It has begun

[ribwizzard]

That's not your main breaker... Is this part of the house, or an outbuilding?

 

[mrspooky]

I don't think I have any more room in the panel....  I can make the extension cord up, but I have ZERO understanding about electricity and don't know what this means  > ~~ volts 230/460 hertz 60 phase (1) 7.98kw amperes 47.4 / 24.5 phase (3) 11.5 kw amperes 30.5 / 18.9 .   Can my dryer plug handle it?

  Gary S,     I don't have the option of putting a plug close to where In going to be welding because I don't have a shop, garage, or anything like that. Everything I do is shade tree work at this time. That's why I need to get the welder from the house to the shade tree

 thanks

 Spook

 

[lendecatural]

You should use 2-2-4 service wire, Home Depot Model # 55417599, it runs $1.26 a foot in aluminum and would be rated for 60 amps for a 25 foot run. You have space on your breaker panel in space #3 for another double 60 breaker like your dryer, $8.25 Home Depot Model # HOM260CP. Dryer sockets are pricy and will be about $20 depending on what matches your welder. Your welder should pull less than 50 amps at full load and I doubt you will exceed that running a 304 on smoker thickness steel. The chart says #2 wire is good for 30 feet but you can go a few more if needed since your load won't be over 50 and #2 is good to 40' at 50 amps. That is a solid welder, I really like mine. It is simple to do but if you haven't done it before, it is a good idea to get an electrician over, it shouldn't take very long at all depending on how the wire has to run through the walls.

 

[mrspooky]

That's not your main breaker... Is this part of the house, or an outbuilding?

The main breaker is on the left and the box that the dryer in wired into is on the right.  the big box in the middle supplies them both.  The box in the middle has a giant pullout in it.

20140326_201736.jpg

• mrspooky
• Mar 26, 2014

 

[mrspooky]

 
You should use 2-2-4 service wire, Home Depot Model # 55417599, it runs $1.26 a foot in aluminum and would be rated for 60 amps for a 25 foot run. You have space on your breaker panel in space #3 for another double 60 breaker like your dryer, $8.25 Home Depot Model # HOM260CP. Dryer sockets are pricy and will be about $20 depending on what matches your welder. Your welder should pull less than 50 amps at full load and I doubt you will exceed that running a 304 on smoker thickness steel. The chart says #2 wire is good for 30 feet but you can go a few more if needed since your load won't be over 50 and #2 is good to 40' at 50 amps. That is a solid welder, I really like mine. It is simple to do but if you haven't done it before, it is a good idea to get an electrician over, it shouldn't take very long at all depending on how the wire has to run through the walls.

Thanks for the part #'s.  I need to correct something. the dryer is a 30, and the double 60 is,,, I don't know. somewhere in the last 60 years someone has scratched "AC" on that double 60 but I turned on the AC and it kept running,, I turned on the heat pump and it kept running. Ill need to figure this out.

 

[urbotrimmm]

Time for my 2 Cents worth.  Hire an electrician to put a plug in for you.  The worry and hassle you save will be worth every penny.  Not doing that is like spending a dollar to save a dime.

Research, research, research!  I can't tell you how many times I have read a post where something has gone wrong from not enough thought.....getting in a hurry.  The problem then is that fixing the mistake is expensive and a real bummer.

My last word of advise is.....I don't think you can build too big.  You don't have to use the whole smoker every time.  There's been times when I've fired a smoker up for one pork butt.  But when you are getting serious about smoking you may find you don't have enough grill to accommodate the demand on you.  When I was building my smoker trailer my wife and business partner tried their best to get me to make the trailer smaller and I can't tell you how many times I've been thankful for the size of my trailer.  In fact there's been times when it isn't big enough.  When you start smoking word gets out and you will find your friend base will grow and demand for your trailer will be there also.

Here's my smoker.  On page 7 toward the end is a video of it.  When I started it was just going to be my little bbq.  Now it is with a full restaurant license.  The restaurant is "My Little BBQ"

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/137382/dual-rf-smokers-on-trailer-my-first-adventure

Good luck on your build.  Looking forward to watching it.  Take lots of pics please.

 

[newsmokeguy]

nice smoker weedeater

 

[mrspooky]

Ok. A decision has been made (on electrical part). Im getting a electrician. I don't recon a smoaker is worth burning a house down. It might set me back a month or so $$$$ wise but its worth a piece of mind.
Thanks for all the comments
Spooky

 

[ribwizzard]

The cost of an electrician, and the leads you need to run that welder?...maybe better to go with a small 120v mig welder?

 

[mrspooky]

The cost of an electrician, and the leads you need to run that welder?...maybe better to go with a small 120v mig welder?

 From what I tallied here on the forum, a 120 wouldn't cut it, or at best had mixed reviews.  I figure that although a little more $$ would be spent on getting the welder functional, in the end I would have a machine that is versatile and would be capable of doing more than I would ever need,,, I hate coming up short.  I might have to drop $200 and some change on some 50' leads but once I have them, Ill never need them again.

   On the other side of that,,,, Im trading the spool gun that came with the welder  for a 120 mig, so at some point, if I want to stick something together Ill have all points covered.  Plus, some electricians might do a little side work for a little beer

 nothing wrong with that!

 spooky

 

[gary s]

A little beer and welding Hmmmm   just a thought

gary S

 

[ribwizzard]

Well , your going to get that, ..

But something like a little Lincoln 180, than can run 120 or 220, is the perfect welder for projects like this. Will weld 1/4" plate all day long. And is a lot more fun than hanging onto a 300 amp gun all day, especially when you get into tight spaces or working on the little detail stuff. My 180t sits right next to a dc400 , and for the same reason I wouldn't grab the 180t for welding 1.25" plate, I'm not going to grab anything bigger than the 180 for 1/4" or less.

 

[mrspooky]

sounds like your versatile RibWizz!  That's what Im trying to be (and build a smoker along the way)!

 

[mrspooky]

I was wondering about off setting a cooker on a trailer.  My first thought was that it would wear something out on the trailer weather it be tires, suspension or something.  I got to looking and found this.

bubba.jpg

• mrspooky
• Mar 29, 2014

 Now I know that you can carry wood, supplies and such to TRY to even out the weight but I don't think its going to get right.  And what about AFTER you loaded up the trailer and went camping for the weekend and burnt up all your wood and emptied out the cooler(s).... Are you gonna need to collect rocks to tow back home just to even the weight?   Im not knocking this design at all and I want to do something like it, but even with what I want to do in the  "void" space, I don't think I could ever match the weight on the other side of the trailer.. Guess my question is, in the picture (as it sets) would this wear out the trailer, and even if you half way matched the weight of the smoker, would it wear out the trailer or make it pull all jacked up?

 Thanks

 spooky

 

[ribwizzard]

It's fine it can handle it. If the trailer leans just up the spring size on the one side. I run F550's with Rangers hanging out one side, after they are loaded, I send them down to the spring shop to get them level again.

Just remember, you don't always have a passenger riding in your car with you, do you? You don't have to have a counterweight then, right?

 

[ribwizzard]

Or, go with a narrow trailer..

bottom vent.png

• ribwizzard
• Mar 8, 2014

 

[urbotrimmm]

That's one mean looking firebox Rib.

 

[ribwizzard]

Thanks, ..

I wanted something compact for myself, easy to keep in the garage. I don't need to carry much when cooking away from home, just need room for enough wood and a cooler. And water to wash up with.

That's why I went with such a small trailer.

But if you want to cater, or do competition, go as big as you can,

 

[mrspooky]

Thanks! I didn't know.  No, I don't always have a passenger with me, but my vehicles suspension is set up a little better than this trailer,,, and a passenger is 200 +/- lbs (in a 4X4)    v/s  maybe 800 lbs of steel on a trailer so I wasn't sure. Regardless,,, Ill take your word for it

. I really like the idea of offsetting the cooker to allow for extra space on the side.  I plan on setting up 2 or 3 Lp  burners and a LP grill on the side. One Burner will be kinda recessed so I can fit a 15gal keg in it to boil corn or what ever and the other 2 burners will be at cook level to do what ever on.  If I can source another 120 gal tank, or half of one,, I have an idea for a warmer but we'll see where that goes. Ill be getting my dedicated 220 on a 60 amp breaker hooked up this week! The guy told me he would do it for me for the cost of supplies and a little cash to put gas in his bike, cant beat that! The 40' of 6/3 extension cable, and 100' of 2/O cable is gonna be a kick in the nuts but once I have that I couldn't imagine I would need much more for stick welding with the welder I have. Right now Im trying to figure out if I can make a fire box and a reverse flow plate out of a 4X8 sheet of metal....

 Thanks for all the help

 Spooky

 

[ribwizzard]

Don't forget fresh water to wash your hands! 2nd most important feature , propane is first.