Ok, need some opinions on patio size reverse flow.

[daveomak]

My guy didnt do to bad, I already pullit in tight and tack welded it after I took this pic, it does form a perfect 15 inch circle.

RW, evening.....  I've never seen a roller that will complete the circle.....  Did you get a look at it and maybe a manufacturers name on it ??

That is amazing what he did....    Dave

 

[michael ark]

Sould like a good size to me. Good luck!

 

[ribwizzard]

Thanks guys, Im doing all my lay outs for the CNC plasma cut outs this week end. Im going to sent it out Monday and get prices on that part. Paying for the layout will be the most expensive, but once they have the software right, it should not cost too much for the piece parts.

 

[ribwizzard]

Dave, he just rolled it through twice to get rid of the flat spots, The trial piece he tried to break the beggining and end 6 inches and it did not turn out well. He says he has it down pat now and can make them like this everytime.  I believe it had 14" rollers on it.

 

[thechuck]

RW... just got back from a hog hunt and catching up with family and work stuff, now I'm doing lots of reading trying to catching up on the forums and just came across yours... I'd say you're on track and got a great idea, especially with the add-ons you plan on doing. Getting a standardized set up will be key... but like I said, you got a good handle on things. You do great work and I can't wait to see the progress being made!... Good luck man

 

[maple sticks]

Dave, he just rolled it through twice to get rid of the flat spots, The trial piece he tried to break the beggining and end 6 inches and it did not turn out well. He says he has it down pat now and can make them like this everytime.  I believe it had 14" rollers on it.

You reverse the roll meaning you pull the first roll bend out of the rollers and turn it around for the second trip through the rollers. That takes care of the flat spot.

 

[ski-freak]

Good Luck with this experimentation!

I think it's very interesting that you're thinking of trying to fill a clear market void with a quality compact patio size reverse-flow sideburner. I also think all of your points in doing so are valid, and there are definitely times when ALSO owning a scaled down version of my 20" sideburner would be really useful for me. Primarily this would be on occasions when I'm only cooking small quantities, and I don't want to use a real lot of fuel. For example, the other day I smoked a lone turkey breast low and slow in a 20" X 40" food chamber in 50 degree windy weather, and it took quite a bit of fuel in my 20" X 20" firebox to do it. The turkey breast came out great, and I personally prefer operating a sideburner rather than a more compact egg style unit, but I had to use a lot of fuel to cook a pretty small amount of food. I think a sideburner's firebox access lets you better control the fire and add aromatic wood chunks/sticks over time without having to partially disassemble the unit to do so (like with an egg style). As you scale sideburners smaller and smaller, incorporating reverse-flow as you're doing should even out hot spots over their smaller more critical cooking area as well.

In the end maybe it makes sense to make two sizes (a smaller and a larger) rather than one medium as you might be headed?!?

 

[ribwizzard]

Thanks SkiFreak,

Right now I'm moving forward with the 16" dia, 32 inch cooking chamber due to already invested in the materials, but as I'm looking at it, I feel that is is bigger than what I initially in visioned this project to be.

 

[rob989_69]

Hey RW, do you think maybe going to a 24" but sticking with the 16" diameter would be better? I forget if you're getting the material cut to length. If not, you could easily do both and see which sells better. 

 

[ribwizzard]

With the round firebox ( 16 " dia) I dont think I'd want to go with less than 14 inches in length, just wouldnt look right, and the door would be awkward. Id have to swith back to a square firebox. Now I prefer a square firebox, but from the people I polled, everyone seems to like the round firebox better due to the way the door opens and the ability to load from the top instead of having to bend over and look into it.

 

[rob989_69]

What if you put a piece of plate steel at the bottom? It could serve 2 purposes, you could use it to take up some of the overage you have using a 14" firebox, and would give a flat platform to put a charcoal basket or fire rack on? Just a thought. 

 

[ribwizzard]

Still working on all the little details, assembly should start with in a few weeks, I found a supplier for the hinges , 1/2 inch pin , 3 inch long barrel hinges with 3/4 O.D. that cost me $1.16 each, got them in today and quality was good.     Well honestly, quality was much better than what I was making , and for $1.16 each, I will save 10 times that in assembly labor.

Im still working out the details on the reverse flow plate, have not made up my mind on exactly how Im going to handle that. A pressed piece will be much faster to build than a fabricated, but will sacrifice design. And I'm not sure If it should be removable or not.

 

[bluffton smoker]

RW,

I like what you are doing. I like the 16" vs the 14". It is only 2", but what a big difference it makes... Hats off to ya for pursuing this project. I remember visiting about it way back when. Looks like you have it well under control.

I sold my first RF Build and have had the materials ready for the next 2, but just can't seem to find the time... Just wanted to drop you a line.

 

[ribwizzard]

Thanks Bluffton,

Yes, it takes a lot of time and research getting every little part perfect and the best price. You cant just go down to ACE and buy the hardware, you wont make any profit. Still working on quite a few details before I start assembly.

 

[ribwizzard]

Well, Ive run into some road blocks with the reliability of the suppliers I chose to produce the cut out's ( still not delivered ), and my steel roller guy raised his cost on me.

So, I have decided not to beat my head against the wall at this point, finish the units I have already invested in, and keep networking until I find the right answer.

I will be starting the build here in the next few days.

 

[daveomak]

Don't you love it when you make a deal and the price changes......  I have had that happen.....  I made a deal with a local fruit stand to sell my garlic...  400 #'s as it was harvested...  we'd square up at the end of the season...   Well, he dropped the price $1.50 / pound...  Good thing he had customers standing around when I went off like a rocket....  I got paid the original price....

Dave

 

[black]

-

 

[ribwizzard]

Unfortunately, I have to keep good relations due to other business aspects, so I just pay the bill and swallow that bad taste.  This is just a pet project, but I still get disappointed.

I will work it out eventually, just as I get older, I realize its not worth beating your head against the wall. Just have to be patient and wait for the right opportunities to show them self.

If I go ahead and build these the way I want to, and not worry about selling them for a profit, at least I will then have working models to showcase.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Sorry to hear about the supplier issues. We deal with that daily. Most of our price issues stem from the fact that the jobs take 18-24 months to complete and prices quoted 24 months ago aren't normally the same when we get to that stage.

Looking forward to seeing the units that you get built. For me a small patio size unit would be perfect. If you were in Oregon, California, Washgington or even Idaho I'd buy one of the prototypes!

 

[thechuck]

That sucks RW... but like you said, it'll all work out eventually. I have plenty of steel connections in KS and surrounding states but unfortunately not in FL otherwise I'd see if I could help you out somehow. I do have some friends in the Tampa area though... so once you have some prototypes for sell let me know!

Just keep smokin' and buildin'!