# me an my buddy are going to build an 80 gallon smoker????



## s an m bbq (Jan 31, 2011)

me an my buddy are fixin to build an 80 gallon smoker with a 30 gallon fire box.....im geting a littel overwhelmed with all the fabrication thats takes place to make it happen...whats the most some one has spent????an im lookin at geting my steel from lowes or home depo???anyone have any ideas of where i could get my steel befor i go there an spend money that i dont need to????an last whats the longest its taken to build???


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## tom37 (Jan 31, 2011)

Welcome to the site S an M, first off please jump into the roll call section and post up a few of the general details about yourself and where you are located. This will get you the proper welcome from everyone.

Plus it will help us sugguest where to buy stuff.

NO dont buy metal from Home Depot or Lowes!!!!!

This link should help find metal.

There is no limit as to how much one can spend and also no time limit to complete a rig. My trailer will never be done, I will always want to change something.


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## bamaboy (Jan 31, 2011)

Hello and welcome to SMF.I am just finishing up on a 80 gallon RF myself.I have been working as I can for a couple of months.I enjoyed the journey so far and hope to put some meat on it soon.where are you located?can you find a scrap dealer locally,or a scratch and dent metal supplier.the only way I would pay Lowe's/home cheapo prices is that was the very last and only option.good luck and ask around.


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## s an m bbq (Feb 1, 2011)

how do i get to the roll call page???


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## s an m bbq (Feb 1, 2011)

how do i get to the roll call page??


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## arnie (Feb 1, 2011)

Welcome to SMF

Try this link for Roll Call

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/133

Here is a link for smoker calculations

http://webpages.charter.net/tomchism/BBQ CALC Forms/BBQ Smoker Calculators.htm


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## s an m bbq (Feb 4, 2011)

so who makes a good  termometer... im goin to need one  for my smoker build an I really want a good one


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## s an m bbq (Feb 5, 2011)

ok for some reason i cant download the calculator so can some tell what size i need to build my fire box im goin with a square box an i have an 80 gallon tank im goin to 2x4 steel for the smoke stacks and 1 1/4 for the fire box to the smoke box... any help pls


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## s an m bbq (Feb 10, 2011)

i need some help with coming up with what i need to build my smoker with....my computer crashed a while back an for some reason i cant download the calculator so any help guy??? TOM has helped me out alot....i was thinking about useing 2x4 tubeing from the fire box to smoke chamber tom said i would need 7 to have the wright air flow so maybe not 2x4....so i need some help an some ideas pls


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## tom37 (Feb 10, 2011)

Hey Raptor?????   Can ya help us out on this one man? Please.

I ran the numbers last night and had to improvise (adapt and overcome) and be creative to come up with numbers to enter for the calc.

Like I had to use the gal size box vs using the dimension boxs. Also for the stack since the calc only provides for a circle stack. I could be wrong here since I just converted it by sq inchs.

I came up with 42" of 2x4 stack

55 sq inchs on the fire to cook chamber opening, it seems like alot to me.

and 21 sq inchs on the air inlet to firebox.


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## raptor700 (Feb 10, 2011)

Iv'e been crunching the numbers, and can't say for sure!

If it's a RF design we could git-r-done

The 55 sq" is what's got me stumbled, doesn't seem correct! (I've been wrong before!)

I would go with the 4" "round stack" for sure!


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## tom37 (Feb 10, 2011)

Did you get the 55 sq in from the calc, or are you trying to figure where I got it from?

To get the area for the stack I simply entered the 2x4x42 in the    ummm I think it was the sq cook chamber size and it told me the area. then I wrote that number down and cleared the fields and started from scratch.


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## s an m bbq (Feb 10, 2011)

4 inch is cool with me just dont know where i could find it???....tom not real sure what you are talking about with the 55 sq inch an the 22 sq inch break it down if you dont mind...


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## bamaboy (Feb 10, 2011)

I mounted my firebox to my tank because of the odd size needed,I think its 5 x 12 between the fb and smoke chamber.The exhaust i used is two 3 inch pipes,Is this gonna be a RF smoker?


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## s an m bbq (Feb 10, 2011)

man i really want my fire box to set behind the smoke chamber.. i dont really like the fire box on the side of the smoke chamber however  it is looking like it will be a lot of work to put the fire box on the back of the 80 gallon tank ....dono yet man....btw finish product looks great on your smoker


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## bamaboy (Feb 10, 2011)

Thank you man,its up to you man,for me I like the box attached to the chamber.there is a lot of knowledge here,raptor and Tom will figure it out.I think you could use 2  6inch id pipes to connect the firebox to the chamber,dont know about the effects this will have on heating the chamber.


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## s an m bbq (Feb 10, 2011)

man i hope so....3 weeks ago i thought all i needed was a 80 gallon tank and some kind of fire box...good god i was wrong


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## s an m bbq (Feb 10, 2011)

what is it that everyone likes about the side mount..is there a big difference in the 2 two or does it matter???


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## tom37 (Feb 10, 2011)

Don't give up the rear tank idea. Anything is possible.

It will work as there are several here that have done it in the past. I am one, but I had no idea what I was doing when I built mine. I guess there is a chance that the calc is based on reverse flow and thats why the numbers are coming up funny.

The numbers I came up with are from using the calc entering 80 gal tank.

An 80 gal tank is 6160 cubic inchs. When you enter the firebox size (square) 19x19x19 you come up with a cucic inchs that is one third the cook area. Roughly. 19 square is slightly more then needed, just a tad.

Then it tells you that 342.95 cubic inchs is needed for the stack. And I believe that 2x4x42 is 336 cubic inchs.

So that should work for the stack, especially since you have it already.

Based on the calc figures for the 80 gal tank, it says you need 20.58 sq inchs of firebox intake.

And then shows 54.87 sq inchs for the firebox to cook area opening. Being said you would need an opening of 9x6 if you made it one rectangle hole.

These are by the calc that we all provided the link for.

BUT!!!!! If I do the math and take 1/3 the tank size for the firebox size, things come in closer to normal.

The firebox is just over 2020 cu inchs.

I am not sure why there is such a difference.

Can anyone please tell me how to find the cubic inchs of an 80 gallon tank? If its 6160 cu inchs then I have the rest of the numbers for the build and they are sounding way better.


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## bamaboy (Feb 11, 2011)

Sorry guys,I guess i was thinking that it was a reverse flow.sounds like Tom has a handle on it.


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## arnie (Feb 11, 2011)

1 gallon = 231 cu in

80 gal = 18480 cu in

by my calc anyway


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## tom37 (Feb 11, 2011)

Thank You arnie, by the time I posted that last night I was pulling my hair out.


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## tom37 (Feb 11, 2011)

Ok this is my best guess here.

The tank is18483 cu in.

1/3 of that is 6160 cu in.

Making the firebox size of 18x18x19 come in really close to that number.

The stack needs a number of 307 cu in, so using the 2x4 square tube you will need a total of 42 inchs. Can be one or two stacks.

The firebox air intake needs to be 24.51 sq in.

How ever you want to add it up will work. Dial vents or sliding vents, doesn't really matter.

The firebox to cook area says it needs 49.25 sq in.

Again this one is kinda what works for ya.

4-4" pipes or

7-2x4 tubes

so on.

I would recommend making a 7" x 7" square, could be made from the material you already have or could be bought.

Now on the two drums that I built with the firebox not attached I used 4" pipe.

One had a 4" stack and one had a 2" stack.

They both cook very well.

I would say that these numbers are to get the best results, the biggest bang for your fuel.

My vote is going to have to be,

That you follow the numbers halfway close until you get to the firebox to cook area connection. Use two 2x4 tubes from the firebox up to the cook area. Thats 16 sq inchs, my drums are 4" and thats 12.5  sq inchs. You will have more air flow then mine.

The firebox size is not set in stone, it can be changed to any shape that adds up to 6160 cu in. Make it what ever size works for the space you are using.

You can always damper the stacks if there is to much draw.

And worse case, if you can't get enough heat you can easily add another 2x4 tube from the fire to cook area.

Once again, I am not sure if the calc is set up for a RF or not. This could be why the numbers are a little off.

I say run with it, build it with what you have and if its not perfect then just adapt and overcome.

Remember this is a smoker, not the space shuttle.


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## tom37 (Feb 11, 2011)

I gotta go meet up with the wife for dinner, but when I get home I will post a pic of the two smokers I built with the seperate firebox.


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## raptor700 (Feb 11, 2011)

Hey Tom, I found this site http://www.calculatoredge.com/enggcalc/volume.html#cylinder  

Maybe it will help someone in the future!


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## s an m bbq (Feb 11, 2011)

man tom thanks a lot man it looks like you put a lot of work that you did not have to an for i thank you so much...i now have  great idea of where to start thanks again


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## s an m bbq (Feb 11, 2011)

i really like the 7 inch square box to go from the fire box to the smoke chamber...goin to try to get my 80 gallon tank tomorrow...have to get the truck fixed first


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## tom37 (Feb 11, 2011)

No problem man, just helpin a brother out. 

Here is a pic of the first two smokers I built. Both are a little less then the calc calls for on the fire to cook area.


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## s an m bbq (Feb 19, 2011)

ok my buddy seems to think that we could have 2 pipes comein from the fire box to the smoke chamber an by doin that we could cook ribs on 1 side an a butt on the other side....he thinks that we can controle heat temps for each side like one side be around 150  an the other side bout 250????sounds kinda jacked up to me what do yall think good idea or not???


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## s an m bbq (Mar 12, 2011)




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## s an m bbq (Mar 12, 2011)

i dont have the hinges yet thats just a pic off the internet but thats what im gettin...an of course that is my 80 gallon tank


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## s an m bbq (Mar 13, 2011)

ok change of plans im goin to make it an rf smoker in stead of putin the fire box under the smoke chamber...i will have some more pics up soon


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## s an m bbq (Mar 17, 2011)




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## s an m bbq (Mar 17, 2011)




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## bamaboy (Mar 18, 2011)

Sweet start bro,have you got your plate for the firebox?I see you got plenty of fuel and my favorite cold beverage
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.have you decided on exhaust style/size yet.I am in the process of gathering parts to make 4 uds smokers and then if I can get my hands on a certain 250 gallon tank,I will be making a small trailer unit.keep it up bro....


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## s an m bbq (Mar 18, 2011)

thanks im goin with a 3"round stack...an im still workin on gettin most of my parts...slow but its comein


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