Recent content by husky44

​@DaveOmak:  Thanks!  I hadn't seen an upper intake setup like that, but it makes a lot of sense.  The pics helped a LOT.  Kudos!

Sounds like the direction I'm headed.  My door is a cutout-style like you describe, but it is actually flanged except across the bottom.  I'm going to weld a flange in to close that gap, and add some Kevlar gasket material to create a tight seal... when I can spare an hour.   ​I'm not ready to...

​Thanks!   ​I guess I wasn't clear on the "bigger splits".  They're split, so there is a split side, it's just these sections are the knotted parts, where you can't keep splitting down until it's kindling size.  Not a problem, because I have plenty of small wood.  I kept these thinking that...

I have an Old Country Pecos, firebox door and CC door sealed with Lavalock Kevlar--no leaks.  I use the original charcoal grate as a baffle in the CC, and build the fire on the firebox cooking grate set in the bottom of the box, so fire is ~2" off bottom of box, plenty of airflow under coals.  I...

​Specs on Academy website say 14 gauge, with 11 gauge doors.  From the "feel test", they're much thicker than the OK Joes at the box stores, but not a full 1/4" plate.   ​As far as justifying the more expensive one--only you can do that.  I'm pretty happy with mine so far (only about 2 months...

Greetings! Long time lurker, and somewhat experienced smoker.  Finally decided to officially join the club.   ​I started smoking about 20 years ago, when I first moved to Alaska (career Army), because there was no place to get good barbeque.  I'm a Missouri boy, born and raised, and learned to...