First RF Build. Excited!

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Thanks, Nick. Been following yours too. Nice job.

Hey RW, I have some 4" square stock out in my boneyard that I was going to use for the stack. Any problems with square?
 
Looks good!

I know the price was right, but you should consider replacing 2 of those caster wheels with non-swivel types. I've got 4 caster wheels on mine, for the same reason you do, a friend gave them to me, and if I said it handles like a shopping cart, it would be a compliment. Every time I move it in/out of the garage is an exercise in frustration.
 
Haha thanks Jweller. You are right, a shopping cart would handle better! You can spin this thing like a ballerina. I will put it on my to do list. Maybe I can weld/modify two of them to be stationary. Too cold to look today though. Even in Texas.
 
Had a few hands around today so I got the firebox mounted. It's not welded 100% because its cold out, but it is on and looking like a smoker now. I did cut the "sled" so that I could use a floor jack to lift it into place.



The top of the firebox does actually sit an inch higher than the rf plate. It's not an illusion. This is because I have the top of the firebox double plated with 1/4" plate with an inch gap in between. I know that RW does something like that and it makes SO much since to me for conservation of heat loss. The half moon of the firebox is right below the 2nd plate. I would rather have the heat in the cook chamber than lose it from heat transfer on top of the firebox. The top should still get PLENTY hot enough for beans, etc.

Getting close now. Planning my first cook the last Saturday of the month for my birthday. I will have it seasoned and ready by then. Finally, some decent weather is headed to Texas! The to do list is getting shorter.
 
This is because I have the top of the firebox double plated with 1/4" plate with an inch gap in between. I know that RW does something like that and it makes SO much since to me for conservation of heat loss.
single most important thing !!! Makes a huge difference!
 
This will be the first one I slanted, usually I run them straight with the top plate joining the reverse flow plate and the bottom one being a deflector. With the two plates meeting together at the the cook chamber end, they will both join the deflector inside the cook chamber and then I will go up another inch and add a 3rd plate inside the chamber that will join into the reverse flow plate.
 
Right on, RW. I'm guessing that you usually build from tanks? I notice that a lot of pits built from tanks have the deflector.

As mentioned earlier, my new plasma cutter is dead. Worked fine for a minute when I got it, then nothing. Tech support thinks it is the torch, so a new one is on a UPS truck making it's way to Texas from California. So... I broke out the torches today (glad I didn't sell them when the plasma arrived like I wanted to!) and got a couple of things cut. One of the crews had my welder on a job today so all I could do was cut. My freehand skills with a set of torches leaves a lot to be desired. I guess that's why we have welders and grinders!

I cut out the cc cap over the fb, both side slide covers, and the opening and cover for the vent on the fb door. I tried to make that as close to center of the fb/cc opening as I could for the best flow.




It looks like the end cap for the cc does not fit, but it is just leaning up. It actually fits pretty good. Hopefully get a bunch of the welding done this weekend. I made the vent on the fb door 2"x4". I hope that is sufficient to move heat. The other vents give me more than enough volume.
 
Great Job!  My firebox sits 1-1/2" up because of double wall also.  I insulated between the walls and top still gets hot enough for beans.  Nice additional feature.
 
I'm just a dumb carpenter.  When I insulated it I was naïve enough to think the box wouldn't get hot being insulated.  What it does is help to decrease wood consumption by forcing the vast majority of heat through to your cook chamber.  My smokers are so big I tried to do my best to make them work like they were designed....in my twisted head.  The only thing I've had to change is the doors to firebox side.  The front of the box warped on both of them.  I simply added stiffeners to the inside edge and it was fixed.  Good luck on your build.  I've got to warn you though, these things are addicting.
 
Howdy. I will be trying to finish up enough of the pit today to finally run some smoke through it. I will post pictures later. I have a question for Dave, RW, or anyone who can answer it.

I originally was going to have the fb/cc opening as Feldon's had calculated, but then made the whole area open under the rf plate as Dave/RW have mentioned. But, I left the opening at the other end of the rf plate based on that initial calculation. I'm not sure if it is now supposed to be the same as the fb/cc opening. However, I did leave 1 1/2" at the end of the plate where I put the grease dam, thinking that if I needed to, I could cut that out to attain the additional volume.

Is the area at the end of the plate supposed to equal the volume of the fb/cc opening? Thanks in advance for your help!

Keith
 
Howdy. I will be trying to finish up enough of the pit today to finally run some smoke through it. I will post pictures later. I have a question for Dave, RW, or anyone who can answer it.

I originally was going to have the fb/cc opening as Feldon's had calculated, but then made the whole area open under the rf plate as Dave/RW have mentioned. But, I left the opening at the other end of the rf plate based on that initial calculation. I'm not sure if it is now supposed to be the same as the fb/cc opening. However, I did leave 1 1/2" at the end of the plate where I put the grease dam, thinking that if I needed to, I could cut that out to attain the additional volume.

Is the area at the end of the plate supposed to equal the volume of the fb/cc opening? Thanks in advance for your help!

Keith

Keith, morning..... The area at the end of the RF plate should be equal to or larger than the FB/CC opening... The reason, the air/heat/smoke has to take a 180 deg turn to exit the smoker... a prime area for friction... Those are my thoughts....
Any friction point will cause the FB to get hotter and increase fuel usage... There is a balance of course... Finding that balance is the million dollar answer...

Dave
 
I've started over sizing the firebox to cooking chamber opening, and leaving the 2nd opening close to what pit calculator recommends. Builds a little more heat up under the reverse flow plate. If you went with a heavy gauge reverse flow plate and incorporated some kind of heat defector at the beginning of the reverse flow plate, you will probably be fine. If you didn't, it might make your reverse flow plate a bit hot.

Maybe you should just try it out and see how it does and go from there.
 
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