My UDS

So I finally built my UDS. I have not made it through every post in this thread but I read the first 250-300 pages worth and was able to get the basics down. All the input here is awesome and I appreciate it a lot. I found this thread because I wanted something better than the $10 Char-broil grill I picked up at a garage sale (although I did learn a lot cooking on it, it was time for something a little better). I didn't want to break the bank so when I found the UDS I knew I hit the jackpot.

After spending plenty of time reading I started gathering parts. I talked to my Dad, "he's got this ultimate set of tools". I will admit up front he did a lot of the work/fabrication, but I was the brains behind the operation. ound:

So here it is from start to finish:



Oil drum, closed top



Top cut off, cleaning out the excess before the burn out



Fire!



More fire!



Burned out, pressure washed, and dried out



Intakes added, along with some angle iron and wheels

***At this point it was getting late and I didn't get pictures of adding the side tables but you can see them in the final pics.***



Charcoal basket before the intial burn the following night



Side tables added and some paint the next day (it was raining and I wanted to get it sealed up)



Finished product! Sorry it's a little dark, best pic I have right now, by the time I get home from work there isn't much natural day light and the lighting in my garage is bad. Being a Notre Dame fan and living nearby I went with the ND color scheme (complete with Golden Dome). Side tables are stainless, big belly mod on the ball valve on the right, bottom therm is a 12" through a stainless bolt. I will be posting some pr0n soon!

sweetheatbbq said:

Nice Job! Did the fire pretty much take off all the outside paint?

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Thanks! The fire did take off most of the outside paint. Didn't build a huge fire but used a leaf blower to speed up the process and get it going pretty good. After about 15 minutes of increased airflow all around whatever was left was easily take off in a few minutes by the pressure washer...luckily there was no dreaded red liner so it was a simple process.

Desert Hawg said:

The one problem I see, no smoke shots except for the burn out. Not nice to tease.:cop:

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Sorry to tease...I have a few shots from my first cook this weekend...haven't had a chance to get them uploaded yet...soon though!

Mo-Dave said:

Very nice, wish I could weld things to my uds like that, but my welder is a flux core and just does not want to let me weld heaver metal to drum material, without burning holes and tons of splatter.
Dave

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I will admit the only parts of welding I took part in was connecting the ground (is that what it's called? :roll a few times and holding things in place and being told not to breathe until it was tacked. No clue what type of welder we used. The old man is a decent welder and he had trouble with burning holes and some rough looking welds. I only know this because of the choice words used after the welding noise stopped. I was just going to salvage and old gas grill frame with the side tables and set the drum in the middle because that is the limit of my mechanical abilities...when you can do that sort of thing you tend to take on bigger projects.

smokeyokie said:

Very Nice!!!! I just completed my first UDS and I mean mine is UGLY!!! until you cook on it and it is a thing of beauty!!! I got it put together and started cooking before I got it prettied up!!! I guess I am going to have to build another and make it pretty!!! I cant believe I waited so long to build it:doh:

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Nothing wrong with having two. I got my first cook in on Sunday and there are already a few drips and smudges...only more to come!

Thanks for looking and for the comments. I love this site and all the ideas and information. Now that I have the equipment in place I will try to contribute some of my meager offerings!