The X-Fire Grill

[fullborebbq]

removed

 

[bluewhisper]

What a fun read! Nice to see something go from concept to reality.

 

[civilsmoker]

A couple shaft collars or garage door spools might have worked for keeping the cable inline, But the chain looks like a winner! Outstanding build!!!

The cables stayed in line....We just weren't supper pleased with the look or how they started off winding. All the Santa Maria grill shops use cable but the stainless cable is .30 a foot and stainless chain is 2.50 a foot.....the cables are “smoother winding” but we like the look of the chain :-)

Not sure what those are built out of but only raw steel and stainless in the CC....

What a fun read! Nice to see something go from concept to reality.

Thanks blue whisper! It will be a real reality soon since my son has to start his project report in 3 weeks so it has to be able to grill by then!!!

 

[civilsmoker]

More progress today before the afternoon thunderstorms hit!!

Door 2 Done! And then fit the fire brick for the ends on the top.

End fire brick from the inside.

The other side, they fit up real clean.

We added 4 cross members (3/16 angle) for hanging in a staggered line

We also got all the ss angle cut for the v-grate. The plan was for a 3/4 gap but it just seems too big so may add 2 more lines to tighten it up a bit....

 

[motocrash]

Yardbids!Yardbirds!

 

[civilsmoker]

Yardbids!Yardbirds!
View attachment 393705

Jethro, get the 12 gage and get in that kitchen to help granny with supper!!!

 

[civilsmoker]

Well luck was on our side today, after the crazy thunder buster the sun came out, so I suggest to the wife that we go out later for dinner....she said sure, so back on went the work cloths and we raced to rip up some more steel......this is how far we got before the wife said I’m getting hungry....

Didn’t have much time to think about it just measured, cut and bingo! We spent a long time getting the underneath structure angles right and that time and effort paid off and made the skin a breeze :-)

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

We also got all the ss angle cut for the v-grate. The plan was for a 3/4 gap but it just seems too big so may add 2 more lines to tighten it up a bit....
View attachment 393701

I just checked my V grooves and they are 1/2" spaced between them. I'm sure you know but yours are upside down. The V is supposed to catch the fat. I like those meat hooks you have hanging.

 

[bluewhisper]

Back to your drawings, should you change the Stage 4 drawing to show fire opposite the grate and not under it?

I've run my offset CC that way.

 

[civilsmoker]

I just checked my V grooves and they are 1/2" spaced between them. I'm sure you know but yours are upside down. The V is supposed to catch the fat. I like those meat hooks you have hanging.

Many thanks 90beater, that confirms the gut so we are going to tighten them up. Yes they will be a “v” when welded. They will also be sloped to allow the grease to drain. We still need to fab up the removable drip tray.

The frame is flat cause we wanted that for the round rod and we want to be able to put drip pans and such under hanging yardbirds....

Just search amazon for the hooks they have all sizes I got 10” & 5” straight and 12” & 9” doubles. They are very reasonably priced! I think you will like them for your set up and style of cooking!

FYI....You know the rule with fabricating steel right....you measure twice before you cut....with a third measure once clamped for the cut. Then you measure again before clamping for welding and measure twice more after clamping before tacking only to measure once more after tacking before full welding........ie the moral is you spend more time with your tape in the hand than the cutting tool or welding wand.

Back to your drawings, should you change the Stage 4 drawing to show fire opposite the grate and not under it?

I've run my offset CC that way.

Yes in stage 4 the fire can be offset or under. My thinking is the offset with a large fire and our 3/8 ss oven plate it might just do Pizza nicely....once it fires up we have lots of experimenting to do!

 

[civilsmoker]

Seanysmokes, thanks for the like!

 

[civilsmoker]

Beanhall thanks for the like, I missed it earlier.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

FYI....You know the rule with fabricating steel right....you measure twice before you cut....with a third measure once clamped for the cut. Then you measure again before clamping for welding and measure twice more after clamping before tacking only to measure once more after tacking before full welding........ie the moral is you spend more time with your tape in the hand than the cutting tool or welding wand.

X 1000 today for me. I had to drill and tap 3 holes to install a milling attachment to my lathe. They could not even be .5 mm off. to add a little stress I only had one bit in the size needed so I couldn't break it.

 

[civilsmoker]

Sweet lathe! And that does add a pucker factor to it!!!

 

[civilsmoker]

Today was an great day for the X-Fire!

First we got the sides on the top fit and tacked on...looks cool!

So we decided to see how a fire would burn....so started with a few coals to start it.

Then a few oak splits

So after about 10 mins with the fire above & door closed the tel-tru jumped up to 225 :-)

Since we didn’t have any control on the air intake the fire lit up pretty quickly...20 mins in.

The tel-tru jumped up to 270ish with the door closed.

I will admit I stuck head in the chamber and it just gave me nothing but warm fuzzies! The yard birds are going to love it!!!!!!!!

So the first fire test was a huge success! The primary test to to verify the stack size and it seems perfect, so we are nothing but smiles!!!

So next up is to finish the the inside grilling stuff (grates, wheel & ratchet...).

 

[HalfSmoked]

Ata boy lets see the first cook.

Warren

 

[bluewhisper]

Sometime when it's up to temp it would be interesting to shoot it with an infrared camera to see where the outside hot spots are.

 

[jojocircus]

Sometime when it's up to temp it would be interesting to shoot it with an infrared camera to see where the outside hot spots are.

So i'm not the only one who does that then..

 

[civilsmoker]

Ata boy lets see the first cook.

Warren

I know I know....the wife is turning up the heat on us cause she says the honey do list is getting filled up.....

Sometime when it's up to temp it would be interesting to shoot it with an infrared camera to see where the outside hot spots are.

I sure wish I had a camera to do that (only have surface guns)....I did do the redneck version and after an hour......I rubbed my bare hand over it and the only “warm” area was just above the door. This makes sense cause the heat is snaking through the joint. This confirms the choice to have a gasket around the door joint. That should mitigate that heat leak. I was really happy that the corners on the top seemed cool though.

Now that you brought it up I’m going to have to find a “friend” that has a IR that we can use.......thanks!

 

[civilsmoker]

Cut 4 more sections of ss angle for the v-grate. Now the spacing looks just right..... :-)

We also got the ratchet done tonight. Each sprocket raises the grate one inch.

Works pretty slick.

Next up the handle and grates.