# Free Smoker!



## navionjim (Jan 18, 2008)

Check this critter out!

Our director of QC, a good buddy of mine just told me his sister has this smoker sitting behind her house. It was there when she moved in and it's been there for three years, she wants it gone. The steel is about 3/8' thick he said (see pictures) and he tells me this thing weighs a ton! I believe someone must have homebuilt it way back when and obviously there are a few things that could change, but free is a very good price so I'll be grabbing it this weekend.

I figure I'll pressure wash the hell out of it and coat the whole inside with a bottle of EVOO, then add a whole bag of cheap briquettes, light the thing up and stick my leaf blower in the air vent! See if I cant get it to GLOW RED! Once it cools down I'll oil it again and spray the outside with Black BBQ spray paint. I have yet to see it in person and that galvanized stuff has got to go, plus one wheel looks totally rusted out. Looks like it could use some work but I think it may have some potential by the looks of it. Looks hell built for stout!

The firebox has a door not shown in the pictures but it's not exactly offset. There are two baffles one from the top down and one from the bottom up to direct the smoke in and "S" pattern exiting under the expanded metal grate. Apparently there is also provision for a water pan but I can't tell from these photos.

Can any of you professionals out their suggest some tweekage? I have both a stick welder and an Oxy Ac flame wrench in my garage so i can make changes as required.

Jimbo


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## cowgirl (Jan 18, 2008)

Wow! Way to go!!


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## ba_loko (Jan 18, 2008)

Very nice, Jim.  If it were me, I'd inspect it closely to see if it's a candidate to go to a local sand blasting company.  With it having good thick metal like shown, I would think that would last many years.  After blasting, I'd probably shoot a coat of high temp paint on it to make it look nicer and ward of rapid oxidation to the exterior.  

That sure looks like a fun little project.

BTW, it looks like a custom build to me.


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## mrgrumpy (Jan 18, 2008)

Can't beat that price.....

If the only galvanized is the handles on the outside, I wouldn't worry about it.  They will not hurt anything out there.  You just don't want it on the inside in direct contact with the heat and/or meat....

I think once you get it cleaned up, and oiled up, and see what it does, you will tell if it needs any tweaking or not.  I would just see what it does before doing anything to it.  It just might surprise you.

The grate for the wood does look like it needs a little attention, so start there.  Keep us posted and new pics will be nice too.

Bill


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## bkennedy (Jan 18, 2008)

Like the guys said..sandblast and paint..but first make any welding and cutting mods before making it pretty..Cannot see the whole thing but it appears to have some room to the right of the firebox. If so make another door and maybe move the ventstack to the other end to flow the heat across a smoking rack or hangers..whatever..Utilze the whole smoker..


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## morkdach (Jan 18, 2008)

with that 3/8 material this will last forever heat her up and paint  her after you get the inside cleaned and seasoned looks great and would like a q-view of first smoke


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## ds7662 (Jan 18, 2008)

Great Deal!! Can't beat free!


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## navionjim (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks all y'all! I'll keep you posted on developments. I couldn't get it last weekend but she's holing it for me until I can get my truck over there. This thing is heavy as hell and it's stuck way in the back yard. With the rain falling the last few days it will be fun dragging it out of the mud!
Jimbo


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## lcruzen (Jan 22, 2008)

Great find Jimbo! Ya, it looks real heavy but worth the effort just the same. Free is always good! Looking forward to watching the progress of the overhaul.


Lou


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## ajthepoolman (Jan 22, 2008)

I am adding you to my list of People I Hate Because They Got Better Deals On Smokers Than I Could Ever Get In A Million Years.


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## navionjim (Jan 22, 2008)

Don't worry AJ, what comes around goes around, your time will come and something great will turn up. I just wish you were local because my pool looks like sh*t right now.
Jimbo


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## gramason (Jan 22, 2008)

Nothin better than a free smoker.


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## packplantpath (Jan 22, 2008)

I agree on the galvanized.  As long as it's not in the chamber, no worries.  

Is that a piece of wood in there?  It looks petrified.  Hmmm, smoking with petrified wood.  Your plan sounds good.  There is enough rust, I would probably at a minimum hand sand it and the sand blaster will sound like a really good idea about an hour in.  I probably wouldn't use olive oil to season either.  Too expensive.  Get the cheapest shortening you can find and rub it inside prior to cooking.  I convinced my wife to start cooking with lard and not crisco, so I have that until it's gone, and it could take a while.


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## navionjim (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks for the insight! I was almost thinking of doing the electrolysis cleaning trick to this thing until I saw how big it was in real life! I wish I had a good sandblaster it would make it much easier. Good call on the EVVO too. I have Lard in my fridge! This is Texas and we make our own tortillas here, Crisco just doesn't cut it for tortillas, Lard is the only thing to use!
Thanks Again,
Jimbo


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## bustedluckbarbq (Jan 22, 2008)

Great score!!! Gotta love good free bees!!


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## peculiarmike (Jan 22, 2008)

And it comes preloaded with wood! No apparent animal nests.
Could use a fire grate fabbed up from 1/2" rebar. A trip to a sandblaster would probably not cost a lot and make a world of difference.


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## capt dan (Jan 22, 2008)

Better take a crane with ya. That  dude looks heavy! I'd hate to be the  poor soul/s that volunteer to help ya snag it!


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## ajthepoolman (Jan 23, 2008)

I'll diagnosis it over the forum!  Mods, we need a swimming pool issues category!  Smokers and a dip in the pool, what could be more American?


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## richtee (Jan 23, 2008)

I suggest on off days- modify that stack to test 2.5 inchers!


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## smok'n steve (Jan 23, 2008)

Does rebar resist warping compared to expanded metal welded to tubing?


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## shooterrick (Jan 23, 2008)

Had a buddy soda blast my old unit before paint,  my old one i sold.  Looked like virgin metal when he was done.  Of course dont know what that would cost if you had to pay for it.  My buddy did it as a return favor.
Rick


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## kookie (Jan 23, 2008)

Damn good deal. Wish I found a deal like that. Good luck.

Kookie


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## navionjim (Jan 24, 2008)

Soda Blasting? Thats a new one on me unless you talking about Mentos and 7up. I'm going to look into have it doneby a commercial blaster, it's too much for my little el-cheapo Harbor Freight unit. Re-bar for the fire grate? I hadn't thought of that one, good call! Cheap to weld up too!
Jimbo


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## placebo (Jan 24, 2008)

Ok I'll bite. Mentos and 7-up???


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## richtee (Jan 24, 2008)

Be sure to support it well an and often..it WILL sag under that heat eventually.


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## fred420 (Jan 24, 2008)

lower pressure than sandblasting..uses baking soda instead of sand--more environmentally friendly..


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## navionjim (Jan 24, 2008)

Yeah! if you haven't tried it yet, open a bottle of soda and drop a Mentos breath mint in it. Stand back and do it outside!
jimbo


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## ajthepoolman (Jan 25, 2008)

You shouldn't of told him to do it outside!  Do it in the middle of the living room with the kids and the dog sitting right next to it!


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## navionjim (Jan 25, 2008)

Ah Man AJ, I couldn't do something like that, trash a man's house from my keyboard. He'd never give me any points after that!

I take it you have tried that one eh. But have you tried a half tsp of baking soda in a 1/4 bottle of Mt. Dew with a splash of H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide)? Make your own glow stick!


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## welder (Jan 26, 2008)

what size is it? it sure is different I kinda like the fire box. I have a 20" D cylinder it 70 in long I might try that type fire box


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