Ok, got my drum last night...any last minute pointers?

[hdsmoke]

So, i finally found a clean food grade drum with a lid. Contained strawberry puree...got it for $10. Picked up my intakes, caps, valve, and grill grate at Lowes last night. $30 total for all that. Still need to make charcoal basket/ash pan, the hardware, and handles.

Couple questions...going to do a burnout tonight just to be safe. Plus i want the labels off the outside anyway and i want to paint it a different color.

My main question. Is there anyplace to buy a cheap unibit? The one i looked at at Lowes was $40...what i got in the whole thing right now. I guess its something i will use in the future too, but i could get buy probably for my lifetime on a cheap one.

I got an old ECB thats junk sitting around...can i use any of that for anything? Ash pan maybe...

Any other tips before i dig in?

 

[solaryellow]

Do you have a Harbor Freight nearby for the unibit?

 

[petewoody]

Harbor Freight may be a good place to try for the bit. Not high quality but certainly good enough for the purpose.

 

[rbranstner]

I was lucky I used a Greenlee Knockout Kit from work to make my holes in the bottom.

http://www.google.com/products/catal...381&sa=title#p

Are you going to be getting a ball valve for one of your intakes? If so one way to save money I found is to go to your hardware store and instead of getting a ball valve for a gas line or what ever get a water hose spicket end. If you are using 1" you might have a hard time finding a 1" water spicket but I did find them at Fleetfarm and they are about $5-$8 cheaper.

 

[hdsmoke]

I dont have a Harbor Freight close...and i dont want to order one because i want to start tonight! I thought maybe TSC might have a cheapie. If not, I'll buy an expensive one and chalk it up as an investment.

Hmm...knockout kit. Did it work? My uncle owns an electrical contracting store that i used to work out. I know they have them on their trucks. Maybe I'll have my cousin grab one for the weekend.

I already got the valve, but thanks for the tip on future builds. I know a got 2 friends that will want one after im done...if it works that is.

 

[rbranstner]

The knockout kit works like a champ. You get a nice perfect round hole every time. If you can get your hands on a set I would do that instead of buying a step drill bit unless of course you are looking to invest in one like you said.

 

[rbranstner]

Oh don't worry it will work well for sure and your friends will want one. I just finished mine last week and I have two friends that already want to build one.

 

[meateater]

A hole saw will work also. I used them on my lid for the vents.

 

[hdsmoke]

Well, forget the unibit...i have the knockout kit lined up for the weekend. just bought the rest of my hardware...now to figure out the charcoal basket...im still thinking maybe the bottom basket of the ECB may work for something.

 

[hdsmoke]

next question. My lid doenst have any existing holes. Whats the thoughts for the best exhause setup? Just a single 2in hole?

And that red liner is a giant pain in my butt!!

 

[ddave]

Most folks use either a single 2" hole or eight 1/2" holes around the perimeter of the drum.

If you've got the red liner, try and get it to bare metal. It CAN be very difficult.

Good luck.

Dave

 

[hdsmoke]

Fixed it! Its a giant pain. how critical is it that i get it ALL out? I mean its standing up admirably to a wire eheel on my angle grinder. I blasted it red hot with my weed burner, didnt phase it. what is this stuff? I want to paint my jeep with it!

 

[ddave]

Well, how critical it is is open to debate. I have a drum in the back yard that I gave up on. I did not feel comfortable using it with the remnants of the liner in there. Some folks do the best they can and use it with what's left and say it's fine. So I guess it's up to you and who you ask.

The liner is, as I understand it, is a phenolic resin. It is baked on and, as you have found out, is VERY durable.

Dave

 

[warthog]

You gotta do a big burn that will get most of it out.

 

[coffee_junkie]

What he said. Just get about 3-4 hardwood pallets and a case of beer, start a fire and get it hot. Then hit it with a wire wheel. If there is some left start another fire and start over again.

 

[stubborn]

I guess I'm stumped on all the hoop-de-do over the liners.

Do a burnout, scrape/grind/wire wheel the loose stuff off, then season it. Once you get a good coating of grease baked on, the liner is a non-issue. If it didn't come off during a pallet burn, how the heck is it going to be a problem during a low-n-slow? Not everyone feels a need for the belt-and-suspenders with a crash helmet just to walk across the room.

Make it easy on yourself. Get a drum without a liner. Steel isn't porous, it doesn't "absorb" whatever was in the drum. Do a burn out, add your intakes, shelves and exhaust, season and go to it.

 

[ddave]

Do you know that for a FACT? Do you know at what temp phenolic resins or other plastics off gas at? Can you provide definitive, documented and verifiable sources that state that cooking and ingesting food cooked in a drum coated with phenolic resin will cause no long term issues?

If you can, great. If you can't, maybe you shouldn't belittle those who want to make their smokers as safe as possible.

Dave

 

[stubborn]

No belittling meant.

I believe I may also ask--Do YOU know for a fact at what temp phenolic resins or other plastics off gas at? Can YOU provide definitive, documented and verifiable sources that state that cooking and ingesting food cooked in a drum coated with phenolic resin WILL cause long term issues?

All I'm saying is that we seem bound and determined to scare people into doing things a certain way, with NO verifiable facts to back it up. I would enjoy seeing sources that state these liners will/will not cause long term issues. As yet I have seen/found none. Only the modern equivalent of "old wive's tales" that these drums will cause you to grow green hair and three eyes.

If you are concerned that they will, why use them in the first place? These steel drums are not "porous". They do not "absorb" anything. Based on the concept that these liners are dangerous, a drum without a liner will be less dangerous in the first place, and a darn site less work to get set up.

This is a personal choice. Each of us should do our research and make a decision.

I always thought a forum was for open sharing of ideas. NOT just ideas that you agree with. How is the expression of an idea different from yours "belittling" to anybody in any way?

 

[69cam]

Not to stir the pot, but while I was at Walmart today, I looked at a ECB smoker and the inside of the smoke chamber had been painted.

Take it for what it is worth.

Kevin

 

[ddave]

Fair question.

This is the best I could come up with.

http://ijt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/2/201

Dave