# Offset build with 34in diameter pipe



## jbellard

Here is my journey of having a smoker built for me. Enjoy!  Started with a 34 in diameter, 6ft long pipe. Shooting for an Aaron Franklin type smoker. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Got some angle iron from scrap yard to make trailer. Having our local high school welding teacher and class do all the welding













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Using a 3/8 thick 24 inch diameter pipe that is 2ft long for firebox. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Have pipe welded to trailer along with jack and hitch. Coming along nicely. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Got my expanded metal and angle for grates and sliding racks cut. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

After much research I decided to go with a Tel-tru thermometer. Got the 3 in face with 4 in stem. Can't wait to use it!













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Went with two 30 inch doors and will have two levels of racks. Should have plenty of room for food. Doors sprung a bit so he added braces on inside lid. Starting to look like a smoker now. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Went with a grate level exhaust. Opening is 10in by 10in. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Plenum came out nicely. Stack is 6 inch diameter and 51 inches long with 39 inches above top of cook chamber. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

This is where build progress stands. Still need to get firebox attached and put in grate slides as well as build racks. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 9, 2017


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## jbellard

Only thing left  to buy is high temp paint. A friend's work is going to sandblast it for me for free and another friend will help me paint it.


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## hardcookin

Looks like that will make you a nice smoker...thanks for sharing!


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## jbellard

Thank you sir!  I can't wait. Won't be long now.  I really want to see how well it holds temps.


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## jbellard

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__ jbellard
__ May 15, 2017





Racks with stops are in. Only need grates to be built and inside of grill is close to done.


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## jbellard

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__ jbellard
__ May 15, 2017


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## jbellard

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__ May 15, 2017


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## jbellard

Got firebox welded on there. Welded steel rods to ends of horse shoes and fit into pipe so handle turns. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 24, 2017


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## jbellard

Inside view of firebox with lip so grease doesn't get into firebox. I do have a 1 1/2 ball valve for a drain. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 24, 2017


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## jbellard

Inside view of firebox. 













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__ jbellard
__ May 24, 2017


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## jbellard

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__ jbellard
__ Jul 28, 2017





Here's my smoker almost done.  Have a few details to iron out before sandblasting and painting including adding some weight in the front.


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## jbellard

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__ jbellard
__ Jul 28, 2017





Inside smoker and metal grating over firebox for wood to preheat.


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## kam59

Great looking cooker I like it. :)
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






From the pic it appears you have zero tongue weight. You could move the axle as far back as you can this will help some.


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## jbellard

Hey Kam thanks for checking it out.  I follow your posts and know you have built a few smokers in your time.  Unfortunately the guy who is building it for me (welding teacher at local high school) welded it to frame and we have already cut frame for grease drain and doors are centered over tire.  Trying to find about a 175lb piece of metal to add to front. Not sure what else to do at this point.  Will mainly have in backyard.


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## kam59

Just block up the trailer cut the axle loose and re-position the hangers. Worse case you will need a new set of hangers.


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## jbellard

I talked to the welding teacher after your message and he is going to move the axle back. I'll post more pics once it's done.


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## kam59

It may not give you everything you need but it will be a healthy start. :)


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## jbellard

kam,

The doors sprung on this smoker a bit. Do you think toggle latches would help to make it more airtight?  The teacher welding it wasn't able to get it totally back to original position. 













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__ jbellard
__ Aug 2, 2017


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## kam59

Can you give me a few more pics a bit further back?  Preferably facing the chamber and a side shot.


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## jbellard

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__ jbellard
__ Aug 2, 2017


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## jbellard

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__ Aug 2, 2017


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## jbellard

Kam, another question. This smokers cook chamber  is 6 ft long and 34 in diameter plus 24 in by 2 ft firebox. How much paint would you guess I would need to paint this plus trailer??  Looking to get hi temp paint and have a friend that will help me spray it on. Could also brush it on.


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## kam59

Has the teacher tried using a couple of bottle jacks and some chains on the door? Wrap the door with a chain and put the jack in the arc with the chain on the jack and pump it up pulling the door in. Measure top to bottom flange and make note of it then pump the door and pull it in release it and remeasure you are going to have to over pull it so it bounces back to where you need it.

On the paint if your'e going high temp on both I think 1 gallon will come up short. I would buy two and return one if not needed.


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## jbellard

Not sure what he has tried. I know that he put the bar on th inside of both doors to try to hold it in. Pretty sure he's done messing with it.  I guess though that's something to get fixed before I paint?  Or will doors being off mess with temps that much???
Does trailer need to be high temp paint too?  
Is it possible to use a clear coat over sandblasted metal?  Would be a cool look.  Probably get dirty quickly though. Thanks for your thoughts.


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## lazy-days-bbq

JBellard one thing you could do to add some weight to the front end is extend the front center bar and add two bars like a triangle on each side. Then build you a wood storage box about 48x24 on the front out of 11ga or thicker sheet metal. That'll add a good bit of weight and be functional.


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## lazy-days-bbq

JBELLARD one more thing. The doors have to be cut,cleaned, and flat bar installed. Close the door and check the gap. You have to "roll" the tank because the doors want to "unroll" sometimes. You have to do that before you install your rack runners. Once the runners are installed its no fixing the door. After that you weld on your end caps. I saw your tank came with the end caps already on. But all in all its a great looking cooker


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## jbellard

Lazy days BBQ,
Thanks for the guidance. I am having it built for free by the local high school votech so I'm kinda getting what I got at this point.  The teacher is moving th axle back so I'm hoping that will give it the tongue weight it will need. I was hoping to have the smoker done by now because some friends and I are going to be cooking for about 40 folks and are gonna use it as a competition. I will not be able to get the smoker sandblasted and painted before sept 11 now but hopefully soon.


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## lazy-days-bbq

What BBQ circuits are you going to compete in. I cooked in KCBS and GBA for two years. You'll have lots of fun out there.


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## jbellard

No circuits. Only for friends and family. I will do one local cookoff every year in shreveport, La. I work with a ministry called Young Life and several of my high school guys and I competed last year and got 20th out of 33 teams. Not too bad for first time and not really knowing what to expect. I love cooking for folks.


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## jbellard

Been awhile since I’ve posted. I am still waiting for the welding teacher to finish up the smoker. It’s been a long wait for sure. Got a few more pics today for your viewing pleasure.  Pic with both doors open. Then one with a view of opening from firebox into cook chamber.  You can also see hole for grease drain there as well.


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## jbellard

Well the welding teacher let me know that the smoker is finally done!  I am going tomorrow morning to check in and see if there’s anything else that needs to be tweaked. Can’t wait to get it home and then sandblasted and painted!


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## jbellard

Got to visit the smoker this morning. Looks really sharp. So he straightened the exhaust pipe which had been uneven.  He put in a baffle between firebox and cook chamber (I asked him to cut a few inches off of it as it was almost touching the bottom of cook chamber.
He moved door handles down and welded horse shoes on door as stoppers and they work wonderfully.
He had a bit of trouble with the doors moving a bit and had welded bars across them to try to get them to stay but I asked him to cut those off and will ask a friends to try and bend them back a bit.
After I get doors sealing better I will get it sandblasted and painted.


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## jbellard

Anyone have any thoughts on burning a fire in it before I sandblast?


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## jbellard

Well got the smoker home and switched to some way thinner tires and it STILL won’t fit through my gate to get it to the backyard. We can’t have it on the side of the house so I have to get the axle shortened. Here’s some pics!  Gonna try to take about 4 inches off of each side. Let me know of any pitfalls to shortening  an axle. I will not be doing the work but rather a friend or possible a fabricator.


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## hardcookin

Just put a double drive gate in. Might be easier than shortening the axle.


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## jbellard

So I was able to do a burn for about 2 hrs today!  Got temps up to almost 300 degrees but really didn’t use any bigger pieces of wood. I just wanted to be sure it flowed well.  Happy to say that it does and I barely saw any smoke because it was thin and blue.


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## jbellard

I do have to shorten axle about 5 inches but have to wait until after Jan 1. 
Then will get sandblasted and painted. Then it will be done. Can’t wait to cook on it.


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## jbellard

Dave and K.A.M. I want to thank you guys for your insight and wisdom in helping me to get my smoker built. 

I got the thin blue smoke yesterday and after waiting for a year it’s all worth it!  

Thanks!


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## jbellard

I got a great deal on some new tires that also give me 2 more inches of clearance for my gate.  Still need to take 6 inches off my axle though
Here are some pics so enjoy!  Here it is with low profile tires, lowers smoker about 4 inches which is nice.
Next pic is with all 4 racks pulled out.
Next is a pic of the baffle that I had them install.
Last pic is profile shot from the front.


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## daveomak

Think about cutting the axle in the center and sliding both halves inward...  More stronger that way...


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## jbellard

Thanks for the advice Dave!  
I actually dropped off the smoker to a friends fabrication shop where they make tons of food trailers/concessions every year. The guy that owns it has multiple restaurants and does a ton of business here. I told them that I needed at least 6 inches off the entire length and the guy had a plan but we didn’t go into details.  
He said it should be ready towards the end of next week which is good considering the New Years holiday. 
Then sandblasting and painting and it’ll be ready for food!!  Can’t wait- it’s been over a year since this process started. Will be worth it and sooo nice to be able to get it into my backyard.


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## jbellard

Smoker got axle shortened 6 inches and made it through my gate no problem!

Still have to get sandblasted and painted but they worked on doors too and got them a lot closer to sealing. Need to get some toggle latches to get them to close completely.


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## daveomak

Where did he cut and weld the axle ???


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## jbellard

I’ll have to look. Didn’t think about it when I picked up smoker. I’ll take a pic and let you know.


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## jbellard

Dave,
Here are the pics of how they cut and welded it back. Took 6 inches off the middle and welded a plate on the back.


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## daveomak

Excellent....   They know what they are doing...  Some folks would have cut outside the spring...   Wrong place..


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## jbellard

So glad to hear they did it right!  Thanks for letting me know. That will give me peace of mind pulling it down the road!


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## jbellard

Dave, I am lookin at closing off that last bit of gap in the doors. Do you think toggle latches will do the trick?  Do you weld those on?  Thanks for letting me know because I’ll want to get those out on before sandblasting I’m guessing.


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## daveomak

I can't tell for sure....  It looks like they used barrel hinges on the door...   When they were welded on, they could have pulled the top part of the door down as the metal shrunk...   I would cut the top 1/2 of the barrel hinge off and check the door fit..   A cutoff wheel on an angle grind would work well...   If the door fits good when that is done, then different hinge mount should be welded on the door..  A good home made hinge mount, using the barrel hinge, is something similar to this....   That gets the hinge away from having torque on the door...    You can tack the door down to keep it from moving..   tack the bottom edge..  then, when it cools, use the cutoff disc to cut the tack welds...
Be sure to center the door in the opening when you tack it..  Use spacers is a big help...   Nails work..   Since the door seal is in place now, drill a nail size hole in the door seal, tight against the door...   Drop the nail in the hole and the door is now spaced the diameter of the nail..   that can be done all around the door to keep it spaced..  and you can now check to make sure the door fits properly...    It's easier to beat on the door to get it to fit when you can take it off..  If the door needs more curve to fit properly, set a floor jack on a chain..  run the chain around the door and jack on it...   If you take cardboard and scribe the curve of the cook chamber body, the cut out on the line, you can use that as a template to see how much to jack on the door...
Having the door air tight is a really big deal...  do all you can to get it to fit.. If it takes 2 weeks, take the time...  You will not be sorry...  You may have to cut out a few sections of the door seal to do this...  do it...

Does all that BS make sense ????   I'm here...

 ..


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## jbellard

Thanks Dave. Appreciate your response and understand


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## fliptetlow

Nice build, looks like they used a torch to cut the doors out? I used a 4" cut off wheel to do my doors, took a bit longer and about 10 disks but stayed nice a straight. I think they could be bent back into place to seal better, my doors are bolted on also to keep them from moving doing the welding process.


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## jbellard

Had some friends help me weld the latches on. Door close up good and tight now. 
Tomorrow the smoker goes to get sandblasted and painted!!!!  It’s been a long time but the end is near. I am hosting a Super Bowl Party on Sunday for the youth group that I work with and will be cooking 40-60lbs of chicken wings on the smoker. 
I’ll keep posting until it’s done.


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## jbellard

Found a guy who is sandblasting and painting my smoker for $200 ( I provided the paint). 
Waiting to get it back, either tonight or tomorrow. Can’t wait and then will season and be cooking 40-60lbs of chicken wings for our super bowl party on Sunday.


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## fliptetlow

Great, Remember you will need to do a bit of a burn off with it before you start grilling.


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## jbellard

Am planning on it. Saved up some bacon grease and gonna warm it up and put it in water to spray on inside. 
Hopefully will get the smoker tonight or latest in the morning.


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## jbellard

Well I finally got it home. Looks really nice and I am pleased. Have to get that sand out of there now, do a burn and get it seasoned up. Thanks for watching. Been a little over a year now but I’m sure it’ll be worth it.


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## daveomak

Looks real nice...  It should cook good....


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## jbellard

Thanks Dave for your wisdom and insight!  Gotta get all that sand out of there now and get it seasoned.


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## fliptetlow

Looks like it turned out great.


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## ghoster

Nice looking unit, and worth the wait.  Any more pics with the cook?


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## jbellard

Here’s some pics ghoster although I haven’t gotten to cook on it more than twice.  Been traveling a good bit.
Did 40lbs of chicken wings. 
Did 3 briskets. 
Did some babybacks. Gone before they left the foil.


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## ghoster

Smoker looks to be working a treat, and its good to see you are clearly more than capable of driving it because the food looks amazing. Great work!


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