The Big Build
- Thread starter smokey mo
- Start date
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***UPDATE***
Picked up the plate metal today. Also made an adjustment today. The firebox was going to be 37"X30"X30" due to cutting equipment, it is now going to be 49X24X24
It is a little smaller but it will pencil out ok. The pieces are cut and edges ground down and ready to weld. Wednesday I should be able to start welding it up. I hope the camera on my phone will work this time.
Sorry I didn't have any luck with the camera tonight. More Wednesday!!
Picked up the plate metal today. Also made an adjustment today. The firebox was going to be 37"X30"X30" due to cutting equipment, it is now going to be 49X24X24
It is a little smaller but it will pencil out ok. The pieces are cut and edges ground down and ready to weld. Wednesday I should be able to start welding it up. I hope the camera on my phone will work this time.
Sorry I didn't have any luck with the camera tonight. More Wednesday!!
teesquare
Fire Starter
Awesome project!
I am guessing you have connections to acquire a frozen Mastadon occasionally?
Because a side of beef may get lost in that thing!
Commercial adventure?
T
I am guessing you have connections to acquire a frozen Mastadon occasionally?
Commercial adventure?
T
It is most definitely a commercial venture. We are trying to start a catering gig. If I can keep the cost of this thing down then I can sell for a more "family wage" price. This area has bad-to-fair food quality but it is all overpriced for the quality. We have a local BBQ that is popular, however I have never seen a smoke ring on his food and the flavor tastes washed out. It really is sad. I feel bad for the guy because he truly thinks his stuff is good.
No picts today. had to finish cutting the pieces and get them out of the class till i need them. Did start grinding but there is way more rust that i can get with a grinder...so I am going to try to take the pieces to a friends to sandblast them. Then try again. The tacs were no even close to usable. So...more pictures this weekend.
r
r
Nor rain,nor sleet, nor................you are on the right track! If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right! And it is definetly worth it when it's finished! Keep up the good work
Hey Raptor, easy with the rain sleet snow thing lmao ..... The older I get the more the poor weather affects me. Maybe I can have a small house and a giant shop before I retire, then nothing will stop me.
Smokey, I hear where your coming from on the fair to poor quality Q. If ya even make it to the midwest, try the Q down around the Ozarks. WOW to those poor folks, they really think they got it going on. I think if you can get the word of mouth to spread about your food then you outta be good to go. It only takes a few people with good talkin skills to get the word out.
Lookin forward to seeing the progress.
Smokey, I hear where your coming from on the fair to poor quality Q. If ya even make it to the midwest, try the Q down around the Ozarks. WOW to those poor folks, they really think they got it going on. I think if you can get the word of mouth to spread about your food then you outta be good to go. It only takes a few people with good talkin skills to get the word out.
Lookin forward to seeing the progress.
So I am waiting to see if this guy likes my OBO offer. If he does, it will be a merry Christmas for me. I think it would be 'almost perfect' for this monster.
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/for/2068372724.html
let me know what you think.
rick morgan
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/for/2068372724.html
let me know what you think.
rick morgan
Since its all steel, I think I would offer 500 cash in hand and see what his reaction is.
So long as the critical frame welds are not cracked it should be worth that much.
Wheel bearings can be packed or even replaced pretty cheep.
The leaf spring hangers and parts are relatively in expensive as well.
I'm with Raptor, I think it would be a great score. And an even better x mas present.
So long as the critical frame welds are not cracked it should be worth that much.
Wheel bearings can be packed or even replaced pretty cheep.
The leaf spring hangers and parts are relatively in expensive as well.
I'm with Raptor, I think it would be a great score. And an even better x mas present.
I feel your pain brother.. Builds like this with limited funds and equipment are a challenge. Been in the planning, materials gathering, and tooling gathering stages myself to build a 330 gallon RF unit for the last many months Went to go cut our tank last week, and the plasma cutter failed lol Glad to see your as persistant as I am and look forward to seeing your build come together.
***Update***
The pieces for my firebox have been blasted and iff all goes well Monday I will get it tacked together. Except for the door. I still haven't
decided on one or two doors. Most likely two. Then over the next month I will work on the tank and trailer. May have been given a trailer today Old travel trailer
about 10 feet too long but it can be cut down and made to work. December is going to be busy, It may carry over into the new year.
Whew!
The pieces for my firebox have been blasted and iff all goes well Monday I will get it tacked together. Except for the door. I still haven't
decided on one or two doors. Most likely two. Then over the next month I will work on the tank and trailer. May have been given a trailer today Old travel trailer
about 10 feet too long but it can be cut down and made to work. December is going to be busy, It may carry over into the new year.
Whew!
Glad to hear its all coming together Rick.
Until someone actually builds a trailer rig they have no concept at all of the amount of time and work that is involved in building one. The reality of my build is that I am sure that I am over the 1000.00 dollar mark. The trailer was 500.00, not bad at all. Most of the heavy steel I already had but shezzz, the little stuff is terrible 1", 1¼", and 1½"angle and flat strap has got me up to at least 200.00. That does not include the trip to the scrap yard for misc items along with two sheets of expanded, or the trips to Air-Gas for wire, rod, gas mix and of course that cool new tool that I just can't leave without. Oh ya 100.00 for plywood so far.
Its actually kinda scary when ya stop and think about it. And to top it off I am thinking maybe mid summer I will try to start a stump's clone to go on the trailer. The wife should catch on to that one somewhere about mid build.
Gotta keep that one on the down low for a while.
Rick, 10' really isn't that long when ya think about the rig itself and then places to store stuff. I could be pretty cool is the pop-up trailer still had a working lift system for the roof. I have a friend that copied that same design so when cooking the roof goes up to 7' and down to 3½ feet to travel. Remember rain is not your friend if your not insulated.
Can't wait to see more pics.
Until someone actually builds a trailer rig they have no concept at all of the amount of time and work that is involved in building one. The reality of my build is that I am sure that I am over the 1000.00 dollar mark. The trailer was 500.00, not bad at all. Most of the heavy steel I already had but shezzz, the little stuff is terrible 1", 1¼", and 1½"angle and flat strap has got me up to at least 200.00. That does not include the trip to the scrap yard for misc items along with two sheets of expanded, or the trips to Air-Gas for wire, rod, gas mix and of course that cool new tool that I just can't leave without. Oh ya 100.00 for plywood so far.
Its actually kinda scary when ya stop and think about it. And to top it off I am thinking maybe mid summer I will try to start a stump's clone to go on the trailer. The wife should catch on to that one somewhere about mid build.
Rick, 10' really isn't that long when ya think about the rig itself and then places to store stuff. I could be pretty cool is the pop-up trailer still had a working lift system for the roof. I have a friend that copied that same design so when cooking the roof goes up to 7' and down to 3½ feet to travel. Remember rain is not your friend if your not insulated.
Can't wait to see more pics.
From the beginning the one thing this build has taught me is things are going to change and often. The original trailer is gone and several other options have come and gone. Welders have pledged and backed out. Scrap pieces of angle and steel came and went. But is looks like I am getting blessed as of late.
It is truly a labor of love. I am enjoying seeing my thoughts come out on paper then move into reality.
I think I am into this one so far only about $700.
I just need to go slow and make this right instead of fast.
Slow and steady wins the race right.
Rick
It is truly a labor of love. I am enjoying seeing my thoughts come out on paper then move into reality.
I think I am into this one so far only about $700.
I just need to go slow and make this right instead of fast.
Slow and steady wins the race right.
Rick
***Update***
the firebox is tacked together and ready to weld up. Wednesday I should be able to weld it out and prep the doors.
Tom-The trailer is an old travel trailer, it is about 28' long, the last 6-8 feet may have to be removed because of damage. That should actually work out for the best due to the fact that I need to adjust the axles anyway.
As long as the structure isn't too bad this should work very well. I am planning to firm up that trailer this week. If I do, then my Christmas plans will be to prep it for the tank to be attached and I can begin mating everything up in January when the next welding class.
Thanks for stopping by.
Rick
the firebox is tacked together and ready to weld up. Wednesday I should be able to weld it out and prep the doors.
Tom-The trailer is an old travel trailer, it is about 28' long, the last 6-8 feet may have to be removed because of damage. That should actually work out for the best due to the fact that I need to adjust the axles anyway.
As long as the structure isn't too bad this should work very well. I am planning to firm up that trailer this week. If I do, then my Christmas plans will be to prep it for the tank to be attached and I can begin mating everything up in January when the next welding class.
Thanks for stopping by.
Rick
Looking Good Rick.
That's pretty wide unless the pic is an illusion, are you going to do any kind of bracing on the top and bottom to prevent it from warping? I only ask since I can't remember how thick you said the plate was.
You are at the point where things used to go way wrong for me. I have learned the hard way that rushing is not the way to go. You wouldn't believe how many things I have warped by either not waiting long enough between welds or laying to much bead at one time. When I first started I could make a box like yours look like a beach ball gone bad pretty fast.
Nice work.
That's pretty wide unless the pic is an illusion, are you going to do any kind of bracing on the top and bottom to prevent it from warping? I only ask since I can't remember how thick you said the plate was.
You are at the point where things used to go way wrong for me. I have learned the hard way that rushing is not the way to go. You wouldn't believe how many things I have warped by either not waiting long enough between welds or laying to much bead at one time. When I first started I could make a box like yours look like a beach ball gone bad pretty fast.
Nice work.
Tom- the plate is 1/4 inch, I am most likely going to weld in angle iron criss cross to support the sides and top.
the bottom is going to be supported when I build the fire grate and the rack. It is going to be about six inches above the bottom and supported by a frame that has channel so it can slide in and out.
I am planning a sliding dump in the bottom for easy clean out.
The vents are what I am losing sleep over. Haven't decided circle vents or a sliding rectangles.
The box is just a straight build 40"x24"x24". The front is a 3" facade to allow slightly smaller doors. They will have over lapping strap steel around the perimeter. Then I am going to weld angle iron just inside the strap to reinforce them so they don't warp.
the bottom is going to be supported when I build the fire grate and the rack. It is going to be about six inches above the bottom and supported by a frame that has channel so it can slide in and out.
I am planning a sliding dump in the bottom for easy clean out.
The vents are what I am losing sleep over. Haven't decided circle vents or a sliding rectangles.
The box is just a straight build 40"x24"x24". The front is a 3" facade to allow slightly smaller doors. They will have over lapping strap steel around the perimeter. Then I am going to weld angle iron just inside the strap to reinforce them so they don't warp.
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