UDS Build Question.

[WilliamKY]

I'm thinking about building another UDS except this time I thought about turning it over and using the lid as a removable bottom for easy cleaning. I will have to cut the bottom out but was thinking of using a kettle lid. Will removing the bottom weaken the drum wall? I believe the lip on the bottom is rolled on so I'm hoping it would still stay attached for rigidity. If it's going to come off and make it really flimsy I probably wont do it. Thanks.

 

[Lahawk1]

I have thought about doing that if I ever build another UDS. I believe it will be plenty rigid enough. Try to find a heavy gauge barrel for the build.

 

[ronbrad62]

I can't imagine the barrel being as flimsy as you are thinking it might be, mine wouldn't be.
As far as having the bottom removable, find a barrel with the band that holds the lid on and the lip would be rolled and you would probably have the results you want

 

[1Gradymaci]

Why not use a 3-4” hole saw and then use it to clean out and also for your intake for your oxygen and all is good.. look at how Hunsaker does his and do the same. He will sell you the parts.

 

[WilliamKY]

I can't imagine the barrel being as flimsy as you are thinking it might be, mine wouldn't be.
As far as having the bottom removable, find a barrel with the band that holds the lid on and the lip would be rolled and you would probably have the results you want

That's what I meant. I can get a commercial drum with a lid and retention ring but the bottom of the drum is not the same as the top. The bottom is rolled "pressed on" and is slight smaller diameter. The top has a "roll" to it where the steel is bent over into a circle.

 

[WilliamKY]

Why not use a 3-4” hole saw and then use it to clean out and also for your intake for your oxygen and all is good.. look at how Hunsaker does his and do the same. He will sell you the parts.

I'll check it out if I can find a pic of the bottom of a Hunsaker.

 

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

Have a burn barrel with the bottom cut out and the lid off. Not problem with rigidity of the barrel at all.

 

[mchar69]

I never had much ash in mine to have to worry about it.
I guess if you use it all the time it might get old cleaning out the ash.
In that case, I'd get a dedicated shop vac.

 

[smoke ninja]

the pain of cleaning ash from a drum was the last obstacle in the way of me wanting to build one. then my buddy showed me a trick, broom and a dust pan with a long handle.

 

[kls44]

I used the bottom of a cheap table top grill(18"), fashioned a bail to it to make a removable ashpan. The coal basket sits in it on legs made from carriage bolts. I use the grate of the grill covered with foil as a deflector. Come cleanup time, the foil gets pitched, lift out the basket, lift out the ashpan and dump.
If you do decide to remove the bottom, leave the bottom's crimp on the barrel.

 

[SmokerKing]

Easy clean out if you have a bottom access fire box:

 

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

Easy clean out if you have a bottom access fire box:

That’s pretty sweet

 

[WilliamKY]

the pain of cleaning ash from a drum was the last obstacle in the way of me wanting to build one. then my buddy showed me a trick, broom and a dust pan with a long handle.

I had a large deep dish pizza pan in the bottom to catch ashes and it worked great but I did a lot of butts in my drum and the bottom got down right nasty with all the grease. Maybe I'm overthinking it but cleaning that drum was no fun.

 

[Saulnier]

Use 2 drums

Build your UDS with 2 drums.
Use the top part of one as the bottom and use the majority of the other drum as the UDS itself.

I have attempted to upload a photo / drawing of what I mean.


By cutting the drum on different parts of the "rib" you can actually get one part of one drum to overlap another part of another drum.

 

[mchar69]

Easy clean out if you have a bottom access fire box:

That's in another realm! You could have almost made a UDS offset!
Got any side pics?

 

[SmokerKing]

That's in another realm! You could have almost made a UDS offset!
Got any side pics?

I've built 8 of them, you can search BUFORD in this forum, plenty of pics.

 

[Nuco59]

Not sure I'd go to a lot of trouble to make a drum "easier to clean"...since it's really no bother. I have a pizza pan snapped to my basket. You pull the basket, you get the ashes too.