One more "Mail Box Mod" for the AMNPS and the MES30 ...NEW PICTURES FOR ATTACHING ELBOW TO MAILBOX

[will75]

Any tips on how to clamp the mailbox down without a clamp to get the hole saw through the steel? The bit pierced the metal through... but it essentially jerks me around and the mailbox moves too much :( or i am doing it wrong

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Any tips on how to clamp the mailbox down without a clamp to get the hole saw through the steel? The bit pierced the metal through... but it essentially jerks me around and the mailbox moves too much :( or i am doing it wrong

Not sure where you're drilling that hole in the mailbox, but I always backed up the object I'm drilling with a block of wood, so the lead centering bit of the hole saw has something to keep it steady in.

Not sure if that helps you any.

Bear

 

[daveomak]

Try running the drill in reverse so the teeth don't bite into the metal... I cut the hole in my MB using aviation snips....

 

[will75]

Try running the drill in reverse so the teeth don't bite into the metal... I cut the hole in my MB using aviation snips....

Once i started the hole, i just peeled it back with clippers.Have a friend coming over saturday to do my other box

 

[shinerbocks]

Howdy from South Texas, I don't post here much as most of my questions have already been answered somewhere in this wonderful place. I have an old non-functioning gutted Cajun Injector electric smoker that I'd like to do the mailbox mod to for cold smokes of cheese, etc. I have a couple issues/questions with the mod, first the chip opening on my smoker is only 2.5" diameter which I believe I can get past with some relief cuts in the metal elbow, not a big problem. The second is that I keep reading on here that people are doing this mod for around $20.00. Is everyone using galvanized adjustable elbows or aluminum? I cant find aluminum adjustable elbows for less than $12.00 to $14.00 ea and everywhere I read galvanized is to be avoided when used around food products.

Any advise or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, my family cant wait for apple wood smoked cheese.

I have come up with an idea for the $10.00 plastic mailbox that shouldn't over heat the mailbox. It was warm to the touch during my test burn, I figured these things are designed to withstand the Texas heat so the Amazin smoker suspended should be fine I believe.

20151029_182628[1].jpg

• shinerbocks
• Nov 2, 2015

 

[greasemonger]

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^^^lets see how it does on a longer smoke. Good idea for sure.

20151030_134515.jpg

• greasemonger
• Nov 2, 2015

I also used the vent off of an old rusty grill we had at our deer camp

20151030_135811.jpg

• greasemonger
• Nov 2, 2015

I also left my guts in the mes as i still like the idea of chip smoking on shorter runs. I just made a real simple particle board face for it as well as behind the smoker, painted flat black so I could easier contrast the smoke after a few brews. The chip loader and the adjustable elbow fit almost perfectly, but as mentioned i had to neck down a 4" vent line to fit the 3" elbows as they only had the 25' 3" vent line for $35 or some such nonsense. The box sits on a couple solid cinder blocks on the deck, and after firing up the first batch of pellets, it seemed that vent holes about half open was the best smoke flow

20151030_135900.jpg

• greasemonger
• Nov 2, 2015

The dog doesnt seem to dislike the smoke. Originally i built the table over the doghouse cause there's a heat light mounted to the top of it to keep her warm on days she has to stay outside in the yard. It was (until I saw the mes on a mini fridge the perfect place to put a small smoker, and now I think I may have found a perfect use for the unused kegerator in the basement) the only logical spot to place the MES and a small set of shelves

20151030_142616.jpg

• greasemonger
• Nov 2, 2015

20151101_191400.jpg

• greasemonger
• Nov 2, 2015

 

[daveomak]

Howdy from South Texas, I don't post here much as most of my questions have already been answered somewhere in this wonderful place. I have an old non-functioning gutted Cajun Injector electric smoker that I'd like to do the mailbox mod to for cold smokes of cheese, etc. I have a couple issues/questions with the mod, first the chip opening on my smoker is only 2.5" diameter which I believe I can get past with some relief cuts in the metal elbow, not a big problem. The second is that I keep reading on here that people are doing this mod for around $20.00. Is everyone using galvanized adjustable elbows or aluminum? I cant find aluminum adjustable elbows for less than $12.00 to $14.00 ea and everywhere I read galvanized is to be avoided when used around food products.

Any advise or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, my family cant wait for apple wood smoked cheese.

I have come up with an idea for the $10.00 plastic mailbox that shouldn't over heat the mailbox. It was warm to the touch during my test burn, I figured these things are designed to withstand the Texas heat so the Amazin smoker suspended should be fine I believe.

20151029_182628[1].jpg

• shinerbocks
• Nov 2, 2015

That will work.... Great idea......

driedstick used 2 each 2" muffler clamps... for another idea.....

MUFFLER CLAMP 2 INCH.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 3, 2015

.. ..

muffler clamps.png

• daveomak
• Nov 3, 2015

 

[daveomak]

greasemonger..... you've got a good watch dog to keep the food safe now....

 

[shinerbocks]

Thanks for the compliments on my design. DaveO, is everyone using galvanized elbows?

 

[daveomak]

Thanks for the compliments on my design. DaveO, is everyone using galvanized elbows?

I used the 3" aluminum "swivel" elbows and flex pipe.... Galvanized "should" be OK as the temp. doesn't get hot in the MB mod... BUT.... look for aluminum..

 

[shinerbocks]

Thanks DaveO. I figured aluminum to be the best option but there was now way I would be able to do the mod for roughly $20.00. Just needed some clarification.

 

[daveomak]

 

[shinerbocks]

Thx DaveO, I found some aluminum 3" elbows online cheap at the link below.

http://www.myhardwaresupply.com/sto...feed=Froogle&gclid=CIqhubLc9MgCFYQ8aQod1OUCQQ

 

[daveomak]

Thx DaveO, I found some aluminum 3" elbows online cheap at the link below.

http://www.myhardwaresupply.com/sto...feed=Froogle&gclid=CIqhubLc9MgCFYQ8aQod1OUCQQ

Great price.... Thumbs Up..

 

[smokeindaville]

Hey all. I have a MES 30 Bluetooth model and have had difficulty keeping my pellets lit on my AMNPS so plan on doing the mod. I just finished reading the thread and ordered an aluminum mailbox and aluminum elbows (thanks for the link for the elbows). I wanted to keep it all aluminum so was lucky to find a mailbox on ebay. If anyone lives in Indianapolis, I saw one on Craigslist for $10. Just not worth the drive for me. :D I can get the aluminum semi rigid duct locally so will pick that up later. Also plan to get a damper to go on the door so I can adjust the amount of air coming in. Probably not necessary after reading but I think it will make it look finished. :D

One thing I was wondering, has anybody felt like the AMNPS needs to be sitting a little higher in the mailbox? Just curious. I thought if it needed to I could get some aluminum perforated sheet cut to fit and run some aluminum rods or all thread thru the mailbox for it to sit on.

Greg

 

[dr k]

Hey all. I have a MES 30 Bluetooth model and have had difficulty keeping my pellets lit on my AMNPS so plan on doing the mod. I just finished reading the thread and ordered an aluminum mailbox and aluminum elbows (thanks for the link for the elbows). I wanted to keep it all aluminum so was lucky to find a mailbox on ebay. If anyone lives in Indianapolis, I saw one on Craigslist for $10. Just not worth the drive for me. :D I can get the aluminum semi rigid duct locally so will pick that up later. Also plan to get a damper to go on the door so I can adjust the amount of air coming in. Probably not necessary after reading but I think it will make it look finished. :D

One thing I was wondering, has anybody felt like the AMNPS needs to be sitting a little higher in the mailbox? Just curious. I thought if it needed to I could get some aluminum perforated sheet cut to fit and run some aluminum rods or all thread thru the mailbox for it to sit on.

Greg

Yes I elevate the AMNPS. The pic below shows a rack I made that allows air to come up from the bottom. All the holes in the bottom of the mailbox are sealed and with the AMNPS elevated enough air comes through the gap at the bottom of the door around the AMNPS out the top back of the mailbox without making holes and the exhaust vent on top is half closed.

CAM00744.jpg

• dr k
• Feb 22, 2016

CAM00734.jpg

• dr k
• Jan 14, 2016

-Kurt

 

[dr k]

I have the old MES 30 and don't remember what I did.... I do know the crimped end of the elbow was visible inside the smoker and I attached a short piece of the flex tube to it... and put a clamp on it... That was to move the smoke to the center of the smoke.... Here are pics of the elbow inside the smoker..... Looking at the pic, there are screws visible.... I must have removed the "notch" when the rest of the stuff was removed....

,,,click on pics to enlarge.....

Inside MES wchip tray.JPG

• daveomak
• Feb 13, 2014

smoke in the smoker.jpg

• daveomak
• Feb 13, 2014

Dave,
Did you wedge the detector plate between the rails and heating element so the chip tray is elevated or is the deflector under the rails like it originally is positiioned so the chip tray is resting on top of the element with the deflectpr hanging below the rails? Is this your current set up with the flex tube extending a little into the smoker with the clamp? Can the element be completely exposed with the drip pan in place since its slanted, keeping heat from damaging the electronics in the bottom of the smoker? I have a Mes 40 gen 1. I've been using the mailbox for six months with the guts inside and didn't realize three screws and thirty seconds later it comes out. I have been using an 8.5"X11" foiled sheet of cardboard in the right rear corner on the bottom rack as a deflector to move heat from the corner anywhere else. I hang my oval water pan on the second from the bottom rack level so heat has to make it past another obstacle before going past food then out the top right rear vent. The deflector had worked fine since the guts were in and cardboard ignites at 451*F and wrapped in foil but now may not be substantial enough with an exposed element. I took out the guts primarily to cut down temp swings.
-Kurt

 

[daveomak]

Kurt, morning....   Some of those pictures are past experiments....   Here's the new deal.......   for this month anyway.....

I put the chip tray in with the sheet metal heat deflector between the rails and the heating element....   keep the heat where it was designed to be I guess....  and thermal mass....

The AMNPS mod...  the elbow protrudes through the wall of the smoker...  I drilled a small hole in it...  Drilled a small hole in the can... placed the can on the elbow and dropped a small nail in the holes to hold it there...    either a campbells big soup can or Bush's beans big can... one of them fits just right...

DSCF2176.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

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Turkey 2-2016 001.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

.. ..

element and elbow.jpg

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

..

DSCF2019.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

Then there is the ceiling tunnel...   moves the exhaust to the center of the MES 30....  I think this was a great idea....

3f61fe8a_exhtunnel1.jpg

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

.. ..

DSCF2018.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

 

[dr k]

Kurt, morning....   Some of those pictures are past experiments....   Here's the new deal.......   for this month anyway.....

I put the chip tray in with the sheet metal heat deflector between the rails and the heating element....   keep the heat where it was designed to be I guess....  and thermal mass....

The AMNPS mod...  the elbow protrudes through the wall of the smoker...  I drilled a small hole in it...  Drilled a small hole in the can... placed the can on the elbow and dropped a small nail in the holes to hold it there...    either a campbells big soup can or Bush's beans big can... one of them fits just right...

DSCF2176.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

. ..

Turkey 2-2016 001.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

.. ..

element and elbow.jpg

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

.. ..

DSCF2019.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

Then there is the ceiling tunnel...   moves the exhaust to the center of the MES 30....  I think this was a great idea....

3f61fe8a_exhtunnel1.jpg

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

.. ..

DSCF2018.JPG

• daveomak
• Jul 12, 2016

Ok great thanks Dave. I thought the deflector was between the element and the rails. I use sheets of aluminum that fold over and interlock to make a 3"X2' pipe. I can push it through the wall easily to get me to the length of your soup can as long this aluminium is substantial enough to the proximity of the element. I have seen your top vent mod before to bring heat to the center of the smoker before exiting. I may stick with a smaller rectangular aluminum drip pan on the bottom rack in the right rear corner with the water pan hanging from the second level above it. I get even temps across the top two racks this way and keeps drips off the now exposed element. I'm still considering your top vent mod. Did you notice shorter cycles after removing the chip housing/loader chute? Thanks again.
-Kurt

 

[daveomak]

I have a dimmer on my heating element so my heating element is never off...  I'm sure the cycles would be shorter once all that mass was removed...   The temp may fluctuate higher and lower without it...  I know my temperature does not move up or down....  steady as can be with the heating element on continually....