My Homebuilt Smoker

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Gunny, you better be careful or your gonna get that bad boy too heavy to pull up here. Can't wait to see your handy work. Are we gonna bake the biscuits for breakfast in that smoker oven? I've been working on Abigail's buttermilk biscuits. If she don't slow them recipes down I'll have to roll around the gathering.
 
Hey chad nothing wrong with rolling along.
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Yeah, I'm for sure gonna have to move the axle. This big box is going to throw the balance all of.
Actually the box I built is gone tonight. One of my neighbors asked if I could build one for him. His offer was too good to pass up, so I just let him have that one. So this weekend it's back to fabricating.
I thought we'd smoke some biscuits and do some regular. Just in case the smoked aren't a favorite.
As the time gets nearer, I'll need a head count, kids and all so I can bring enough for breakfast.
 
Well gunny you may have to start building a few smokers and selling them, when and if you have the spare time.
 
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Thought I might post an update to the firebox/oven project. It's ugly, so brace yourselves. And the pictures really suck. Sorry a$$ Treo phone will do everything my PC will do, but can't take a pic to save itself.
Anyway, I haven't had time to get nice fresh metal, so this is 1/4 inch from a 5000 gallon water tank from the old farm. I've been slowly cutting pieces and parts from it for about 15 years. It's got surface rust, but nothing that won't cleanup easily. I'll sand blast it when it's finished.
It's rough right now as I have yet to do any grinding on it, but it's getting there.
Seriously considering lining the firebox with firebrick and welding in a steel liner. But then again...............................?
The oven door will be on the same side as the smoker doors, and the firebox door is on the back.
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GS Nice looking firebox/oven. hope to look it over in June. Question though, how far into your tank does your stack extend and do you have a damper in the stack? Been reading about leaving stack open to keep smoke fresh. Tried this over weekend, and didn't get the smoke flavor or ring I have been getting. My stack does not enter tank, should I try lowering it to the grates or just use the damper as I have in past or both. I'm open for suggestions. Steve
 
Tom -
It's looking good! Your gonna need help moving that thing onto the trailer though.

Got to watch a major concrete job today and had you on my mind. We're building new missle bunkers. I kept thinking which one of these guys would be Tom? I figured you must have been one of the two doing "rock, paper, scizzors" to run the concrete pumpper crane. LOL Never noticed how interestig it could be. Some really kewl equipment on this site!

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Yeah, I'm going to lay the box on it's back and stand the smoke chamber up on it to weld all the way around it. That way I won't have to weld on my back. Hate welding on my back. Then I'll load the whole thing on the trailer with my tractor loader.
Most people are amazed when they really take note at what goes on at a job site. The concrete pumps are way cool, but you won't find me running one. That's an operator job. I'm Teamster all the way. I was offered a job very recently to operate one, but I have to much time vested in my company and Union, to make the switch. 4th on the seniority list. You don't just give that up.
I also field test concrete. I am one of 2 at my company that can do that.


My exhaust pipe is welded to the surface of the smoker. I have a rain cap on my exhaust pipe. And that's all it is. I smoke with it wide open and control my temps with the firebox vents and tuning plates. I also have a damper between the firebox and smoke chamber.
From what I see about your smoker is the stack is directly over the firebox. So if that is the case, opening your stack all the way is going to cause the smoke to be sucked right out. If it were me, and it's not, I would put a stack on each end of the smoker. Looks like you have about a 6 inch pipe? I'd maybe go with a 3 or 4 inch pipe on each end, at grate level. I believe the point of having the stack at grate level or lower is because smoke and heat rise, so it has to be forced out, where as it just rolls out effortlessly when the pipe is higher. I may be wrong, but I think that's the premise behind it. When my firebox is done, I will probably try to move mine.
 
Hey Marvin. Got the bottom door hinged the other night. Work and chores has had me out past dark the last few nights, so progress has halted.
The first box was easy to build, since I was off for 5 weeks for bad weather. Wishing my neighbor had never stopped now. Oh well, I'll get to it this weekend.
 
Well you will eventuly get it back up and smoking. I read where you were thinking about moving your stack also. You will probably have to mess with the tuning plates again if you cut it in below grate level. I will find out today for sure when I tuned mine the wind was terrible and was cold as heck. I had to run them solid about halfway down the barrel to even out the temps. Its gonna be 81* here today and 5 mph wind so ill have a good day for smoking. Gonna do 3 racks of loin back ribs. 1 9lb tenderloin 1 5lb tenderloin, 1 head of cabbage, 4 stuffed pork chops, 1 jd fattie and smoked biskets, 1 pan of cornbread and 1 pan of baked beans, that should keep me busy today and Ill send some blue smoke your way.
 
That's what I was thinking. Just 1 fattie? I usually do at least 5, vacuum pack and freeze.
Marvin, this new box is going to cure so many problems, but also create new ones. I am going to have to smoke constantly on it to get it dialed in again. Wait...that's a good thing.
Today I had to go to my Brothers house and clean up the mess from the ice storm. He is a prison guard at Camp Bucca Iraq, and his wife and 8 year old son are alone on a small acreage. We (me and about 30 men from my Church) cut up about 7 cords of wood. So they'll definitely be set up for next winter, and the winter after that, and the winter after that. So, I'll get back to the project tomorrow after morning services.
 
I worked on my smoker today. Making slow progress now with warmer weather. I only get a couple hours a week to work on it.
I'm thinking about nixing the ash drawer though. The last one I made was very heavy and the box is plenty big to clean out easily with a shovel.
Here are a few pics of it so far.
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Looking good Tom it will be finished before you know it. Im like you and dont have a ash drawer I use a shovel to clean out the ashes and thats one less thing to have to mess with.
 
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