UPDATE with Pics
It is still way below average temps in Texas as it has been for over 3 weeks. The new plasma cutter came in last week but it has been too cold and wet to use it.
It was in the 50's yesterday with high winds but I braved it and got some work done on the pit. It's amazing how fast things go with the right tools.
The plasma cutter.
This thing cuts 1/4" and 5/16" steel like a skill saw on a 2x4. I now have some oxy-torches for sale!
My first cut with the plasma was the door for the firebox. It is cut out and the frame tacked onto the firebox.
The firebox didn't end up as square as I'd hoped, but I can fill it with weld and grind it down. I still have a few more seams to weld on the firebox; takes forever with a 110 volt welder.
Next, we got the doors marked out on the cooking chamber and ready to cut.
The plasma cutter punches holes right through the 5/16" steel to start the cut. Here's a pic of the first cut and also looking up from the bottom of the cut. Not a lot of slag to deal with.
Got the top lines cut, now to tack on some hinges.
I was able to use some 1/8" strap for a guide on the top and bottom door cuts to get a good straight cut. I didn't know what to do on the vertical cuts, so I free-styled it. They actually came out really good. I tacked on a scrap piece to keep the doors from falling in when the final cuts were made.
I was really nervous from watching so many builds on this site that the doors were going to spring and I would have a bunch of trouble. The doors didn't warp at all. I don't know if that is because of the use of a plasma cutter versus torches, or because this was a rolled pipe versus a tank. Anyone have an idea? Anyways, I was glad.
The doors all cut out
We laid the reverse flow plate in and got it level and marked it. It fits very well. With it marked, we moved it towards the end of the pipe so that I could lay a piece of flat stock on it for the grease dam and mark the pipe contour on it. With a little grinding, it was a perfect fit. I then marked out the hole for the drain in the rf plate and blasted it out with the plasma. Not a perfect hole but the pipe fits and I can fill it with weld.
The weather is supposed to be better today so will get some more work done and post the results.
I'm quite pleased after yesterday's work; for so long all I had was a piece of pipe laying on the ground in the back yard, wondering if I'd ever be able to burn some meat. Now, it's finally starting to look like a bbq pit.
I'm working on a design for the stand/legs. I've seen some good ideas on the site.
I have some angled u-bolts that I plan to use for the door stops. My plan is to have the smoker on a slab in the back yard but then I can use my skid-steer and some straps through the u-bolts to pick it up and put it on a trailer to make it mobile when I have the urge. I really didn't want to trailer mount it.
More pics to come.
Keith
