New guy starting a small RF project

[fourashleys]

Love the pig!!! good lookin' build

.

 

[turn4fun]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you guys for a while, been too busy to post.  I'm almost completely done now.  All I have left to do is attach my front shelf and then add some finishing touch "bling", but that can come later.  I was going to use a plain ole pressure treated deck board for my shelf but after seeing how nice SQWIB's table looks on Frankensmoker, I've decided I want something more unique.  Think I'll go out to Metro Hardwoods this week and find something interesting.   I'll answer you guy's questions first and then add some updated pics.  I was gonna do a small smoke today but it just never happened, so Q-View tomorrow! 
 

I'm still on the fence with the ash dump plan. Are you thinking that there will be enough room for ash from a long stick burn to not have to clear it out until the cook is over? My thought is that if you dump it during a cook that ash may try and make it to the meat when it opens and goes WOOOFFFF.(large ash cloud)

I was kind of worried about that myself Tom, but now I'm not sure it's a big deal.  My fire grate is 2.5" off the bottom, which I realize is not much, but I ran a seasoning burn for 6 hours the other day with lump and oak splits and the amount of ash left over was very insignificant.  I'm thinking I could probably get through a 12 hour smoke without having to dump, but just in case, I do have a back up plan.  I'm going to make a flat plate that will completely cover the chamber opening.  I'll weld a tab or a ring in the center of it and then slap a couple of high temp magnets on it.  All I would have to do is reach in with some long nose pliers and place it over the opening long enough to dump the ash, let it settle and then pull it back out.  If I find that I need to use it a lot I could weld in some tracks and just leave it in.  Then all I'd have to do is use a poker to slide it open or closed.   

 
I didn't have that part finished in the last photos Matt, but I do now, here ya go.

 

Originally Posted by Dick Foster

I discovered that the plate shown in my previous photos was too small.  Luckily I hadn't welded it in yet.  Here's a shot of the new plate welded in.

OK, here are the updated photos.  Obviously no shelf yet but you can see I've added the brackets that will support it.  Oh, and I guess I do still have to add the handle on the fire box door, but that just requires drilling a hole. 

 

[tom37]

Shawn, you've got that sucker looking mighty fine. Man I love the firebox door.

Now that you have said you are using a fair amount of lump, I have to agree that the ash may not be a problem at all. I was thinking about burning mostly sticks. My drum can go at least 20 lbs burnt before I have to dump it.

Nice Work.

Theres a handful of us close here, we ought to try to have a little get together some Saturday at one of the parks.

 

[turn4fun]

That sounds like fun.  We could each bring a portable smoker and have a mini throw down. 

 

[dave54]

another awesome build !!

 Nothing better than smoking with one you built yourself

 

[turn4fun]

Q-view as promised.

It's dove season here in Missouri and I like to hunt so it's fitting that Lil' Piggy's first cook should be game.  I started with 1/2 dozen dove breasts and filleted both halves off the bone.  I then built little sandwiches that consisted of one breast half with a pinch of minced garlic on top, then a slice of sweet banana pepper from a friend's garden followed by a morel mushroom (had a cache of 1 inchers in my freezer from this spring), then a paper thin sliver of butter, another pinch of minced garlic and then another breast half.  Wrapped them up with a half slice of thin center cut bacon and hit em with a sprinkle of Tony C's.  Sorry, the pic I took of the prep work didn't save to my card 

  Smoked at 180 for 2 hours with apple wood.  Came out just right.

 

[Dutch]

Turn4fun-Great build you have going.  I really like the pig on the door; where did you find it at?

 

[turn4fun]

Found it on ebay.  It's cast iron too.

 

[bamaboy]

Very nice job.love it.got some more ideas for my build....

 

[dick foster]

Now that's a really nice little somker. I wish it were mine.