BIG PROBLEM PLEASE HELP!

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On Exhaust pipe it calls for 55" I'm using 4" (it was free) or i would have used 5" or bigger to shorten it . How far in CC do I put it? I know you want the bottom to be close to the cooking surface. Do you want to cut a angle on the bottom of it?
 
 
On Exhaust pipe it calls for 55" I'm using 4" (it was free) or i would have used 5" or bigger to shorten it . How far in CC do I put it? I know you want the bottom to be close to the cooking surface. Do you want to cut a angle on the bottom of it?
Your exhaust calls for a 26" stack (above the CC) to be 4" ID.....   slant the end at least 45 deg...  4-6" above the food grate...

319 cu in...... 4 x 4 x 0.7854 = 12.6 sq in...    319 / 12.6 = 25.3" tall......
 
I'm using the Feldon's Pit calculator. its says use 5% of FB volume. and my FB is 24" x 24" X 24"=13824*.05=691.20 so am i doing or looking at something wrong?
 
Go back to Dave's drawing earlier in this thread for your CC size and use his stack specifications above. It's the same problem with the calculator I noted earlier and Dave had already laid out a complete smoker for someone else using your same CC specs. You are good to go with the shorter stack.

Len
 
 
I'm using the Feldon's Pit calculator. its says use 5% of FB volume. and my FB is 24" x 24" X 24"=13824*.05=691.20 so am i doing or looking at something wrong?
Feldon's has some inherent problems.......   The big problem, calculations should be based on the Cook Chamber size....   It make no difference what size FB you have.....   

Use Feldon's if you want..... 

Dave
 
Id say on that large firebox vs cooking chamber design, the opening from the firebox to the cooking chamber would be the one I was most concerned about,  your going to need to hold it back in the firebox, or go big on the exhaust to dump it.

Just my 2 cents, could be wrong.
 
When i built my smoker i made my firebox over sized.  At the time i didn't fully understand how the pit calculator worked and i built my entire pit based on my firebox size.  I later learned that you need to fudge the numbers of your firebox to get it as close to the recommended size.  Then the rest of my numbers were correct.  The calculator bases all its measurements of off the firebox size instead of the cooking chamber size, but the firebox size isn't the important part.  DaveOmak pointed that out for me and helped me get my pit running properly by providing me with the correct numbers.  With the help of DaveOmak, Ribwizzard, SQWIB, and gary s i have a very nice cooking and easy to operate smoker.  You are in great hands.  I learned so much from these guys during the redesign of my pit.
 
How I use the pit calculator is for minimum size.  Even though your fire box is over sized, still plug the number in for the correct size firebox, that way you will get the proper sizes for your openings. Never fudge on your cooking chamber size though.

Example, I put in the correct number for cooking chamber, and make everything else as big or bigger than the recommended size.

Make sense?
 
OK about got fire box ready to attach to the CC. I've been kicking around the idea of putting a couple of propane burner tubes in bottom of FB. I've seen somewhere someone used some thick wall pipe and drilled holes in it. What size pipe and hole would you use? I want to put it in bottom of FB so on long cooks after I get max smoke I can finish and save wood and time tending fire. Any thoughts?
 
Can't be much help but I know long ago my Pop used to drill and tap 2 3/8" pipe then screw in grease zerts that had been bored out to a specific diameter. He actually had different sized bores for natural gas and propane. I don't know the bore sizes though. He did this on the big pit and used the gas to quick light his firebox. Although I am sure the purists would find fault in the taste, I couldn't ever tell the difference.

Maybe someone else like Mr. Dave or Ribwizzard will know. They are pretty smart fellars.

Good luck.
 
most of the time burners in the firebox are for starting the fire, it takes a good size burner to put out some BTU.  If you go to Tejas smokers web site, you will find all the parts you need to build your burner, the pipe I use is 3/4 id iron, but some go up to 1 and 1/4.   I like the 3/4", and drill my holes nice and tight and straight.
 
I don't maintain the heat, wood and charcoal do that. But I use my weed burner to start my fire, go over my grates and heat up my CC. Works pretty good and Quick.

Gary
 
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