One more "Mail Box Mod" for the AMNPS and the MES30 ...NEW PICTURES FOR ATTACHING ELBOW TO MAILBOX

[dave from mesa]

If you want to save some work and $'s.... The AMNPS needs a supply of air that doesn't need to be adjusted... See my pics below... I have covered over the lower holes partially.... I would recommend 3 each, 3/4" holes as shown... that should be good.... If you also need to adjust the air flow through your smoker, a separate air inlet for the smoker would work and that "butterfly" valve would be great for that.. BTW, I call that a "pie" vent 'cause it looks like slices of pie...

The upper hole is to keep the smoke from swirling and cutting off oxygen to the pellets... or so it says in fine print....

AMNPS and Mailbox mod.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 13, 2014

This rack.

thanks

dave

 

[wolfman1955]

dave,
Sams Club sells one just like that only with wheels for $60. It is called a Commercial Utility Cart.

 

[daveomak]

Wal Mart, Home Depot, Amazon etc..... Utility storage racks with adjustable shelving... I should have got that one bigger so I could store my fish smoker on it also....

 

[dave from mesa]

Thanks Wolfman and Dave

Don't have a Sams Club card anymore. Am looking for one with wheels tho.

Will have to check out the other places.

Saw one on the Lowes website that was $19.95 but no wheels and the reviews say you can't put any on it. Got to see it and determine if wheels can fit.

thanks again

dave

 

[inkjunkie]

Had some pictures of our MES40 with the Mailbox Mod..."smart" has corrupted all my image files. Will take some more with my camera later today. I do have a question...the mailbox mod is done to avoid putting heat into the smoker as well as making it so that you do have to open the smoker in the case of those of us who are using a smoke generator, correct? When using the heating element in the MES does this cooL air carrying the smoke into the MES cause any sort of increased temperature fluctuations?

 

[daveomak]

Had some pictures of our MES40 with the Mailbox Mod..."smart" has corrupted all my image files. Will take some more with my camera later today. I do have a question...the mailbox mod is done to avoid putting heat into the smoker as well as making it so that you do have to open the smoker in the case of those of us who are using a smoke generator, correct? When using the heating element in the MES does this cooL air carrying the smoke into the MES cause any sort of increased temperature fluctuations?

You do need to preheat the MES to start a draft so the AMNPS will get air.... the heat it generates usually keeps the draft going.... If the MES gets too cold, turn on the heat for a bit to warm it up.... then turn off the heat.... That's only if you are trying to cold smoke when it's 30 ish and colder....
I found in "normal" temps, the MES got too warm with the AMNPS inside of it, for cold smoking...

 

[inkjunkie]

Cold and rainy here today. Wife informed me we used the last bit of smoked butter. Filled the tube up, got it burning and stuffed it in the mailbox. Going out every now and then to give it a bit of heat. It is keeping the draft going. Mailbox is dripping....guess it is seasoning the bottom of my table lol...

 

[darwin101]

Down in the desert we have a very few cool/cold days.  So as not to heat up my MES to get a draft going I use an old PC fan on top of the box opening.  A 6v wall-wart powers this one, I turn it off once I get a good smoke moving through the box.

STP80415_zpsa659b7f0.jpg

• darwin101
• Nov 16, 2014

 

[inkjunkie]

I have a low temperature thermostat, one that was used for radiant heat in a slab. We have a spare heater for our African Grey's cage. Going to combine the 2 and try to keep the MES40 around 40*. Smoked some butter the other day, if I didn't give it a bit of heat every half hour or so the smoke would start back flowing out of the mail box. But the ambient temperature was only about 31*

 

[kennashua]

 
An aluminum mailbox will work. Stay away from the galvanized ones though... Enjoy the benefits of your mod 

Why stay away from the galvanized steel ones?  (They're the cheapest and on sale at TrueValue right now).

 

[daveomak]

Why stay away from the galvanized steel ones?  (They're the cheapest and on sale at TrueValue right now).

Galvanizing, usually zinc , can be poisonous ......

 

[kennashua]

For those looking for an inexpensive mailbox, on sale now at TrueValue.

White Solar ALM110W0 http://www.truevalue.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=61355 $15.99

Mill Finish Solar ALM11000 http://www.truevalue.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=61354  $15.19

 

[dv242]

I just came across this thread and sure could have used it earlier. I've been working on doing a mail box modification to my new MES 30. I read a few things about using the mail box before, and my wife wanted a new one (ours is 10 years old and beat up from Halloween pranks and snow plows), so the wife got a new mail box and I got a smoke box. Only thing is, I don't know if it's galvanized or not. It was just a plain, black painted cheapo. Will it get hot enough from the AMNPS to be a problem?

Here are a few pics of what I have so far. Just about done.

I cut the elbow to fit the inside of the hole for the chip loader. Fits snug. I left all the other internals in the smoker.

DSC00617.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

Cut a 3" hole in the back of the box with a hole saw for the elbow.

DSC00620.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

Had an old mini fridge lying around that quit working a few years ago and I just never got around to throwing it out. It will make a great stand with storage. Used some cheap shelving brackets to mount it to the side.

DSC00622.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

I painted up the old box, took a damper off an old charcoal grill that's rusted away, used a dremel tool to cut some holes in the door and mounted it to control air intake. 

DSC00623.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

Here is the box in place.

DSC00628.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

DSC00631.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 24, 2015

Just have to set the MES 30 on top, it fits perfect, fridge and smoker have the same footprint. Using the 3" flexible elbows in back of box, with dryer venting running to the smoker. Not pictured is the exhaust. I removed the stock vent and just placed another elbow with an extension. Probably going to put another damper on top, unless you guys think it's better left wide open.

 

[daveomak]

Nice fitment..... Thumbs Up.. ..Thumbs Up..

 

[dv242]

The finished product.

DSC00632.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 25, 2015

DSC00636.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 25, 2015

DSC00637.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 25, 2015

DSC00639.JPG

• dv242
• Aug 25, 2015

 

[fotofire]

Beautiful mod! That's what I want to do with mine as well. I don't have much floor space, so attaching it to the side of my stand is the easiest way to go. Thanks for the great pics!

 

[dr k]

If you want to save some work and $'s.... The AMNPS needs a supply of air that doesn't need to be adjusted... See my pics below... I have covered over the lower holes partially.... I would recommend 3 each, 3/4" holes as shown... that should be good.... If you also need to adjust the air flow through your smoker, a separate air inlet for the smoker would work and that "butterfly" valve would be great for that.. BTW, I call that a "pie" vent 'cause it looks like slices of pie...

The upper hole is to keep the smoke from swirling and cutting off oxygen to the pellets... or so it says in fine print....

AMNPS and Mailbox mod.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 13, 2014

If I use a steel mailbox and cut one large round hole about 1.5" in the lower front door for the mailbox inlet vent and use a business card magnet to cover a portion of the hole to get the right inlet air flow, do I still need a vent at the top of the door shown in your pic.  Do you think the hole in the top clears smoke to the back without over stoking the amnps from the bottom.  I haven't seen inlet vent options other than yours so far and if yours stays lit maybe three 3/4" holes is better than a large one at the bottom.  I figure refrigerator magnet(s) covering the inlet vent hole(s) on the steel mailbox would be a good way to starve the amnps of oxygen when done with the smoking phase .

-Kurt 

 

[daveomak]

I added the upper air hole so the MB mod would be similar to the FB on a smoker... fresh air supplied above the burn... also, 3 holes is more area than the exhaust has so the smoker gets all the air it can use.. Plenty of air is important for great tasting meat from a quality smoke...

 

[ironhorse07]

Does the upper hole help do you think?

 

[daveomak]

Does the upper hole help do you think?

Yes... allows for the MB to breathe if the smoke does not go through the smoker.. also helps to have a secondary burn to burn creosote...