The start of my first smoker build...60 gal air compressor tank
- Thread starter bjordmia
- Start date
Bob in St. Louis
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2012
- Location
- St...
Wow. That's impressive. Thanks man!
Lots of progress today...at least for me
Fabricated the hinges today, cut the cook chamber door, trimmed it out and mounted the hinges. My welding skills are horrible but it's getting the job done. I'll probably grind them down and go over them again later to clean them up.
HINGES: I looked all over town for steel stock but couldn't find what I wanted at Home Depot or Lowes and the steel suppliers in town want to sell 20' lengths. Finally, I decided to check in plumbing at HD and found some black pipe that I was able to make work. I ended up using 7/16" plain round rod and 3" - 3/8" black pipe nipples that I cut down to remove the threads. I bought a few extra nipples to help with the bending of the round stock. See pictures. I used a bottle of Map gas and was able to heat the metal to where I needed it in under 30 seconds. This is my first time welding and working with metal and I'm having a ball!!!
Fabricated the hinges today, cut the cook chamber door, trimmed it out and mounted the hinges. My welding skills are horrible but it's getting the job done. I'll probably grind them down and go over them again later to clean them up.
HINGES: I looked all over town for steel stock but couldn't find what I wanted at Home Depot or Lowes and the steel suppliers in town want to sell 20' lengths. Finally, I decided to check in plumbing at HD and found some black pipe that I was able to make work. I ended up using 7/16" plain round rod and 3" - 3/8" black pipe nipples that I cut down to remove the threads. I bought a few extra nipples to help with the bending of the round stock. See pictures. I used a bottle of Map gas and was able to heat the metal to where I needed it in under 30 seconds. This is my first time welding and working with metal and I'm having a ball!!!
Attachments
Firebox is coming along and was able to fabricate the hinges and door for it today. I've got the tank marked for the FB and will be cutting in to it tomorrow. Looking forward to getting a fire going in this one. Won't be long now...
Attachments
Wanting opinions on smoke stack
I've been using the calculator up to this point and though I'm not keeping it 100% accurate to it's suggestions, I've been very close. Went slightly larger on the firebox which I see is recommended. I also increased the size of the FB to CC opening from a recommended 48 square inches to 52 square inches. I am going with a plenum exhaust and a 5" diameter pipe for my smoke stack but wanted to ask a question from more experienced builders. How do I achieve maximum air flow through the cook chamber? I am more interested in the air flow than anything and have decided not to do a reverse flow for that reason. I am focusing on Central Texas style cooking techniques (Franklin, LA Barbeque, etc) and am doing my best to duplicate their cooking methods. I understand that this cooker is much smaller but I have also purchased a 500 gallon propane tank as well as the 250 & 330 gal tanks to make the insulated firebox, just like Franlin's. Their smokers don't follow the guidelines of Feldon's calculator as they have much smaller fireboxes than is recommended for a 500 or 1,000 gallon cook chamber. I have exhausted youtube and google in my search for every video and written word regarding their method of cooking (Aaron Franklin, John Lewis, Wayne Mueller & even Daniel Delaney) and it's my understanding, that their cookers create both radiant heat and an almost convection oven type of environment in their cookers because of air flow. They repeatedly emphasis air flow and it's not uncommon to catch glimpses of their cookers with firebox doors wide open. John Lewis even goes as far to say he would rather put an inline fan at the exhaust rather than trying to push air in to the firebox with a BBQGuru. Not trying to invent the wheel but if Daniel Delaney can learn the technique and turn out BBQ that gets the approval of the Central Texas guys than it can and will be done!!! lol What say you?
I've been using the calculator up to this point and though I'm not keeping it 100% accurate to it's suggestions, I've been very close. Went slightly larger on the firebox which I see is recommended. I also increased the size of the FB to CC opening from a recommended 48 square inches to 52 square inches. I am going with a plenum exhaust and a 5" diameter pipe for my smoke stack but wanted to ask a question from more experienced builders. How do I achieve maximum air flow through the cook chamber? I am more interested in the air flow than anything and have decided not to do a reverse flow for that reason. I am focusing on Central Texas style cooking techniques (Franklin, LA Barbeque, etc) and am doing my best to duplicate their cooking methods. I understand that this cooker is much smaller but I have also purchased a 500 gallon propane tank as well as the 250 & 330 gal tanks to make the insulated firebox, just like Franlin's. Their smokers don't follow the guidelines of Feldon's calculator as they have much smaller fireboxes than is recommended for a 500 or 1,000 gallon cook chamber. I have exhausted youtube and google in my search for every video and written word regarding their method of cooking (Aaron Franklin, John Lewis, Wayne Mueller & even Daniel Delaney) and it's my understanding, that their cookers create both radiant heat and an almost convection oven type of environment in their cookers because of air flow. They repeatedly emphasis air flow and it's not uncommon to catch glimpses of their cookers with firebox doors wide open. John Lewis even goes as far to say he would rather put an inline fan at the exhaust rather than trying to push air in to the firebox with a BBQGuru. Not trying to invent the wheel but if Daniel Delaney can learn the technique and turn out BBQ that gets the approval of the Central Texas guys than it can and will be done!!! lol What say you?
I have seen some places that have a cinderblock trough with sheet metal on the top and a hole in one end that they build a fire in front of and it works for them. Small fire compared to the size of the cook chamber, I think after a certain point the firebox doesn't need to get any bigger.
Sammy_Shuford
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Location
- Summervi...
Awesome work, love these build threads!
About to attach the firebox...
Finally got around to notching the cook chamber for the firebox and it came out great. Won't take much to get it tacked up and welded in place. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take the tank to a car wash and spray it out. The inside of the tank is caked full of crud. One step closer to getting this monster on wheels and burning it out. It's about to start getting real fun although I'm leaving a lot of little details unfinished that I'll have to come back to at some point.
Finally got around to notching the cook chamber for the firebox and it came out great. Won't take much to get it tacked up and welded in place. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take the tank to a car wash and spray it out. The inside of the tank is caked full of crud. One step closer to getting this monster on wheels and burning it out. It's about to start getting real fun although I'm leaving a lot of little details unfinished that I'll have to come back to at some point.
Attachments
Working on the stand and axles. Never done this before so going pretty slow but I am loving it. This thing is a beast. Just to give you an idea, those are 13" tires. I also left the welding helmet on the fb for a reference. I'm hoping the tire placement at the fire box will work out ok. I considered shifting it slightly under the firebox but this was easier so I went with it. Also hoping the tires hold up. They're rated for 350lbs each and I have 600lb casters for the left side. I guess we'll see... Hoping to burn it out soon. This is an old air compressor tank and the inside is coated with oil and a nasty sludge. Does anyone know if that will all burn off or should I treat it with something first?
Attachments
Bob in St. Louis
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2012
- Location
- St...
I don't know, so everything I type from here on...is pure speculation.
Since it's a compressor, it's just motor lube that has run past the rings of the piston that's in the tank. I would say, that if you scrape out everything you can, then have a couple (large-ish) fires, then scrub it out with soap and a cheap disposable brush (a new toilet brush would work great), and another fire or two, you should be fine.
I say that even though I didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn last night. :wink:
She's mobile!!!
Finally got the stand and wheels done. Went with 13" pneumatic wheels from Tractor Supply. They're rated for 330lbs each and were on sale for $9.99. I may have to get a sturdier tire as these are showing signs of being stressed pretty badly. Probably should have gone to a 3/4" rod for the axle, as well. Live and learn. Burning out the cook chamber this weekend and then will get started on the plenum and exhaust. Still a ton to do but looking forward to the work.
Finally got the stand and wheels done. Went with 13" pneumatic wheels from Tractor Supply. They're rated for 330lbs each and were on sale for $9.99. I may have to get a sturdier tire as these are showing signs of being stressed pretty badly. Probably should have gone to a 3/4" rod for the axle, as well. Live and learn. Burning out the cook chamber this weekend and then will get started on the plenum and exhaust. Still a ton to do but looking forward to the work.
Attachments
tgstrang
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2013
- Location
- O'fallon...
That is going to be a sweet patio cooker! Love the build thread.
Slowly moving along but finally got around to fabricating and tacking up the plenum and exhaust pipe. I went with a 6" pipe which I know is too big. I plan on reducing it to a 4" but wanted to be able to play with some different sizes. I want to burn all wood and am trying to achieve max air flow to create more of a convection oven type atmosphere in the cook chamber. This is my first time ever working with metal or welding and it's a blast!! I'm slow and my welds are **** but I'm loving it. The grinder is your friend, lol. Can't wait to see how she cooks.
Attachments
pgyrogear
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2012
- Location
- Modesto, Ca
Looking good, my first build was a 60gal air tank also, but yours looks better than mine did, it is now on a remodel (KATitized), now that I know what I am doing.
