Need help with firebox Dimensions

[dc88]

Good morning everyone...for starters, my name is Mark and I am new to the smoking world and would like to build my first smoke house so please excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject.  

I hope I am posting this in the right place because I'm guessing "side fire box" means the smoke house has the firebox just to the left of it with an inlet pipe going into the smoke house from the firebox rather than having the firebox underneath.  My house itself will be made out of extra privacy fence planks and 2x4s that we had left over from the fence we built and will be 2"x2"x5'.  I will probably make a 6" drop off from the back of the house to the front and cover it with a small tin roof that I have in the garage.  

The material I have to make the firebox is 1/4" steel plate and my question is how to go about designing the firebox.  My original design for the firebox was to be a 2' cube.  The left wall would have a 6"x18" cut out rectangle at the bottom with a drop down door to control the amount of air flow into the box.  I would have 4 1/2" rod that would extend the length of the box inside just above the height of the open rectangular box to support the piece of expanded metal that would be in there to hold the fire. The top of the box would have a removable lid to make the fire as well as add more wood.  The left wall is where I would have a 4"-6" hole for the pipe to be were it would be attached to the smoke house.  The firebox would probably sit 4" above the ground with some legs to keep it from being flat on the ground.

Feel free to criticize any part of my plan, any suggestions and advice would be appreciated, thanks and have a good day!

 

[solaryellow]

Welcome Mark! I moved your thread from the SFB forum to the Smoke Houses forum.

What are your plans and intentions for the smoke house? What are you planning to smoke and at what temperatures?

 

[dc88]

Thanks, Im sure I will have lotta fun on here once I get into the thick of things.  Sorry for the wrong post.

I'm not too sure about the temp that I would be using, but the primary meats I would be smoking would be pork ribs, and brisket.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to do other things like turkeys or pork loin.  Hope that helps

 

[91nite4x4]

Thanks, Im sure I will have lotta fun on here once I get into the thick of things.  Sorry for the wrong post.

I'm not too sure about the temp that I would be using, but the primary meats I would be smoking would be pork ribs, and brisket.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to do other things like turkeys or pork loin.  Hope that helps

 Hey Mark,

There are several folks on here with tons of experience on this subject, Im one of em!