# Smoker project



## Rob The Rude

I finally found a propane tank for a reasonable price. I picked up a 7ft long x 25in diameter tank for $30. Removed all the valves and plugs, flushed for a day, then filled with water and Dawn soap, and let sit for a week. Drained it, flushed it again, then refilled it again with more Dawn soap and water, and let it sit for another 2 weeks. It only smells like soap now, so I will be cutting her open tomorrow, and getting it going. I will post more as progress is made...

















I will be building a 24x24x24 square offset firebox to supply the heat.


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## Team S.A. Blue

im getting ready to do it also..keep us posted.


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## Rob The Rude

Well I made it past the scary  part without incident. I still have all my fingers and limbs so it gets easier now. Now I'm going to remove all the threaded bosses on the top and weld up the holes to smooth it out. Then it's time to build the fire box.


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## TomCat

OOPs too late. 
Weld the hinges on before you make the last door cut. That way the doors will line up square. Also keep the tank seam on the bottom.


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## Rob The Rude

TomCat said:


> OOPs too late.
> Weld the hinges on before you make the last door cut. That way the doors will line up square. Also keep the tank seam on the bottom.


The doors were cut with a plasma cutter, so there is very little gap, and they didn't even fall in after cutting. My plan is to add the 1in flat stock to the edges of the doors to hold them in place then weld the hinges on. I knew about welding the hinges on before, but I figure because of my close tolerances this will actually give me a better fit. 
As for the tank seam, it is on the bottom, that is the way the tank was already set up. I used the existing center line on the tank. My doors are cut 4in down from the center line, so when the doors are opened all the heat will not escape, and this will also help keep the weight down reducing the need for counter weights on the doors.

Thanks for the input.:cheers:


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## TomCat

P-cutter make a lot of difference. Much mo gooder cut. And $30.00 is a steal for that tank. 
Is that the axle in the top right of the pix.


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## Rob The Rude

Yes Sir!! It's an old boat trailer axle that came off a tandem axle trailer. The trailer was rusted out, but the axles were in decent shape. I kept the best one of the two. I can't believe you saw that! LOL!!

Yes, the Plasma makes a huge difference. I hardly ever use my torches unless I'm removing rusted stuff, or cutting things off like the thread bosses on this tank. The plasma I have will cut 3/4 in a single pass, so this 1/4 tank was like cutting butter. It makes metal fabrication much easier when you are not spending so much time grinding cuts.


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## Rob The Rude

Brought home my material today. 1/2 in plate for my firebox, and 3/16 plate for the upright smoke chamber. Also my grate for the firebox and smoke stack Now the fun begins.:brew2:

















This is what I am shooting for, except with a square firebox...


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## Rob The Rude

Made some progress on this set of days off. I got the holes welded up and smoothed out, cut off the round ends, and started on my firebox. Next week I will weld it to the main chamber.
I also found an added benefit to removing the round ends, I get two 24" disk cookers.


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## alien750

Rob The Rude said:


> I also found an added benefit to removing the round ends, I get two 24" disk cookers.


i was going to ask what you were going to do with the ends!


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## Rob The Rude

Got some more fab work done this week. Firebox is almost done, just need to smooth the edges, weld on some hinges, and finish the load door. Then weld it to the main chamber.
Top firebox grill door








Angle for wood grate








Load door cut and fitted


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## Jasmillertime

What's the latest on your progress?


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## Rob The Rude

Jasmillertime said:


> What's the latest on your progress?


I just realized the other night it's been awhile since I added to this thread. I've been real busy taking care of other things around the house, and just recently got back to work on what I want to work on.
Finished the fire box, except for the top door hinges, the top door will get welded in place after I attach the box to the main chamber. (Save a little weight for maneuvering) That's next weeks goal..

























I also picked up my donor trailer, it's 4in channel. I still need to replace the cross members with straight channel, and I already have the material for that. 









Total out of pocket including expendables so far is $427.


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## saltwatersensations

Looks good.


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## w_r_ranch

How much do you calculate the finished smoker to weigh??? What weight axle in on that trailer??? I don't want you to have a surprise down the road...

BTW, its look'in good so far!


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## Rob The Rude

w_r_ranch said:


> How much do you calculate the finished smoker to weigh??? What weight axle in on that trailer??? I don't want you to have a surprise down the road...
> 
> BTW, its look'in good so far!


I'm figuring it will weigh right around 1500lbs +or- 100lbs, and the trailer has a 3500lb drop spindle axle under it, with new springs. Right now the axle is stronger than the trailer, but that will change. I am also adding a wood rack on the back side of the smoker, and another rack on the front for a propane bottle, and ice chest. The propane is for the log lighter in the fire box, and burner stand for my disk cooker.


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## shorty70

WTG, bro...that is looking great so far. Please keep posting on this peoject. Impressive, wish I could do things like that. You get a serious mancard or two for this.


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## Rob The Rude

I know it's been a while, but the wife's health had to come first :biggrin:. Now the mad dash has begun to finish my project before the heat sets in. I have finished converting the trailer frame, and now I can put the firebox and cooking chamber together. I had to have somewhere to put the pit once I put everything together. 
Here is the trailer-


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## finkikin

awesome job so far!


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## peckerwood

I've been a welder most of my life,and your impressing the **** outta me!


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## Law Dog

Looking good so far, it's heavy duty for sure...


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## Rob The Rude

Made some more progress this weekend. It's getting close!




I'm ready to be done!!


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## Saltwater Boy(1)

That looks freaking sweet man!

Wish I knew how to weld lol.


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## Rob The Rude

A little closer...
I got the legs welded in place.



All the internals in place



And the wood grate is now done.


Won't be long now...


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## finkikin

Looks fantastic!


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## Rob The Rude

Ready to move to the trailer, sandblast and paint.


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## Fishdaze

That's looking real good. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## porkchoplc

wheres your smoke stack? guessing its that green pipe in the last pic?


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## Rob The Rude

porkchoplc said:


> wheres your smoke stack? guessing its that green pipe in the last pic?


Yeah, the chimney is the green pipe, it now has an adjustable baffle plate on top of the pipe, with the handle just above the cooking chamber. Here is another pic that shows the full pipe.


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## prokat

Yep,I'm a welder myself,and I must say Great Job!!! You will like that thing,I got lazy on my last one and just bought it,enjoy that sucker and post some pics of the brisket you cook!!


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## Rob The Rude

Finally got it up on the trailer. Now to build the wood box on the other side of the smoker, storage box on the front of the trailer, plumb the propane log starter, make some fender mounts, then sandblast and paint.


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## DirectDrive

Looking great !
Everything looks in scale and well thought out.

Can't wait to see how she runs.


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## monkeyman1

What's the distance from the ground to the prep shelf? I have the same style vent door on my fire chamber. The channels get filled with crud and the door is difficult to slide, FYI.

Looking good.


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## Rob The Rude

monkeyman1 said:


> What's the distance from the ground to the prep shelf? I have the same style vent door on my fire chamber. The channels get filled with crud and the door is difficult to slide, FYI.
> 
> Looking good.


Prep shelf is just above my waste, right at my belly button. This should be perfect, as I can still reach the chamber door handles when fully open flat footed. I also will not have to be leaning over when working the pit, major plus for my back, and the cooking grates slide out. 
I left the vent door channels a little loose just to be safe, and if the pit is flowing right, this shouldn't be much of a problem. If it is, I will just clean them out regularly.


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## Rob The Rude

Decided to go ahead and sandblast, and paint my pit so I could start making smoke. I will finish out the trailer in the next couple of weeks, but she's ready to cook.




Now I know why they charge so much to sandblast. There was nothing fun about doing it, except the money saved.


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## Dick Hanks

When will you take it on it's maiden cooking experience? ?

I'm getting hungry just looking at the smoker empty.


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## fishfeeder

Awesome build! Any updates?


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## monkeyman1

Looks good!


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## JFolm

Awesome fab work!


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## Rob The Rude

:doowapsta I am seasoning the pit as I type. Finished all the little details this morning. Going to cook some steaks tonight (Pics later), and tomorrow will be smoking a few racks of spare ribs, and some sausage. This has been way more work than I thought, but I like things to be right the first time. Here she is completed, (except the trailer).
1. Tuning plates installed.
2. Cooking racks
3. My baby


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## Rob The Rude

Making Smoke!!:bounce::bounce:


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## Rob The Rude

As promised, first meat off my build. A couple Sirloins on the firebox grill. Tomorrow, smoked ribs, and sausage...


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## txdougman

Nice build.
I have to ask...forgive my ignorance, but what are tuning plates? Like the T handle concept.


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## Rob The Rude

txdougman said:


> Nice build.
> I have to ask...forgive my ignorance, but what are tuning plates? Like the T handle concept.


Tuning plates are 1/4 in steel plates that are 6" wide, and run the full length of the smoke chamber below the cooking grates. This smoker has 8 of them, and they are moved different widths apart down the chamber to regulate the chamber temps from one end to the other. You can create hot spots, or make the temp the same from one end to the other. I was actually able to have the temp within 5 deg at the smokestack end, as was at the firebox side.

This smoker has 3 different ways to control temps across the chamber, due to having the tuning plates, and very minimal adjustments make a very noticeable difference.
Here are a couple more pics of the tuning plates. Close together at the firebox, and further apart at the far end.


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## Rob The Rude

Ran her several hours tonight making Spare ribs, and sausage. She runs like a dream, temps are easily controlled across the smoke chamber, by only adjusting the air flow vents. Tuning plates adjusted yesterday during seasoning and are set perfect now, and she uses very little wood.


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## mustangeric

i must say that pit looks amazing.


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## scwine

Nice work...She looks awesome!!!


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## peckerwood

I'm very impressed Rob.You sure come a long way from just a tank to a very nice smoker.Pat yourself on the back for me.


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## DirectDrive

Very nice !
I think I can smell those ribs up here !


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## mrsh978

great pit. im in the middle of a 30" propane tank project too. 24" dia vertical smoke chamber and round firebox.. will go on 18' diamond plate trailer with roof... what did your blasting charge come out to? grey area on info there.. thanks and great work.:cheers:


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## Rob The Rude

mrsh978 said:


> great pit. im in the middle of a 30" propane tank project too. 24" dia vertical smoke chamber and round firebox.. will go on 18' diamond plate trailer with roof... what did your blasting charge come out to? grey area on info there.. thanks and great work.:cheers:


I did the sand blasting myself. I used the cheap play sand from Home Depot, and ran it through a media screen before loading it into my blast tank. It took 7 fifty pound bags to take it to white metal, and I think I went through 2 ceramic nozzles. 
I still think I came out ahead by buying my own sandblaster, and media screen. I spent about $130 total, and that is with buying the sandblaster, screen, and all the sand. And I have other uses for the blaster in the future.


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## mrsh978

thanks for the info- blasting aint pretty or glamorous-you get sand in orifices you never dreamed.....I ve done it .! $75-$100 per hour is what I am finding out commercially here. may look into a pot and larger compressor. what paint did you use?


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## Rob The Rude

Yeah, the blasting was no fun, but saved me a ton of cash. For the paint, I used Rustoleum 1200 deg high heat, flat black. This is another way to save cash, it doesn't require a primer first, and 2 coats did a fine job. Plus if you ever need a touch up, Home Depot is always near by.


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