my homemade smoker

[Bbq Bubba]

O.K., this is how i found her in the garbage



A lil' cuttin n grindin







Almost done, need a rack in the firebox and an exhaust vent on the side yet, and some clean up, will keep ya updated!

[bigwheel]

Looking good.

bigwheel

[Larry D.]

Pretty slick! Post more pics as the project progresses (and lots more after you start cooking on it).

[Cliff H.]

What Larry said.

[Bbq Bubba]

Will do, been lookin for some small pieces of expanded metal for a charcoal rack, shelves, etc. ran into a guy today who gave me a whole sheet! No charge, just wants some bbq so should be movin forward this weekend!

[CarolinaQue]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

Will do, been lookin for some small pieces of expanded metal for a charcoal rack, shelves, etc. ran into a guy today who gave me a whole sheet! No charge, just wants some bbq so should be movin forward this weekend!

Gotta love those kind of deals!!!

Seeing yours brings back some memories of the first one I built. Looks almost identical. Gotta love those barrel smokers. You going to put a plate in the bottom to even out heat? If you can find some one willing to part with an old welding blanket, they make a great insulater to retain heat. Especially in the winter months.

Tim

[Bbq Bubba]

Thanks Tim, thinking about tuning plates but looking for ideas!

[CarolinaQue]

Bubba,

For mine, I took a piece of 1/8" steel that ran along the bottom that was fabbed in a way that it sat just above the opening from the fire box. I welded 3 pieces together. One flat one on top, and the 2 sides that came down at about a 30* angle. I cut small holes in the top (flat) part near the fire box end and made them gradually bigger as they got further away to the stack end. I also brought the stack down to the grate level by rolling some roof flashing up and letting it become unrolled inside the exhaust tube and pulled it down to the grate. Even out the temps really well.

Tim

[bigwheel]

Dang you luckier than a 3 peckered billy goat to find that free metal. That cost a person money around these parts. Did you get the small or large weave? That large wear tear the tinfoil on your briskets if you scoot em around much. The tight weave dont do that quite so readily. Either way you got a heckuva deal. I would hesitate about trying to make this pit too fancy. Forget the tuning plates etc...just invest in a good pair of tongs and get ready swap ends with it occasionally. Now by good tongs I mean they come from Ace Mart...not Wally World

bigwheel

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

Will do, been lookin for some small pieces of expanded metal for a charcoal rack, shelves, etc. ran into a guy today who gave me a whole sheet! No charge, just wants some bbq so should be movin forward this weekend!

[WalterSC]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

O.K., this is how i found her in the garbage

That looks like mine does now , it will work great for ya , some advice if ya can get some get a 3ft x 8ft pc of flat rooing tin or stainless steel , form it so you can put it , in the bottom so you can save the bottom from getting wholes in it.

[Bbq Bubba]

Thanks for all the quick replies guys, i have a 4" black pipe vent that will be cut in at the side right at grate level for good smoke travel
Bigwheel, its the tite weave, it's only 1/8" so fairly smooth
My original plan was to just put a baffle at the opening to the firebox, enough to cover that hot spot and help the heat move toward the vent, about 16"x 16".........................???
Walter, ya lost me with the 3x8???

[WalterSC]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

Thanks for all the quick replies guys, i have a 4" black pipe vent that will be cut in at the side right at grate level for good smoke travel
Bigwheel, its the tite weave, it's only 1/8" so fairly smooth
My original plan was to just put a baffle at the opening to the firebox, enough to cover that hot spot and help the heat move toward the vent, about 16"x 16".........................???
Walter, ya lost me with the 3x8???

I work in my family hard ware store I can get some thing`s cheap, my welder finally showed and suggested that he could take a flat piece of roofing galvanized metal heat it and form it to cover the bottom on my smoker which has 2 leaks in it, he says it will make clean up easier and fix the drips I have now , hey he is doing this for 2 boston butts on the WSM instead of money . I wasnt gonna say NO to that.

[Puff]

What Brex said
Even if I was a three peckered billygoat I wouldn't use galvanized steel

[bigwheel]

Well according to Mikey..the one eared..one legged..one weld bbq welder..he say galvanized metal dont put one pizzen fumes till you get up to taking a torch to it or try to weld it etc. He say it purtectly safe to use it at bbq temps. In fact my soon to be built commercial grade smokehouse which used to be a freezer got galvanized for a front inner door..in place of the plastic inner liner which come from Sears etc. See how confident I am about this?

bigwheel

[Puff]

Your confident is kinda' scary. I would bow to the galvanized if it might be used as an exhaust componant.(sp)

[Nick Prochilo]

Big Wheel used to speak perfect english until he stated eating foods from galvanized smokers!

[bigwheel]

Well apparently your sentiments are not widely held or else there wouldnt be so many toothless hill billys cooking on them cinder block or hole in the ground pits with the tin roof. Lot of em tend to congregate in the Carolinas from whut I heard. That musta been where they filmed the Deliverance movie. Nearly gharnantee them two which was bothering Ned Beaty so bad had a galvanized roof on their pit. Just got a feeling. Call it Da Ja Vue if you will.

bigwheel

[wittdog]

I know it’s been covered here but…galvanized is just steel dipped in zinc…and the melting point of zinc is around 400* I think….you can get a thing called zinc fume fever…but after a couple of cooks..the zinc will be gone and think about how much you’ll save by not having to buy the multi vitamin with zinc…

[Smokey_Joe]

You're correct Witt, it has been covered here in great lengths before, and it's not JUST the Zinc itself.... it's all the other chemicals and Chromates used in the Zinc coating process that leach off at different temps.

[bigwheel]

Well aint planning on breaking 200 with my commercial sized freezer smokehouse..so think I keep the door liner. Now that other fella may get that zinc kanser when he breaks 400.

bigwheel