build your own smoker

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yah i am in the process as well, mine will be on a smaller scale and will be on a recycled grill cart, a;most like the small smoker on that site..mine is being constructed out of old air compressor tanks..no boom that way.........good find
 
you know, i have been waiting for some 1/4" plate steel to build a firebox for my new smoker. i had a good idea last night: use the air tank off this old compressor i have that doesn't work!" it is 30" long x 13" diameter. plus, i can use the wheels off of it for the smoker too.
 
my burn barrel is a 12 or 15 gallon air compressor tank... just waiting for the bigger cook tank

i figured that if i didnt use an old propane tank, it would be easier to find someone to cut some holes in it(i dont have a plasma cutter, and the guy who does my welding trades various things for his work...we just wont mention what he usually wants..lol)
 
i am using another 55-gallon drum for the smoke chamber. already have the door cut out of it. have the legs cut, need to weld them up still. i am going to try to work on it monday. i am working monday (can you say triple time? $60 and hour folks).
 
poor lil' rich man lol- just hadda give ya grief-hopefully my personal schedule goes like this - cook sat.,nascar/indy sunday,pirates pt. 3 monday, baby tuesday,,,,, i hate to do 50 lbs of food tomorrow & her go into labor(can ya say jerkey)- now ideally- sunday- jeff gordon has a baby- mark martin is driving his car & tony (#20) puts the 24 car in the wall... yeah i know i'm evil.... but i can't have my daughter born the same day as jeff gordon's kid - my wife would never let me hear the end....p.s. chris just what do you do fer a living ???
 
I got two old out dated 20 lbs propane tanks I can't use cuz they over 10 years old I was thinking of using them as twin fire boxes - one on either side. Or maybe twin cold smokers fed off my ECB. Can't use em and can't throw them away...
 
i work for alcoa fastening systems. i work in the heat treat dept. i am a heat treat operator. it is actually $56.16/hour. but it sounds better if i say $60/hour, lol.
 
I farm and will be working tonight(spray'n), tomorrow and monday for 1/4 the price I give my help.......$2.50/hr for me. But come harvest time...............I'll be up to $5/hr!!! WHOOOO BABY!

But then again I don't have to worry about shocking myself to death. Chemicals are good for you anyway, build up your immune system. Cockroaches & I will be the only ones left when that _______ from Russia starts to put his money where his mouth is.


Aside from labor, we have tried to cut an LP tank w/a cutting tourch. Didn't work worth a ________. A guy could really use a plasma cutter on thin metal work...ie less than 1/2".

Get that LP tank steam cleaned if you can...........well I'd say you must. Don't take any chances cutting into that thing no matter how long it has been since it has held LP.
 
You need to seriously burn out air compressor tanks also. Air compresssors have oil carry over that gets in the tank and can be toxic. I've been selling and repairing compressors for 20 years and we won't let anyone have the old tanks. I won't even use them. Just be careful.
 
i cut the door out of the air tank yesterday at work, along with cutting off the wheels, and the little "leg" on the opposite end of the wheels. it was pretty rudty in there. i will be washing it out real good, and burning a good fire in it before i smoke any meat. i had planned burning a fire in it first anyway, when i season the smoker. now i need to make the rack to go in it for the wood to sit on.
 
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