Water heater for a smoker. Ideas?

Bob in St. Louis

Bob in St. Louis

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Hey all,
My water heater died this weekend, so I now have a tank that's about 16"x54". I have yet to harvest it from its sheetmetal insulated cocoon, but that's the approximate measurements I anticipate.
I've got ideas of making this a smoker, but I think a 16" tank is too small.
I was thinking about a vertical unit. One where there are shelves every 10" or so. Mount this on top of a firebox and "bam"???
What do you think? Any ideas?

Also, are water heaters coated with anything that's harmful if heated this hot?
 
Well, that answers that, but if it's cast you'll have a hard time welding it, it can be done, but it ain't easy.
 
I'm sorry... :oops: I said "cast". It's not cast iron. My bad. :doh:
It's definitely not galvanized, that I know for sure. Not sure what it is, some kind of sheet steel, best I can tell. At this point, I'm not sure how thick it is either.
I'm thinking that next weekend, my plasma cutter and I will have to investigate what's inside. :twisted:
 
Indeed. I think mine is an 60 gallon.
I've looked at it with "that" eye before....

.... The day you die, is the say you're turned into a smoker....
 
The inner tank is welded rolled steel with a powder coat ceramic coating on the inside. Cutting into it will knock it off. I would use it as a reservoir tank for an air compressor. It would add a lot of gallons to what you already have. A local mechanic shop had three in series behind his shop for his air tools. All you have to do is t the line off the compressor and run a hose to the tank.
 
Be a cool project but might end a lot of effort for too little gain. I'm guilty of doing stuff like that just because I want to do SOMETHING. (I even finish some of the stuff I start).

Dunno- 16" is pretty skimpy - horizontal or vertical. I'm with Mr. Smitty- LOVE to have a backyard offset from a 60 or 80 gallon (OLD, THICK) compressor tank.

But still -would be a cool project- take photos!
 
Nuco59 said:
Be a cool project but might end a lot of effort for too little gain. I'm guilty of doing stuff like that just because I want to do SOMETHING.
Click to expand...

Yea, that sounds JUST like me. :roll: I get halfway through and realise how futile what I'm doing really is. :wacko:

Tom, I'll watch that video tonight at home, thank you!

Craig, I like the idea of an addition tank for the air compressor....
Hmm.....
 
Well... I had the plasma cutter out last weekend. With an evil eye, I pulled the water heater out into the driveway and had a go with the plasma cutter.
Within one tenth of a second, the thickest, blackest, most putrid smoke ROLLED from around the seams. In the photo, you can see the small hole the plasma cutter burned through (six o'clock position), and from around the steel electrical 'cup', the stains where the smoke came out.

Without a full gas mask, this would be incredibly unhealthy to be anywhere near.
Looks like a job for a cutting bit instead of the plasma? :mmph:


 
That is the insulation that is between the outer shell and the inner tank burning. If you did not remove the outer skin/shell yet, the tank is still inside behind some type of insulation.
 
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