Building a Mini R/F from HF Air Tank

[jetman]

I've read this thread about building a mini reverse flow smoker out of expired steel fireman's air tanks http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/64702/building-a-reverse-flow-miniature

I need to build one of these but had little luck finding any of the steel air tanks. Shopping at Harbor Freight one day, my eyes spotted a suitable tank, a five gallon portable air tank, item #65594 for about $25.

Picked up some 8" flat bar and 8x8x3/16" square tube from my local steel yard today and started laying out my cut marks on the tank.

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Before cutting her up

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Cut off handle, bung will be rotated to be the grease drain

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

One of the two legs cut off, used a cut off wheel in my 4" angle grinder.

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Little polishing of the old welds

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

1/2" water valve (just what I had on hand) for grease drain

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Laying out center lines so I can make square cuts. A 3" chunk of Channel iron works great to draw lines on a round drum

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Measurements, top of firebox will be about 2-1/2" below center

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• jetman
• Jul 22, 2013

Little gift to myself last month, found this neat metal cutting band saw off Craigslist for $175. Going to try and get it to cut that massive 8x8 tube!

This is my first reverse flow build, if you guys see something I'm doing wrong or see a problem, please let me know, I hate cutting and having to re-weld stuff back together.

Keep tuned, more to come!!

Dan

 

[Dutch]

Good luck on your build. I'll be watching this one for sure!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Get that thing a burning Dan! Have you looked at the calculators that are here on the forum for sizing the firebox and such??? Might be good to look at before cutting!

 

[smoke-inator]

Looking good!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Are you done yet????

 

[smoking b]

Nice little build! I'd like to build a smallish RF myself. I'm in 

 

 

[jetman]

Are you done yet????

No, not yet. Did get the 8x8 firebox cut and also took the Plasma to the tank, all are ready for grinding and fitting. Lots of pics ready to upload but I was busy at a local auction today (buying more projects that I know better that I shouldn't) and picking up supplies for the weekend pickling and wood burning pizza party. Shall I post the pics here of what you missed

 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

No, not yet. Did get the 8x8 firebox cut and also took the Plasma to the tank, all are ready for grinding and fitting. Lots of pics ready to upload but I was busy at a local auction today (buying more projects that I know better that I shouldn't) and picking up supplies for the weekend pickling and wood burning pizza party. Shall I post the pics here of what you missed :hit:  

Oh man pizza!!!! Work is over rated!!!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

 

[smoking b]

No, not yet. Did get the 8x8 firebox cut and also took the Plasma to the tank, all are ready for grinding and fitting. Lots of pics ready to upload but I was busy at a local auction today (buying more projects that I know better that I shouldn't) and picking up supplies for the weekend pickling and wood burning pizza party. Shall I post the pics here of what you missed

 

Yes please 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Got that mini-RF done yet?? Are the ribs a cooking???

 

[jetman]

Got that mini-RF done yet?? Are the ribs a cooking???

Not yet, we're going to move the metal shop to the other barn where the floor is gravel and not years of straw and horse by-products. Landlord would be less then happy with me if I burned the stalls down

We also are getting ready for the BIG pickle & pizza party. Will be many pics here so you can see what you missed

Dan

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Not yet, we're going to move the metal shop to the other barn where the floor is gravel and not years of straw and horse by-products. Landlord would be less then happy with me if I burned the stalls down

I wondered about that as the sparks were flying around as I was grinding on the Casa Q parts!

We also are getting ready for the BIG pickle & pizza party. Will be many pics here so you can see what you missed

I miss all the fun!

Dan

 

[jetman]

It makes a ton of sense to move our metal working equipment to one space. He has a nice air compressor and plasma cutter, I have the horizontal metal cutting saw, mig and stick welder. Between us we can fab most anything we want. I have a growing pile of old air tanks and dead compressors that may become R/F smokers to help fund my addiction

 

[ribwizzard]

BIG PICKLE PARTY??????

What kind of website is this turning into?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

We'll where's the Big pickle view?

 

[jetman]

We'll where's the Big pickle view?

Well there fish-head, we had a dandy Cucumber & Green bean pickling party today, between two families we canned about 60# of veggies. We also made a very tasty batch of sweet cherry jam (second one this month, it tastes so good!). After running up to 5 gas burners and most of my propane tanks it was time for dinner. Girlfriend insisted I light the wood fired pizza oven, who am I to turn her down. Knowing I'd be spent after canning I bought a package of Rhodes frozen bread dough, usually make my own from a sourdough starter I keep in the fridge. Enough with these silly words......

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• jetman
• Jul 28, 2013

Lisa (neighbor) and Vicki (GF) on right, trimming and packing cukes and green beans

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• jetman
• Jul 28, 2013

Part of the 60# of cucumbers

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• jetman
• Jul 28, 2013

This is a 2.5 gallon Pickle Crock I keep on the kitchen counter, what few cukes I pick each day go in there for future canning or nibbling!

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• jetman
• Jul 28, 2013

What we picked just this morning

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Some of the 35+ finished quarts of Kosher pickles

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Out of order for some reason, more of the girls cutting

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

e pack then tight, cutting some into halves to better fill the jars

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Batch of Sweet Cherry jam, oh so tasty !!!

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Dinner time, portable wood burning pizza oven I built a couple years ago, just lit the fire for an hour warmup

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Nothing will make a more tasty pizza then wood fired oven

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

My cheat for the day, Rhodes frozen dough for crusts

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Rolled out paper thin

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Passed off to Vicki for the toppings

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Sometimes the crust edge gets a bit charred

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Will never win a beauty contest but a dessert pizza made with Peanut butter & fresh Cherry jam, oh it's sooo good !!

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

Soo yummy!

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• jetman
• Jul 29, 2013

More out of order pics, this is a Greek pie, carmelized onions & whole garlic cloves, feta cheese, klamatta olives and marinated artichoke hearts, this was one of our favorite pizzas.

Been a long day and the pizza coma is kicking in. Need to get back to the R/F build but may not be for a couple weeks. Need to prep the boat for a week long, 150 mile camping trip along the Columbia river following week.

Dan

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks great, wish I could have made the trip there instead, but some family business got in the way... Now that your done playing with your pickle get that mini-HF-RF done!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

All right where's the finished pictures of this smoker??? I know your on vacation, get r done!!!!!!!!

 

[jetman]

All right where's the finished pictures of this smoker??? I know your on vacation, get r done!!!!!!!!

I'll get-r-done, been busy around here. Do you know how much work it takes to harvest all those delicious veggies from the garden, just today we dug about 40# Yukon Gold spuds, 30# Shallots and 50# onions! Readying for a Tuna hunt tomorrow out of Depoe Bay. Shop work is also going on, moving the welding area to a safer place (less stuff to burn) and my buddy brought me a nice steel welding table. Soon, I promise I'll get the lil' smoker back on track!

Now, where did I put those sea sick pills;-)

Dan