Third starts a charm!

[canuck76]

I almost feel embarrassed to start another post about building this smoker.... Every time I do we get a few days into it and a major distraction hits and we abandon it to go off to work. 

But... Here it is, back in the shop!

IMG_6138.JPG

• canuck76
• Jan 7, 2017

I really hope we get some time to work on it this go round, I'd love to have it able to use by snow melt-ish. 

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks like it's gonna be a beauty!

Al

 

[canuck76]

Picked up the side burner for it this weekend! The frame will need a few mods but we'll make it fit! 

IMG_6139.jpg

• canuck76
• Jan 9, 2017

 

[gary s]

  Good morning and welcome to the forum from a cloudy and windy day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of          great people with tons of information on just about everything.

        Gary

 

[canuck76]

The side burner installed on its fold up mount. 

IMG_6157.JPG

• canuck76
• Jan 12, 2017

IMG_6158.JPG

• canuck76
• Jan 12, 2017

 

[416bigbore]

Hello Welcome ! 

 I would be up for participating in your build.

 I like that you are able to post great pics, that really help us all see what you have going on. 

You can PM me with any questions you may have if you don't want to post them to your build thread. Just from your pics, I have a question for you? Is your Axle  staying where you have it mounted on your trailer? 

 

[canuck76]

Hello,

I had planned on leaving the axle there, unless of course Ive overlooked something and I need to move it?

Suggestions? 

Heres a side profile. Keep in mind I've still got a fire box door/hardware, another layer to go over the fire box (for insulation) and a warmer box with all the fixins to go on top of the fire box that will add counter balance. 

IMG_6188.JPG

• canuck76
• Jan 19, 2017

It won't sit at this angle on a vehicle, its on my 6x6 because I had to pull it outside for a couple days to get another project completed.

Stupid work!!

From the back:

 

IMG_6181.JPG

• canuck76
• Jan 19, 2017

 

[gary s]

Rule of Thumb is 10 to 15 % of Trailer Weight   for Tongue Weight

Gary

 

[canuck76]

I was thinking we'd weigh it when its done, before paint and full of some stuff, (coolers, food, ice, wood, propane bottles etc...) to make sure its not too tongue heavy.  I've got a little excavating company and get the whole trailer balance thing.

Im also a little afraid it may be too heavy for the axle thats under it and we may need to replace it with a larger one. 

Thanks, I appreciate the input! 

Clayton

 

[416bigbore]

Hello Clayton your project 

Thanks for posting up those side pics for us to have a better look at your axle placement. The first pics and from the angle you took them, for me the axle appeared farther back than what it actually was and that's why I questioned it? Much easier to make that adjustment now before your fenders and other sheet metal is welded into place.

Gary is spot on !  

 For instance, if a 2,000-pound conventional trailer is loaded with 1,000 pounds of cargo, the proper tongue weight of the loaded trailer should be between 300 and 450 pounds, or 10-15 percent of the loaded 3,000 pound total.

As I said earlier, if you're copying a factory built set-up, someone else has already done that part for you, as long as your build doesn't have any additional weight behind the axle. That's when you start to have stability issues do to not enough tongue weight, that's why I said more is better over to little. You don't have to be spot on the 10-15 %, 20-30%  will still be safer, than not enough, now your vehicle rear suspension will start being affected because of the extra tough weight, still safer than not enough once again. I am not trying to

 Just wanted you to understand a little better so you don't have to worry and waste the extra time in trying to get the exact 10-15% tongue weight.  Rule of thumb as Gary pointed out.

Without knowing your exact GVW of your axle? I would guess 3500 lbs by looking at the 5 lug wheel bolt  pattern, with a 15" rim and a standard P-metric passenger load rated tire, with 32 psi rating. If this info is all correct ?

 You should be just fine with your build as long as you don't go overkill  on your metal thickness.

Heavier ga. material isn't always the answer for the strength factor in a custom built project.  Backing plates and gussets used in the correct places allow you to use lighter ga. material and will NOT compromise the structural integrity of your build. Your axle is load rated for the overall weight of your project, heavy material when you don't need it, adds up into heavy bigger  8 bolt axle, or 5 bolt tandem axles,  in return more money !  Hope that explanation helped ?

I will stop here. Keep up the great work! Mike             

 

[canuck76]

Makes perfect sense, as long as tongue weight doesnt get out of control either. I have a one ton pick up but not everyone pulling this will.

This video is one of my favourite demonstrations of what you just explained

   

 

[416bigbore]

That was an AWESOME video post ! 

   Getting back to other people hooking up and pulling it? You're still going to be ok if it's a little over the 10-15 %, it's the extreme 50-60% over is when other people will have problems pulling it with a lighter GVW vehicles than your F-350. I am assuming or 3500 GMC ?

Let me ask you this? What would you do in a Panic situation like that?  No different then having a front tire blow out at 70 mph driving down the road! 

 

 

[416bigbore]

Clayton, I was just looking at other pics on your profile of your project, Is that 36" pipe with a 1/2" wall thickness?  Then also the pic of the Pallet with all the flat plate, That to is for this same build project of yours?

 

 

[canuck76]

Actually its a Dodge! 

And in a panic situation Id stay calm, steer through it and apply brakes to the trailer only (as best I could in the situation)

Ive unfortunately been in that situation once. All ended well. 

Yes, those other pics were of this build, I posted them under the wrong thread, my bad! 

Wall thickness is closer to 7/16" x 36" diameter, and yes, all that plate is for this too. Ive had a second skid just show up for the warmer box and there will be 3 more sheets of 10 gauge to hold insulation in place too.

All of the fire box, warmer box and ends are 1/4" and the fire box door is 1/2", it will also get some reinforcing gusset's. 

 

[416bigbore]

Did anyone sit down and do the math on all the weight of the Material? I would have to guess the wall thickness is .500 1/2"  rather than .437 7/16", because 7/16" is not a standard wall thickness for that size unless it is rolled special. Your 36"x 60"x.500 wall pipe ONLY weighs in at 948 lbs, that's 189.6 lbs a foot.

 WOW ! 

With that kind of weight for your material, I would start looking at another  5 hole axle to add or go to a 8 hole 7500 lbs rated single. with 16" wheel and a 10 ply tire. Not only will that never blow away, but it will be around for your Great Grandchildren's, children to use! 

   With those thicknesses of your material and the continual expansion and contraction over time on the welded seams, I personally would weld that Bad Boy up with Lo-High over wire. Unless you're welded seams are all 100% pen. Good chance you could have issues down the road with your welds cracking down the middle of your welds and leaking.  That's my .02 cents worth on the welds, if those were your welds in the pics? they

 you obviously know how to weld, I personally would use stick is all.  

 

[canuck76]

After getting back to it to measure, the cook chamber is .375 wall.

And no, Ive never calculated any weights as the design is in my head, on a couple napkins and one sheet of graph paper. (and I hate admitting it but on several other web sites as I need inspiration) Once we weigh it I may opt for the heavier axle. 

And I appreciate your input on the welds cracking, I do have a journeyman welder on my staff and he's dialled into that type of stuff. 

I can weld but more in a farm capacity! lol. 

 

[marctrees]

It's been often handy to know in my head, steel weighs 10 lbs (rounded off) for one square foot of 1/4".

That and diameter x 3.14 for circumference.

Can quickly figure out a lot from that, like 416 said above.

That will get ya +- a few %, close enough unless you're going to Mars with it.

Seems to me, seeing as how design/ add ons could change as project progresses, it would make sense to final position and weld axle near the completion of the "heavy" work, not before.     Marc

 

[canuck76]

Some background on how this build started:

*imagine, two buddies drinking and wandering around an industrial/farm yard with lots of odds and ends in it when they see a big chunk of pipe, once used as a land roller to push rocks into the ground and smooth tilled ground,

Buddy #1 "HEY!! You know what we could build with that!?"
Buddy #2 "Yeah! A Kick ass smoker"
#1 "Dam straight!!, let's get a tape measure and see what we can get out of it"
#2 "Ok, and more beer"

Twenty minutes later

#1 "So we could build one huge 10' long smoker, wouldn't that be killer!!?"
#2 "AWESOME!!!, I'll start the excavator and get it in the shop"

Another 20 minutes later, now in the shop with said pipe,

#1 "Bud this may be a bit ambitious seeing as we've never built a smoker before and neither of us can really weld"
#2 "So you're saying we should cut it in half so it's only 5' long making it twice as easy to build?"
#1 "Exactly!!"

And that's the story of how this smoker build started. No plan's, no experience, no real clue on what it would look like or include when it was done, just the desire to build a smoker.
The rest we've been winging!
And if it needs a heavier axle when it's done, or the axle needs to move, we'll continue with our building style, grab a grinder with a zip disc on it, pick it off the ground with an excavator and slice the axle off, simple!!

Who plans these? I can't imagine knowing what it's going to be one second before it has wood in the fire box under a roaring tiger torch for the first time!

Might be just me.

 

[416bigbore]

Some background on how this build started:

*imagine, two buddies drinking and wandering around an industrial/farm yard with lots of odds and ends in it when they see a big chunk of pipe, once used as a land roller to push rocks into the ground and smooth tilled ground,

Buddy #1 "HEY!! You know what we could build with that!?"
Buddy #2 "Yeah! A Kick ass smoker"
#1 "Dam straight!!, let's get a tape measure and see what we can get out of it"
#2 "Ok, and more beer"

Twenty minutes later

#1 "So we could build one huge 10' long smoker, wouldn't that be killer!!?"
#2 "AWESOME!!!, I'll start the excavator and get it in the shop"

Another 20 minutes later, now in the shop with said pipe,

#1 "Bud this may be a bit ambitious seeing as we've never built a smoker before and neither of us can really weld"
#2 "So you're saying we should cut it in half so it's only 5' long making it twice as easy to build?"
#1 "Exactly!!"

And that's the story of how this smoker build started. No plan's, no experience, no real clue on what it would look like or include when it was done, just the desire to build a smoker.
The rest we've been winging!
And if it needs a heavier axle when it's done, or the axle needs to move, we'll continue with our building style, grab a grinder with a zip disc on it, pick it off the ground with an excavator and slice the axle off, simple!!

Who plans these? I can't imagine knowing what it's going to be one second before it has wood in the fire box under a roaring tiger torch for the first time!

Might be just me.

Hey!  You're speaking about my Graceland, have a little respect ! LOL 

  It's all good ! LOL

 I build a lot of stuff with scrap iron and people think I went and bought new Iron for it, so I do understand how to make do with what you have. It's all about the fun and being safe in the process! I You also have a very nice play ground from the looks of it, full of all the tools you need to create whatever strikes your imagination! That's Awesome!

I was just trying to get a better understanding with the pics you posted as to the final weight for your axle. When do you plan on having the monster up and breathing fire? Looks great so far, keep up the good work and keep us all posted with more pics as it all comes together !

   

 

[416bigbore]

 
After getting back to it to measure, the cook chamber is .375 wall.

And no, Ive never calculated any weights as the design is in my head, on a couple napkins and one sheet of graph paper. (and I hate admitting it but on several other web sites as I need inspiration) Once we weigh it I may opt for the heavier axle. 

And I appreciate your input on the welds cracking, I do have a journeyman welder on my staff and he's dialled into that type of stuff. 

I can weld but more in a farm capacity! lol. 

Just remember one thing. It takes a good welder to make three passes on a pipe and still have it not test ! 

  That's a little welding humor ! LOL  You guy's are doing an awesome job!