hey guys,
just got my hands on a 350 gal tank for $100 and wanting to make me a smoker, from what i have seen so far on something this size (10ft by 30in diameter) i have to do reverse flow to get an even heat across the tank, got my trailer too for $150 so im not looking to break the bank, but want something to be proud of. pics to follow soon havent even started cutting. my question is what is the best thing to use as a fire box or should i fab one up. i saw a 500 gal smoker on here that fabbed his own box with a warmer on top that looked really nice, but i dont think i really need the warmer, and my welding is just so so. but this is my first build so im not really sure what i will need, would a 55gal steel drum work to convert into a firebox? what are your thoughts. and any good ideas on how to build the sliding racks so they are still good and sturdy. and lastly for heat control, i have seen some people with a damper between the firebox and smoker to control the heat/smoke into the chamber, and others that just use the damper on the firebox to control the heat, which is the better way to go, and is it worth the extra work?
just got my hands on a 350 gal tank for $100 and wanting to make me a smoker, from what i have seen so far on something this size (10ft by 30in diameter) i have to do reverse flow to get an even heat across the tank, got my trailer too for $150 so im not looking to break the bank, but want something to be proud of. pics to follow soon havent even started cutting. my question is what is the best thing to use as a fire box or should i fab one up. i saw a 500 gal smoker on here that fabbed his own box with a warmer on top that looked really nice, but i dont think i really need the warmer, and my welding is just so so. but this is my first build so im not really sure what i will need, would a 55gal steel drum work to convert into a firebox? what are your thoughts. and any good ideas on how to build the sliding racks so they are still good and sturdy. and lastly for heat control, i have seen some people with a damper between the firebox and smoker to control the heat/smoke into the chamber, and others that just use the damper on the firebox to control the heat, which is the better way to go, and is it worth the extra work?