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PLANNING FIRST BUILD ( PICS NOW INCLUDED )

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HARD FOR ME TO FIND MUCH TIME TO WORK ON THE SMOKER RIGHT NOW.  I HAVE GOT A FEW THINGS DONE.

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I GOT A GOOD START ON THE FIREBOX DOOR AND UPPER INTAKE.  READY TO INSULATE.  USED 1/4" PLATE FOR THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR AND WELDED IT TO THE CHANNEL FRAME.  IT WARPED PRETTY BAD BY THE TIME I GOT IT ALL WELDED UP BUT I GOT IT PRETTY STRAIGHT NOW.  GOTTA WELD THE 1/8" OUTTER SKIN ON.  DOOR IS GONNA BE HEAVY.  NEED TO DECIDE WHAT TO USE OR MAKE FOR HINGES.
 
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I GOT A LITTLE MORE DONE TODAY.  I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE FIREBOX DOOR A LITTLE BETTER BUT IT IS STILL NOT PERFECT.  I PUT HALF OF THE RF PLATE IN,  IT TILTS AWAY FROM THE FIREBOX.  AFTER I INSTALL THE DRAINS I WILL PUT THE OTHER HALF OF THE RF PLATE IN AND TILT IT THE OTHER WAY.  I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE WAY MOST PEAPLE INSTALL THE RF PLATE BUT IT SEEMED A LITTLE MORE SIMPLE AND I THINK IT SHOULD DRAIN FINE.  I NEED TO GET A COUPLE PEICES OF THREADED PIPE FOR THE DRAINS.

I STARTED ON THE COUNTERWEIGHT NEXT BECAUSE I AM TIRIED OF OPENING THAT HEAVY DOOR.  I BUILT IT OUT OF SOME HEAVY SQUARE TUBE.  I PUT SOME HEAVY PIPE INSIDE THE SQUARE TUBE TO SEE HOW MUCH WEIGHT I NEED TO ADD.  I THINK IF I FIND A PIECE OF SOLID ROUND STOCK THAT WILL JUST FIT INSIDE THE SQUARE TUBE IT SHOULD BE ABOUT RIGHT.  THE COUNTER WEIGHT IS JUST TACKED ON RIGHT NOW AND DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH WEIGHT YET BUT HELPS A LOT.
 
Holmes, evening..... Is the hole between the CC and Warming box for the full flow of the exhaust.... meaning is your exhaust venting through the warming box... or will there be an exhaust stack on the CC itself....
The reason I'm asking.... If the total exhaust is going through the warming box, the hole between the CC and WB should be considerably larger or it will act as a constricting point and may cause some problems is smoker operation....

Dave
 
HI DAVE,  I PLAN TO PUT AN EXHAUST STACK ON BOTH THE CC AND THE WARMING BOX.  IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I RAN THE NUMBERS, I WILL HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW LONG THE STACK WAS SUPOSED TO BE.  I KNOW THE PIPE I AM USING IS 8.25 ID.

SINCE WE ARE TALKING EXHAUST STACKS.

1.   IS THE LENGTH OF THE STACK FIGURED FROM THE TOP OF THE CC?  OR TOTAL LENGTH.  HOW FAR INSIDE THE CC SHOULD THE STACK EXTEND?

2.  SHOULD I CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK OFF AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE?

3.  I DO NOT REMEMBER FOR SURE,  I WILL LOOK BACK AND SEE BUT I BELEIVE THE OPENING BETWEEN THE CC AND WARMING BOX IS ABOUT 6"X 8" OR SO.  MAYBE BIGGER.  AS LONG AS THAT OPENING IS AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN MY 8.25" EXHAUST STACK WILL IT DRAW CORRECTLY IF I EXHAUST OUT THE WARMING CABINET AND CLOSE THE CC STACK DAMPER?

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.
 
SHOLMES said:
HI DAVE,  I PLAN TO PUT AN EXHAUST STACK ON BOTH THE CC AND THE WARMING BOX.  IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I RAN THE NUMBERS, I WILL HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW LONG THE STACK WAS SUPOSED TO BE.  I KNOW THE PIPE I AM USING IS 8.25 ID.

SINCE WE ARE TALKING EXHAUST STACKS.

1.   IS THE LENGTH OF THE STACK FIGURED FROM THE TOP OF THE CC?  OR TOTAL LENGTH.  HOW FAR INSIDE THE CC SHOULD THE STACK EXTEND?

2.  SHOULD I CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK OFF AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE?

3.  I DO NOT REMEMBER FOR SURE,  I WILL LOOK BACK AND SEE BUT I BELEIVE THE OPENING BETWEEN THE CC AND WARMING BOX IS ABOUT 6"X 8" OR SO.  MAYBE BIGGER.  AS LONG AS THAT OPENING IS AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN MY 8.25" EXHAUST STACK WILL IT DRAW CORRECTLY IF I EXHAUST OUT THE WARMING CABINET AND CLOSE THE CC STACK DAMPER?

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.
Click to expand...


2 exhaust stacks will be good and that answers my concerns for good air flow.... Stack length is from the top of the CC.... on the warming box, equal to the height on the CC stack will be good.... and give balance to the air flow....
Extend the stack down to where the WB opening is and cut at least a 45 - 60 deg angle for good air flow...

6x8 and 8" round are close to the same size... You might consider opening the WB/CC opening a bit if it's not too much work.. Probably OK where it's at.... but in the event your WB needs more heat in the future, it would be easier now to open it up... I'd go with 8x10 so it was 1.5 X the stack area...or 7x12 type thing... what ever is easy to fit..

The smoker looks good.... I think the double slope on the RF plate will work fine... I'm betting you will be very pleased with how well it works... Very nice build.....

Dave
 
I GOT THE RF PLATE DRAIN INSTALLED.

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I GOT THE OTHER HALF OF THE RF PLATE FITTED AND TACKED IN PLACE.

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I ALSO PICKED UP THE TANK THAT I PLAN TO USE FOR THE CHARCOAL GRILL.  I PLAN TO FINISH THE SMOKER THEN START ON THE GRILL. THE GRILL WILL MOUNTED IN FRONT OF THE SMOKER WHEN I GET IT BUILT.  I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND IDEALS FOR THE GRILL BUT WE WILL GET TO THAT AFTER THE SMOKER IS COOKIN.

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I HOPE TO FINISH THE RF PLATE AND START ON THE EXHAUST STACK TOMORROW.  THE TO DO LIST IS STILL LONG BUT GETTING SHORTER.
 
Dad-Gum that's a nice looking build you have going. I'm enjoying all the questions since I'm learning from them. Photos are exceptional as are the welds...
 
THE EXHAUST STACK WAS NOT IN NEARLY AS GOOD SHAPE AS I REMEMBERED.  WHEN I GOT IT OUT OF THE SNOW I FOUND THAT  IT HAD RUSTED BADLY ON ONE END AND HAD A HOLE CUT IN THE SIDE OF IT.  NOW I WILL HAVE TO BUY A COUPLE PIECES OF PIPE FOR THE EXHAUST STACKS.

SINCE I HAVE TO BUY EXHAUST PIPE I NEED TO DECIDE WHAT SIZE.  I HAD PLANNED TO USE 8.25 ID PIPE.  NOW I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SIZE TO GET.  I WILL HAVE TO PRICE PIPE AND GO BACK TO THE CALCULATOR.

I AM GETTING READY TO TRY TO INSTALL THE FIREBOX DOOR.  AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES IT IS STILL A LITTLE WARPED.  I NEED TO GET IT IN SOME SORT OF PRESS AND TRY TO GET IT STRAIGHT.

I NEED TO DECIDE ON WHAT SORT OF HINGES TO USE.  WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD WORK BEST?

I PLAN TO GET SOME 7/8" ROPE GASKET FOR THE FIREBOX DOOR AND WARMING CABINET DOOR.  I WANT TO SEE HOW THE ROPE GASKET FITS BEFORE I MOUNT THE DOOR.  I HOPE THAT IT WILL TAKE UP SOME OF THE GAP IF I CAN NOT GET THE DOOR STRAIGHT.

HERE ARE SOME PICS OF THE DOOR.  HOPE I CAN MAKE THIS WORK.

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I ALSO NEED TO GET SOME CLAMPS TO HOLD THE CC DOOR SHUT TIGHT.  I HOPE IT SEALS OK.

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NEED A LITTLE HELP.

Link to BBQ Pit Calculator

OK, I WENT BACK TO THE CALCULATOR.  DUE TO A MISTAKE EARLY IN THE BUILD MY FIREBOX IS SLIGHTLY UNDERSIZED.  98% OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE.  I SURE HOPE THAT IS CLOSE ENOUGH.

THE FIREBOX AND WARM CABINET ARE COMPLETLY INSULATED.

THE CALCULATOR SAYS 8" PIPE 26.25" LONG FOR EXHAUST.

WILL AN ADJUSTMENT ON MY EXHAUST PIPE HELP MAKE UP FOR THE FIREBOX BEING A TOUCH SMALL?

THE CALCULATOR CALLED FOR 2 INTAKES 10" X 4".  I ALSO ADDED 1 INTAKE HALF WAY UP THE DOOR, 10" X 4", AS SUGGESTED BY DAVE AND OTHERS.

IT IS STILL POSSIBLE THAT I COULD ADD A FEW INCHES TO THE FRONT OF THE FIREBOX BEFORE I INSTALL THE DOOR.  DO YOU THINK I WILL BE OK WITH MY FIREBOX OR SHOULD I ADD ON?  THE FIREBOX SEEMS HUGE TO ME AS IT IS.

I PUT THE LINK TO MY #'S UP TOP, TAKE A LOOK.  INPUT WOULD BE GREAT.
 
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I ALSO ADDED 1 INTAKE HALF WAY UP THE DOOR, 10" X 4", AS SUGGESTED BY DAVE AND OTHERS.


The upper air inlet to the FB only needs to be about 2X8"... 10"X4" would be a little too big...
 
Ribwizzard said:
When you buy the pipe, have them slice you a small ring, makes you life much easier when cutting your hole.
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Click to expand...
+1  It sure is nice to have that for tracing holes and doing test fitting. Only thing is that where I bought my steel, they cut the pipe with a torch, and not real cleanly at that, so I had to make my own ring with the porta-band.
 
YA, I FIGURED THAT THE 10" X 4" INTAKE IN THE DOOR WAS OVERKILL BUT IT MATCHES THE OTHER 2 INTAKES THIS WAY AND I FIGURED THAT I WOULD JUST NOT OPEN IT ALL THE WAY.

GETTING A SMALL SLICE OF PIPE CUT TO TRACE AROUND IS A GREAT TIP, THANKS.

ANY THOUGHTS ON MY FIREBOX SIZE (98%) OF WHAT THE CALCULATOR CALLED FOR?

I CAN STILL ADD A FEW INCHES TO THE FRONT OF THE FIREBOX BEFORE I INSTALL THE DOOR IF NESSESARY.

WOULD ADJUSTING THE LENGTH OF THE EXHAUST STACK HELP MAKE UP FOR THE FIREBOX BEING SLIGHTLY UNDERSIZED?

A LINK TO MY CALCULATOR NUMBERS IS IN MY POST FROM YESTERDAY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CHECK THEM OUT.
 
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On your post #21 you list the main tank as 300 gal, and on post #33 it says 350 gal. The firebox size is up to 114% if it is really 300 gal and only 2% small @ 350 gal. Usually on a firebox, bigger is better; however, since you have insulated, I think you will be in good shape. I would just keep plowing on like you are going and see how it works. Your upper vent is larger than required so you have the ability to make it blast better than most, it would use more fuel, but pass more heat. If worse comes to worse, you could always cut out the bottom and add there which would also give you room for ash dump if you aren't constrained by how you mount it on the trailer. Keep us posted, and great looking build!

Len
 
THE TANK IS 350 GAL.  THE TAG WAS HARD TO READ, OLD AND PAINTED OVER.  I THOUGHT I HAD THE FIREBOX FIGURED A TOUCH BIGGER THAN I NEEDED BUT ENDED UP BEING A TOUCH SMALL.
 
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