# Mailbox mod question



## Nefarious (Dec 12, 2021)

I am designing a yet another mailbox mod not do different then 

 Ringer
 mod where he mounted an ammo can to the bottom of his smoker.  

What I want to do is mount a stainless electrical box in place of the ammo can. I also plan to not directly mount it to the smoker, but offset it about an inch and use two 2" black pipe nipples with a flange on each side to fasten the smoker to the stainless steel box.  Using two pipes gives an area close to what a 3" galvanized pipe would have.  I have a very small smoker so I don't see this as an issue.

The question is, does the volume of the box matter other then being big enough to hold 2 or 3 smoke tubes to supply the smoke.

I have two boxes I am looking at and the main difference between the two, other then cost, is one is 15x11x4 and the other is 15.7x11.8x5.5. The depth is the main size difference, butit is not that much.  

Is there any reason why one of these boxes would be better then the other?


----------



## SmokinEdge (Dec 12, 2021)

Bigger box is better. Just simply allows for more air and potential flow. Never good in smoking to short or minimize anything.


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 12, 2021)

SmokinEdge said:


> Bigger box is better. Just simply allows for more air and potential flow. Never good in smoking to short or minimize anything.


Thats good, I like the bigger box better. All I have to do is get the money allocated


----------



## daveomak (Dec 13, 2021)

Use a mail box...  The thin metal will cool and creosote will condense on it...   Better than having it condense on the meat...


----------



## Ringer (Dec 13, 2021)

Sounds like you have a solid plan, keep us posted on how it works!


----------



## forktender (Dec 13, 2021)

Damn near anything will work, I think the best one I've seen was made out of a metal 5 gallon nail bucket placed upside down on two bricks. The flue pipe was 4'' steel heating duct, and it was piped off what was the bottom of the bucket/ now the top of the upside down bucket.


----------



## smokerjim (Dec 13, 2021)

The only thing I can add is if your smoker is small 1 tube should be plenty.


----------



## Brokenhandle (Dec 13, 2021)

I'm with Jim,  think 1 tube will be more than enough.  I don't have a tube just the 5 x 8 amnps,  and it gives out plenty of smoke in my mes 30. They say the tube gives out more smoke. 

Ryan


----------



## Ringer (Dec 13, 2021)

Yep 1 tube is plenty for me also


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 13, 2021)

Thanks everyone for your advise.  The box is made of 204 stainless steel.  I dont know the exact thickness but I am certain it isn't very thick, it doesn't cost enough to be too thick.

One point I forgot to mention is that it is IP54 rated and has a rubber gasket to seal the door.  Is that going to be a problem?


----------



## Lonzinomaker (Dec 13, 2021)

Try a test burn and if it melts the gasket, no food will be ruined.  Don't think you need the gasket for sealing purpose.
I made a mailbox mod using a 1 1/2 in kitchen drain pipe and a wall mount mail box and it works fine.


----------



## GaryHibbert (Dec 13, 2021)

Lonzinomaker said:


> Try a test burn and if it melts the gasket, no food will be ruined.  Don't think you need the gasket for sealing purpose.
> I made a mailbox mod using a 1 1/2 in kitchen drain pipe and a wall mount mail box and it works fine.


I agree.  I built my "mailbox"--it's a top opening plywood box.  it leaks some, but does its job perfectly.
Gary


----------



## Ringer (Dec 13, 2021)

Nefarious said:


> Thanks everyone for your advise.  The box is made of 204 stainless steel.  I dont know the exact thickness but I am certain it isn't very thick, it doesn't cost enough to be too thick.
> 
> One point I forgot to mention is that it is IP54 rated and has a rubber gasket to seal the door.  Is that going to be a problem?


My ammo can has a rubber gasket. 1 tube doesn't raise the temperature any more than a warm summer day would. You should be safe unless you have something in it generating some real heat.


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 13, 2021)

Ringer said:


> My ammo can has a rubber gasket. 1 tube doesn't raise the temperature any more than a warm summer day would. You should be safe unless you have something in it generating some real heat.


Nothing in it but a single smoke tube.  Thanks


----------



## Ringer (Dec 13, 2021)

Nefarious said:


> Nothing in it but a single smoke tube.  Thanks


Should be good to go then


----------



## cmayna (Dec 13, 2021)

For my MES40/mailbox combo, I started out using a tube but finally decided it produces too much smoke.  I only use a AMNPS for regular smokes.  I do use the tube when I use the propane smoker.


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 13, 2021)

cmayna said:


> For my MES40/mailbox combo, I started out using a tube but finally decided it produces too much smoke.  I only use a AMNPS for regular smokes.  I do use the tube when I use the propane smoker.


Ok, my smoker is a gas smoker, a smoke vault 18.


----------



## cmayna (Dec 13, 2021)

Oops.  Sorry about that.  When I hear mailbox mod, I just assume it is related to an electric smoker.

Being a gasser,  is the connection of the mailbox vent tube to the smoker above or below the smoker burner's elevation?


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 14, 2021)

cmayna said:


> Oops.  Sorry about that.  When I hear mailbox mod, I just assume it is related to an electric smoker.
> 
> Being a gasser,  is the connection of the mailbox vent tube to the smoker above or below the smoker burner's elevation?


Above, the smoker box is above the burner and only a high flame will be in the smoker.  There is an intake vent on both sides of the smoker at the bottom and the plan is to have the mailbox intake into the smoker box to be at the same level as the intake vent.


----------



## Nefarious (Dec 14, 2021)

Ringer
 I'm still deciding on a few things and when I look at your build, I think I may be over designing my mod.  

My guess at how much area I need for the smoke to move from the box into the smoker I thought I would have it be close to what the 3" galvanized pipe would have.  

Then I looked at what you did and see your area much smaller, just the size of your intake vent.  I went out and measured my intake vent at the bottom of the smoker and it is 3" bot only half of the circle is open for smoke.  This area is then 3.5 sq inches.  

If I calculate the area of my original plan it is almost twice this area and I am afraid I am messing with the air flow dynamic of the smoker.  The original plan was to use two 2 inch diameter tubes, 2 inch tubes are the biggest one can buy, one 3 inch diameter tube would be better.

So, I calculated the area of two 1.5" diameter tube and get just below the area of the current input vent.  I'm thinking to go with two 1.5 inch tubes and leaving the input vent in case I need additional oxygen for the fire.

the problem with the bigger tubes is I wont be able to close them and it could have a significant effect on the draw of the smoker.


----------



## Ringer (Dec 14, 2021)

Yes, I ran into issues where the smoke would blow back through the intake if I opened the vent too much. I ended up drilling 6 3/8 holes on the bottom side of the can. Using the tube, I have no issues now and get a complete burn.


----------

