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@Diggerg, free is always nice. At the shop they don't stock plate over 6mm. Everything above that is ordered at a cutting service. But if I need the order thicker plate I can also order CorTen. My question remains wheter it's more resistant to wear. At the moment my drawings use 6mm plate as substit...

@Dirtytires, I've reading along also for some years and have the plans already for two years when more urgent stuff came up. Now I'm trying to start this build again. While discussing the build some buddies suggested using CorTen. But is the CorTen(A) really more resistant to fire than regular fire?...

I'm wondering if anybody has noticed any wear on the firebox? Fire eats away mild steel. That's why most combustion chambers in stoves etc are lined with firebricks. The reason I ask is that firebox of the mini or any GF for that matter is not very repairable. The whole firebox is welded to the fram...

Very nice, ^:)^. I figured that you were measuring in the transfertube. I like the approach a lot. For me, as non BBQ guru, measuring and logging takes a lot of guess work out of the equation. That's why I like sousvide so much. Once you know the time and temperature for a product/recipe you can't g...

What a nice project. Did you use a single ADC and an analog multiplexer for probe selection? How and where did you measure the fire temp? The usual meat probes cannot handle that heat. So probably you used a thermocouple but I don't see a plug for that. Although the first pic might show a new style ...

I'd also build the frame first and weld the CC panels later in the frame. Welding such a large box only of flimsy panels isn't that easy without any support for the panels. Turn the fitting around, instead of the a few posts earlier suggested cutting and fitting the frame AROUND the CC, build a fram...

Thank you all for the input. When I make my mini GF build I'll take some pictures of my choice of welding. Still I'm facing a lot of choices. I live in a very harsh climate, so everything rusts. But stainless plate raises the bill a lot. And I need to TIG it all because I can't MIG it. Perhaps I onl...

Good luck, I'm about to start, hopefully before the end of the year. I still need to source some parts and finalize my design tweaks. What model are you going to build?

I admit that I like to wrestle dead tree carcasses uhh ... I mean fine woodworking. A while ago I saw a steam based weedburner in the shop which was cracked in several places because the heated plate / steam generator expanded so much that several welds on the support frame broke. The amount of heat...

I totally agree that everything in the CC should be fully welded to prevent false air and ingress of grease into the insulation. My concern is the amount of stress, around the ash and charcoal doors, caused by the temp difference between the very hot firebox assembly and cool outer panels. If everyb...

Thanks for the reply and the extra details. So you fully welded to firebox to frame, at the top and right hand side. My guess was that you had it "floating", only welded on the tube below the transfer tube. I'll probably weld the seams as well instead of caulking them in order to prevent paint issue...

Hi all, I'm planning my mini GF build. Since the plans don't include weld details I need some help. The firebox assembly touches many areas. Should everything be fully welded? Or should certain areas be left unwelded to allow for expansion and crimping because of temperature. The left side of the CC...

Thanks, I have to say this has been one of the funnest and rewarding projects I have done in years. Weldun, I'm planning my mini GF build and hope that it will as rewarding as yours. While planning my build I studied your excellent build but still have some questions. Why did you use the RTV around...

It seems you guys might be one step short of agreeing on how to combine quantum field theory and general relativity. So the fan really helps during starting and recovery but during cooking small adjustments via a valve are sufficient to keep the fire burning. Come to think of it, not using the fan d...

The title sums it up: can I run a GF without a fan (guru etc)? Can it naturally get enough oxygen through the commonly used 2" pipe?
I want to use a electronically controlled valve not a fan.
Everybody seems to be using a guru which might be an indication that they need the forced airflow.

@BitBucket, haha my would be smoker (24x40) almost dwarfs compared to yours: 74 vs 220 gallons (gross). If you've such small variances in temperature than my much smaller would have even less variance. Given the environmental conditions I understand the condense in the CC. I would love to constant b...

@Rodcrafter, thank you for your input. I can image that after some serious basting these plates are almost welded to the CC. :) So in your opinion it's the "new" factor and possibly easy construction that makes the RF so popular (at the moment) not that it's a vast superior design. What size RF smok...

StorkQ, Great questions. I'm not going to try to convince you of what's better, because I imagine that's like inviting discussion on what brand of truck is better. I did deliberate these things with my own smoker. Here's how that turned out. @BB, first off all thank you for your valuable input. Tha...

Even temps is a positive atribute for the RF in my opinion. The BP also retains the drippings and flavors the meat as it steams off. Cleaning under th BP is unnecessary if there is a grease dam and drain valve installed. The meat is also protected from hot, direct heat from the fire box as well whi...

Hi, not to troll but to learn. Why are there sooo many posts about RF smokers compared to the other types? Is the reverse flow offset smoker the solution for everything? Does it guarantees winning? Or are there so many topics because there're a lot of issues? I know that the subject has been beat to...

thanks @Rodcrafter! I understand that no commercial builder will ever do this. They might use a better quality steel to begin with and don't have to deal with this (possible) problem in the first place. My drops are leftovers from a piling company. These pipes are welded and should have stress in th...

I recently got two pieces 24" 1/4" pipe each about 40" long. I want to cut a single large door in one of them. (I'm going to use the other for a grill) Would having a small fire over the entire length relief some stress? So that warpage is minimized. I intend to please some cross braces at either en...

mheath wrote:I figured it out! The water pan was either too big or too close to the firebox. I cut it out and it works great now!

Could you please share what the current setup is? Cause if you cut it out than you end up with a grill more or less. Thanks.

Look at "Eli's comin' " in the reverse flow department. He is a vertical and has an inverted baffle plate. Maybe that will give you an idea. :D I did look at that post but all images seem to have disappeared (from imageshack). Could you have a look at that? Cause I'm researching a cabinet style smo...