I'm not sure if I made a mistake?

[ohdannyboy]

It's been a slow process. I've had a lot of stuff come between this project and daily life. I got the grate welded, sliding ash pan and heat shields inside the fenders done. I'm also beginning to try my luck with making the vents. Here's a 5 inch cut out.

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• ohdannyboy
• Aug 23, 2013

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Aug 23, 2013

 

[daveomak]

No wonder it's takin' so long.....  the smoker is awesome and a lot of detail to get things just right......   Good job....   Dave

 

[ohdannyboy]

Ok it's been a while. I've been out with a back injury and been waiting for surgery. Here's a pic of the pie vent in the fire box and the cutout stencil I used to trace the pattern onto the fire box. The stencil really saves some time!

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• ohdannyboy
• Dec 24, 2013

 

[ohdannyboy]

I sent the smoker to a relative to tig weld the stainless racks. I still haven't got the racks back. I made some shelves and one below. Cleaned up the outside and painted it today. I put 2000 degree on the firebox and 1200 on everything else. Ain't she beauty?

 

[ohdannyboy]

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Dec 24, 2013

 

[ohdannyboy]

Doing a break in of the paint. I have it up to 284 degrees right now.

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• ohdannyboy
• Dec 25, 2013

 

[bullypitbbq]

Real nice smoker there Danny!

 

[radioguy]

Danny, won't be long before you are making some delicious smoked grub. Awesome job on your build!!

RG

 

[smokinmad]

I know you said that you were sending your cooker to a relative, so he could do the Stainless Welding.  I went to a Welding school in Tulsa, my teacher was the man who said whether or not, if you welded on the Alaskan Pipe Line. He was a Master Welder. Anyway, I was trying my hand at welding Stainless.  The Secret to great Stainless Welds is this; it likes to weld COLD.  Weld about 1 inch and let it cool. If the piece is 24 inches, per say, start at the beginning and weld 1 in. move down 6 in. weld another inch and so on. KEEP YOUR STAINLESS COOL or IT WILL BURN. Try it.

Aluminum, is just the opposite. the hotter the better. Roy even suggested using a torch to heat the aluminum before welding. 

Hope this helps someone someday,

SmokinMad

 

[ohdannyboy]

Wow thank you for the info. I just have a flux core wire feed welder. My uncle has a tig welder but he's been working non stop at his work. I hope I get it back soon. I got the smoker temp up to 400 degrees last night. I was trying to cure the paint. I sprayed the inside with Pam when it was hot. I then let it run closer to 300 for a few hours. Next time I'll run it at regular temp and spray it down with the water hose. I can't wait to start cookin!

 

[foamheart]

That is a good looking pit, so when is the maiden voyage? And what will you be sacrificing to Hephaestus ?? Have you thought of a name for her yet?

 

[ohdannyboy]

Well as for the title "I'm not sure if I made a mistake?" Well thanks to this forum, I listened to your advise. One piece of advice I'd like to give to anyone starting a smoker project would be to leave space at the bottom of the charcoal grate. It's such a breeze to clean out the ash in the ash pan and it could be done while the smoker is being used. One thing the ash pan helped with also is, it keeps your fuel from being smothered in ash. My last smoker was an upright and the ash would smother out the hot charcoal. This design has the air intake below the charcoal grate and supplies the air from below the fuel. It

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• ohdannyboy
• Dec 28, 2013

seems to operate flawlessly! Don't forget to include an ash pan in your next project!

 

[shoneyboy]

:Looks-Great:

 

[ohdannyboy]

Thank you for all the advice and compliments! I broke her in right. She still doesn't have a name but that will be soon. The company enjoyed the chicken using the slaughterhouse brine and the ABT's. also made bacon wrapped chicken breast. Next cook who knows what I'll try? Enjoy the Q view.

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Jan 18, 2014

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Jan 18, 2014

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Jan 18, 2014

 

[ohdannyboy]

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• ohdannyboy
• Jan 18, 2014