20 inch horizontal offset build

[The Meeper]

Great work - wish I could build things like that

 

[Titch]

Your talented mate, its looking pretty good from here.

 

[dwfisk]

Gotcha. The pipe you have saves you from having to draw up custom templates for supports though as it's more uniform in diameter.

The rolling for this was $100 out of pocket at a large fab shopand the 1/4 sheet steel was free (it pays to be in the stamping industry with awesome bosses) . So money wise, I couldn't beat it! Thanks! Going to add a warming rack above the firebox, but no plans for a top door-figure I would be shooting myself in the foot by adding more gaskets.

Man, hard to beat free materials! I REALLY like your design for the cook chamber supports, looks very stable. I'll be doing a warming rack on top of the firebox too, thinking of trying a plate with a "window" of expanded metal that can be removed if desired. You are going to wind up with a great cooker.

 

[chrislasser]

Looking good, going to work well!

 

[JohnnyB]

From a quality and aesthetics standpoint, the laser and plasma cuts are amazing. Can't beat em. One day when I get my own workshop, I'm getting my own plasma cutter, no more working with 7" and 4" grinders for everything. Very jealous of your attention to detail, great job so far.

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

From a quality and aesthetics standpoint, the laser and plasma cuts are amazing. Can't beat em. One day when I get my own workshop, I'm getting my own plasma cutter, no more working with 7" and 4" grinders for everything. Very jealous of your attention to detail, great job so far.

I can't even tell you how much I wish I had a plasma cutter for this project. If you build a smoker and don't have one-my advice is to find a friend who has one and borrow it (if you have a 220 hookup available).

They are worth their weight in gold on a project like this and anyone who had ever started cutting into 1/4" material with a cut off wheel knows what I'm talking about.

The endcaps (which were laser cut) ended up setting me back $120-WELL worth it in my opinion as I don't have a plasma, but if I did I would be using it.

Thank you for the kind words!

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Man, hard to beat free materials! I REALLY like your design for the cook chamber supports, looks very stable. I'll be doing a warming rack on top of the firebox too, thinking of trying a plate with a "window" of expanded metal that can be removed if desired. You are going to wind up with a great cooker.

That's a good idea-no warping like you might get with a frame/expanded setup! I have a buddy who had another square metal box fabbed on top of his firebox -he used it to bake bread! I wish I had a picture of the thing but I came over one morning before it got light out and he had a fresh bagel cooked on his smoker and a hot cup of coffee ready to go that was warming on top of the box.

I'm going to get a picture of it. It was really neat. I've never seen anything like it either.

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Started welding the expanded to the frame for the wood rack tonight. What a difficult weld with a 1960 Forney stick welder. .050 thick web sections (from poor cutting) do not like being welded to .25 wall frame.

Expanded being welded to frame

Hinge parts, 1/2" bar stock and a 1" bar stock piece drilled to fit the male portion of the hinge. Beefy baby!

 

[cowgirl]

Nice work!

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Update: I am constructing the cooking grates so I can set them on top of the rails inside the cook chamber and then tack weld the rails on before I weld the endcaps on.

 

[tonyjohnson619]

Looking nicee!!! Did you plug your dimensions in feldons s pit calculator by chance?

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Looking nicee!!! Did you plug your dimensions in feldons s pit calculator by chance?

Yup. That's how the firebox size opening and damper size vent opening on the firebox was calculated, went bigger and longer than recommended with the chimney though. I'm trying to post more pics but tinypic.com is not cooperating with me all of a sudden.

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Here we go, finally got the pictures to upload. Over the weekend I finished tacking on the expanded for the lower shelf, finished welding the cook chamber to the frame, fabbed the cook screens, welded on the cook rails, and welded on one of the endcaps.

Rails (to hold cook grates) being tacked in place.

Cooking grate frame (need 2)

Cooking grate with the expanded

Cooking grate resting on the tacked rails-I added two gussets that were tacked on to the inside of the smoker door to prevent springback....may end up removing them after a few cooks when the metal has relaxed a bit.

Endcap welded on for the connection to the firebox.

Need to weld on the other endcap, then start cutting the door once hinges are on. My thought was to have both endcaps on BEFORE I started cutting the door-more stability.

 

[dwfisk]

Looking really nice. Yep, I would put the end caps on before cutting the door.

 

[Smokin J's PIts]

One suggestion is to weld in a 1-1/2"X2" or 3" long nipple in the bottom of that monster with a pipe cap on the open end, so you have a means to drain/clean out the cooking chamber.

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

One suggestion is to weld in a 1-1/2"X2" or 3" long nipple in the bottom of that monster with a pipe cap on the open end, so you have a means to drain/clean out the cooking chamber.

Yup, in the plans. I know smoker companies like Horizon build their pits with a 5/8 pitch to the whole thing towards the grease drain. I made mine level as I didn't see the point to pitch the entire thing (and then have to deal with making the front shelf level) when you could accomplish the same task by simply rolling the whole smoker to a slanted part of the driveway for a few mins.

Planning on the 1.5" dia x 2" long threaded pipe with a cap.

 

[Texan79423]

Nice Build

Two attach the fire box? I built my fire box separately on the bench. I used a motorcycle lift/floor jack to raise it into position then used a tie down strap to tighten it up to the pit. Spot welded it in place with a wire welder then weld it up.

I am not real good at uphill welding laying on my back, But took my time and it came out all right.

Drain? Mine sits level also and has a 1 1/2 inch drain nipple. If your doing a big cook it will drain if it fills up. To clean I just drop the front off the patio, scrap, wash, rinse and its drain well.

Good luck that thing will last forever. Heck the grandkids will be using it 25 years down the road

 

[Zin]

Great looking build, can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Bigwoods4x4]

Here is the next round of pictures! (quite a few).

Since last posting, I've welded on the smokestack side endcap, cut the doors, fabbed and welded on the hinges, welded on and formed the flange pieces to the door, welded on the firebox endcap, welded on the firebox itself, and added a support for the firebox. Enjoy.

Smokestack endcap welded on

Door cut (not all the way so I can weld on hinges first). Note to self: never again use a cut-off wheel for this, find someone with a plasma cutter no matter how much it costs.

Hinges fabbed up before being welded on

Flanges welded on

Removable grates all fabbed up and sitting on rails with the door now cut open

Firebox attached-forgive the birdsh*t welds, first welding project I've ever been a part of. Notice the heat marks-I took an acetelyne torch and heated up the flanges cherry hot to hammer them down because the door sprung maybe 3/16 of an inch on the bottom-worked very well

Firebox attached, horseshoe handle tacked on, may remove if I get a cooltouch spring handle instead

View inside the firebox-will make a heavy grate for the bottom yet

Firebox support piece I added last night

 

[QTEX]

Very nice build coming along there.