Please review my smoker design.

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quasipickle

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 11, 2017
10
10
Camrose, Alberta, Canada
Hi everyone,

We've finalized the design of our gravity feed, cabinet, not-quite-reverse-flow cooker, and would really appreciate any input. This is the first (and likely only) smoker any of us have designed, and only one of us has any experience using a smoker before.  Therefore, please don't assume we know anything or assume we have a good reason for doing something that looks wrong.

I've created an Imgur gallery here: that I invite you to look at

Also, you can download the 3D model here: It's a SketchUp file, but you can download the free Sketchup Viewer here.

Of course, if you want any more details or measurements or explanation, I'm happy to provide.

Thanks for all your feedback.

 
Last edited:
*bump*

Honestly I'm a little surprised at the lack of response.  My last thread was answered quickly and frequently.  Is there some more/different information that would be helpful?
 
ok, 

Like most of us here we are busy with other things (like building smokers and family) so don't have much time.

If you want the smoker to function correctly you will need to make some changes.

1./Your smoke stack is way,way too small.  I have seen bongs with bigger openings than that.

You need to be closer to 16-20" sq   opening.

2./Drop the entrance for the stack to between 1/2 - 3/4 the way up the side of the smoker.   This will give you more even vertical temps.  The height of the stack is fine as the whole cabinet acts as a stack also.

3./ Miter the tube chassis so it is sealed and wont rust inside the tube.

4./ The heat tube under the water pan looks small and likely will cause a restriction.  I would just run another deflector plate with edges folded down slightly under the water pan.  The heat is going to be deflected by the water pan anyway.

5./ the area under the water pan will eventually fill with ash and crap which will rust if you leave it there. 

6./ close the gap on the round bar in the fire box or tack some left over mesh on it and the coals will fall through.  You want them to burn completely so they don't snuff out in the ash pan.

7. Are you going to get a sheetmetal shop to bend the doors so they have structure?   A flat panel door that size will potato chip when heat is applied.

that my 2 pesos!
 
8./  Toss the piano hinges and just run 2 beefy weld on hinges for the door.   Worry more about how you are going to seal the door
 
Thanks for your response @Ahumadora

My comment wasn't a complaint - I was merely wondering more if I had done something incorrectly.

1/ We used http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html to calculate the volume of the chimney/smoke stack - I agree it does look a little small

2/ Good to know - thanks.

3/ That was absolutely the plan - I just didn't bother to fill in each tube in the model.

4/ The heat tube is 3" x 5", with 1 1/1" holes every 4".  We did it this way so the hot air & smoke would get distributed evenly throughout the bottom of the cabinet.  Would a deflector plate distribute the hot air just as well?  How long would you suggest we run the plate?  The full length?

5/ We figured it would. We placed it 4" above the bottom of the cabinet to hopefully facilitate cleaning

6/ All the designs I've seen have used round bar like that - would just mesh be strong enough or would I need some bars for strength?

7/ We were going to get a shop to press an X in all the sheet metal - which was suggested in my previous thread.  Was there another treatment you had in mind?

8/ We thought piano hinges would help to keep the doors square.  Is there a particular reason you suggest we scrap them?  Not having done any metalwork before, I'm unaware if they're a pain to deal with.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
 
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