200 gallon RF newbie

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fcfdw

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 22, 2014
20
10
Willow Park TX
Im a little confused about the adjustments that need to be made to feltons calculator. Here are my specs.

[url=http://feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html?cc=0,0,200,0,0,0,46200.00,15400.00&fb=25.5,25.5,25.5,0,0,16581.38,15400.00,107.7&ch=6,829.07,29.34&fi=0,0,0,49.74,0&fc=13.00,18.38,132.65]Link to BBQ Pit Calculator[/url]

I think I need to make the firebox to cc opening 1.5x the measurement in the calculator. Is that correct?

Also is the vent stack ok at just under 30in?

I really have no idea what I'm doing so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
fcfdw,

Looks like you are on track with your calcs.  With Feldons you should make your firebox 100%, (its @ 107% now), this will give you all of the other openings / volumes.  For the calculator keep the FB at 100%, you can make your actual FB larger to accommodate ash / grates etc.  Feldons is based upon FB volume and NOT CC volume.  I made my FB 125% recommended.  From this point your FB to CC opening should be 1.5 times the Feldons size. 

Dave O has a calc on many of his posts, I posted it below, I ran his calc / compared to Feldons (for my project) and it it is spot on to the adjusted Feldons.  I hope that makes sense.  If not Dave will be around and mop up. 

Welcome to SMF, You are in good hands here. 

The link in in your post is hosed, and doesn't work.  I use the "email link" at the page bottom, then post it via the link icon (little chains)  Here is the corrected link, double check your numbers. 

http://feldoncentral.com/bbqcalcula...,29.34&fi=0,0,0,49.74,0&fc=13.00,18.38,132.65

DaveOmak calc

 
Ok that makes sense. So I've got a opening area of 187.50. This is 1.5 times the recommended opening on feldons with my firebox set to 100% (25x25x25"). this will put my rf plate 9.5 " from the bottom of the tank. Ill build the firebox to 27x27x27". My next question is stack location. Should this be at the furthest end of the tank or can it be inset like at the joint between endcap and pipe?The reason I ask is that I have hemi tank ends and don't necessarily want to deal with cutting the hole on a curved surface.... although I can if it will be absolutely necessary.

Thanks!

Oh and will it make a difference if the firebox is inset all the way to the pipe? the hemi end is 14" seam to end. I have a goggle sketchup of it but im not sure how to post it here.
 

All Marked out and top and bottom and corners are pre cut, and the bottom strap is on



Doors!  After marking it out the doors didn't seem wide enough, and I wanted to be able to remove my top rack for turkeys, whole hog, etc.. I decided to split the door in the center and then strap the inside and outside.... I hope it works.
 

This is a terrible pic and these are all out of order but you can see how its coming......

Also I didn't read the blind weld post until today.... Oh well, black paint hides alot.


Heres an example of the inside/outside strap for the center. You can open one at a time, or both at once, and it outta seal up nice


Hinges. These are great for 4 bucks a piece. A real time saver and I really like the looks.


The doors hardly sprung at all. It all fits pretty nice. I have a small gap on the outer edges between the door and the strap, a little less than an eighth, but if it leaks I plan to just weld a continuous bead there.


Another of the internal strapping. I also strapped the top from the inside I don't really like the idea of welding the hinges to the strap, so we'll see how well this seals off.
 
I don't have any pics of the trailer yet but its an old boat trailer. My Dads cleaning it up, replacing bearings, bushings, hitch, hardware, wheels and tires etc.. It should be lookin pretty good by the time it gets to my house. Next step is to burn it out and pick up the firebox material. This is the only material I didn't find for free. A buddy of mine let me go to his closed down fab shop and take whatever I wanted off his racks!!!! I bet I came home with $1000.00 bucks worth of stuff, all of it lightly surface rusted of course.
 
Lookin really good so far!!!  Id think hard about welding a continuous bead.  Heat produced from cutting the door out is more than likely the reason you have warpage. Thats the reason I got a little on my door. If you lay a hot ass bead, you might end up worse off than you already are.  Twekin and bending a little on the door straps can go along way.

 Spooky
 
Could someone tell me a good spacing between cooking grates I only have two and the top one will be removable to do turkeys or a whole hog or something. I'll have some progress pics up soon I drowned my phone and lost alot of the up to date photos.

Thanks
 
Looks great I am also working on my first build and the folks here have been great and very encouraging.  Keep up the great work and post lots of pics.

Joe
 
For the grate spacing top to bottom, most folks cook butts so figure the height of a butt and go from there, 8" should be plenty. If you have a bunch of extra material, you may want to allow for a rib/brisket configuration since they are thin but there will be a temperature difference between the heights so you would have to shuffle the meat if you were cooking on three racks.
 
That's exactly what I needed Len thanks! I've got 14 1/2" to work with so I think ill split them 9 between bottom and top and 5.5 from top rack to top of cooker. That gives me 7" above rf plate to first grate is that ideal?
 
That should work just fine, don't forget a smaller upper vent on the firebox door directly across from the CC opening, it will allow you to move air through the smoker easier to help control temperatures. Looking good!
 
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