Shelves

I got a 21" x 24 deep area to add racks. I tried looking online and found nothing, fast. I wanted to be able to put a bunch of trays in it when I made jerky, whole meat sliced. and use it for other things.

Gearjammer, how big are those grates 9x9? I looked up my local wallys world online, but didn't see anything.

I thought about doing the dowels, but was hopping to make it a simpler system

I started on making my shelves and went to the metal shop and "flat" expanded metal sheet and 3/4" angle x 1/8" and that came in 20' lenths so I just had them cut it in 10' lengths so it fit in my truck better. I only needed 8' lengths, but its cost more to have them cut it than having the 2' scrap I can use later one. I was only going to buy 21" x 48" sheets of expanded metal but its just as keep to buy a full sheet as to have it cut. The guy told me the shear cost $6k to sharpen and they charge accordingly to use it. I cost as much for a full sheet at $50 to have any piece of it cut off. I bought 1/2 x#13 FLAT expanded metal

The image is a little degraded from the upload and resizing but here is one stick of 3/4" angle cut with notches to fold it for the frame of the trays. The notches are cut on 45° angles and spaced as shown below.

..................21"...............................25"...............................21"..............................25"


Here is it seconds later after being bent to the frame shape.


Two of them made and welded. These made up real fast and I only bought two stick of 3/4 and should have just bought the 4 and I would have been done all of it already. They we cut to be 21" x 25" but turned out to be 21.25" by 25.25" as the folding added a 1/8" on each side. I have 21.5" of width and they fit nice and tight, luckily I didn't try and make them tight.


I ground the corners with the angle grinder and cut the expanded metal , dropped it in from the bottom and welded to teh frame with a tack and let that tack ball touch the expanded metal which melts much easier and holds it in place.


Now I just need to season them with oil. I tried building a fire and using lard over it and that was a failure. I think I am going to buy large propane torch for the 10# tanks and season it with that and canola oil.

The wife wanted a drip pan as I was told, ants cleaning the smokehouse, was, not, acceptable! :)

I bought a 2x3 and cut 2' off, drill it with a 7/8" forstner bit and then split it in half to use half for each side. Cut 3/4" dowel for the drip pan support, as you see it.


This is a half of a piece for duct work from home depot. I marked it all out and cut it with the snips so I would have a 21" x 25" drip pan. The metal was folder over that the top and has tabs on the corners with pop rivets. It would slowly leak if full of water at the corners, but its just a catch, not a water pan. The bottom supports for the drip pan were set on 2x4 when screwed in and the 2x4 was removed. Heat and smoke can flow around to the side, behind and up the door.


HD had 1x2x8' cedar boards for 4.50 and I bought 2 and cut them to 24" and counter sunk and drilled them for the mounting holes. Two more trays to make the smoke house is full. I think with 4 trays I should be able to dry cure and entire deer at one time. :) or use them for jerky, or remove the trays and hang snack sticks or bologna.