Slow start on UDS but almost done ( pics )

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lugnutz

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
May 17, 2010
509
16
Lawson Mo
Well as usual around here, things did not go as planned for the first build day. I got the lid made, well at least started. Maybe tomorrow I'll get more help, not that I need it, but I spent all day waitin for the kids to participate, which they never did LOL

One freebie ( blue one ) and one salvaged ( use to be the top barrel in my double barrel stove ).

I have some patch work to do with the welder, but I'm always looking for a reason to improve my welding skills.

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SUPER DOME!!  Now thats what I call head room!!  Fits like a glove now I just have to grind it smooth and weld the 6" hole shut with some scrap left over from the salvage barrel. 

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Tomorrow I'll cut the top out of the blue one and do a good burn out!!  Might work on drillin the holes for vents and grates.  Bout time to make a trip to the hardware store!!
 
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Are you going to make one of those Rib-n-nators on that UDS smoker. Now I have seen them on a uds that they added onto it like you did.Now they used a regular grill rotisserie thingy and made one in the raised part to make room for the go round thingy.
 
Hadn't planned on it but that sure does sound like an idea!  The only reason I made the lid the way I did, well it was FREE!!  Should be plenty of room for beer can chicken and possibly turkey.

You probably shouldn't have said "added on to" cause now I'm thinking what I could do with the rest of that barrel!!!
 
Looks like you got a good go at it. After smoking yesterday I would not recommend trying to get to many racks in there as I ran 3 racks with 2 spare slabs each and it just didnt run good at all. I think the slabs were so large that it acted as a diffuser plate at the first shelf. I believe the heat hit the ribs and headed up the sides of the drum to the dome lid and out the stack. I don't think I will be doing 6 slabs any more.

Anyways I like the look with the donor drum used for the top. You have sparked my interest with the idea of doing a whole turkey.
 
Bought a cooking grate at Wal Mart along with black stove paint and a bag of RO, then off to Westlake for a smaller grate for the coal bucket and assorted nuts and bolts. While I was there I found a water pan for 10 bucks that should make a great ash pan..a rather large ash pan..but ash pan none the less. Looks like I can mount the coal basket directly to the ash pan and make it one unit for easier placement and removal.

Gonna go out and tinker, be back later with photos of my ash pan/coal basket idea.

Ok maybe I baited the hook before I put the hook on the line. While it looked brilliant I think I'm going to have space issue.  I forgot to account for the height of the actual basket. If I follow the rule of 1st grate at least 24" above fire, my first grate will be in the lid!  So my plalns are now to use 2" bolts for legs and find a more suitable low profile ash pan.

Guess we can move on to making the basket and drillin holes for now. When it cools down a bit we'll chuck some brush and a few hedge logs in it to burn out the oil that is left in it.

I'm figurin on an 8" tall basket with feet that puts the base right at 1 3/4"  8" gonna be tall enuff?
 
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Gettin closer!!  Needs some handles and a vent on top...go with a slider like on a kettle grill or go with a dual 3" exhaust and some cherry bombs?
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I have to plug this hole

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and I need to get my air intake figured out, thinking a slider over a hole so I can adjust freely.

this is my beginnings to a coal basket, I bolted the bottom grate to the ash pan for easy placement

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is that pan galvanized? you will catch hell about that on here. and i am wondering if you will get proper air flow with it sitting right on top of that pan?

I think you need a little more room between the grate and the pan. Not trying to be a jerk, just trying to help.
 
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If it's not galvenized I would just drill some holes in the side all the way around to allow it to breathe. If it is galvenized then toss it.
 
i would have the grate 3inches up from top edge of what ever pan you use or maybe like placebo said drill holes.
 
Ok workin on the UDS some more today! Got the hole in the lid patched and painted, preparing to cut my vents in the top and add handles to the lid.  Still slow goin and the weather is hot and humid, seeing how I work in a hot enviroment it doesn't bother me much..but it is my day off from that kinda stuff LOL. 

ASH PAN  TOSSED, for 2 reasons 1 you all voiced concern over it and its safety and 2 ash pan really aint an ash pan if its smaller than the coal basket.

Anyone have some suggestions on the ash pan? what do you all use??  I thought just a small pan but I see issues trying to remove it without dumpin it all back down in the smoker. Do I NEED an ash pan? I can see where you'd get a heck of a mess without one with all that ash stickin to the sides ect ect. 
 
Hey Lug,

I work outside also so I know where your coming from. I hit it early this am and changed the fuel and oil filters in my super duty, oh ya oil too LOL.  My youngest is over this weekend so I lit the UDS cause he just acted like he didn't believe how well it worked. A trip to HyVee, prep two fatties, a pizza and a crab meat and cheese. He told me he wanted to watch the fire and heat for me LOL. Well he soon found out there wanst much to do so he sharpened half a dozen chainsaw chains for me. Now we have sliced into our snacks and he is happy and full. Now he is a believer.

When I did my UDS I was playing with the idea of using a round transmission fluid drain pan. I also had thought of trying to use a giant pizza pan and try to fab a 2" lip to the sides somehow. Not sure where one would get a 22" pizza pan.

My drum ended up with the bottom of the barrel trimmed down to fit inside the drum. The down side is its only 3/4 inch tall. But is not bad since I can lift the drum off the bottom.

Good luck today and don't forget to stay cool.
 
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I used the largest pizza pan walmart had,was around five bucks this is the basket that i had already made and realized that the bolts sticking down were not long enough to allow good air flow underneath so i went and bought threaded rod couplings and small bolts to raise up the basket and it will make changing out the pizza pan easy if needed. dont have finished pic but i just drilled three holes in the pizza pan and added couplers to my three bolts then screwed the three bolts in from underneath the pizza pan
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Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Cant a galvanized pan like the one above be acid washed and then good heat to make sure the zinc is removed. I seem to remember from working around pools that every tool I had was rust infected since all the coating had been removed from the muratic acid we used on a daily basis.

Now I can put my hand on the bottom of my drum at anytime during a smoke. I don't think the galv pan that pandemonium has pictured would offer any ill effects since its below the fire. I would think if it was going to be above the fire there could be issues, (maybe) at that. If our smokers are anywhere close to 900 degrees we better be standing back, far back.

The difference between welding galvanized steel and welding uncoated steel is a result of the low vaporization temperature of

the zinc coating. Zinc melts at about 900°F and vaporizes at about 1650°F. Since steel melts at approximately 2,750°F and

the welding arc temperature is 15,000 to 20,000°F, the zinc that is near the weld does not stand a chance -- it's vaporized!

By the time the weld pool freezes, the zinc is gone. This has two immediate consequences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame  

Here it says charcoal will burn at a max of 1200 degrees with a normal draft.

And up to 1390 degrees with a forced draft.
 
Ok I need a Therm and then I can fire it up and take it for a test drive !!!  My air intake is not impressive and probably too small right now but I'll find that out soon enuff.

Made my basket outta the donor barrel and some old L brackets that I have no clue why I have em and a 13.5" weber grate I picked up for 10 bucks.  No ash pan yet, still workin on that one.

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I added handles to the lid, cheap ones, they might get hot but how often do you open your smoker??? 

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Nice patch on the lid too!!

The vent is 3.25" with a simple sliding disc for a cover/controller.

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yeah its at the bottom and not finished.  I'll finish it after a test run, I'll either be ok with it or I'll have to modify it a bit for more or less air flow. Right now I'm bettin on I'll have to open it up to get temps up then use a ball valve to steady it after it starts goin.
 
Looks like you are almost there lug. I'm thinking I really like the look of your set-up with the extra section of the other drum for the lid. I am still trying to find a good way to keep mine dry inside when not in use, my top exhaust is open and lets rain in. So for now I put the lid in a trash bag and then put it back on the drum.

I have had good luck with closing the air vents after a cook, leaving the unused charcoal in the basket for the next smoke.

I hope you snap a few shots of your maiden smoke.
 
Just bought a digi therm ( boiling water as I type ) then I'll go out for a test run and break in!
 
I keep my baby in the shed
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Looks like you are almost there lug. I'm thinking I really like the look of your set-up with the extra section of the other drum for the lid. I am still trying to find a good way to keep mine dry inside when not in use, my top exhaust is open and lets rain in. So for now I put the lid in a trash bag and then put it back on the drum.

I have had good luck with closing the air vents after a cook, leaving the unused charcoal in the basket for the next smoke.

I hope you snap a few shots of your maiden smoke.
 
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