Greetings / Compressor Tank Build

[brnhornt]

 
Get a 4" cut off wheel for your grinder. Slice down along the bottom plate next to the weld on both sides once this is done and both plates off and your'e left with just the tank welds to grind smooth.

I hope this helps.

When you say slice down....and using the last picture for reference in my description/wording...body of the grinder parallel to the weld, and the wheel running perpendicular to the tank?

Sorry for my naivete, but I wasn't sure that when welding...how much of the bottom plate metal would become liquefied...my thought in trying the above would be that I would have to move in an 1/8th of an inch into the bottom plate itself to make sure I cut away the "weld" that exists literally underneath the plate.  But what you're describing sounds pretty darn simple.

 

[kam59]

Yes but reference where the plate is as you want to slice the plate as close to the weld as possible. If you slice the weld you have done nothing. If you have a sharp metal wedge or chisel you can tap it under the plate a little and as you slice as you get close to cutting through the plate will lift some and you can avoid cutting into your tank some. Just take your time and pay attention it will work fine.

 

[brnhornt]

Ahhhhh...gotcha...that's what I was doing wrong last night then...on a few of the welds I was cutting the weld....Thank you!  I see your point and will attack it that way tonight.

 

[kam59]

You are very welcome glad to help.

 

[brnhornt]

Got the feet-mounting-plates cut off last night.  Your method worked perfectly as you said it would.  Thanks again for the tip!

 

[kam59]

You are very welcome glad to help.

 

[brnhornt]

Quick question about the main cooking grate.  I'm looking at 54x23 for the main grate.  Think 3/4 angle iron will be stiff enough?  I am assuming I will need a stiffener of some kind directly in the middle...but I am currently only planning on a left and right-side bracket that the grate will rest/slide on.

 

[kam59]

I use 1" x 1" x 1/4" angle and 1/2" hot roll underneath for stiffeners.

 

[brnhornt]

So 1" it is.  What do you think about the spacing below: (+/- 1/8)

grate_layout.JPG

• brnhornt
• Jun 14, 2017

 

[kam59]

Is your door cut already?

 

[kam59]

6" is fine. 6.5" would be better but your top grate will suffer.

 

[brnhornt]

Top cut was made last night...but no other cuts to the door have been made.

Agree that 6.5 would be better but was just trying to keep the relatively close.  Maybe I go with 6.5 for the main and then just relegate the top for ribs and brisket?  I'm coming off of a WSM so no matter what this is going to feel like a king size bed...but if it's better to rob Peter to pay Paul in the long run...

 

[kam59]

According to your drawing it looks like you are cutting 1" below 3:00 if that is correct your good in my opinion.

 

[brnhornt]

Yep.

Would you (and any others) rather have a 6" main and 5.5" cooking space....or better to go with 6.5" and then a 5" on top?  I worry that dropping down to 5 on the top would relegate it pretty much to ribs only....and for some reason I'm struggling now to picture how thick the brisket points I've cooked in the past have been....

 

[kam59]

6" minimum for me.
I would rather the 6.5" on the bottom. I rarely use my top grates on my small cooker short of ABT's or finishing ribs.

 

[brnhornt]

Yeah...the larger bottom would mean more room to get arms/hands in while moving around.  Even 5" on top...I could run ribs, chicken, maybe even a brisket up there.

 

[brnhornt]

Here's the view with a 6.5" main cook space.

grate_layout2.JPG

• brnhornt
• Jun 14, 2017

 

[kam59]

 
Yeah...the larger bottom would mean more room to get arms/hands in while moving around.  Even 5" on top...I could run ribs, chicken, maybe even a brisket up there.

A small brisket. 6.5" on the bottom would allow you a whole turkey where as it will need to be 12 or under for 6" spacing.

 

[brnhornt]

Ok...now you've thrown some more confusion my way :)

A turkey is not a common cook for me...and usually only one...I'd likely just cook it in the WSM.  What I am really trying to accomplish is the ability to smoke a higher quantity of packer briskets and pork butts.  So it might make more sense to simply split the space in half...giving each rack the same head space...that will allow me to run briskets and butts on both grates no matter what.  If the day arrives where I want to cook multiple turkeys...I could just remove the top grate and live with that.  

 

[kam59]

Then 6" is the way I would go. 5.5" is fine for the top but I would not want that for my lower grate.