Wood stove for a smoke chamber?

[rustybones]

I am in the planning stage of building a RF I was wonder if anyone on here has used a wood stove as a smoke chamber? I was thinking of using this one as part of my 57 gallon smoker.

I was also wonder if anyone has center mounted the firebox to chamber opening along with the chimney and RF plate?

I was thinking of doing a center mount so I could fit this whole thing on the rear of a trailer.

 

[pellet]

I have a line on a 275 gal. oval fuel barrel and a 250 gal round (free) and have been looking around for a box wood stove to try on one and then another style of  fire box for a trailer mounted smoker. Boxwood smokers are a plenty on craigslist reasonably cheap, With the camps stove your looking at would have to have the stack blocked off if your talking about using it for a FB. Did get a pm from a guy who said his buddy used a wood stove for the FB and is happy wioth the control of the heat in the cook chamber

 

[cliffcarter]

A guy I know did this-

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc43/Teleking101/DSCF0019.jpg

and this-

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc43/Teleking101/DSCF0036.jpg

 

[turn4fun]

Looks a little thin to me, I'm guessing maybe 18 ga. at best.  I read some of the reviews and for the price they want, I think I'd run.  If you've got the ability to cut and weld, you can definitely build something better yourself much cheaper.  If you want something pre-made like that, a small vogalzang boxwood stove might fit the bill better and is cheaper too.
 

 

[caublecustomfab]

Check on local Craigslist ads. You should be able to find a much heavier wood stove for about the same price.

 

[daveomak]

bones, morning and welcome to the forum.....  before you get too far into the build, there are some design ideas that folks have worked out that will help you make your smoker the best it can be...  There are several links below that may be beneficial in your design and build... If you have any questions, many folks here have built smokers and are willing to help....   Anyway, click on the links and enjoy....  

Smoker Design/Pit Calc/Circle Calc

Dave

 

[jabbo]

Rusty I know someone on this forum has done a center FB build and it was reported to work very well, but I can't remember who.  I do remember reading the build, though.  Maybe someone else knows who it was or perhaps you can find it.  Sorry, I don't remember.

 

[rasimmo]

(link removed)
That is one center firebox design on here

 

[rustybones]

One of the reasons  I was looking at the wood stove was since the local steel yard wants over 200 bucks for the steel I would need to build a box. I have a welder, just no real means of cutting. As for Craigslist... my luck on there has been foul to say the least. What does it take to get a seller to return a call or email?
 

 

[jarjarchef]

Center fire box designs are very fuel effecent. Just a couple things need to be work out.

A secondary heat sync plate above the fire box. This will help eliminate the hot spot. How big and how much space between it and the RF plate?

RF plate drain..... 1 in the center or 1 on either side.....?


Otherwise the same formulas will work......

I am a big fan of the theory of this design. I am still concidering it for a large build.

 

[rustybones]

Found a welding shop/ steel yard that is hooking me up with two 2 foot pieces of 12x12 box steel. At half the cost of the other yard. I am going to have to do cut one piece down its length to get my target size for the box. But such is life. Found a trailer via a coworkers neighbor. Way to nice to mount the smoker on it, but at least I have a way to haul a free stander around with. I am still leaning hard towards an under mount firebox with the center firebox to chamber opening and a center chimney. Playing with the pit builder calculator I think I got figured right(ish) that with a 57 gallon chamber I'll be needing:

Fire box of 18x12x24

Chimney of 4inch round and 20 inch tall

FB to chamber of 7.27inch circle

air intake of of 5x 3.25

Now for what stumping me, the opening at the ends of the RF plate, does that need to be the same size as the firebox to chamber opening or what? Also if I am doing a center mount FB to chamber can I split the opening between both sides?

I have about 10 inches from cooking surface to bottom of the chamber I was planning putting the 2nd heat sync plate about three and half inches from the bottom, the RF plate about 3 inches and half and the cooking surface. As for the drain.... I am still looking in that. I'll have a better idea once I get the RF its self. I might just have a channel along the back was going out one side with the RF plate having a slight slope( about 1/4 inch over 24 inches) to get the grease into it.
 

 

[jarjarchef]

Sounds like it is coming together......

I am not sure what the proper distance for the heat sync should be, but 3.5 inches might be a bit much. Just an idea, take it for what it is worth. What if in the corners of the heat sync plate you welded a 1/2" bolt, then in your RF plat drill a 1/2" hole to match the bolts. Then use a nut and washer to hold in place. This way it is adjustable and you can tune it to what you need and find the sweet spot........

If it is a royal pain to cut the 12x12 box, then go with a bigger fire box........ Leaves more room for ash pan and grates for the wood/charcoal.......

 

[rasimmo]

Most folks on here advise to have 1.5 times the firebox to cook chamber opening for the RF plate opening. The other builds I have seen with center firebox had openings at both ends and the stack in the middle. If you look through the build I posted a link to earlier, you should get a pretty good idea. 

 

[mr t 59874]

Here's what I did with a wood stove.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123840/my-cold-smoking-options-w-q-view#post_839828

 

[rasimmo]

I just went back and checked and that was not the right link in the other post, sorry. This is the one that I was trying post.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/112908/my-first-250-gal-reverse-flow