# Whoa!



## ajthepoolman (Oct 2, 2007)

Whoa!  Someone didn't list this right!

Attention Floridians, get this one before it is gone!

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Braunfels-Sm...QQcmdZViewItem

Aj


----------



## pigcicles (Oct 2, 2007)

Why don't those kind of deals ever come around here!!?? NO FAIR!


----------



## mossymo (Oct 2, 2007)

ajthepoolman
Nice catch, now find one in ND !!! I would be all over that, even for $150 !!! 

You need Florida in your threads title.....


----------



## jackthejester (Oct 2, 2007)

WOW!

Talk about GOLD! ...

Heck for someone in FL, it's at least worth the drive ... this looks like the original style handles, like mine has, so this should be the heavy duty
mother of smoking GOODNESS!

Still getting adjusted to my new toy - but it's been fun thus far .. 

dave.


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 2, 2007)

Whoa is right! I don't believe this and don't do much on ebay (wife does though) and "according to her" I just bought this thing for a penny 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 through the _"Buy it Now!". _I just emailed the sellers for the address and guess we'll be in for a road trip this weekend to pick it up - about an 6-8 hr drive, depending on traffic... I already have a GOSM and a small offset, but - being a novice smoker - don't really know what I'm getting into now with this thing. Warning - standby for the questions. My philosophy: Only one way to learn!


----------



## mossymo (Oct 2, 2007)

stevemck
If you ae the purchaser, you are in for one heck of a smoking ride !!!!


----------



## gypsyseagod (Oct 2, 2007)

ogh quit whining... prolly stolen w/ a rust hole and the"pick up only" is @ the crackhead cuban new girlfrfriends house... the ex can't get his pit....it's stolen... 

 feel better now ??? 
oh yeh- i know a few owners- they leak hard to keep temps & are fuel hogs


 feel better now ??


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 2, 2007)

I just checked the email and I received confirmation from eBay that I bought this thing for $0.01! Haven't talked to the seller yet... Standby for incoming!
Regards,
Steve


----------



## gypsyseagod (Oct 2, 2007)

God loves you-smoke it well if ya get it.send some irish luck over here....


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

Argh... i went to bed and never saw this message!!!!!! I would have bought that in a heartbeat!


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

Steve if its too far from you let me know.. I would be happy to get it for ya


----------



## hawgheaven (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey Steve, I'll give ya' ten times what ya' paid for it!


----------



## Deer Meat (Oct 2, 2007)

I would at least hand the lady a nickel


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 2, 2007)

Steve,

If it doesn't turn out to be something you want, I will gladly pay you double what you paid for it.  LOL

Good find.   Wish I would have seen it in time.


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

I got first dibs


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 2, 2007)

I will up my offer to $1.00 then to make things interesting.  LOL


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 2, 2007)

Steve, 

Wait and pick it up on the 13th, so you can swing by Fla Griller's place and really make us jealous.


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

I will raise it to $2... Plus I will even throw in an xtra brand new shiney penny...


----------



## navionjim (Oct 2, 2007)

I have a NBB myself and it's a good smoker, well worth a 6-8 hour drive. You lucky dog..


----------



## ajthepoolman (Oct 2, 2007)

Give her a $100 bill and ask for change!


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

heck I would give a $100 and not ask for change...


----------



## squeezy (Oct 2, 2007)

Man I would've crapped my knickers for a deal like that!


----------



## vlap (Oct 2, 2007)

I think I went to bed a few minutes before that was posted... CRAP!!!!! heheh congrats steve...


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 3, 2007)

Well, I have the owner's address and phone number. So, guess I'll head out Sat morning to pick her up - - or maybe Friday evening and take the lady and spend the night half way (hee, hee).

Anyway, I hope she's in good shape and I do her justice (the smoker, that is...)

Vlap - give me your phone number just in case I break down and can't make it - you are a lot closer than I am coming from the pan-handle . . . lol!

Regards,
Steve


----------



## ajthepoolman (Oct 3, 2007)

Swing through Topeka Kansas on your way back and we will test it out!  I am not that far out of the way.  Bout 20 hours or so!


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 3, 2007)

AJ - wow, that might be more than a 1 niter... I had a friend that was stationed in Kansas and they said they had some good Q. Not sure where, but I know they raved about it!!! 

Hopefully I'll do the new lady right and she will pump out some good Q!!!


----------



## ajthepoolman (Oct 3, 2007)

There is plenty of it up here, that is for sure.  

I drove to Sarasota back in the mid 90's and it took me two days to get down there.  I wasn't driving through the night or anything though.


----------



## vlap (Oct 3, 2007)

You drove right by me then. You have seen my home although I am the next city north in bradenton.


----------



## squeezy (Oct 3, 2007)

How long of a drive do you have roughly?


----------



## pigcicles (Oct 8, 2007)

How's that smoker stevemck??? I haven't seen anything about it yet and was just wondering. Keep us posted.


----------



## deejaydebi (Oct 8, 2007)

Hey Steve did you get lost?


----------



## smokin for life (Oct 8, 2007)

Hey gypsy, maybe it was a crack house, and they also stole his truck to trade for a couple of rocks. I knew it was too good to be true. But that would mean the smoker is still there. Hey Hawg get ready I'll pick you up on the way down to get it. Just stand on the enterance ramp on 95 & wait for me. I'll be right there, "I promise" hehehehe


----------



## ajthepoolman (Oct 8, 2007)

Vlap, iIf I remember right, the training I went to was in Sarasota, but the actual work was in Bradenton.  It was to learn a swimming pool coating technique.  

It might have been the heat making me delusional, but I swear that a black panther ran across the road when we were driving back to the hotel one night.  Big cat!

Steve!  Speak to us!


----------



## vlap (Oct 9, 2007)

You wouldn't be the first person to spot one around here... were you out on 75?


----------



## ajthepoolman (Oct 9, 2007)

No it was a road that was on the outskirt of one of the towns, but had residential homes dotting the landscape.  So not city, but not the country either.


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 9, 2007)

Sorry folks, was busy last week, but we (wife and I) went this weekend and picked her up. It was good to "get away for the weekend..." (whatever that means...) 

She turned out to be a NB Bandera and not bad for $0.01, but she hasn't been used in a few years; quite a bit of rust on the front legs under the firebox. The firebox lid hinges were rusted and wouldn't open it all the way and the top hinge on the smoker door was frozen. But with a few hours with WD-40 and Liquid Wrench, I got them working. I spent all day today taking her apart, knocking the rust off, applying a rust inhibitor and getting ready to paint her up (outside only, of course) and re-seasoning. HOLY CRAP, this thing is heavy!!! I'm going to have to weld some angle iron on the lower legs under the firebox that has severe rusting for support - will try to load some pics - nothing spectacular about this though...

Been reading other sites on the Bandera and I'm thinking of adding a baffle between the firebox and smoke chamber to direct the heat to the center of the smoke box, under the water pan - any thoughts from other Bandera owners? Does it really help?

Now the big point of contention - I'm seriously thinking of converting her to gas (I know it's sacramental... start the throwing of sticks and stones...) But convince me otherwise... 

With my offset, it has been a pain in the *** to keep the temp for a long burn. But today, using my GOSM,  I smoked a Butt, Brisket, Sirloin Tip, Country Style Ribs, Meatloaf, a Fatty and ABTs (this weeks eats) with no problem keeping the temp constant - which allowed me to work on refinishing the other smoker, without having to worry about the temp. Sooooo, I'm leaning more towards the gas conversion for the "easy way out" for the Bandera which has A LOT more room than the small GOSM or offset I currently have. 

So, all for the "stick burners" (no offense intended, seriously), convince me not to convert her to gas. Not that I'm opposed to charcoal/lump/chips. I guess I just need more experience to learn the art - and I'm willing to learn. However, the gas sure makes things easier... Decisions, decisions...

 I want to say my "claim to fame" is that I only paid $0.01 for her, but with the hotel room, gas and all the stops for "shopping" along the way for the wife, I roughly figured she cost me about $500. 

Boy, I sure hope she makes some good Q!!! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Regards,
Steve


----------



## hawgheaven (Oct 9, 2007)

Okay, let's go now, before he converts it to gas!


----------



## pigcicles (Oct 9, 2007)

Steve, before you go getting crazy with throwing in the gas mod, how about giving it 3 or 4 good smokes to see how it performs. Not all smokers are created equal. If it is a big pain in the butt after that - then go for the mod. That's my pennies worth.

Keep Smokin


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 9, 2007)

I'll second that.   Any big rush on turning it to gas?    At the end of the day, it is your choice, if you want to put the afterburner in it, then do it, but I got to go with PigCi(r)cles on this.........give a fair shot first.


----------



## pigcicles (Oct 9, 2007)

PigÂ[emoji]169[/emoji]iÂ[emoji]174[/emoji]Â[emoji]169[/emoji]leÂ§ Ã´Â¿Ã´


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 9, 2007)

LOL  Sorry, I just makes me chuckle everytime someone calls you that.


----------



## pigcicles (Oct 9, 2007)

Honestly I don't care - I just like to have fun with it.


----------



## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 10, 2007)

Pig, Joe & Vlap - you guys are right - I should give her a few burns with wood to see how she performs. True, true - not all smokers are the same and hopefully this one works better than the small offset (which I just gave to a friend - good riddance). If it doesn't work out, it's nothing to cut a couple holes and pop in a burner...
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






I've heard a charcoal basket improves the burn time; does anyone use one and have any good plans for a charcoal basket? 

Also, does anyone use a "BBQ GURU" (power draft control); I've read where a guy was getting a 6 hr burn off of one basket using the Guru . . . . . and I also hear they are taking "gullible" out of the dictionary... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Thanks for keeping me straight and giving her a chance...


----------



## deejaydebi (Oct 10, 2007)

I good sized chunk of expanded metal makes a good basket - raise it up off the floor a few inches so yo can give it a good kick and empty the ash out!


----------



## gooose53 (Oct 10, 2007)

stevemck, know some guys who use a guru on a Stumps and on a smoky mountain.  Works great!!


----------



## fatback joe (Oct 10, 2007)

A guru works great as long as you are airtight (or damn close to it).  If you have a lot of air leaks, you will just end up disappointed.   With the right smoker 6 hours is very reasonable.   In my Stumps (yeah, they are special cases, I know) I can easily get 18 hours out of a load of charcoal at about 250 degrees and that is without a stoker or a guru. 

I think a charcoal basket would be a good idea.  I will send you a PM when I dig up some of the info I have on them..........I am sure a search on the SMF would probably turn up all the info you need and then some anyhow.


----------

