Starting my first Reverse Flow Build
- Thread starter weedeater
- Start date
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Got some more work done today on the as yet un-named smoker. This thing has got to have a name!!! Welded in the exhaust pipe. It is a 4" stainless steel pipe. It looks like it would polish up nice so I will probably leave it silver. Unsure of the color scheme for the painting but a part of me wants something to look different than the traditional black you see every where else.
Built the first fire in this baby today. Seems to work well and if today is any judge it looks like it will be a real efficient unit.
I heated her up to 550 degrees at the RF plate in short order. Ran her down to 300 degrees at the RF plate for a couple of hours which I figure would probably be in the 250 degree range at grate level. Just guessing at this point since the only thermometer I have installed is a reliable oven therm sitting on the RF plate.
Heres a couple of pics with the chimney and end plate welded on and smoke finally coming out the top.
I am really tired of that rust color. Got to get this thing ready to paint soon!!!
Built the first fire in this baby today. Seems to work well and if today is any judge it looks like it will be a real efficient unit.
I heated her up to 550 degrees at the RF plate in short order. Ran her down to 300 degrees at the RF plate for a couple of hours which I figure would probably be in the 250 degree range at grate level. Just guessing at this point since the only thermometer I have installed is a reliable oven therm sitting on the RF plate.
Heres a couple of pics with the chimney and end plate welded on and smoke finally coming out the top.
I am really tired of that rust color. Got to get this thing ready to paint soon!!!
rasimmo
Meat Mopper
Glad to see some smoke.I wish I could just get started on mine.
I found this the other day looking for paint.
http://www.kbs-coatings.com/Xtreme-Temperature-Coating.html
Good to 1500 and available in a few colors.
As for a name, my tractor is that color and my wife calls it Rusty. Just an idea:)
I found this the other day looking for paint.
http://www.kbs-coatings.com/Xtreme-Temperature-Coating.html
Good to 1500 and available in a few colors.
As for a name, my tractor is that color and my wife calls it Rusty. Just an idea:)
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Thanks Rasimmo for the info on the paint but at $18.95 a can that may be a little to rich for my blood. I have seen some other options that might work if I can ever come up with a color scheme that I am happy with. I saw a line of high temp paint in Fred's of all places the other day. What intriqued me about this line was that I saw some colors that I have not seen in the typical Rustoleum, car engine paint and other lines. I am going to check that line out as well as all other options to see what color pallet options are out there. Anyway looking at the weather it will not get painted anytime soon. Looking for maybe a couple or more inches of rain in the next day or two. Hopefully I can work on the trailer which is the next big task.
smokinwelder
Smoke Blower
Sorry if I missed it but if your painting it black home depot has quarts for $12 in black. $18 a can wtf??
rasimmo
Meat Mopper
I thought it was high too. I think most engine paint is only good for 500 degrees. I don't think that will be enough for the firebox. Header paint or pit paint good for higher temps is only available in black in most cases.
$55 is a lot to pay for a quart of paint though. If I find a few extra dollars hiding in my sock drawer I might try it.
$55 is a lot to pay for a quart of paint though. If I find a few extra dollars hiding in my sock drawer I might try it.
Bubbonehead did the build below. He used a High Heat primer and then painted with the 500 degree product. Unfortunately it looks like rattle cans only....
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...me-tools-i-kinda-have-to-build-one-dont-i/100
Here is some High Heat Rattle Cans..... says good to 2000 degrees.....
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=371
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...me-tools-i-kinda-have-to-build-one-dont-i/100
Here is some High Heat Rattle Cans..... says good to 2000 degrees.....
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=371
rasimmo
Meat Mopper
SQWIB,
Did it take that many rattle cans to paint your "frankensmoker"? That looks like about $100 worth.
For that I can buy 2 quarts of what I thought was expensive paint and put 4 coats on mine.
Did it take that many rattle cans to paint your "frankensmoker"? That looks like about $100 worth.
For that I can buy 2 quarts of what I thought was expensive paint and put 4 coats on mine.
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jabbo
Meat Mopper
That 2000 degree paint is what they use to spray on car headers and other exhaust parts. It will easily stand up to the firebox heat. I am not sure of it's rust prevention ability, but a few coats should be more than enough for that, too.
ribwizzard
Master of the Pit
The 1200 degree rustoleum @ $16.00 a quart holds up better than anything else I've ever used. No primer recomended. Just my two cents worth.
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Got the latch done on the firebox door today and also got a coat of paint on the door. I really have been getting tired of looking at that rust color. If the weather will cooperate maybe I can do something about that next week.
Joe, evening.... Nice job on the air intakes..... If the smoker doesn't get up to temp like you want it to, I suggest an additional air intake above the fire grate to move the hot air through the smoker.... Just something to think about.... Dave
Dave, Actually the air intake you are looking at is above the grates. My main air for the fire is a slide vent located directly below the fire grate. The control lever for it will be my next project. It will be a spring handle oriented horizontally below the fir box under the door that will pull out to open and push to close. Thanks, Joe
I got the grates for the food done yesterday and got them installed in the smoker.
Will have about 5 1/2" between the bottom grate and the top grate. Still need to weld a stop on the slides to keep the grates from tipping if pulled out too far.
Will have about 5 1/2" between the bottom grate and the top grate. Still need to weld a stop on the slides to keep the grates from tipping if pulled out too far.
Fired the grill up this afternoon and played with the temps a little bit. Looks like it is going to work really well and have good control over temps with the vents. Played a little with my new Maverick wireless thermometer. Put the probe on the lower rack and was able to bring the smoker up to 250 degrees and control very well. Worked so well that after playing and experimenting for a couple hours I decided it was time for the next step. Brought out the bisquits for a trial run.
Spread out 20 bisquits over the two racks and shut the door.
No peeking now. Left them for 25 minutes with the temperature running at about 250 degrees on the middle of the lower rack according to the wireless thermometer. The results are below.
The above is the bottom rack as laid out on the grill. The firebox
end is on the right which was only slightly hotter. Very pleased
with how this turned out. Heat distribution is better than I could
have hoped for.
The above is a pic of the bisquits on the top rack. The right side
here is also the end closest to the firebox. The top rack is overall
hotter and the difference from left to right is more noticeable with
the end over the firebox running noticeably hotter.
Overall very pleased with this trial run. The smoker exceeded all my expectations. I had expected a greater variation in the temps from one end to the other end but that was just not the case for the lower rack. It really was consistent across the rack from left to right and front to back. A wider variation was apparent on the top rack from left to right. I think this is due to the stack coming all the way down to the top of the lower rack. This leaves a large area of dead air space at the stack end of the smoker and results in that end running hot. I don't think at this point I will try to do anything about this. It could be useful for some of those mixed smokes of differnt meats to have an area that runs hotter. The important thing is to know where it is and use it to your advantage.
Spread out 20 bisquits over the two racks and shut the door.
No peeking now. Left them for 25 minutes with the temperature running at about 250 degrees on the middle of the lower rack according to the wireless thermometer. The results are below.
The above is the bottom rack as laid out on the grill. The firebox
end is on the right which was only slightly hotter. Very pleased
with how this turned out. Heat distribution is better than I could
have hoped for.
The above is a pic of the bisquits on the top rack. The right side
here is also the end closest to the firebox. The top rack is overall
hotter and the difference from left to right is more noticeable with
the end over the firebox running noticeably hotter.
Overall very pleased with this trial run. The smoker exceeded all my expectations. I had expected a greater variation in the temps from one end to the other end but that was just not the case for the lower rack. It really was consistent across the rack from left to right and front to back. A wider variation was apparent on the top rack from left to right. I think this is due to the stack coming all the way down to the top of the lower rack. This leaves a large area of dead air space at the stack end of the smoker and results in that end running hot. I don't think at this point I will try to do anything about this. It could be useful for some of those mixed smokes of differnt meats to have an area that runs hotter. The important thing is to know where it is and use it to your advantage.
rasimmo
Meat Mopper
Glad to hear you are pleased with the outcome. Do you think that cutting a hole in the stack at the top grate level would even out the temps without causing any issues with the draft? I am just curious because mine may have the same issue. Like you said though, it might work better the way it is.
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