# Thinking about a Plywood MES40 clone



## jsimpson (May 12, 2011)

Hello All,

Just signed up on your fine forum, but have been reading lots here to learn for a month or so. Seems like there is a lot more to learn than I thought!

I have an Oklahoma Joe BBQ pit w/ side firebox, but I'm thinking about something a little easier to use for cold smoking sausages. The pit works great for briskets, pork, etc., but it's pretty time- consuming to try to keep temps stable at low temps for smoking sausages. My first thought, after reading here, was to get an MES40 as it seems more of a set-and-forget type deal. After looking at the cost - and knowing I'm mostly looking for a sausage smoker - I started thinking about making my own.

I have a good bit of woodworking experience, and have built several sets of cabinets in the past, so I think I have average or above-average skills in that department. My thought was to build a cabinet out of 3/4" plywood approx 28" x 28" x 4 foot tall with a 1000w electric hotplate as a heat source. I would probably put some bricks/tile/metal on the bottom to protect the plywood, plus maybe sheet metal on the bottom half or so to help eliminate the chance of the whole thing catching fire. I also have an extra cast iron skillet (12" diameter, 2" tall) that I was thinking could be placed on top of the hotplate w/ woodchips inside for some smoke, then a driptray/waterpan above, then racks/dowels so that I can smoke up to 20 to 30lbs of sausage at a time. Seems lIke I'll need a small air intake near the bottom, some sort of venting near the top plus a thermometer to monitor inside temps (already have a meat probe thermo).

Suggestions on this? Am I missing anything building this at $150-200 versus buying a $400 unit?

Any input is appreciated.


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## solaryellow (May 12, 2011)

Having built one, they are fairly simple. There are plenty of build threads to look at using the search. Here is mine: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/85200/built-my-own-w-qview

A 1000W hot plate will work great for cold smoking and I use that same setup often. The water pan isn't necessary and won't get you anything unless your definition of cold smoking is different than mine. You can expect to reach about 120* at the most with a single hot plate cranked all the way up unless you bypass the thermostat. If you are looking to smoke the sausage beyond 120* you are going to need a different heat source.

Good luck with your build!


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## michael ark (May 12, 2011)

Here is a bug for your brain go to auberins.com and look at pids to control unit and make it a true set a forget.They have some that you just plug and play and some you have to wire up.They also have elements for your build.


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## beer-b-q (May 12, 2011)

First off what you are talking about building is NOT an MES CLONE.What you are building is a smoker box with a 1000 watt hot plate.The MES 40' has digital controls for programing and 1200 watt element and a built in chip burner, & stainless steel interior.


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## fife (May 12, 2011)

If you do one let us know how it goes.


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## jsimpson (May 12, 2011)

Solaryellow,

Thanks for the link to your build. Now you have me thinking about building something larger (taller). Good info about the temps with the hotplates. Being in Houston (temps around 80-100deg. most of the year), I assumed 1 1000w unit would be enough since the MES seems to come with either 800w or 1200w units and I'm only looking to cold smoke sausage. Good thing is that it would be easy enough to add a hotplate if needed.

On your build - can you tell me about the venting you used. I see a vent a the bottom/front but I'm not sure what you used at the top. I was thinking that an electric smoker might not need as much vent area as others?

Thanks again for the help,

Joe


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## jsimpson (May 12, 2011)

Beer-B-Q said:


> First off what you are talking about building is NOT an MES CLONE. What you are building is a smoker box with a 1000 watt hot plate. The MES 40' has digital controls for programing and 1200 watt element and a built in chip burner, & stainless steel interior.


Didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers here. By calling at an MES clone, I was referring to a smoker with about the same dimensions as an MES40, maybe slightly larger, and an electic heating element. Maybe  I should have called it a "Plywood MES Clone, at about the same overall dimensions, maybe larger, using about the same wattage but without the digital temperature controls, using a simple cast iron skillet with wood chips rather than a built in chip burner, and using plywood instead of stainless steel, but at a significantly lower cost ", but I was worried that the forum might not let me use such along title.

Everyone has their own preferences, and I'm just throwing this idea out to see if some folks think it is a feasible alternative. I have thought about buying ad MES40 and may still do so.

Joe


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## solaryellow (May 13, 2011)

JSimpson said:


> Solaryellow,
> 
> Thanks for the link to your build. Now you have me thinking about building something larger (taller). Good info about the temps with the hotplates. Being in Houston (temps around 80-100deg. most of the year), I assumed 1 1000w unit would be enough since the MES seems to come with either 800w or 1200w units and I'm only looking to cold smoke sausage. Good thing is that it would be easy enough to add a hotplate if needed.
> 
> ...




The problem with the hotplate is the thermostat. You will have to bypass it but since you are cold smoking it shouldn't be an issue. Although again, I am not sure you and I are on the same page as to what the definition of cold smoking is. If you are looking to cook the sausage while smoking to 160*+ you will definitely need to do something different like a 220V oven element. My plywood smoker is pretty close to the dimensions you are planning on building but is 2' taller.

Those are just your everyday HVAC vents that I picked up at Lowes. I used the same kind on the top that I did on the bottom.

Good luck Joe!


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## tjohnson (May 13, 2011)

I would make it taller if possible.  Then you have plenty of room for hanging sausages and snack sticks.

Call around and see if you can find an appliance recycler.  Many times they have piles of racks from old fridges or stoves, and you can get them cheap!

I like my MES, but need a larger box for cold smoking sausages. 

Keep us posted on your progress!!!

Todd


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## fpnmf (May 13, 2011)

Several folks here have built very nice plywood smokers.

Pops6927,cowgirl and nepas to name a few..

Check them out..

  Craig


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## jsimpson (May 13, 2011)

Thanks all for the suggestions and ideas. Gives me a lot of info to think about as I'm planning this.


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## killnsmoke (May 14, 2011)

building one is the way to go!!  Smokers are a rip off to buy, plus you can customize it the way you like!!!  I wouldn't go with the hot plate idea because of the thermostat like everyone is saying.  When it gets too hot it shuts off, and with a cast iron skillet on top it will shut off alot.  I would go with a heating element and wire it to a thermostat.  Good luck!!  post some pics!!!


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## SmokinAl (May 14, 2011)

Looking forward to see what you come up with.


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## beer-b-q (May 14, 2011)

JSimpson said:


> Didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers here. By calling at an MES clone, I was referring to a smoker with about the same dimensions as an MES40, maybe slightly larger, and an electic heating element. Maybe  I should have called it a "Plywood MES Clone, at about the same overall dimensions, maybe larger, using about the same wattage but without the digital temperature controls, using a simple cast iron skillet with wood chips rather than a built in chip burner, and using plywood instead of stainless steel, but at a significantly lower cost ", but I was worried that the forum might not let me use such along title.
> 
> Everyone has their own preferences, and I'm just throwing this idea out to see if some folks think it is a feasible alternative. I have thought about buying ad MES40 and may still do so.
> 
> Joe


Joe, Sorry if I sounded like you ruffled my feathers, you didn't.  I was just pointing out what you would need to Clone the MES.

If it were me I would make the Box at least 6'x2'x'2.  That would give you more room to hang sausage. 

Pops used a propane burner he got from Northern Tool for his smoke house and it works great. 

Pop's Burner Here; http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/88853/found-a-burner-for-smokehouse

Electric Elements Can be found here: http://www.drillspot.com/products/518310/tempco_csf00014_finned_strip_ss_heater


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## hardslicer (May 14, 2011)

I learn something everyday whether I want to or not......very informative, thx


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## pops6927 (May 15, 2011)

I had a Cabela's electric vertical smoker first, but it wasn't big enough and wanted to hang sausages, slabs of bellies, hams, etc. so I modeled my smokehouse after the KOCH smokehouses my dad had in his store, just a smaller version.  6' tall, 3' wide and 3' deep (his were 9' tall, 5' wide and 5' deep).  Knew electric wouldn't be feasible,  so went with propane.  His were propane too; he had two huge tanks out back, just like a propane tank for a BBQ except about 5' tall and as appropriately as wide.  The burner I got was inexpensive and is actually three burners in one, so I have options.  Plus I added a needle valve and have great control, being able to adjust the flame height without fear of it blowing out.  I have operated the smokehouse in 35mph winds with no problems, being able to control the draft and not having any excessive wind inside; the flame burns steady with no wriggling from wind at all.  For an 8-10 hour smoke takes about 1/3 of a tank of propane; I can get about 3 smokes before I have to get a new tank.  That puts it at about $6.00 a smoke; more than reasonable enough for my usage.   And, I've got all the room I want; and I know when I'm able to retire and have more time it will be used a lot more, lol!  Both boys are addicted to my smoking, lol!

Check out my thread at the bottom of my post!


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## jsimpson (May 20, 2011)

Pops,

Thanks for the suggestions. I've read your build thread several times, as well as quite a few others to start getting some information. As usual, I've changed my mind on some things.

For now, I think I'm going to stick with the size - 2' x 2' x 48" high internally, for a couple of reasons. It will allow me to build the smoker from 2 sheets of plywood, whereas if I increase the height at all it would double that to 4 sheets of plywood unless I decrease the width at the same time. Plus, the smoker will be stored under my covered patio, and I'm looking to keep it somewhat compact for now. I don't do large batches of sausage, and if I decide later down the road that the size is too much of a limitation, I could easily build another box and transfer everything over to it.

After hearing about other folks problems with the hotplate cycling on and off, I've decided to go with a small propane burner instead. I may still try the hotplate (already have 1 to test), but I ordered this from Amazon:


For $22 delivered, I figured it's worth a try even if it takes a little fabrication to get what I want.The burner is only 15,000 btu, so I'm hoping that the adjustable regulator I already have will let me regulate temps.

I may also copy the idea of using ceramic tiles to line the lower portion of the smoker that I saw in this thread:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/105067/first-smoker-build-from-the-ground-up/20

As my internal dimensions are going to be 2'x2', it would be very easy using 12" tiles with limited cutting involved. I posted on that thread to see if anyone thought the ceramic tiles would be a problem, but had no replies. I would be interested in hearing thoughts on this - keeping in mind that I intend in keeping max temps in the 170 degree range or less.

Anyway, I'll keep you guys updated as things progress.

Joe


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## jsimpson (May 20, 2011)

Well, I've never been known as a real patient person, so I guess this is no longer a "thinking about ...." thread and is now a "started building a ..." thread.

Stopped by on the way home this evening and  bought two sheets of Oak plywood (hey, it's a smoker so might as well be a good smoking wood, right?), along with some stainless fasteners to go along with it. Cut the plywood down into sides, top, bottom, back, etc., and this is how it looks so far. Looks a lot smaller when cut down. Tomorrow will be time for dados and rabbets, then preliminary assembly of the carcass.


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## jsimpson (May 20, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *Beer-B-Q*
> Joe, Sorry if I sounded like you ruffled my feathers, you didn't.  I was just pointing out what you would need to Clone the MES.


No problems at all. As you know, the internet can be hard to interpret sometimes.

Take care,

Joe


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## jsimpson (May 21, 2011)

Made a little progress today.

Cut the dados and rabbets and dry-assembled to check how everything fits. Looks good, so broke it back down and made the brackets for holding racks/dowels. I used some soft maple that I had left over from another project, so cost was basically nothing for the brackets.


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## Bearcarver (May 21, 2011)

Holy Shhhht !

3/4" Oak plywood!   You're not fooling around!!!

When I had my cabinet shop, my 3/4" Oak cost me about $50 per sheet (Wholesale !), and that was 10 years ago.

Mine was plain slice Red Oak, and it looks like yours is Rotary cut, and maybe it's white Oak, but even so it still must have cost a good buck!!!

You're bringing memories back---cutting dadoes, rabbets & plows like you just did used to be my cup of tea !!!!

I gotta watch this one!!!








Thanks,

Bear


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## jsimpson (May 22, 2011)

Bearcarver,

Welcome aboard! It was starting to seem like I was talking to myself here.

The oak ply was about $45/sheet. I could have gone a little less with birch, but for another $10 a sheet I decided to go with the oak. I'm always skeptical buying plywood at Home Depot/Lowes, especially the cheaper stuff that seems to have bad delamination problems.

I glued up the carcass last night and it went pretty well. Always good to dry fit so there aren't any surprises when the glue goes down. I installed some supports for the Harbor Freight casters - can't beat $20 for all 4 - and now it's starting to take shape.

Next up will be door hardware.


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2011)

Looks good to me!

Some of us don't need welding involved to get us excited.   
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## jsimpson (May 23, 2011)

OK, I'm going to keep updating this even though it seems like it's just me and the BearCarver. Made some more progress last night & this evening. Got the door mounted and used some more of the leftover maple to make a door jamb/sealer all the way around the opening. Hopefully this will keep things fairly airtight, but if not a little silicone should seal things up decently. Also installed one of the two Destaco clamps (Harbor Freight again) to help seal the door. I'll probably put another one at the lower end of the door, mounted to the side, but it will make clearance tight getting from the garage to the patio so I'll wait on that one.

Next up is to line the lower half with ceramic tile, cut some ventilation holes and start installing the propane burner.

We're getting close now!


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## smokingohiobutcher (May 24, 2011)

Wow!  Primo Oak Smoker going on here! Looks fantastic! Love the ceramic tile idea.

Keep up the good work.

SOB


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## Bearcarver (May 24, 2011)

JSimpson said:


> OK, I'm going to keep updating this even though it seems like it's just me and the BearCarver. Made some more progress last night & this evening. Got the door mounted and used some more of the leftover maple to make a door jamb/sealer all the way around the opening. Hopefully this will keep things fairly airtight, but if not a little silicone should seal things up decently. Also installed one of the two Destaco clamps (Harbor Freight again) to help seal the door. I'll probably put another one at the lower end of the door, mounted to the side, but it will make clearance tight getting from the garage to the patio so I'll wait on that one.
> 
> Next up is to line the lower half with ceramic tile, cut some ventilation holes and start installing the propane burner.
> 
> We're getting close now!


I'm still here!

Looking real good!

Maybe some cheap weatherstripping for air sealing???







Bear


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## garyinmd (May 24, 2011)

JSimpson, been watching the whole time, looks great.  Some of us just like lurking in the background.


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## jsimpson (May 24, 2011)

Sorry for the crappy pics. I'm not a big camera person, and the pics are real washed out looking. I have a lot of lighting in the garage, plus white walls and white insulation in the garage door, so I guess that messes with the camera settings.

As for the door seal, I'll see if it's an issue or not. It's hard to tell from the photos, but the door gap is about 1/8" all around and the door sits pretty flush against the inner strips - almost no gap at all, especially when the toggle clamp is down. Right now I'm thinking this will probably be plenty airtight, since it needs to vent some anyways and the amount of air going out the door will be minimal compared to the airflow in/out the vent holes.

I'm not real impressed with the door hinges, but I guess they will do for now. Most of the hinges for an inset door are the european style, meaning all the hardware goes inside for a clean appearance. That is exactly the opposite of what I wanted, so had to look around a bit to find something that would be entirely outside the smoke chamber and not interfere with the door seal. I bought them online and didn't pay enough attention to the size - I was thinking they were about twice the size of what I ended up getting. If it doesn't work out I'll probably swap them out for some gate hinges or something more substantial.

Also, I can't take credit for the ceramic tile idea. I saw it on here when looking at some other smokehouse builds and it seemed like cheap and easy fire insurance.


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## flyweed (May 24, 2011)

Hey..I'm watching too..I am a HUGE woodworker.  I've built a grandfather clock, tables, chairs..etc etc.

Anyway..your build is looking great..I just have one concern..even with Oak....that door, once this unit gets some use going....with the heat, and moisture, I am worried about the door warping and not sealing well.  What about putting some type of "stiffeners" on the inside of the door..maybe metal angle iron on the edges..just to keep the edges from warping at all??? Just a thought.

Dan


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## jsimpson (May 24, 2011)

Dan,

Good point about the warping. I am concerned about that possibility as well, but didn't want to put too much added weight onto the door unless really necessary. I've seen some othe plywood smoker builds posted on here and wondered about warping. I've bought Home Depot plywood that warped before it even came off the table saw, and at leat that hasn't happened yet. I'm thinking about putting a coat of poly on the outside to provide some protection from the elements. Even though it will reside under a covered patio (roof over the top and house walls on 3 sides) I would still like to try and keep moisture out as much as possible.I think I'll see how it goes and adjust if needed.

Also received my burner today. It's a shining example of Chinese craptastic manufacturing - all cast iron of such poor quality that I think if I dropped it from 6 inches it would shatter into 50 pieces. Still, it does seem to work so I can't complain too much. One nice thing is that this burner is compact - about 9" x 9" and only 5" or so high. At 15,000btus, I think it might just fit the bill perfectly. I fired it up and let it run for an hour or so with the cast iron skillet on top to hopefully burn off some of the lead paint and other goodies!

Next up will be the ceramic tiles for the lower half, then she'll be about ready for a test run.


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## flyweed (May 24, 2011)

why did you choose a burner over an electric element?  You could make one REALLY nice and DEADLY accurate smoker using a simple PID setup to control a heating element.  Don't get me wrong I like using flames as much as anybody..but I've never seen anything come CLOSE to a "set and forget" smoker that wasn't an electric controlled with a PID.

Dan


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## beer-b-q (May 25, 2011)

Looks like it is coming around.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Damn nice looking shop you have there...


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## jsimpson (May 25, 2011)

flyweed said:


> why did you choose a burner over an electric element?  You could make one REALLY nice and DEADLY accurate smoker using a simple PID setup to control a heating element.  Don't get me wrong I like using flames as much as anybody..but I've never seen anything come CLOSE to a "set and forget" smoker that wasn't an electric controlled with a PID.
> 
> Dan


Simple answer - because I don't know anything about PID controllers. I'm familiar enough with basic wiring, but when I start looking at some of the PID controllers, elements, etc., I really have no idea what I'm looking for. I'm not set in stone on the propane burner, though, so if someone wants to school me on PID / electric elements I'm listening.


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## jsimpson (May 25, 2011)

Beer-B-Q said:


> Looks like it is coming around.
> 
> Damn nice looking shop you have there...


Thank you sir. One of my other interests is tools - specifically old tools. Most of my favorites are older than me, and I'm pushing 50. I bought a phase converter years ago and always keep my eyes out for old three-phase machines on the cheap that just need a little TLC.


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## flyweed (May 25, 2011)

I went through the same exact thing as you...I knew NOTHING about PIDS a little over a year ago...and then I did a bunch of research, asked alot of questions, and got it all figured out.  If you wanna go that route I can certainly help you with any questions you may have, and what to order..and how to wire it up.  It really is pretty easy. 

If you want...go to my profile and search some of my old threads and posts..and you'll get a TON of info on PIDS.

Dan


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## flyweed (May 25, 2011)

here is a basic diagram of wiring up a PID.....over on the right, you can see it has a female plug in "receptacle"...but you CAN hardwire in a heating element in place of that plug in.


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## jsimpson (May 25, 2011)

Flyweed,

Thank you very much for the info on PID's. I did spend a little time reading up on your posts as well as some others, and now I think I have a much better understanding of what is involved. Someone posted near the beginning of this thread to look at auberins.com, which I did at first but didn't really know what I was looking at. Looking at your schematic, I can see where I really only need the PID, a relay and a thermocouple to control the heating element. Since I already have the propane burner, I'm going to try that first, but I'm already thinking about upgrading to the PID controller. I even have a spare 1000w hotplate that I could wire the PID onto to see how I like it.

For now, here's the status. I installed the ceramic tiles using screws and washers (stainless washers, non-plated screws) for removability. Fortunately, I bought one extra tile and that's exactly how many I broke trying to notch the lower left one for the propane hose. Ended up using a grinder and had a nice semi-circular notch in about 15 minutes on the second one (first was scored with a dremel then hit with a hammer which shattered the whole tile).







Also cut two vent holes in the top as well as a large opening on the left for air intake as well as propane hose/future wiring. If it looks like I'll need to regulate the air intake I may add another vent as well as some sort of aluminum plate to fine tune airflow.


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## Bearcarver (May 25, 2011)

Looking good JS.

Keep her coming!

Bear


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## flyweed (May 25, 2011)

yep....love it...with that ceramic tile in there it may take a bit to come up to temp..but once it's there, it should be rock solid for you.  Can't wait to see how it does on your first fireup.

Dan


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## flyweed (May 25, 2011)

also..not to throw more info at you than you want..but you CAN control your burner with a PID control as well.  I haven't actually done it..but have thought about it seriously for some time now. It is relatively simple....it's easier to show in diagram form, than trying to explain...so here it is:


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## hardslicer (May 26, 2011)

that is furniture, not just a smoker!  I would say bring that on into the living room......nicely done


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## jsimpson (May 26, 2011)

OK, I'm trying to make a little progress each day and also update this thread each day.

I bought some 14" aluminum flashing from Home Depot to cover the door. I would have liked something wider (taller), but it was the largest they had in aluminum.Also gave it a coat of wipe-on poly this evening for some weather/humidity protection, but didn't take a photo after that. Looks about the same, maybe just a little more grain in the plywood showing now. I'll get some updated pics tomorrow or saturday.

I'm planning to do a dry run on Saturday just to see how it all works.


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## jsimpson (May 26, 2011)

Also wanted suggestions on smoke generation. For now, my plan is to put a cast iron skillet on top of the propane burner, then place some wood chips in the pan for smoke. Does this sound reasonable? I have a lot of oak and mesquite to use, and also kept the shavings from the maple used on the brackets thinking that might make good smoke as well? I may eventually go with one of the AMZN sawdust things for smoke, but for now I've got a lot of wood and would prefer that.One of my concerns is fire - even with the tiles & aluminum I would like to have something that generates enough smoke while also minimizing the chance of a flareup that might burn down the whole smoker!

Any input on this is appreciated.


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## solaryellow (May 26, 2011)

I use chunks in a cast iron pan but cover the pan with aluminum foil and poke several small holes in the foil. I do that for both the propane burner for hot smoking and the hot plate for cold and warm smoking.


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## tjohnson (May 26, 2011)

Use a cast iron pan & cover.  You can always crack the top open a bit.  This will keep the chips and chunks smoldering, and the fire under control.

It's looking good so far.

Todd


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## jsimpson (May 26, 2011)

Thanks for the info on covering the pan.

Todd - do you think the 6x6 or 6x8 amazen would be better in this application? Is this difference between the two purely the duration, or does it have to do with the amount of smoke (volume of smoker) as well? I've seen some info about your product and I'm pretty impressed so far.

Solaryellow - thanks for your input as well. Your build is one of the ones that inspired me to try this in the first place!


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## tjohnson (May 26, 2011)

JSimpson said:


> Todd - do you think the 6x6 or 6x8 amazen would be better in this application? Is this difference between the two purely the duration, or does it have to do with the amount of smoke (volume of smoker) as well? I've seen some info about your product and I'm pretty impressed so far.


I have a new model that would work perfectly for your application

Been working on it since December, and have a few around the country being tested.

It should be ready in a week or so

Todd


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## Bearcarver (May 27, 2011)

Looks Great, JS!

Good info about covering the chips, chunks, or shavings, and the new model coming out soon!

Not sure if it's too late or not, but we cabinetmakers aren't use to exterior finishes. I used a two step pre-cat on my cabinets, but on my Bears, I use Marine Varnish. That would be great for the exterior of a wood smoker.

Bear


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## pops6927 (May 27, 2011)

You should consider a drip pan or pans to catch the grease.


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## beer-b-q (May 28, 2011)

It is really looking good,  I anxiously await seeing the maiden run...


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## jsimpson (May 28, 2011)

OK, finally fired her up today on the patio, with mixed results. Here she is ready to go this morning:







The propane burner worked really well and would quickly heat up as expected. It also probably helped that even at 10:00am when I started it up it was already 90 degrees in the shade on my patio. The propane burner can go from room temp to 200 in about 15 minutes, even set on medium. The problem I kept having is that the flame would go out. I could catch it pretty quick as I was watching the temps rise, then start to fall. It went out twice on a fairly low setting in the first hour or so. Even on low, it would get to 160 in a hurry and keep climbing until the flame went out.

After a few re-lights, I decided to try the electric burner to see how it would go. The smoker was already warmed up, and the electric element had no problem keeping it at 150 degrees (cast iron skillet w/ wood chips covered in aluminum foil not shown here)







At this point, it was getting towards lunchtime and the stomach was telling me to cook something, so after trying the electric element for awhile I went back to the propane and added a rack of pork ribs. Might as well cook something if you're gonna sit there and watch the thing all day, right?







I kicked the propane burner up a little thinking my prior problems with flameout were due to a low flame. Even at the higher flame, the temps went to about 220, then dropped. This time I re-lit the burner and left the door shut, but not as tightly to see if the problem was not enough air. This time the flame didn't go out, and settled in nicely at around 220-230 degrees. Ribs are still going as I am typing.

This leads me to think the burner is going out because of a lack of oxygen. Anyone have thoughts on that? I'm starting to lean towards the PID Controller and the electric element at this point. It seems like the propane burner is going to have a hard time keeping below 170 degrees which is what I want for smoking sausages. Since I already have the electic burner, I may wire the PID controller straight to its element to see how that works. Before I do that, I'm going to start with a cold smoker (or at least a 90 to 100 degree smoker) and see how the electric element performs. I would like to be able to hold around 130 or so, then 150, then 165 for smoking sausuages, and the PID is starting to look like a good choice here.

So, I guess the maiden voyage was only partly successful, but either way we'll be eating ribs for dinner!


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## roller (May 28, 2011)

Great job on the smoker build. I am also a wood guy mostly sticking to patio and outdoor furniture. Hope you get all the twiks worked out with it...


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## michael ark (May 28, 2011)

move along their is nothing to see here bad post sorry


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## michael ark (May 28, 2011)

Git your self a needle valve like pops.It will fix all your problems.


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## pops6927 (May 28, 2011)

check out the burner I got, it has three different separate sections and you can control it much easier, plus add a needle valve and you have many options while keeping a good flame.  I also added a lower and upper vents for airflow; you can proportionally too:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_15490_15490







The burner has three different stopcocks; you can light the center ring only, light the left side or light the right side, or any combination of the three.  It's built pretty sturdy for it's price.

The smokehouse build thread below has info on the needle valve.


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## solaryellow (May 28, 2011)

Maybe I am blind but where is your air intake and exhaust?


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## jsimpson (May 28, 2011)

solaryellow said:


> Maybe I am blind but where is your air intake and exhaust?


I have a 1 inch diameter hole at the bottom left of the smoker, and two 5/8" diameter holes spaced apart on the top. I'm thinking the lack of airflow may have been what caused the propane burner to keep going out, but not sure.


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## solaryellow (May 28, 2011)

That doesn't seem like nearly enough. What happens if you have the door cracked open a bit?


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## flyweed (May 29, 2011)

yep...that was your only problem with your propane burner....with a box that size, and a burner the size you are using..you need AT LEAST a 2 inch to 3 inch diam. air inlet hole to provide the necessary oxygen for that flame.  And like others have said..add a needle valve to your gas line..and you'll be cooking in no time flat.

Dan


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## Bearcarver (May 29, 2011)

So how were the ribs???

I can't help you with the gas problem, but it looks like "A Few Good Men" have made suggestions.

I am a watt-burner, and not only because I am lazy. Gas has always kinda scared me.

When I was a kid, we had the old kind of gas range, and we never had air conditioning.

We had our windows & doors open all Summer, except for the kitchen door, because of the gas stove.

If one of us kids forgot to close the kitchen door, we would get Hell, because the breeze would blow the pilot light out, and the house would soon start smelling like gas.

Then we'd have to clear the house & re-light the pilot light. This happened so often that it permanently turned me against having any kind of gas appliance in my house, and makes me very careful, even outside, with my gas grill.

Also, years ago, a buddy of mine's older brother put a new kitchen in his own house. He had to move the gas stove to another spot, and re-do some electric. You may have seen him fly by your house, in Houston. RIP

Bear


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## jsimpson (May 29, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> So how were the ribs???
> 
> Bear


Didn't mean to leave anyone hanging there... ribs turned out very well, but didn't take any pics. Had what was left for lunch today as well.

Thanks to quite a few folks here who have helped with all my questions. I've decided to go with electic using a PID controller and for now I'll try wiring the controller directly to the 1000w burner I have. I've never been one to spend too much time deliberating, so I already ordered the PID controller, relay and temp probe, gutted the hotplate and wired directly to the element and went to a nearby Radio Shack to purchase the box to house the electronics. Now I'll just have to sit patiently and wait for the little brown truck to come visit.

Thanks again to all for your support, encouragement and knowledge!


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## jsimpson (Jun 3, 2011)

OK, I thought I would give one last update on the smoker. After quite a learning experience, I have gone back to my original idea of a "MES40 Clone" type smoker. Many thanks to Flyweed for the info on PID controllers. I bought the parts from auberins.com (thanks also to whoever it was that suggested that early on in this thread. I received the controller today, wired it all up, plugged it in and let it go to see how it would work. Here is the smoker as it now stands:








Right now it's holding at a nice steady 160 degrees (actually a few degrees higher - I think I need to read up on how to calibrate the temp probe).







Tomorrow I'll button everything up, maybe add a heatsink to the relay, then call it done. I'm very pleased overall with how it went together and looking forward to many successful sausage smokes with this.As for cost, my rough numbers are:

Plywood - $90 (2 sheets, Lowes)

Casters - $20 (Harbor Freight)

Hinges, misc hardware - $20

Ceramic Tiles - $16

Aluminum flashing for door - $10 (only used about 10%, so realistically around $1)

PID, Relay, temp probe - $75

Hot Plate - $4 (Harbor Freight)

Dowels, steel tube, drip pans - $20

Total, roughly $255

I could have shave a few bucks off this price, but overall feel like it is a pretty good deal and definately a good learning experience. The internal volume of this smoker should be around double that of an MES40, so I think I've accomplished my goad. It's hard to beat the satisfaction of doing it yourself!


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## Bearcarver (Jun 4, 2011)

Outstanding job, all around!!!

Next up-----Qview !

Thanks JS,

Bear


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## tjohnson (Jun 4, 2011)

Looks Great!

How about an inside pic?

TJ


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## jsimpson (Jun 4, 2011)

TJohnson said:


> Looks Great!
> 
> How about an inside pic?
> 
> TJ


Here you go. I cleaned up the wiring today and except for possibly adding a heat sink to the relay it is pretty much finished. I may look at making some racks to hold the drip pans a little lower down to free up more room for sausages. You can see that the inside has started to darken slightly. I'm sure a few more uses and it will look much better!


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## flyweed (Jun 5, 2011)

I think you did an outstanding job for your first build....that smoker ought to last you a good long time, and do everything you want to do with it..whether it's cold smoking, or pounding out some serious Pork Butt or Ribs.

Keep us posted as you smoke stuff, how it works for ya.

Dan


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## rad-one (Jan 24, 2013)

Berry nice looking smoker how did you figure out what pid to use ?


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## jsimpson (Jan 24, 2013)

rad-one said:


> Berry nice looking smoker how did you figure out what pid to use ?


After a little reading up with some suggestions from others, I went with Auber Instruments for the PID. Been working great for almost two years now and I'm very happy I went that route.


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## linguica (Jan 24, 2013)

Looks great. Photos show both outstanding planning and construction.


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 18, 2013)

Very nice smoker build. I have plans for something very similar, though a tad bit smaller to use exclusively for jerky and sausage making. Glad to hear that your pid is working out good. I am going to be doing the same.


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