Ugly Drum Smoker

Being CDO that I am, I decided to take my drum down to bare metal. It took four pads of 80 grit, some wire wheels, and 2 beers:



I didn't like the way the original lip was fitting so I got a new piece of steel and tried again. I took my time and used three c-clamps to work the steel around (using this method). I was being impatient so I busted out the brazing torch and heated it up. Cost me another beer. I used 11 bolts all the way around the lip. There's a very small gap in some places. Eh.



My daughter wanted to paint it lime green but at $8 a can and not knowing how much I would need, I opted for high temp BBQ paint and some clear coat.



My BIL is still working on my fire basket. Here is a shot of my make shift fire basket on the old drum. It is the top of a knock off Smokey Joe with a bunch of 3/4" holes. This was originally the fire bowl for my ECB. I used the grate to hold the charcoal off of the bottom. The handle is from the knock off. With a full basket and some wood chunks, I can get 8 - 10 hours.



No food pron. The food disappears too fast once it is out of the smoker for me to snap any pics. I have a ET-732 that I use so no dial thermometer. The last time I used the smoker, it was raining/snowing so I placed the sending unit in a zip lock and place that in a Tupperware container. This is going to stay on the back deck with a cover so no wheels but maybe some handles. Hinged lid mod coming tomorrow once my BIL comes over.

I heard that magnets were the way to go, then I read that nipples were the best....Sooo, I use a combination of nipples and magnets. I attached (2) 3/4" magnets from Home Depot to a fender washer. The magnets fit nicely into the nipple and hold the washer against the nipple. They work awesome and they do not get lost. I have (3) 3/4" nipples with washers/magnets and (1) 3/4" ball valve. The magnets stick to the barrel while not in the nipple or you can insert them a little askew to fine tune the air flow or even with the flat side of the washer against the nipple to vary the air flow.

I keep meaning to post my UDS build photos but since I finished it, most of my time has been using it.:wink:

Permatex RTV

Just BS said:

Looks like krshome already answered your question.... I'm not a big fan of formaldehyde, but I've drank beer in the Phillipines that supposedly used it in their bottling process. I'd start over....

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Thanks for the replies - I did contact the manufacturer and they said its rated NSF 51 (safe to be around, but not in contact with food). Did another burn this weekend and no chemical smell. Based on that and the number of mods I've seen using this product, I'm feeling ok about it.

Domed lid temps

Wh1skey6 said:

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think you just need a 1:1 ratio of intake to exhaust. I'm guessing this isn't a Weber dome lid?

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Correct, just a $10.00 BBQ pro from CL. Flatter profile than the weber. The daisy wheel vent is 3.53 sq inches of exhaust, plus the .98 for the 1/2 holes should be plenty of exhaust. I'm guessing that the hotter temps on the original flat lid were a result of the breeze blowing across the bung increasing the draw. I'm going to fire it up again this weekend with the dome and experiment with raising the lid a bit to see if the draw increases. Or I'll just lower the top grate a bit, remove the band mod and go back to the known temps of the flat lid.

Skidder said:

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Could you please post HQ pictures of those hinges?

I've been trying to find something like that.

Thanks before hand.

Welp once again business connections and relationships pay off big for me as this morning a guy from the steel plant i do business with carried in 2 pieces of expanded metal to my work allteady cut to 12 x 48 yeah buddy another freebie score for porey!

Welp Business contacts and relationships continue to pay dividends. This morning a kind gentleman at the local steel plant I trade with carried in 2 pieces of cut expanded metal 12 x 48 another freebie for the project oh yeah!

FORY said:

You can use PAM, or the cheap cooking spray they sell at WALMART... I believe they sell it too at those 0.99 cents stores:

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Am I the only one who noticed the furniture polish in the picture?!
I hope that is humor on your part and you didn't season your UDS with that. :razz:

d0nk3y said:

Am I the only one who noticed the furniture polish in the picture?!
I hope that is humor on your part and you didn't season your UDS with that. :razz:

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That's to shine the UDS from the inside..:biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1:

FORY said:

Could you please post HQ pictures of those hinges?

I've been trying to find something like that.

Thanks before hand.

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Love the table and I have been wanting to add a table onto mine

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Happy thanksgiving y'all, and thanks to this thread ill be smoking my Thanksgiving bird on an UDS next year.

Getting ready to build a stainless UDS. I bought this drum for $25.00 last week. I already made a basket when I had plans to build one about a year ago but lost interest.





That opening on the bottom was already there. I'm not sure why but I plan to attach a damper there by welding a bolt and using a stainless damper that I made for my offset. (I never use it.) The opening measures 2 5/16" and I'm wondering if it would be enough or if I should plan to make another damper. Also, since the lid is flat I will need to put the grate in the usual lower position. I figure I'll make a round damper with holes like the Big Papa style top vent out of stainless sheet metal. I have all the tools and scrap metal at my disposal so no problem there. I'll be reading up on this and other threads but any advice or tips are welcome.

The intake ought to be big enough. I would make an ash pan. For the basket...:thumbup:

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If that was mine to build I would come off that port with a 90 and a 24" riser with a slide damper to regulate the air. The area of that opening is almost the same as 4 3/4 intakes.

10-4 on the ash pan. You will never regret that mod.

That hole is a triclamp fitting.

Pugi said:

That hole is a triclamp fitting.

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Yeah, we use those a lot at work. I work for a food manufacturing plant. They use rubber gaskets so I'd have to figure something out if I were to do the 90/ 24" riser idea.

My UDS

Here's afew pics of my 1st smoker. I stole the cart from an old grill that i had laying around which makes it breeze to move around the yard. She works great but I'm still trying to find ways to improve her.

Son in law did trash can turkey for T-Day & momma did ham in the oven. No wanting to get shut out, and having peeps in town, I fired up my Pretty Drum Smoker with some breakfast Fatty's and Spam Blossoms. Stuffed them with pablano & bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, canadian bacon, eggs & hashbrowns. Glazed it all with Rasberry Chipotle mixed with Sweet Baby Rays Brown Sugar sauce.
Oh yeah, get in my belly! Here's the PRON......

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the info in this thread.

Here's my first UDS, have yet to document the build to share with my friends, but I had 4 butts and a few racks of ribs on it yesterday for a maiden voyage. Also a fattie while seasoning (thanks BBQ Brethren for that gem!!)

Uni-flame lid and had the whole thing powdercoated, 2 cooking racks inside. I've yet to make the PID controller for this but hooked up the thermocouple to my other one just to watch temps and learn how to manage them in this thing..

So far, I love it! Didn't use nearly as much coal/wood as I would have in my CG, and it was nice to leave the fire unattended for so long