Well its all your fault guys...My UDS is now cooking its first shoulder!

[pocketaces]

I was able to buy three of these babies 10 minutes from my house for $10 each.  They held soybean oil.  The outsides are clean as a whistle.  I couldn't get home fast enough.  I got them unloaded and wondered if the tops would come off.  No problem.  I took off the bolt / bracket and peaked inside hoping to not see the dreaded red liner...nope.  We're all set.  There is about a half gallon of the soybean oil still in there.  Do you think that I should still do a "burn" or should I just build it and fire the thing up with lump?

I also visited a metal shop today and ordered the expanded steel for the firebox.  My buddy at work is going to weld them up for me.  He works for beer.  I also stopped and picked up the step drill bits I'll need. 

Next up is to find the grates and to buy the other hardware/paint that is needed.  This thing is so clean I question if I should even paint it.  If I do a burn I'm sure I'll give it a paint job too.

Any advice is appreciated.  I'll keep everyone updated.  Again, this is all your fault guys....

 

[rbranstner]

Congrats. Are you going to make three of them? I would personally still do a burn on the barrel to get anything nasty out of there. After all your food is going to be cooking in there.

 

[pocketaces]

I'm going to build two of them and my buddy is going to build one.  He wants to do a burn too.  I have to agree, it can't hurt to make sure everything is clean in there.

After I burn it will I need to do anything to the inside?  Will the gray paint melt off of the outside?  These are so clean on the inside that they almost look like they are stainless steal.  I am sure they are not though.

I'm having fun tonight looking at all of the paint jobs and wheels that I see on everyone UDS.  I'm thinking I'm going to attach casters and some Green and Gold Packer paint.

 

[tyotrain]

If you do a burn the paint on the outside will most likely burn off.. Cant wait to see some pic's when there all done.

 

[meateater]

If its just soybean oil I'd just tip it over and let the rest drip on out, then just season it with your firebox and some wood that you would smoke with. Nice score by the way.

 

[pocketaces]

I picked up my expanded steel today for my firebox.  I have to figure out a way to roll it into shape.  I saw someone use a propane tank to get it started.  After that I'll bring the pieces over to my buddy so he can weld it.

Total cost of the cooker(s) so far is $22 dollars each.  Tomorrow I'll be running to Home Depot to pick up the pipe nipples, caps and ball valve.  I am still tying to hunt down a decent ash pan.  I've been to 3 cooking stores.  No pizza or cake pans big enough.  I've also started looking for old 22.5 weber parts for the cooking grate and lid.

I appreciate all of the help so far.  Any more votes on whether or not I should do a "burn"?  These things are as clean as a whistle.  Isn't Pam/cooking spray made from soybean oil in the first place?

More pictures to follow. 

 

[rbranstner]

If you live in Green Bay then it looks like you have a Mills Fleet Farm and you can pick up a feed pan in the livestock isle that is what I used. It fits my basket perfect. It is galvanized but it doesn't get really hot down there but I did burn off all the stuff with a torch before I used it. Go check it out.

Its like this but they are made of metal. I don't seem to find them online but they have them at our local fleet farm.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pr...feeding/little-giant-3-gal-plastic-pan-feeder

 

[rbranstner]

Actually it's more like this one.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pr...ing-feeding/little-giant-8-qt-rubber-feed-pan

 

[pocketaces]

Actually it's more like this one.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pr...ing-feeding/little-giant-8-qt-rubber-feed-pan

Thank you again!  I will run over to Fleet Farm and take a look.  I heard you can use hot water heater pans too but HD doesnt have one large enough.  My fire basket is going to be 16 inches in diameter.  I'm going to use some nuts and buts to connect the firebox to the ash pan.  I figure my ash pan can be between 17 and 20 inches.

 

[ak1]

I agree with Meateater, if the barrels held soybean oil, I'd just give them a good wipe and then a seasoning burn with charcoal in the basket.

 

[pocketaces]

What is the minimum distance from the top of my coal basket?  I haven't found my dome lid yet but I'm planning on getting one and would like to have two cooking grates.  How much space do I need between the lowest cooking grate and the highest one?

 

[fpnmf]

Looks like a winner...

Craig

 

[unionguynw]

What is the minimum distance from the top of my coal basket?  I haven't found my dome lid yet but I'm planning on getting one and would like to have two cooking grates.  How much space do I need between the lowest cooking grate and the highest one?

I only have one grate in mine because I haven't found a domed lid that wor ks yet.  Mine is 25 1/2' from the bottom of my barrel.  That leaves me about 8" from the grate to the top of the barrel. 

 

[unionguynw]

I saw someone use a propane tank to get it started.  After that I'll bring the pieces over to my buddy so he can weld it.

 If I rember right I just cut my rectangle for the basket and (while wearing gloves) rolled it into a cylinder and bolted it together with nuts/bolts and some washers.  I took them to a buddy along with my extra expanded metal.  Tack the cylinder for your basked with the welder and remove the nut/bolts/washer, these became the feet to keep my basket off the bottom of the barrel.  I then sat the cylinder on top of the extra expanded metal and used a plasma cutter to cut out the bottom.  Tack that on and your good to go. 

 

[virginiasmokesignal]

Pocketaces, if the drums contained only soybean oil they probably had to be food grade barrels, thus the no red paint, if they are food grade barrels I would not do a burn.  It should be fine just to season it with some heat and smoke and then cut loose and start smoking.  Now that's my opinion, that and $1.00 will get you a cup of coffee about anywhere but Starbucks!  Keep the pics and information coming. I love to watch these builds come together!

Your SMF Friend,

Barry 

 

[tom37]

A dollar for anything at Starbucks must be a pretty basic cup of coffee. LOL

Great Score on the drums. 

I gotta vote for build it and season it. Just my opinion tho.

Both of mine have the low grate at 8 or 8 1/2 inchs from the top lip of the drum.

For my coal basket I just used a 48"x16" expanded and gently formed it to a oval and tack welded the ends together, bolts would be fine also. Then I pushed and pulled until it was round again. A small weber grate worked for my basket bottom. 

 

[arnie]

Pocketaces, I could drive my truck 30 miles on that soy bean oil

Keep the pictures coming

 

[cowgirl]

You're gonna love it!! Good luck. :)

 

[pocketaces]

More pics to follow after todays weld.  I picked up grill grates at Menards for 7.99 and a 3.99 "grill" to use as an ash pan.

I'll have to total this up at the end but I'm still well under $100.00 for this build.

 

[rbranstner]

More pics to follow after todays weld.  I picked up grill grates at Menards for 7.99 and a 3.99 "grill" to use as an ash pan.

I'll have to total this up at the end but I'm still well under $100.00 for this build.

Welding??? No that's cheating.

  You can make it without welding but I sure wish I could of got my hands on a welder when I was making mine. Can't wait to see the pics.