Electric trash can smoker

[marctrees]

Watcha end up doin for chip pan ?   Marc

 

[northerner78]

I went to Lowe's and bought a hot water heater blanket. Got a buckle type latch for the door and for the grate that the chips will sit on is a Webber 10" grate. To get the grate to sit about 3/4" from the element I used the metal frame from a horse trough heater I bought earlier in the project stands nice and steady and above all SAFE. Still holding at 350°. It smoked alitte bit and now there is no smoke and smells clean. No burning plastic smell or anything funky. Now I have the burner on high which means I can back it off Abit to bring it to 250°. Gonna respray it black ànd have some fun with it estheticly. Thank you Marc and the others that helped me finish this up. I'm a pretty happy guy right now.

 

[marctrees]

Awesome Possum !!!!!!!!!    

You may want to lower that grate for sufficient smoke.....   The MES pan is about 3/8" over element.     Marc

 

[marctrees]

You have given me inspiration to go insulate my smoker.

Most important.... You have had a 100 + degree rise just by insulating, NO other change..... Correct ?? 

That is a VERY valuable piece of info on this Forum.

Is it the "bubble wrap" water heater blanket, or the fiberglass batt style of blanket?

If the plastic bubble wrap, it can be rained on.

If fiberglass, no... not so much rainwise.     Marc

 

[northerner78]

All I did is insulate and foil tape the leaks. The insulation is of the fiberglass batting variety. I'm itching as we speak!!

 

[marctrees]

Fiberglass is TOTALLY fine.. just keep in mind it needs to be out of rain, or can literally take weeks to dry with that plastic overcoat, , unless you somehow have it shielded.

Anyway, very glad to hear of your success.    Marc

 

[marctrees]

Looking at your insulated photo again, if you can foil tape around the top more, so that when you put the lid down the rain will stay outside the plastic, would be a great thing to do.

And run the tape like roof shingles... the higher ones overlapping the lower ones.... start to tape around LOW, then spiral higher OVER the tape you just did, till your topmost tape edge is under the lid.              Marc

 

[northerner78]

Got that covered. There is no exposed material. Top and bottom around the door and the lower vent. I may add alitte more foil to the top just to make sure the lid doesn't burn the vinyl.

 

[northerner78]

Yup, I wrote that. Practicing your copy and paste skills?