charcoal basket

danbono

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Feb 19, 2012

1,702

115

North New Jersey Paramus

• Jun 18, 2013

• #21

]Hi JIRodrigues I don't any cutting tools except for my Dremel and a pair of cutting snips. Your idea sounds tempting, be alot cheaper.
Still have to fireup the Smoke N Pit, when the rains stop and see where I'm at with thin metal plates.
Thanks Dan
PS Here is what temps looked like using my Marvick 732

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2013

hambone1950

Master of the Pit

Jul 23, 2012

1,400

46

Metrowest Boston , ma.

• Jun 18, 2013

• #22

Here's a video from YouTube that shows how to make a basket with just a cutting wheel and a ruler. I think you could do this with aircraft snips as well....it would just take longer

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=I5poqrIboAE&desktop_uri=/watch?v=I5poqrIboAE

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2013

danbono

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Feb 19, 2012

1,702

115

North New Jersey Paramus

• Jun 18, 2013

• #23

Hambone:
I did make a basket, haven't tried it yet. I'm working on getting tuning plates. The ones that came with Smoke N Pit are thin ones. Looking for something heavier.
As you can see from my previous post my temps side to side were way off.
My basket is in post 17
Thanks Dan

 

jirodriguez

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Jun 5, 2009

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Portland, OR

• Jun 18, 2013

• #24

Heavier plates are nice if you can get them for a reasonable cost. Another option is buy a stepped drill bit and take the 11X17 heavy aluminum baking sheat and drill rows of holes that start at 1/4" along one of the short sides, then after you have drilled a few rows at 1/4", step up the size to 1/2" and drill a few more rows, then for the last few rows step up to 1".

Then put the pan in so that the smaller holes are closest to the firebox, this allows some heat to come up near the firebox while forcing most of it towards the cold end of the smoker and the larger holes.

 

hambone1950

Master of the Pit

Jul 23, 2012

1,400

46

Metrowest Boston , ma.

• Jun 18, 2013

• #25

DanBono said:

Hambone:
I did make a basket, haven't tried it yet. I'm working on getting tuning plates. The ones that came with Smoke N Pit are thin ones. Looking for something heavier.
As you can see from my previous post my temps side to side were way off.
My basket is in post 17
Thanks Dan

Click to expand...

your basket looks good. i just thought that video was pretty good for anyone else thinking of making one.

 

danbono

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Feb 19, 2012

1,702

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North New Jersey Paramus

• Jun 19, 2013

• #26

Hi All Does the expanded metal basket have to be cured?? I hate to waste charcoal on just the basket.
Thanks Dan

 

jirodriguez

Master of the Pit

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Jun 5, 2009

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Portland, OR

• Jun 19, 2013

• #27

DanBono said:

Hi All Does the expanded metal basket have to be cured?? I hate to waste charcoal on just the basket.
Thanks Dan

Click to expand...

Nope - it would never retain a cure anyway - the fire would burn it off. Just let the charcoal burn for a bit incase of any coating the manufacutre puts on the expanded metal.

 

danbono

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Feb 19, 2012

1,702

115

North New Jersey Paramus

• Jun 19, 2013

• #28

Hi All Here is what I used for tuning Plates. Read about it somewhere in this forum .I took the charcoal tray that runs the length of the cooking chamber, turned it upside down and placed it by firebox opening.Hope it shows in the pics.If I can get them uploaded.

Tonite I just used the firebox as a grill. Put 1/2 Weber chimney of Kingsford charcoal into my home made basket.
Temps were only off by 20* side to side, much better then last time. I think with a little more working on the problem, the temps would even out some more.
I wasn't happy about the way the grill worked, next time I have to get the grill grates closer to charcoal. The charcoal was 6" from the grills.

Thanks Dan
All 4 of my thermo's were checked in boiling water before testing the pit.

DSC01771.JPG

• danbono
• Jun 19, 2013

 

Last edited: Jun 19, 2013

madhatter

Newbie

Sep 17, 2013

2

10

• Sep 18, 2013

• #29

menards has this Weldable Steel Sheet 12" x 18" - 22 Gauge for $8

 

jaikun

Newbie

Apr 2, 2014

20

10

Woodstock ontario

• May 14, 2014

• #30

Great thread! I made my basket today and it was much easier than I expected. Even in Canada Home Depot had the expanded metal, so thanks for the tip! For any other newbies like me don't put this mod off. I cut mine quick with a cutting blade on an angle grinder (blade was like $4 at same Home Depot), and bending wasn't hard. I used a hammer and clamped the metal to a workbench.

image.jpg

• jaikun
• May 14, 2014

image.jpg

• jaikun
• May 14, 2014

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• jaikun
• May 14, 2014

Here are some pics of the process. Cheers!