The X-Fire Grill
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- Start date
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We had a sweet day today.....
Added some functional X-bling.....
The X-Fire is always cocked and locked in geometric style....this is also a glimpse of the logo bling we are working on....it’s truly a gem...LOL
We also got the removable v-grate drip pans all done as well...
A view with the hangers with a pan removed.
We finished the days work up by getting the v-grate lined up to fab......we are working fast and furiously to get the inside done so it can be christened on mother’s day!
Added some functional X-bling.....
The X-Fire is always cocked and locked in geometric style....this is also a glimpse of the logo bling we are working on....it’s truly a gem...LOL
We also got the removable v-grate drip pans all done as well...
A view with the hangers with a pan removed.
We finished the days work up by getting the v-grate lined up to fab......we are working fast and furiously to get the inside done so it can be christened on mother’s day!
Have you fabricated fire-handling tools for it yet? Something to move fuel and ashes, able to reach to the back wall of the fire with some stand-back length to spare.
Hum Memorlial Day?? well for sure by the 4th of July. 
Just kidding doing right once and done. For sure a great design and something you are doing with your son.
Warren
Just kidding doing right once and done. For sure a great design and something you are doing with your son.
Warren
Not yet, but they are on the to do list. A short flat head shovel will act as the fill in till then. I’m thinking we need a ash shovel, a hoe type tool, a poker/grabber, and a stiff brush. Much the same tools as they use for brick/pizza ovens.
Hum Memorlial Day?? well for sure by the 4th of July.
Just kidding doing right once and done. For sure a great design and something you are doing with your son.
Warren
LOL.....Oh I didn’t say it would be done on mother’s day only that it would cook so the the boy can do his report.....after that we have more spring turkey hunting, oh and then the fish will be on and then the wife says the promised 10x20 yard shed needs to go up....remember that honey do list....
All that said once we get the inside finished we can season it and then work on the outside....
The only thing left on the inside is the smoker phase drip pan supports, the grates, temp gauge, weld up the door seams, and finish grind it all.....
Had one of those rare days with an empty calendar so I told the wife that the boy and me needed a work day.....the boy didn’t complain....
So we tackled the v-grate! Each ss-v is spaced 1/2 inch and it is in 2 removable sloped sections. Ok will admit these were a little tricky, but we pulled a few fab tricks out of the pit and they came out just right!
When bottomed out the center of the slope is about 3.5 inches above the floor.
We are all smiles and starting to dream about yard birds hanging around......
Once the v-grate was finished we got the cross bars for the smoker plates in as well as the plates cut.
The bottom of the plate (3/16”) sits 13 inches above the floor. They will be in 2 sections as well. We are going to fab up insulated grease pans to sit under a corner on each plate so the grease can drain off when smoking.
We had an excellent day of fabrication but it came with a price because the wife didn’t let us off the “hook” for playing “hooky”.....she said we had to cook burgers for dinner.......sadly we used the Weber with grill grates.
The stack composition....Hawaiian bun-toasted, Fry sauce, sautéed chopped sweet onion, 1/2 lb ground chuck (20% fat), 2 slices American, sautéed baby Bella’s, bacon, sweet pickle chips, tomato, iceberg, fry sauce. Hawaiian bun-toasted; with a side of kettle chips and my version of I’ll do the dishes too......
So we tackled the v-grate! Each ss-v is spaced 1/2 inch and it is in 2 removable sloped sections. Ok will admit these were a little tricky, but we pulled a few fab tricks out of the pit and they came out just right!
When bottomed out the center of the slope is about 3.5 inches above the floor.
We are all smiles and starting to dream about yard birds hanging around......
Once the v-grate was finished we got the cross bars for the smoker plates in as well as the plates cut.
The bottom of the plate (3/16”) sits 13 inches above the floor. They will be in 2 sections as well. We are going to fab up insulated grease pans to sit under a corner on each plate so the grease can drain off when smoking.
We had an excellent day of fabrication but it came with a price because the wife didn’t let us off the “hook” for playing “hooky”.....she said we had to cook burgers for dinner.......sadly we used the Weber with grill grates.
The stack composition....Hawaiian bun-toasted, Fry sauce, sautéed chopped sweet onion, 1/2 lb ground chuck (20% fat), 2 slices American, sautéed baby Bella’s, bacon, sweet pickle chips, tomato, iceberg, fry sauce. Hawaiian bun-toasted; with a side of kettle chips and my version of I’ll do the dishes too......
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Question I notice the way you made the rack is channeling grease or pooling grease going to be a problem?
Warren
Warren
I'm assuming your are referring to the smoker deflector plates. Each deflector plate will have unequal legs on 3 corners to cause the to slope to the respective front outside corner (as noted in the figure). Each plate will also have a 1" fluid tight lip similar to a reverse flow plate. The oil will drop through the plate in the corner and into a tube that will "pipe" the oil/grease over to an insulated (on the fire side) drip pan. We thought about having it piped out of the fire box but the fab time for that killed the thought. For supper oil/grease product (ie pork belly, hole or half hog) the v-grate could also be used while smoking to capture even more grease.
Note there is a lot of plate to heat up and when smoking we don't want it to over heat the plate and cause nasty burnt oil or worse a flame up....So this is were we will test different fires and check the plate surface temp with an IR gun to see how much/& what additional changes will be needed to the underside of the plate. What I have learned with the Copper Pot VCC is that we might need some strips of heat sink with a small air gap to temper the flame (a full coverage would be too much and we would loose the plate IR benefit like the reverse flows).....Additionally, I believe using fire/coal management techniques similar to how full hog flat block smokers will also be the ticket. IE. a ring of coals or a smaller coal/fire on each side or in each corner.
And if you were referring to how the v-grate slopes (because the frame is flat), there are removable c-shaped channels with a tube spacer welded on that to create the grate slope. I highlighted them in the figure above. That way we get the v-grate sloped and the round bar grate flat. The spacers are very simple so the slope can be easily adjusted up or down based on our initial tests.
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Thanks looks like you have it covered. Didn't notice catch pan in the first post my bad.
Warren
Warren
Warren, no worries, I didn't mention it in any of the previous design details, because we were still "thinken" about how to accomplish it. We needed some way to allow it to be a little bit flexible so we can move the plate left and right and maybe just use one that is in the middle. This seemed the easiest way to cover it............
FYI, this was a must have item cause the ultimate test is going to be a smallish hog (50-60 lb+/- ) (with the head, tail, and feet removed to help it fit). Will need to do many tests, research and such before that attempt though.......I've never done a full hog before but have helped with a 1/2 a beef....The beef was in a in the ground pit and needed a back hoe....
FYI, this was a must have item cause the ultimate test is going to be a smallish hog (50-60 lb+/- ) (with the head, tail, and feet removed to help it fit). Will need to do many tests, research and such before that attempt though.......I've never done a full hog before but have helped with a 1/2 a beef....The beef was in a in the ground pit and needed a back hoe....
We had a good late afternoon and early evening of fabricating.
First we welded on the ss 1/2 NPT fitting for the tel-tru. Then added a rain hat for it.
Next up after that was the air intake dampers and then on to the lower storage area doors. The lower doors give a nice finished look to the cabinet :-)
Also got the “sandwiched” upper door plates to air flow tight the door gap on too.
This is just a perspective view of the tel-tru extended length probe. The end 2inches (the reading portion) is 7.5 inches into the chamber so it should give a really good read on the heat column and not be affected by the side bricks.
Next up is to hang the lower doors and then move onto the damper handles, wheel lock handle, and door handles. The chimney with its rain hat after that. We have the chimney pieces cut just need to weld it up.
The after mother’s day tasks will be to finish the:
- Smoker plates & drip pans
- Concrete shelf on the right side
- The temperature probe shelf’s & open door locking pins (on both sides)
- the double burner and propane bottle hanger.
- 3/8 ss round rod grates. We might move these up the list so we can test cook with them but we will see how things go.
- then the color.
(About 20 - 25 hours worth on this list)
First we welded on the ss 1/2 NPT fitting for the tel-tru. Then added a rain hat for it.
Next up after that was the air intake dampers and then on to the lower storage area doors. The lower doors give a nice finished look to the cabinet :-)
Also got the “sandwiched” upper door plates to air flow tight the door gap on too.
This is just a perspective view of the tel-tru extended length probe. The end 2inches (the reading portion) is 7.5 inches into the chamber so it should give a really good read on the heat column and not be affected by the side bricks.
Next up is to hang the lower doors and then move onto the damper handles, wheel lock handle, and door handles. The chimney with its rain hat after that. We have the chimney pieces cut just need to weld it up.
The after mother’s day tasks will be to finish the:
- Smoker plates & drip pans
- Concrete shelf on the right side
- The temperature probe shelf’s & open door locking pins (on both sides)
- the double burner and propane bottle hanger.
- 3/8 ss round rod grates. We might move these up the list so we can test cook with them but we will see how things go.
- then the color.
(About 20 - 25 hours worth on this list)
So as planned we worked on getting the doors hung. Here is the boy welding up the lower door jamb.
Now grinding away.......
And bingo the lower doors are hung. Just need to grind and do the second weld on the hinges.
We also got the chimney tacked up (it still needs its rain hat) and we got all the stock cut for the handles.
Chop chop chop!
This week after the work day we will just be focused on cleaning the inside yup, ie grinding welds, wire brushing, 3m wheels and such to get ready to season it for the Mother’s Day first cook!!!!!!
Now grinding away.......
And bingo the lower doors are hung. Just need to grind and do the second weld on the hinges.
We also got the chimney tacked up (it still needs its rain hat) and we got all the stock cut for the handles.
Chop chop chop!
This week after the work day we will just be focused on cleaning the inside yup, ie grinding welds, wire brushing, 3m wheels and such to get ready to season it for the Mother’s Day first cook!!!!!!
What ?
Never saw the Evolution saw in chopsaw form . We used the hand held version with the blade that cuts thru 12 ga metal . Happy to see the young man wearing his hearing protection . I should have .
I bet you're ready to see some smoke ,,, getting close .
Gettin' there man!
Yard BirdYard Birdwhat'cha gonna do'o,what'cha gonna do when they come for you.
Yard Bird
Yard Birdwhat'cha gonna do'o,what'cha gonna do when they come for you.
Amazing is a gross understatement.
Many thanks, forktender!
I have the 7.5 inch hand steel version as well. It cuts the 3/16” plate like butter! So when I saw the rage chop version I grabbed it. The rage blade burned up quick but since it runs the same rpm as the hand version I put a stainless steel blade in it and bingo, chop chop. They have a 14 inch steel chop version that I think would be the ticket!
Oh yes safety first!
Gettin' there man!
Yard Bird
View attachment 394928
Just awesome, that even made the boy smile, and that is something!!!
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