# Bar-B-Chef Find,...is it worth it? (Plenty of Pics)



## xlaxx (Mar 15, 2012)

Hello to all the smokers out there!  

I am a complete and utter rookie to all this smoking business and a newbie to the forum as well,...but wanted to try smoking meat as my older brother smoked some brisket many years ago that I fondly remember,... it was quite tender and savory.

Anyway, I have an acquaintance to my family that has the above listed smoker.  He stated he paid $740 for it about 7 years ago.  I have nothing really to go on seeing as how the unit is discontinued and all.  One website had a listing for it NEW of $349 but I am not sure how old the listing is/was.  This is a private sale and not a Craiglist, etc. find.

The Seller is asking $225 but I might be able to flash $200 cash in front of him and get it for that.  I sure could use some advice out there to see if this is the right direction for a beginner. As far as I can tell it is unmodified. 

Found this thread and decided to join your forum while researching,...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/86049/bar-b-chef-restore

I was very impressed with Chefrob's thread from 2009 about the Bar B Chef as it seems the smoker is a good one, durable and should last a while.  I mean for someone to completely restore a smoker, it must be decent, right?  I guess, I just don't want to have my wallet raped right when I am starting out. 

Anyway,...here are some pics I took of it this morning.  Feel free to comment.

Front view








Bottom (no rust)







Side offset







Surface rust on top







Old coals inside,...used "3 times"...







Thermometer







Stock Cover







Wheel set







Opened up,...functional







So,... what would you pay for this tank?  Thanks for the suggestions and recommendations.

XLAXX


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## yrrndsmoker (Mar 15, 2012)

Links are not working for me.


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## chefrob (Mar 15, 2012)

hey X, we can't see the pics in those links.....did ya move them around or delete other's? it's hard to to give you any thoughts one way or another with out seeing the smoker's condition. are all the cast iron grates there....ya should have 6 or 7 of them and they should be heavy as hell. if everything is there and it's in good condition $200 is a fair price for both parties......i pd $125 but dumped another $75 or so in paint and SS hardware. my thermo was around $60 or so.


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## duanes (Mar 15, 2012)

The links to the pictures did not work for me...


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## xlaxx (Mar 15, 2012)

Ok,... I think I worked out the pic thing.  Sorry about the previous Photobucket experience,...the pic icon here works great!  

The grates were solid although I did not get a close-up pic of them.  This unit has been covered for about 5 years or so.  It had stinkbugs all over it.  Needs some TLC and some paint but it looks funtional to me,...heck,...what the hell do I know?,... I just want to smoke something without being taken to the cleaners.  

A call to all the forum members that own this particular smoker (Chefrob),... COMMENTS are truly welcome and appreciated.

XLAXX


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## floridarandy (Mar 15, 2012)

i too am a newbie.  I recently renovated a 1989-1993, 1/4" steel Oklahoma Joe smoker that was in about the same condition.  I took the thing to a local sand blaster who made the rust disappear and turned into like new metal which I then primed and painted with 2000 degree rustoleum automotive paint.  I'm awaiting delivery of replacement handles, firebox grate, some tools and a charcoal basket from Horizon, the company that took over for OJ.  I'm sorry but I didnt' take a pic of the smoker pre-renovation but will take and post pics soon for the finished product.

If others more knowledgable say this is a good deal move forward in confidence that you can make it like new if you're so motivated.  In the renovation and new parts I should have a finsihed product with about $250 or so invested...but then I was given the smoker.


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## xlaxx (Mar 15, 2012)

I do have the opportunity to go back and check out this smoker again, so if there is something I need to look at and inspect, please advise.

Thanks for the assistance.

XLAXX


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## xlaxx (Mar 15, 2012)

Floridarandy-  

I am fairly handy and can restore it but I would like to get some use out of it first.  

To me, the wear on it looks minimal, but I am not certain about what it might have looked like originally?  To my knowledge, these units have been discontinued so replacement parts will be as scarce as hens teeth.

Thank you for the reply.

XLAXX


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## floridarandy (Mar 15, 2012)

Have you seen:

http://hairofthehog.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/the-demise-of-the-bar-b-chef-and-a-new-arrival-in-09/

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Barbeques_Galore_Bar_B_Chef_Charcoal_Smoker_263350?sb=1

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/51093/bar-b-chef-offset-smoker

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45286

http://www.theqjoint.com/forum/show...-Chef-263350-Charcoal-All-in-One-Grill-Smoker

http://www.bbq-book.com/blog/2007/05/16/controlling-temperature-in-a-bar-b-chef-smoker/

all these came from pages on:

http://www.bbq-book.com/blog/2007/05/16/controlling-temperature-in-a-bar-b-chef-smoker/


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## chefrob (Mar 16, 2012)

that was not only used 3 times, sounds like what they told me when i bought mine.....i had to scrape 1/4 - 1/2 inch of crap off mine. hell, i set it on fire there was so much crap in it! that one is the older model since the fire box is flat on the bottom.....if you look at mine it is round

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it's hard to see what grates are in there but it looks like they are there...i think there are 5. 2 large and 3 smaller ones....







also there is a heat sheild in the fire box...look under the ashes. it should be a some what thin but sturdy piece of metal to protect he bottom of the fire box from rust and heat.....not sure if the older models cam with it. other wise look for cracking hinges, warped lids and such......considering the work and all the rusted bolts you will need to replace with stainless steel $200 is a fair price for both parties involved. you can always show him mine to remind him what his USED to look like. more than likely it is ready to go but becareful, grease fires are hard to put out (i just let mine burn out...it took about 20 min of thick black smoke) don't use this next to any trees or wooden fences just in case.


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## aussiepete (Mar 16, 2012)

I have the exact same smoker you're lookin at xlaxx, right down to the flat bottomed firebox.  I paid somewhere between $400-$500 about 5 years ago.  Even though that's in Australian dollars it should give some idea of what they were new at the time as our dollar values are in the same ballpark.  If you can get it for $200 I think you'd be getting a fair deal.

It obviously needs some tidying up (mine looks the same with the surface rust, faded paint etc), but with some minor modifications you'll have yourself a great smoker.  As far as modifications go, I'm sure most on here would agree that with any type of horizontal offset smoker you can get much better results with far less frustration to go along with it by making a few recommended mods, which can be found throughout this website.

If you'd like me to post a few pics of my smoker and the condition it's in after 5 years for comparison it's no problem.

Pete


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## xlaxx (Mar 16, 2012)

All of you are so kind to reply so quickly and THANK YOU for the help and suggestions.

So glad I hit this forum first!  See, I had no idea that this unit is an 'older version' with the horizontal fire box.  All great points.  

I am going to go back over there and have another look at it then make an objective decision.  The wife isn't too pleased about all this so I need to be fairly prudent.

XLAXX


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## daveomak (Mar 16, 2012)

xlaxx, morning....  I would buy that unit..... It has radius corners... looks well built.... looks made in the USA as compared to other stuff on the market... 

Can't tell for sure but the exhaust stack looks pretty close to the grill.... others I have seen, the grates restrict the exhaust flow and the stack needed to be shortened or cut at an angle to improve exhaust flow.... maybe 1" or less...... It may work perfectly.... just saying....  

Buy it... clean it up.... burn it out.... smoke meat... take pics.... show them here...   I'm in....  Dave


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## xlaxx (Mar 17, 2012)

DaveOmak said:


> xlaxx, morning....  I would buy that unit..... It has radius corners... looks well built....


Well, we just had one heck of a beautiful day here in Northern VA.  I worked about 4 hours of side-work and I must say, I started thinking about my potential smoker purchase this morning and didn't want it to slip away.  I figured it might be a good idea to go back over to the Seller's house and look it over once again, just to 'make sure'.  I had some reservations seeing as how the smoker is: 1) a discontinued one, 2) an older model with horizontal box, 3) I didn't get a real good look inside it to see the condition of the grates and side firebox shield, 4) I wanted to see how this tank comes apart to get it home, 5) I wanted to do a thorough inspection as per Chefrob's recommendation,...I am kinda 'Type A' with my stuff and I like things to work properly and be in decent condition prior to purchase, so bear with me.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   6)The wife ain't very pleased about big purchases, so I had to make sure this thing would perform without much 'to-do' and maintenance to it so as her to find fault with.

After making a quick call, I arrived at the Seller's house and I proceeded over to the smoker in good light.  I got a really good look inside it and all I can say is WOW!  Despite all the stinkbugs cohabiting inside and a few cobwebs, it was completely ash-free in the smoking section (big cylinder barrel).  I swear it was spotless, and the original black paint inside looked fantastic, smooth, with no rust.  All the weld seals looked NEW, with original paint and none of it had cracked or flaked.  The grates looked superb inside the bigger barrel and were seasoned, oily and greasy.  The Seller mentioned that he seasoned the smoker 8 hours.  I asked for the Owners Manual or paperwork but he did not have this available.  He mentioned again that he purchased it when Bar-BQ Galore was going out of business and stated he paid $740.  I asked him again about how many times he had used the smoker and the Seller stated that he smoked 1 turkey and 3 slabs of ribs in it that took him 14 hours to do so over Thanksgiving several years ago.

I took the grates all out and they were not cracked  but the side firebox grates did have some surface rust on the bottom grate with paint flake,...nothing bad at all,... the original black paint still covered about 97% of the lower side firebox grate still.  All other grates were basically new, just black, greasy residue-covered from seasoning and from the previous smoke. The grates were very clean with no greasy meat clumps stuck on them.  At this point, I started getting a little excited because to me, it seemed like the smoker just had cosmetic issues on the outside of it (surface rust and it is minimal).  I ended up dealing on the smoker and we ended up settling on $200.  I cleaned and dusted it all out with a clean paint brush and air compressor.  I proceeded to take the side box off of it to get into the minivan.  The screws came off nice and easy, not frozen,... I used my fingers to get them off!  I took the chimney and stainless steel shelf off as well with ease.  I did notice that the baffle on the top was not connected to the chimney and was missing.  The Seller said that when he originally purchased the smoker, the baffle was missing and the manager took $25 off the purchase of the smoker at the time.  The Seller said that he used a vegetable can top with a hole in it to control the exhaust???  The smoker fit into the minivan standing up so that was nice.  I lubed the wheels and they spin freely.  The heat shield inside the side firebox was rusted on the surface were the ash falls on it but the other side looked almost mint (see pic below).  The Seller threw in a 1/2 bag of 1 cu. foot of cherry wood, 1/2 bag of Cowboy lump, stainless steel fork, tongs, mesh wire scraper, and a stainless steel 4-pronged fork.  We were able to get the smoker into the vehicle with ease as well.

I unloaded it an hour or so ago and took a few pics for comment.  I think, I did OK on this seeing as how I am a beginner and that this smoker is a reputable one.  I am thinking that I would be pretty hard-pressed to restore and paint this puppy right now because the insides look so clean and unused from minimal use.  The hardware is basically new, too.  The outside is the only thing you could say is 'hurting' right now.  It could use some outer paint protection but the stock cover seems to be holding up well.  No tears, holes, un-stitched areas or falling out seams, or mold.

Here are a few pics that I took after getting it home.   So I need to ask,... what should I do next?  I do not have a manual for it.  Feel free to provide crucial links from the forum on what to do next!

Thank you all!

XLAXX  

Covered the goodies for tonight.







Grates,...note the rusty one is from the firebox bottom grate







Heat Shield from firebox







Back side of Heat Shield from firebox







Cherry Wood,...are these any good?







Cowboy Lump Charcoal


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## xlaxx (Mar 17, 2012)

What would be some easy and practical mods for this smoker to keep the temps even?

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Mar 17, 2012)

ya know, i would make a charcaol basket out of expanded metal from ace,HD or lowes. that will gve you good air flow for the fire abd actually hold more lump. as for the smoke chamber i made some baffles to go under the grates to even out the temps but other than that you don't need to "seal" it up or anything. i would put any extra grates (the smaller ones) in the bottom of the smoke chamber to retain heat. do a test burn and go from there.......i would not trust the readings on he thermo that came with it for a couple of reasons. first it is not at grate level and second who knows if it is calibrated. get you some cheap oven thermos like these.....they cost about $5-$10 bucks. that way you will know where yer smoker temp is and when it dros when the fire is going down. i will say do not get anal about always keeping a certain temp. 250-300 is fine to start with untill ya get used to tending a fire. i will say do not ever control yer heat by covering up your exaust with a can....instead control your heat with the vent on the firebox.


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## xlaxx (Mar 18, 2012)

Good advice.  Please post your mods here on my thread with the dimensions of your charcoal box.  I want to make one right away and then do a test burn.  There is a sheet metal shop close to my home so I could probably secure some scrap 1/8" for the inner baffle and tuning boards for the bottom.  I could also get the baffle for the chimney as well but don't know the metal thickness of it.  

Also, are you placing any kind of drip pan inside to keep it clean or what?  I didn't notice any drain holes in this so let me know your thoughts.

Thank you Chefrob!

XLAXX


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## daveomak (Mar 18, 2012)

XLAXX, evening....  Congrats on the new "oven to help the bride out in the kitchen"...  As far as mods go, Chef Rob's charcoal basket is probably the first chore...... Build it like he mentioned....  The air gap between the bottom of the basket and the bottom of the fire box is important for LLOOONNNGGG smokes... someplace for the ashes.... build one very similar to his...   Have you read the 5 day e-course when you joined here ???  The minion method for using lump or briquettes is a must to master..... It will take a little time...  In the search engine, "minion method" will produce a ton of info.... problems folks have had and solutions to those  same problems......   burn some fuel, practice adjusting the temps, (Rob mentioned the oven therms, 2 required) figure the heat difference from one end to the other of the smoke chamber... that will come in handy for knowing where to put the food..... pop an adult beverage, watch the TBS, take notes, take pics, share the pics, eat great food....  Very simple, very,very simple.....  For now, that should solve ALL your problems..... lol....  There are so many folks here with tons of knowledge about side fire box smokers that will help.....  Kick back and relax.... Dave


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## xlaxx (Mar 18, 2012)

Dave-

Thank you for the reply and recommendations.

I am making some progress today and decided that I should clean it up a bit first!  

I am going to sand the smoker and hit the surface rust pretty good with a Dewalt power, palm sander using 120 grit paper.  Then I am going to paint it with the Rustoleum Hi Temp 500.  All the screws and bolts look really good and have come off with ease so I am going to re-use those unless others think I shouldn't.  The inside looks fine (very clean) to me and I am hesitant to paint it at this point in time.  I also secured the expanded sheet metal from Lowes with (4) 3" SS screws, washers, and bolts for the feet of the basket.  The expanded metal is 12g, 1/2, 12" X 24" sheet,... I purchased 2 sheets thinking I will bend and cut one for the floor of the charcoal basket and the other sheet for the sides of the basket.

A few questions about my upcoming restore:

1) Should I go against my better judgment and paint the inside?

2) Should I prime the outside before painting?

3) Should I paint and sand the heat shield that lies on the floor of the firebox?

4) My chimney was missing the baffle at the top of it,... how much is 'too much' for a sheet metal shop to make one of these for me?  I would like to replace it with something substantial with metal of proper gauge.

5) What would you recommend I use to clean the plastic handles with and make them shine?  Armour-All is the worst stuff from what I hear so I am sure there is something else to use.

I have registered for the e-course and received and have read the first edition/email on meat selection already.  I look forward to the other emails.  Can't wait to get this project started and smoke some meat.  In regards to popping open an adult beverage,... I can't think of any other brew than "The Reverend" from Avery out of Bolder, CO once I get the meat on the smoker!  Man, will that be sweet.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





XLAXX

PS.  Thank you friend, for the welcome onto this fine Forum.


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## daveomak (Mar 18, 2012)

xlaxx said:


> Dave-
> 
> Thank you for the reply and recommendations.
> 
> ...


I noticed 2nd air hole in the  upper part of the door....  That is an important feature.... provides air flow without adding air to the fire.... allows air to withdraw moisture and move smoke without creating heat....  When I was building stoves for tents, I incorporated that feature in my stoves... also provides secondary burn of tars and creosotes etc for clean smoke....


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## chefrob (Mar 19, 2012)

good advice from dave......he only think i can add is i' pretty sure i just shot my handles with the same paint that i used for the smoker.


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## chefrob (Mar 19, 2012)

xlaxx said:


> Also, are you placing any kind of drip pan inside to keep it clean or what?  I didn't notice any drain holes in this so let me know your thoughts.


no, there should be a hole at the right side on the bottom around the middle....if not make one. i just use a small can to catch the drippings.


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## xlaxx (Mar 19, 2012)

Took the smoker apart today.  Picked up some SS to replace the hardware.  

We'll see if the weather holds out tomorrow to get some more of the project completed.

Condition of Firebox as purchased:








Everything came apart nicely:







Condition of Smoking cylinder as purchased:







Get 'r done:







XLAXX


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## chefrob (Mar 22, 2012)

it really don't look too used....with the dark drip maks on the outside i figured it to be caked on the inside.


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## xlaxx (Mar 22, 2012)

Naw,...not bad at all.  I didn't even touch the inside.  

I am having issues painting it though.  I am using the Hi Temp 1200 by Rustoleum.  They have it at Home Depot.  I sanded the box and smoking chamber down pretty good with a power sander and cleaned it up afterward.  I sprayed about 2 or 3 coats over the rusty areas and the entire unit.  The smoker just soaks the paint up immediately.  I could easily spray that sucker with 20 cans of the stuff!  I did note that the pitting from rust was coming back through the paint yesterday.  I got the rusty areas down to bare metal the best I could but I couldn't believe how fast it worked thru the paint already.  Any tips on painting this thing or do I just have a goofy smoker?

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Mar 22, 2012)

not sure, i sanded mine with a wheel on a grinder and i shot it with a compressor. i'm pretty sure i used the same paint but i tried to shoot many thin coats and i let tem dry before i shot it again. living where i do this is a pretty quick process. also i just shot the basket before it was too dark.....



















it's kinda dark but here is the drain/can set up







and here is the baffle in the smoke chamber from the firebox side, also you can see i put the smaller grates in the bottom of the smoke chamber as a heat sink sorta.......







maybe next week i'll do spring cleaning and clean the tuning plates so you can see them and a better shot of the smoke chamber set up. i hope this helps ya some...........


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## xlaxx (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks for the pics!  Amazing how quickly these smokers rust.  I do not have access to a paint gun nor compressor.  HD sells the Hi Temp paint in a brush-on version.  It is a satin finish.  I have painted the smoker using 4 cans of the Hi Temp spray paint already then noted the small specks of rust coming thru afterward.  I  might not have gotten all the rust off???,...should I strip it again?  I also snagged 6 cans of the same stuff but in Hi gloss.  I think, I am spending way to much in paint so far,...thoughts?  We have had rain here so it got wet soon after it had dried the first time.  The stock cover was on it too!  I sanded some places again this morning and shot it with spray paint again so I'll recheck it in the morning.  I really want to complete this and start burning it out so I can smoke some meat but this overhaul is driving me bats already.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Yes, when you get a chance, snap a few pics of the inside of yours for me.  I want to see how you have your baffle placed inside.  The tuning plates seem pretty straightforward to me.  I finished the charcoal basket today as a matter of fact.  Just need to pickup some SS screws for the bottom legs.

XLAXX


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## aussiepete (Mar 23, 2012)

This is the new baffle I made for my smoker.  By cutting the plate slightly longer than the width of the smoking chamber I ground the ends to fit the profile of the smoking chamber.  It's not shown in the pic but I would normally have it double wrapped in heavy duty aluminium foil to keep it clean and to help protect the paintwork where the smoker barrel and the baffle are touching.  I also made some tuning plates but got the best result in regards to even temp across the grill with no plates and just the new baffle.

If your budget has blown out a bit due to all the paint you've bought I suggest trying just a larger baffle first before you buy your tuning plate material.  I bought everything at once and ended up wasting money on the tuning plates that I now have no use for.


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## xlaxx (Mar 23, 2012)

Thank you for the baffle pic.  Is your baffle just angled downward or did you put a slight bend into it to face towards the grates?

XLAXX


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## aussiepete (Mar 26, 2012)

The baffle is just sitting at an angle.  As you can see in the pic, the bottom corners sit on the radii of the smoking chamber.  The top half simply leans up against the chamber wall that separates the chamber from the firebox.  When I get time, I'll grind a larger radius on the bottom corners to better match the profile of the chamber, but even as is it works great!


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## boykjo (Mar 26, 2012)

Good luck with the new/used unit. Iit will be a nice one when finished......I know it might be too late on the paint but I am not impressed with the paint from lowes or hd in the can  (sucks)...... I would use engine heat paint from auto zone but it is much more expensive and covers well.....Joel (solaryellow) used a  paint on his rig and was real happy with it....Thurmalox 270

page 8

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...lmost-ready-to-mount-the-handwashing-sink/140   

this is mine

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/101802/braunfel-smoker

Here are my mods

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110134/braunfel-reverse-flow-modification

Joe


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## chefrob (Mar 28, 2012)

X, i just posted my set up for ya........

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/119651/bar-b-chef-baffle-and-tuning-plates#post_791694


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## xlaxx (Mar 30, 2012)

Any recommendations or further suggestions on the sanitation process of this smoker? 

Seems most are reporting 3+hrs at 300+degrees does the job. 

Just want to make sure I am doing this right as there is a lot of Rustoleum Hi Heat paint and Copper Penetrox sealant with Anti-seize on the smoking chamber and SFB,

Thanks for the advice!

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Mar 30, 2012)

not sure why the need for sanitation but 200 deg will kill pretty much anything. just run a test smoke to season it and it will be fine.........did you just paint the outside ir did you do the inside as well?


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## xlaxx (Mar 31, 2012)

I just painted the entire outside,...nothing inside was shot except for some over-spray here and there around the chimney mount and firebox hole.  

Putting it back together today and will post my pics soon.  Wanted to take a few last night but the camera battery died.  

Chefrob, thank you for the guidance and pics you have posted along the way for my restoration.  I used your thread as a template for my resto-job.

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Mar 31, 2012)

glad to be of some help.....it sounds like yer ready to go so put it together and light'er up. i will say i would let it sit out in the sun for about a week to let the paint cure before getting a fire going.....just a thought.


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## xlaxx (Mar 31, 2012)

Finally getting around to finishing the overhaul on this smoker today.  I know a lot of you out there have been waiting with baited breath.  So I got some pics of what I accomplished over the past two weeks.  The paint job could be better and believe me it didn't last too long over the firebox after I test smoked it today.  The rest of the smoker turned out OK I think,... SO here goes,...

Putting it back together today,...







Tried to get it looking 'glass on glass'....







This finish didn't last too long once the fire got hot today,... I think these smokers are notorious for this.  A bird pooped on it too !  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	











Firebox lower shield, damper, SS shelf arm mounts, home-brew charcoal basket and baffle.







Paint used.  The pistol grip saved my index finger and finger tip from numbness.  A 'must-have' accessory from HD when spray painting, IMHO.







Handles getting a coat.







Charcoal basket inside the firebox.







Almost there,...







I cut and made the baffle for the chimney but the worm clamp holding it on is just plain cheesy .  

Any suggestions on what else to use to keep it there would be greatly appreciated as mine did not come with the stock crimp wire!







Side view.







Replaced all the grate screws with SS hardware. I re-used the factory hardware after applying Penetrox Anti-seize to all of it.







Love the Firebox!







BEFORE:







AFTER: (my dog... 'Dark'...smelled the bacon grease)







I test smoked it today.  I got pretty aggressive with seasoning the smoker and applied leftover bacon grease.  It ran out the sides and I had to wipe it off the entire test.   The smoker heated up really quickly.  It was running at 259 after 15 minutes with all the air intakes open.  I backed off the intake at the firebox to about a third open and left it there.  I cruised at 225 for about three hours today before I started losing heat.  I started at 5:30pm with the Weber chimney lit.  At 6:00pm, I lit the smoker using Minion Method, temp was right at 259 by 6:15pm.  Temps started dropping at 9:45pm to 180 degrees without any re-fueling.  Intake was open about 1/2 way the entire time until the very end where I opened the door to get more air to the fire but almost all the charcoal was gone at that point.  I used some Cowboy charcoal today for the test smoke.  What is a good time to reload the fuel for a long smoke?

BTW,... the stock Bar-B-Chef thermometer was pretty darn accurate,... it wasn't off by much, say 3-5 degrees.  I used an old Ponder digital thermometer.  It was crap and off by 20 degrees.  The Maverick is an impressive gadget.







Had really nice colored smoke.  I threw in about 3 pieces of Cherry for test purposes.







Here is where I was running the damper for most of the time.  Temp outside was 64 degrees with light winds.







All in all I thought it was a good test run on my smoker.  I wish the paint had held up better on the top of the firebox though.

Suggestions / comments / recommendations are welcome here.  Would like to do some ribs next week.

Thank you!

XLAXX


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## xlaxx (Mar 31, 2012)

edit


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## chefrob (Apr 1, 2012)

it looks awesome.....nice job! as for the paint there isn't really anything you can do around the fire box. i just give it a spray once in a while......


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## xlaxx (Apr 1, 2012)

Thank you, Chefrob.  I knew you would appreciate it seeing as how you have the same smoker.  Also, thank you for the recommendations, etc while I was going through it.  

Seems to smoke pretty well on the test run but it was pretty tranquil outside yesterday from an ambient temperature standpoint without any elements.  

I have been officially asked by the 'boss with hot sauce' to start smoking something for the upcoming Easter weekend, so I need something that I can't mess up too much.  Whole Foods has ribs on sale this week but I think I need something bigger to smoke for about 10 people,...brisket might be in order?

Thanks again.  I think the smoker came out OK but alas, the firebox shine on the top is gone due to the high temps from the fire.

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Apr 2, 2012)

i would do pulled pork......a pork butt is a very forgiving piece of meat.


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## xlaxx (Apr 9, 2012)

Was charged with supplying the main course meal for this past Easter weekend family-get together.  I was pretty stoked about the whole thing and fired up my refurb'ed  -  BBQs Galore Bar-B-Chef Smoker for the very first time!  I can't tell you how much research I did on this site and on Meathead's website.  At first, I was going to step-up and try baby back ribs, but did end up going with a 7lb. Boston Butt as suggested by Chefrob.

Used the Maverick ET-732, worked like a charm.  Used a water pan the entire time over the baffle and sprayed down the butt every so often with apple juice. I smoked it with mostly applewood but threw in a piece of cherry every so often as well.  I did the Texas Crutch and got the internal temp up to 187 F after 11 hours,... it stalled out at 187 F for over an hour with temps holding at 230 F, so I unwrapped it and firmed up the bark.  I am glad, I did because the 'Q was awesome and a big hit with the family.  It's all gone!

French's mustard coated and rubbed with Texas Original,...it sat in the frig overnight.








12 hours later the meteorite came out holding at 187 F,...note the string holding the bone in just barely.







I cut the string over the bone and it started to, very slowly, slide out.







Clean bone and awesome bark.







I was pleased with how it came out.  It shredded nicely with the Bear Claws and the bark had good texture.







Juicy,... and a decent smokering.







Great experience for a rookie.  Looking forward to my next challenge.

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Apr 9, 2012)

looks great......nice job!


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## xlaxx (Apr 10, 2012)

Thank you Chefrob!  It was a lot of fun and fire management was 'fairly' easy-going.  I didn't have a lot of bouncing around temps at all.  Pretty much stayed dead on at 225F and then between 218F - 238F for the entire cook when I had to re-load to firebox.

Oh,...been trying to figure out your Avatar pic,... O. Henry's Cisco Kid?  I am not to hip to the modern knock-off movies of late so have no clue who it is in the pic.  At first, it seems one of the 3 Amigo's but maybe I have early onset Alzheimer's?  Do tell...

What's next to smoke?

XLAXX


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## chefrob (Apr 12, 2012)

not sure where i got the pic but i liked it and i call it "mexican scarface"............next smoke could be a chuckie. it is sorta the beef version of a butt......lots of conective tissue form the sholder but usually takes a little less time. i use those disposable foil pans when i foil my meat and just putt a little beef broth in it......makes life easier. also if ya want to get yer temps up around 275-300 you can always butterfly a chicken.


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## thsmormonsmokes (Apr 12, 2012)

chefrob said:


> it looks awesome.....nice job! as for the paint there isn't really anything you can do around the fire box. i just give it a spray once in a while......


Dude, that is a great restore job.  I don't know much about smoking yet, but it looks like you tied into a pretty sweet deal that just needed a little TLC.  That puppy is looking great.  Nice work.

As far as protecting the firebox, I've got the same problem on my Chargriller.  What I've been doing is when it's up to temp I'll spray some sort of oil on it.  It burns it up and blackens the same way it does when you season a dutch oven.  I'll have to do this once during every smoke since the really high temps you get in the SFB often burn off part of the coat that I put down during the previous smoke.  So I'll usually do it toward the end of the smoke before it cools off too much.  But that keeps it protected between uses, or at least it seems to be working so far.

Anyway, I figure it if it's good enough for dutch ovens, it should work to protect the SFB.  And you don't have to mess with prepping a surface for more paint.  The only thing you want to watch out for is to use a spray can to do this.  One time I did it I must have had a real hot fire going because the oil flashed as I was spraying.  If I was wiping it on, I might have set my hand on fire.  Grease fire on the hand = no bueno.


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## chefrob (Apr 13, 2012)

ThsMormonSmokes said:


> What I've been doing is when it's up to temp I'll spray some sort of oil on it.  It burns it up and blackens the same way it does when you season a dutch oven.  I'll have to do this once during every smoke since the really high temps you get in the SFB often burn off part of the coat that I put down during the previous smoke.  So I'll usually do it toward the end of the smoke before it cools off too much.  But that keeps it protected between uses, or at least it seems to be working so far.




 a lot of people use this method and it seems to work out just fine.......


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## landr (Mar 17, 2015)

So glad I found this thread and also ChefRob's restoration.

Just picked up the exact same smoker shown in the first pictures for $80.  A little bit of surface rust and some rust on the bottom (no holes, has not eaten through the metal).  Will be sanding that off this weekend and hitting it with some POR.

Seller threw in 3 free large bags of charcoal and a weber charcoal starter.  Overall a pretty good deal.

The smoker box handle is broken - does anyone know of a replacement?  I'm about 30$ into it with replacement stainless hardware (still have more hardware to buy) and expanded metal.  Between paint and replacement hardware and price of grill, i think I should come in under $150.

Hope the end result is worth it!

Thanks,

Sam


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## bigspoody (Apr 23, 2020)

Hi All,
I've just come into possession of this model smoker and i'm going to restore it, thanks to all the great info on this post. I was hoping someone might be able to suggest where or how i could get a replacement firebox handle. The guy i got the bbq from said it never had a handle.. 
Thanks for any tips.


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