Planning stages of a 250 gallon RF Door and grate questions

[ghilljr]

Hello everyone,I am planning my first tank build.I already have the 250 gallon tank and a  couple trailers to work with. Tank dimension's are 71" seam to seam,91 " total length .30" wide.and 93 1/4" Circumference.

I am not sure where to cut the door in height. I have read a lot of threads, but i want to be sure.I was thinking 12 and 3

Will the cooking grate be ok 6" above the RF plate?.Are there any concerns/problems with the drawings below?

smoker drawing2.jpg

• ghilljr
• Feb 5, 2014

Smoker Drawings.jpg

• ghilljr
• Feb 5, 2014

 

[jmud]

Looks like you would need 2 1/2 times more air inlet for this. Everything else looks kosher to me, hopefully Dave chimes in, he is the pit planning master IMO. Helped me so much on my first build and my current. Make sure you put drains for the reverse flow plate and for the bottom of CC.

 

[ribwizzard]

your probably not going to like the door cut at 12, best thing to do is get firebox mounted first, set it at the height you want it, then check line of sight and see how low don you can come with the top of the door and still see the back of the rack. probably be more like 11

 

[ghilljr]

Looks like you would need 2 1/2 times more air inlet for this. Everything else looks kosher to me, hopefully Dave chimes in, he is the pit planning master IMO. Helped me so much on my first build and my current. Make sure you put drains for the reverse flow plate and for the bottom of CC.

Thanks. jmud I do have plans to have another vent on the opposite side of fire box  that is 4"x7" also.I can make them longer also,to compensate. Do you think that will be about right? .Good eye  on the drains. i almost forgot about them.

 

[ghilljr]

 
your probably not going to like the door cut at 12, best thing to do is get firebox mounted first, set it at the height you want it, then check line of sight and see how low don you can come with the top of the door and still see the back of the rack. probably be more like 11

Thanks Ribwizzard, Makes sense to do that way.Hopefully I can get the tank into the shop soon. Weather never wants to cooperate.

 

[ribwizzard]

I think the biggest mistake I see people do is get in too big of a hurry to cut the door.

 

[jmud]

Whatever opening would equal 64 sq inches per your design will work

 

[dockman]

I would bring the FB up to 10"! My doors are 12/3 and they worked out great.

 

[jmud]

Another thing too is make the cooking chamber door as big as you can. On mine I made my verticals cuts on the door just about where the tank starts to curve to make the cylinder shape. Helps with getting food out on the sides. They say to put the cooking grate 4-5 inches above RF plate. Then start your horizontal cut at cooking grate height and end on the top between 12 and 11 o'clock. And possibly make a double door, just an option

 

[ghilljr]

I may redesign the vents yet.With the two on the sides and one in the door .I come up with 74 sq inchs. So I am good to go there.

 

[ghilljr]

Another thing too is make the cooking chamber door as big as you can. On mine I made my verticals cuts on the door just about where the tank starts to curve to make the cylinder shape. Helps with getting food out on the sides. They say to put the cooking grate 4-5 inches above RF plate. Then start your horizontal cut at cooking grate height and end on the top between 12 and 1 o'clock. And possibly make a double door, just an option

Thanks, Good idea with the doors,I never thought of that. If i keep the FB at 9 " with cooking grate 5" above ,That will bring me about center of tank.I wanted to

do a double door ,but I wanted to be able to do whole hog with ease.

 

[ghilljr]

I would bring the FB up to 10"! My doors are 12/3 and they worked out great.

Thanks Dockman, If i bring it up ,it will also give me another inch of clearance on bottom of FB to ground.

 

[jmud]

Sliding racks are a plus too. My bottom rack is stationary, top one slides

 

[ghilljr]

Definitely doing a bottom  removable sliding rack. My main concern was it sagging in the middle,i have to beef her up.I want to do a top rack also,but i have not crunched  the numbers to see how big it would be.

 

[jmud]

All I did was put a piece of angle on the middle, you may need two. I believe on mine I had 10 inches between bottom and top rack then 9 or 8 between top rack and steel. Just something I played with once bottom rack was in

 

[jmud]

Don't forget cup holders baby! :)

 

[ribwizzard]

Just remember , yours is a 250, what may have worked good on another size might not apply to your build. The smaller you can keep the door and still have workable access to you cooking grates, the better off you will be.

Also keep in mind room for door flanges, so don't get to close to the weld seam, and there is a lip inside the tank where that weld seam is, extending probably 1/4" to the inside of where that weld seam is.

And that door will be heavy!

 

[ghilljr]

Jmud.  I will do the same once the bottom grate is in. thanks. Cup holders and pleanty of adult cold beverages are on the material list.

Ribwizzard   Thanks for the heads up.I was worried about the door being super heavy and heat lose while opening it  I didn't know about the lip inside the tank .                     What size and thickness material do you recommend for the flanges?  Whats the best way to figure out counter weight angle?  

 

[ribwizzard]

I usually go with 1/8" flat bar, probably 1.25" wide would work good on this size, or maybe a tad wider.   Some go thinner, but I think 1/8" works easily enough and you can weld to it with out worry.

 

[dockman]

I used 1/8" x 2" for my flange.