# Picked up my new Oklahoma Joe smoker



## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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This was the pic I took at the store so I could look at it for weeks while I was deciding what to buy.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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I have a few build pics along with mods in the process. This looks to be a nice unit for the price.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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2" angle iron for a side support and will give me a place to mount my deflector plate when I make it.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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Box is siliconed to prevent leaks.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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I came up with a great idea for the door leak issues. This worked amazing.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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Flat 1" plate welded inside and a piece laid flat slightly rolled on the bottom to keep the door opening size from shrinking too much.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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Then the cool fix for the door so it opens vs stopping on the welded plate. Stainless steel hardware with a spring so the door is spring loaded but slides right past the seal plates.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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I made my own exhaust extension vs running the hvac pipe.


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

To finish I need to rope seal the doors. I also think I'm going to add a few extra bolts to the fire box sense they only put 4 in from the factory ( should be 8 ) I also need to decide what to do for thermometers. Which I'm still trying to locate. Any other ideas ? Or something I missed ?


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## texan bbq n (May 3, 2014)

Please let me know if the rope works .


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## bryanmp9c (May 3, 2014)

Will do I have seen a few types they make rope and make a flat gasket too which might work better. I just have to see what I can find local.


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## doyne (May 18, 2014)

I just picked up my Oklahoma Joe from Walmart for under three hundred bucks.  It is a slightly smaller model but all in all it is the same smoker.  I sealed the fire box as you did, but the high temp temp sealer I got locally was old and hard to get out of the tube, but it worked.  I also picked up some flat rope gasket.  I put that around the main chamber door.  Only one problem there.  The gasket at the top keeps the door from closing tight.  I took it off for now but I will put it back when I get door latches installed.  I saw another post here about the door latches from Lowes that work well but I will look for something that is spring loaded for that though. I also found that the door didn't fit tight out of the box.  One side was a little higher when closed.  That was easily resolved with a screwdriver.  I placed a small screwdriver under the hing on the high side and applied a little pressure to adjust the hinge there.  Worked great.  I will be putting the flat rope back on the top of the door when I find a good set of latches.  I did a high temp (400 degrees) burn in to set everything.  Today I will be doing a test cook.  Ribs I think to see how well it works.  Also this will help season the smoker.  I getting happier by the minute.  Here are a couple of pics.













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## bryanmp9c (May 18, 2014)

It is a great smoker I am still tweaking mine I have done a few burns in it for seasoning and have cooked a few things on the fire chamber side but I haven't smoked anything yet. I should be smoking next weekend.


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## james1nc (May 18, 2014)

I have the OK joe also and I saved up bacon ,sausage and hamburger grease and coated the inside on mine with that to speed up the seasoning process. now it works like a well oiled machine


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## bryanmp9c (May 22, 2014)

It is a great smoker I am still tweaking mine. I just did my next mod as I'm still waiting for my gasket to show up.


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## bryanmp9c (May 22, 2014)

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## bryanmp9c (May 22, 2014)

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## bryanmp9c (May 22, 2014)

I picked up a set of river county stats they look really nice. They are 2" stainless with a fine calibration screw on the back side so you can make sure there spot on.


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## bryanmp9c (May 22, 2014)

Looking good so far even without a tuning plate I have a 10 deg variance from side to side. I decided to do another test run before the holiday weekend.


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## doyne (Jun 3, 2014)

I just ordered a couple myself. They are three inch just like the ones in your pic. I also ordered a couple of clamp locks for the door.  I had to re-install the door seal because the hi temp adhesive didn't hold.  I picked up some high temp silicone and re-installed,  I now need to put in a fire shield in smoke chamber between the firebox and chamber to keep the flames in the firebox.

I am also working on a way to make it a reverse flow smoker.  I don't have a welder so everything has to be drilled and bolted.  Any ideas??


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## frizzlefry (Jun 3, 2014)

I picked up an Oklahoma Joe's Highland smoker about a month ago.  Been to busy smokin' to post pics! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			


















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## james1nc (Jun 3, 2014)

Doyne said:


> I just ordered a couple myself. They are three inch just like the ones in your pic. I also ordered a couple of clamp locks for the door.  I had to re-install the door seal because the hi temp adhesive didn't hold.  I picked up some high temp silicone and re-installed,  I now need to put in a fire shield in smoke chamber between the firebox and chamber to keep the flames in the firebox.
> 
> I am also working on a way to make it a reverse flow smoker.  I don't have a welder so everything has to be drilled and bolted.  Any ideas??


how big of a fire do you  have ? sounds like a bonfire lol I have never had that problem with flames in the CB


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## resstealth (Jun 3, 2014)

Looks great man, I'm considering some mods for my wsm 18.5. I really like the look of the Cajun bandit doors, so that's probably first on the list.


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## bigfoot21075 (Jun 4, 2014)

I ran one of those for many years. It had a learning curve but once mastered it produced some damn fine food!


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## doyne (Jun 4, 2014)

Well, maybe flames was a bit over stated.  The heat from the fire box is almost direct at the end of the smoking chamber.  A diffuser would be a big help in maintaining an even temp.  There are at times flames that come into the smoking chamber when I add wood, and I don't want that to happen.  NO it is not a bonfire.  LOL  it is just  four or five sticks of hickory.  I am sure that the flames that do come in only do so when the main door is opened.  Even so, the direct heat is not what I am working toward.  The mods I am adding are meant to improve and regulate the amount of heat in the chamber so that it remains constant across the entire length.


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## smokey bruin (Jun 4, 2014)

Here's what I did with mine. Got the latches and gauges from Amazon. Heat diffuser is 1/8" 316 S.S.












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## smokey bruin (Jun 4, 2014)

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## smokey bruin (Jun 4, 2014)

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## james1nc (Jun 5, 2014)

Smokey Bruin said:


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nice mods I did the same ones to my OK Joe , except the extra thermo's  I still have the one it came with on the top left but I have two on the inside of my CB. does it really help having four? and what is the temp difference from  top to bottom?


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## doyne (Jun 5, 2014)

Smokey Bruin said:


> Here's what I did with mine. Got the latches and gauges from Amazon. Heat diffuser is 1/8" 316 S.S.
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## smokey bruin (Jun 5, 2014)

By lowering the exhaust down to grate level it helps control the heat.


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## smokey bruin (Jun 5, 2014)

I don't think you need four, I just like to keep it symmetrical. The temp is about 25 deg difference top to bottom


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## hillingdoner (Jun 5, 2014)

OP-  nice mods! 

I used high temp silicone to seal my doors.  Wiped it down on the flange area good with brake clean and then followed up with non ammonia window cleaner.  Then I cut the tip fine on the silicone and used it to seal the edge gaps where the main body meets the door flange.  Did the old wipe around with the finger deal to make sure it was pushed in there well.  Then ran a bead around the door opening on the flange and placed plastic wrap I'd sprayed with PAM over.  Laid it so that it only rested on the outer edge of the cook chamber and the top of the silicone bead.  Did not want to get PAM on the flange.  Then carefully closed the door and left it.

Now just have one tiny wisp on one edge.  I'll either re silicone or perhaps consider latches to suck the door down even tighter. 

One tip, although you need to be careful doing this, I found worked nicely to start with on my firebox door was to hammer and dolly the flange so they fit well.  Was not welded on well at all on my pit.  Had gaps between the pit and the flange.  Did not take a lot of work to get the flange gaps between the box and it much tighter.

Question on the chimney.  Did you just pic up a small piece of 3.5 od exhaust pipe from an  auto parts store?  If so, main chain like autozone, oreilly etc.?

Not to highjack as posted about this with my own post, but have you experienced any issues with the size of the inlet port?  I ask as the port looks to be approx. 7.5 sq inches and according to the calculator it needs more like 15.  At least on the 20 x 40 cook chamber one sold at Lowes.


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## smokey bruin (Jun 6, 2014)

hillingdoner said:


> OP-  nice mods!
> 
> I used high temp silicone to seal my doors.  Wiped it down on the flange area good with brake clean and then followed up with non ammonia window cleaner.  Then I cut the tip fine on the silicone and used it to seal the edge gaps where the main body meets the door flange.  Did the old wipe around with the finger deal to make sure it was pushed in there well.  Then ran a bead around the door opening on the flange and placed plastic wrap I'd sprayed with PAM over.  Laid it so that it only rested on the outer edge of the cook chamber and the top of the silicone bead.  Did not want to get PAM on the flange.  Then carefully closed the door and left it.
> 
> ...


I used a 3" elbow for HVAC duct, I picked it up at home depot for 3 bucks. Works great


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## hillingdoner (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks for the post Smokey Bruin. 

I've not looked at the HVAC stuff.  Been trying to find exhaust tube at the auto parts store and seems all they have is too small.  All the muffler shops I have around me are never open when I'm able to get to them.  Really don't know how they stay in business!

I've never used HVAC stuff for anything.  What is it made from?  I'd imagine it would hold up to the heat in the smoker no problem, but wondered if it was all galvanized stuff or if it is standard sheet metal.

Thanks again for the post.


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## smokey bruin (Jun 6, 2014)

I'm pretty sure its standard sheet metal.


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## hillingdoner (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks, I'll take a look this weekend and see if I can find the same then!


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## iashane (Jun 8, 2014)

There's some good stuff here..  What did you use for sealant on your firebox?  And did you apply it before or after you had the two halves together?  I have a significant gap on part of my firebox and I'm looking to remedy that..

Also, if I've already seasoned it, is it fine to apply the sealers and gaskets after the fact and just run another burn in it?

EDIT:  Sorry, I now see much of it explained above.  I didn't realize there were two pages at first..  Thanks for the info guys.


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## hillingdoner (Jun 9, 2014)

My grill came assembled as part of the deal.  Luckily I don't have any leaks between the cook chamber and firebox.  Just issues with the doors where I used high temp auto silicone. 

Had a leak around the smoke stack too and just ran a bead around the outside and pushed it smooth with my finger.  No more leak.

Unsure on how it would work (might have been this thread I saw it suggested on), but I read someone suggesting using muffler sealer.  Not sure if it would give off anything noxious (sp?) stuff, but I know it is designed to seal exhaust tubing together so it does not leak.  Might be a good cure for the leaks between your firebox and cook chamber.  Maybe remove, run a bead towards the outside of the mounting flange and then bolt back together.  Alternating between bolts snugging up everything a bit at a go and then tightening down good on the final run through.  Sort of like cylinder head bolt procedure.  Might be overkill, but at least you know you've done your best to make sure all is square and tightened true. 

Best of luck with it. 

Just did the first cook on mine yesterday.  Spares and a brisket.  Came out okay, but still not happy with my exhaust, tuning plates need some more work as well.


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