Coming along just Grate ( ha ha ) Joel
This is going to be a fun machine to smoke/cook on for Jim.
David
This is going to be a fun machine to smoke/cook on for Jim.
David
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Red's Santa Maria Build - A Custom Grill for JIMSMOKES!
- Thread starter seenred
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Thanks Gents! I definitely getting excited to see Jim cooking on this rig!
Red
If I were retired and had the time to cook on that I would put my order in right now. Hope it cooks as well as it looks like it will. Would be a fun time learning to cook different meats on.
Red... You gonna take it for a test run before paint ??
Thank you Sir!
I guess I haven't decided for sure, Keith...but I think not. Only things that need seasoned will be the grates - everything else will be painted. I can heat-season the grates with my torch. That'll make Jim the first guy to light a real fire in this sucker!
Red
It occurred to me that I haven't posted an update in over 2 weeks. That's mostly because I wasn't in the shop much until this week - some grandad responsibilities and a stretch of cold weather kept me out. But here's what I've accomplished since the last update.
So I think I mentioned that I was working on the cooking grates. Jim wanted 2 separate grates that will drop in or lift out to allow for other cooking surfaces to be added, like a griddle, for example.
Here's a shot from about halfway through the fabrication of the first grate. This turned out to be a fairly labor-intensive step. Each half-size grate has 20 individual 1/2" round steel bars. I cut them, grinded off all the rust and mill scale, down to bare steel, then notched both ends of each one before welding them in one at a time - with a spacer between each to get em all equal distance apart. This was a slow process, but I think they turned out pretty good. And man - they are hefty! Not sure what each weighs, but they ain't light lol.
First one all welded together.
And here's the first half dropped in the cooker.
Then repeated the whole process again. Here's the second half dropped in place.
They're not fully finished, because I want to weld in a cross-brace under the centerline of the bars. I want to do that with a length of 1/2" square tubing...and I realized this afternoon that I don't have any. So I'm gonna have to make one last material run.
After that, I have just 2 or 3 minor tasks to wrap up...then this grill will be ready to start prepping it for paint!
Won't be long now until this project is wrapped!
Red
So I think I mentioned that I was working on the cooking grates. Jim wanted 2 separate grates that will drop in or lift out to allow for other cooking surfaces to be added, like a griddle, for example.
Here's a shot from about halfway through the fabrication of the first grate. This turned out to be a fairly labor-intensive step. Each half-size grate has 20 individual 1/2" round steel bars. I cut them, grinded off all the rust and mill scale, down to bare steel, then notched both ends of each one before welding them in one at a time - with a spacer between each to get em all equal distance apart. This was a slow process, but I think they turned out pretty good. And man - they are hefty! Not sure what each weighs, but they ain't light lol.
First one all welded together.
And here's the first half dropped in the cooker.
Then repeated the whole process again. Here's the second half dropped in place.
They're not fully finished, because I want to weld in a cross-brace under the centerline of the bars. I want to do that with a length of 1/2" square tubing...and I realized this afternoon that I don't have any. So I'm gonna have to make one last material run.
After that, I have just 2 or 3 minor tasks to wrap up...then this grill will be ready to start prepping it for paint!
Won't be long now until this project is wrapped!
Red
Very nice! Yea that’s lots of fab work…..want drive out and punch out my rod grates too?…. LOL
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pineywoods
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It looks Outstanding nice work
Ha!
Good luck with those Cortney! I didn't appreciate how many man-hours would go into building these bar grates by hand. I suppose a guy with all the right machining tools could have done it faster and easier - but I don't have any of that!Much appreciated Jerry!
Red
Those grates look awesome ! I could see you getting many orders!
Ryan
Ryan
Grates look great, Red.
Looks like it's all coming along nicely
Looks like it's all coming along nicely
Those grates look awesome ! I could see you getting many orders!
Ryan
Thanks Ryan! Not currently taking new orders lol!
Grates look great, Red.
Looks like it's all coming along nicely
Thank you Sir!
Red
When I did the v-grates on the X-Fire, I cut a bunch of furring strips on the table saw for the full-width for near full-length spacers then lined them all up at once, put a couple of inset wood cross bars and finish nailed in place and couple of clamps and tact'd away....... ie pretty much built a quick jig...Ha!
Much appreciated Jerry!
Red
PS...this saved a few 4 letter words....
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I could see you getting many orders!
They'd be easier to ship.... Just saying ...
They'd surely go in a fairly flat FedEx or UPS box, but they are sure heavy! No telling what freight would be on those Keith!
Looks awesome bud.
Thank you Sir!
Howdy Friends!
Quick update...and I'm getting very close to having the fabrication complete!
I got the material I needed from the steel yard to finish out the cooking grates.
I may have mentioned it already, but these grates are HEAVY! When they are hot and greasy, they may be a little hard to get hold of them if Jim wants to pull one or both of them out. So, one thing I may have to design is some kind of grate-lifting tool that Jim can use to lift these out of the main frame. (I'd simply add some angle iron or round-bar lifting handles to the tops of the grates, but I think they might get in the way) Something simple, with a hook on one end that can slide under a grate bar, and a handle on the other end. I may ask Jim what he thinks about that...
Next, I turned to fabricating some coal handling tools. First, a coal rake.
I made it about 24 inches long so it'll reach to the back of the main chamber.
Then on to fabricating a coal shovel, to move hot coals from the brasero to the main chamber.
The rake and the shovel are finished! They just need paint now.
I got the ratchet pawl all welded together and finished...which required another trip to the hardware store to find the right bolt.
And finally, I took the front door latch straps off and put them in my brake to bend the outsides...then rounded the front to make them into tabs that serve as the handles for the door latch.
As I said, I know of 2 little chores I need to finish.
First, I need a piece of plate steel that will cover the ash door in the main chamber. I've got that cut out, just need to come up with a little handle for the top, and weld in some angle iron on the bottom, as guides to fit it snug into the trap door.
Second, I'm thinking of welding a short piece of angle iron, with 2 notched holes cut out, on the front of the work table. This would serve as a tool hanger for the rake and the shovel. I'll ask Jim what he thinks of that idea...
But other than that, this thing is complete, and I'll be ready to surface-prep it and get it painted soon! Jim and I are still working out the details on getting it home to him...but it's gonna be ready soon!
As always, thanks Friends, for following along!
Red
Quick update...and I'm getting very close to having the fabrication complete!
I got the material I needed from the steel yard to finish out the cooking grates.
I may have mentioned it already, but these grates are HEAVY! When they are hot and greasy, they may be a little hard to get hold of them if Jim wants to pull one or both of them out. So, one thing I may have to design is some kind of grate-lifting tool that Jim can use to lift these out of the main frame. (I'd simply add some angle iron or round-bar lifting handles to the tops of the grates, but I think they might get in the way) Something simple, with a hook on one end that can slide under a grate bar, and a handle on the other end. I may ask Jim what he thinks about that...
Next, I turned to fabricating some coal handling tools. First, a coal rake.
I made it about 24 inches long so it'll reach to the back of the main chamber.
Then on to fabricating a coal shovel, to move hot coals from the brasero to the main chamber.
The rake and the shovel are finished! They just need paint now.
I got the ratchet pawl all welded together and finished...which required another trip to the hardware store to find the right bolt.
And finally, I took the front door latch straps off and put them in my brake to bend the outsides...then rounded the front to make them into tabs that serve as the handles for the door latch.
As I said, I know of 2 little chores I need to finish.
First, I need a piece of plate steel that will cover the ash door in the main chamber. I've got that cut out, just need to come up with a little handle for the top, and weld in some angle iron on the bottom, as guides to fit it snug into the trap door.
Second, I'm thinking of welding a short piece of angle iron, with 2 notched holes cut out, on the front of the work table. This would serve as a tool hanger for the rake and the shovel. I'll ask Jim what he thinks of that idea...
But other than that, this thing is complete, and I'll be ready to surface-prep it and get it painted soon! Jim and I are still working out the details on getting it home to him...but it's gonna be ready soon!
As always, thanks Friends, for following along!
Red
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