to ship 1# US Priority Flat Rate in now $4.75 and No Longer $10.70.  Big "OOPS" on My Part!!!

 

[dale5351]

I reviewed my shipping tables today.  The cost to ship 1# US Priority Flat Rate in now $4.75 and No Longer $10.70.  Big "OOPS" on My Part!!!

Just trying to stay competitive......

The $4.95 (4.75 with online purchase?) box is only 8 5/8 x 5 3/8 x 1 5/8.  That would be large enough for your 1 lb of dust, but not large enough for a 6x8 AMNS plus dust.  That would take the medium box -- $10.70.  How big a box is needed for 5-lb packages?  I'd guess medium would work for those. 

 

[tjohnson]

Shipping Costs

1# Sawdust - $4.75 - USPS Flat Rate Mailing Envelope

AMNS Incl. 1# Sawdust = $10.70 - USPS Medium Flat Rate Box

AMNS Packages = $10.70 - USPS Medium Flat Rate Box

(5) 1# Sawdust Packages = $10.70 - USPS Medium Flat Rate Box

5# Bulk Sawdust = $10.70 - USPS Medium Flat Rate Shipper

"Free Shipping" = Yea Right! - The shipping cost is just built into the product cost!

Any order above10# usually ships cheaper with UPS.  I just adjusted my shipping tables at PayPal, but they just are not adequate for all the possible combinations.  When we receive an order, we manually check for the least expensive shipper and credit the customer for the difference.  I do not charge a "Handling Fee".

We're working on a new website that will give customers the option to choose their own shipper at checkout.  There's a dropdown with "REAL TIME RATES", so the customer can choose based on the cheapest price or fastest delivery time.  USPS Piority Mail is 2-3 days.  UPS Ground, can be up to 6 days, cost up to $10 less on a large package, depending on what zone it's going to.

Hope that helps!

TJ

 

[Bearcarver]

You could get UPS Ground from the UK too, but they haven't found a driver who can hold his breath long enough.

 

[wntrlnd]

I just found this thread today and was compelled to read all six pages of comments!  LOL @ myself!

Just recently I have been thinking about buying a cold smoke generator and didn't even realize the amazen smoker was made by a SMF member.  I've seen random posts by Todd in various threads, but didn't realize he was the guy that made the product.

I'm happy I read the thread because I discovered it's important to insist on the larger size when I get my amazen!  Santa Claus has been notified!

Plus I'm really looking forward to how Ian's product matches up against Todd's in the head to head test. 

My compliments to both guys for offering up their products to the testers.  

It would be so cool if more manufacturers were confident enough in their products to publicly test them head to head like this!

 

[stircrazy]

I just finnished reading this all also.. wow, a lot of people here don't care about the product its self only that it is made in the USA.  not that I am saying one is better than the other.

Like others here I have found Todd very helpfull, especialy in trying to figure out an external smoker for my fridge build I am doing.  Heck I didn't even know he was the Todd of A-mazin untill about the 4th PM, then I was going to buy one but Todd told me it wouldn't work in that big of a smoker. 

what I got out of that was some one who cares more about the customer than selling his product.  he would rather not sell you one than have you not happy with it which is realy great. 

Todd if you design one that will smoke 20 CU^FT let me know.

Oh and when are you Americans going to get with the rest of the world and go metric?

  its much better to drive 100 than it is to drive 63

Steve

 

[Bearcarver]

I just finnished reading this all also.. wow, a lot of people here don't care about the product its self only that it is made in the USA.  not that I am saying one is better than the other.

Like others here I have found Todd very helpfull, especialy in trying to figure out an external smoker for my fridge build I am doing.  Heck I didn't even know he was the Todd of A-mazin untill about the 4th PM, then I was going to buy one but Todd told me it wouldn't work in that big of a smoker. 

what I got out of that was some one who cares more about the customer than selling his product.  he would rather not sell you one than have you not happy with it which is realy great. 

Todd if you design one that will smoke 20 CU^FT let me know.

Oh and when are you Americans going to get with the rest of the world and go metric?

  its much better to drive 100 than it is to drive 63

Steve

LOL---Do you have room for two of them in that monster?

If not, Todd could make you one, big enough, but you need a fork lift to get it to your smoker.

Todd will take care of you---Guaranteed!

Bear

 

[stircrazy]

LOL---Do you have room for two of them in that monster?

If not, Todd could make you one, big enough, but you need a fork lift to get it to your smoker.

Todd will take care of you---Guaranteed!

Bear

well, maybe.. 

   I just double checked the measurments..  its only 17 CU^FT so not as big as I thought.  was going on outside measurments and forgot about the wall thickness and the space taken up by the compressor.  I think I could fit 3 or 4 of them in there to tell you the truth, but that would be getting expensive.

Steve