- Oct 28, 2016
- 1
- 10
tl;dr I have the resources to custom fabricate a smoker and want to but have no idea where to start, suggestions?
At the moment, I'm enrolled in welding classes and have access to MIG, TIG, oxyfuel torches, and various stick rods as well as various thicknesses and types of steel (I know better than to use stainless in heated applications) and the instructor loves this kind of project and would be more than happy to order something specific for this kind of thing. The only problem is I have no idea where to start. I've been wanting to get into smoking for years and -LOVE- being able to make my own tools and equipment, but on this one I'm just not sure where to start off, and asking here seems to be the most reasonable step to me. I live in a farming town and can get easy access to super cheap beef, sometimes even whole cows, and occasionally pork, so beef and pork would of course be my mainstays, and I can get apple, oak, and maple wood pretty easily and even have a small stockpile of three years cured cherry wood from having to chop up a fallen and soon to die cherry tree. While I realize it's a tall order with the harsh northeast winters and probably not possible, a smoker I could use in the colder months would get some extra points.
So my question is this: What type of smoker should I try making, and what are some approximate dimensions and type of steel I should use, and for extra brownie points, what type of welder/rod would be suggested?
At the moment, I'm enrolled in welding classes and have access to MIG, TIG, oxyfuel torches, and various stick rods as well as various thicknesses and types of steel (I know better than to use stainless in heated applications) and the instructor loves this kind of project and would be more than happy to order something specific for this kind of thing. The only problem is I have no idea where to start. I've been wanting to get into smoking for years and -LOVE- being able to make my own tools and equipment, but on this one I'm just not sure where to start off, and asking here seems to be the most reasonable step to me. I live in a farming town and can get easy access to super cheap beef, sometimes even whole cows, and occasionally pork, so beef and pork would of course be my mainstays, and I can get apple, oak, and maple wood pretty easily and even have a small stockpile of three years cured cherry wood from having to chop up a fallen and soon to die cherry tree. While I realize it's a tall order with the harsh northeast winters and probably not possible, a smoker I could use in the colder months would get some extra points.
So my question is this: What type of smoker should I try making, and what are some approximate dimensions and type of steel I should use, and for extra brownie points, what type of welder/rod would be suggested?
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