1st build, 64 gallon lp tank RF vertical design ?

[mag1]

Hi all, new here. A buddie of mine has some 64 gallon lp tanks (roughly Ø19" x 52" tall). We would like to build them into 2 vertical RF smokers with a fire box below. Are there any good threads on doing one of these in the vertical setup? The chimney's would be out of u-channel, welded on the back of the tank, and on top of the firebox. My main question is how high up would you run the channel from the fire box up to the opening in the cook chamber? Or, is this something I need to play with on the calculators to size it correctly, and to also see what size channel I can get?

I have seen the Feldon calc. for figuring out sizing, but was looking for any other input that might be benificial. I will post (try) some pics of the tanks, sketch idea, and the start of the CAD work. Thanks for any input.

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Welcome to your first build. Yes, I know there are threads of a design like this. I will try and find them tonight and post the links.

[Big T]

looks like it's going to be a great build.

[Gizmo]

Welcome!

[Rev.Mike]

[Pete Mazz]

I'll throw this out there but it may be useless information:

I am/was into speaker building. When home theaters started to appear with surround sound and subwoofers, one method of building a sub was to use 2 sonotube (cardboard) cylinders of different diameters (say 20" and 24") and nest them, one inside the other with spacers, to create a tuned vent. I wonder if this construction would be practical for a reverse flow vertical cooker?

[Gizmo]

I've thought about that too Pete. Im afraid the outside air against the outside wall would cool down the hot FB air and it wouldn't flow right so I dropped it. Then again - Backwoods gets away with it….

[Rodcrafter]

Glad you found us, there some good pic that you may find useful of TQs cookers he puts a warmer cabinet on the top of the FB of his RF trailer builds. That end of the cooker is what your making, he has some good stuff on that. There are some pics also showing the openings between the two boxes.

That is a cool idea Pete, you may be right Gizmo, but if he insulated around the FB portion, on the outside it may flow.

[mag1]

Ok, finally found out who TQ is, sent him a PM. As to the smoke channel, maybe that channel could be contained within the cook chamber, while the chimney is on the outside. if I used a thinner but wider c-channel, that might work on the inside without taking up to much space. I'm trying to research this before I do anymore CAD work. I have to many iron's in the fire right now. not enough time. Thanks for any input you guys can give.

[Rev.Mike]

just my thoughts, but why cant you cut the bottom off, find one a little smaller as pete suggested, nest it inside, cut the opening for the door, and frame that out, leaving a gap a the top of say 3 in, have your opening for the fire box on the inside of the center pipe, and your stack near the bottom of the outer one, or am i just rambeling?
ill go back to the corner now

[Gizmo]

For a second there I thought I had it rev.mike - then I lost it…. gonna need a sketch of that one….

[mag1]

Heres a slight update on the plans. I haven't had much time to tinker during lunch. i didn't realize how the RF worked with the chamber's where most of the heat/smoke would come up on the inside, so, I think this might work. It will mean tweaking the grates some.

On the door, how do most of you guys work the metal so you can use a gasket/rope gasket? do you have to weld 1/8"x3/8" strips standing out from the door openings so the gasket material has something to squish against?

Vents, do most of you guys just get the round kind? A buddy of mine works at a shop where he will be able to laser cut the fire box material for me. I just don't want to bog him down.

thanks for any input.

[dwwantasmoker]

[Big T]

I haven't built a vertical smoker but on my horizontal CC I banded the edge of the door with 1/8''x 2'' flat bar and glued my gasket to it. By gluing it to the door it keeps it out of the way when your putting in or taking things out of the cooker. The air intakes are a thing of preference, some guys cut out a pin wheel style and some use a rectangle slot with a slide to open and close it. The main thing is that your intake is as big as the pit calculator recommends. I'm sure someone will come along that knows a lot more than I do and get you pointed in the right direction.

[Smokeone]

Big T is on it!

[Rodcrafter]

Looking at the drawing, I would have to agree with Gizmo. In that it looks to me that doing this the way you are, I'm concerned about the air flow. If you open the bottom of the cooker on the sides as if you were going to do as your drawing shows and just put a plate a few inches above the opening, leaving the middle of the CC open for the air to rise upward you it would accomplish the same goal allowing hot air to rise and not trying to force it down and back up again. This would be much easier to make as well. I did something like this before using 2 plates and 6 inch long 2 inch pipes between the 2 plates creating a tube bundle of openings between the FB and CC. I also put a stack out the back at 2 levels mid and top. This gave the ability to make the air move the way I wanted it to.

jm2cw

[mag1]

Here's an updated pic. along with the feldon #'s.

Rodcrafter, do you have an pictures of yours?
thanks

[Gizmo]

On this last pic is there a BP in front of the stack exit sealed to the CC floor? Cause if there is then you might be onto something there. But it's sure gonna slow down the smoke from exiting until the draft is good and established. And if it is that way you might consider putting the main portion of the stack inside that "plenum" behind the BP to keep it hot. That should help pull smoke over and down the length of the BP to where the stack will pick it up.

And if the BP isn't there - then nevermind….

[Rodcrafter]

I'll try to find some it was a cooker I made a long time ago. X-wife #2 may have some. It may be easier to draw something of it but there goes the proof. And I know DC will say "no pics it never happened".

What you have drawn will work after the whole cooker gets hot. It will just be slow getting it rolling at first, in my opinion.
It would be cool to have a 5 CFM fan on the stack to draw air until it gets hot. Just my little mind running on too little coffee.

[Gizmo]

You're right RC. There are very few things in life that MORE POWER won't fix….

One of the many things I enjoy about this hobby is that smokers require some gentle finesse - so I never force it … I just use a bigger hammer.

[mag1]

Gizmo, All
There is a baffle plate (is that BP) on each side over the openings in the FB. It's an open hole to the chimney from the CC. I've seen some of the RF Vertical rectangular boxes, and thought a similar design might work for a vertical tank. Most of them seem to have 2 chambers on the side, and the chimney on the back. (similar to the backwoods) I'm a greenhorn at all of this, just wanted to get a smoker to make venision SS, but all of the lesser expensive smokers seem like they have issues/or will rust out in a few years. so, a buddie had some tanks, and I thought maybe it might be easier to just make one. Any input is good, trying to keep it somewhat simple as I wont' have a ton of time to put it together.
Thanks for the input again.

[mag1]

Going to switch dirrections, going to draw up this tank in a Horizontal, center feed, reverse flow design.

[Gizmo]

NOW you're talkin'

[mag1]

? For gizmo, or anyone else. How high from the bottom of the tank should the BF plate be? Also, how far above the bf plate should the top of the meat grate be? If a 2nd grate is added, is there a specific height that should be? Chimney opening, is that about 2/3rd to the top of the tank? Thanks for any input. I think I have seen the light.

[mag1]

Made a little progress during lunch today. I still need to resize the door, adjust the door and front plate on the FB. Depending on where the tanks end radius's start, the main CC door may get smaller or bigger. I need to adjust the Baffel plate so it is 4" or so below the main grate along with it's length.(is that the right dim?). The FB is sized per Feldons. I used the vertical dimension from the bottom of the tank to the top of the bottom plate. there is some volume above that on the sides, not sure if that will make any difference or not. Still need make grates/fire box basket and rails, along with a base with wheels.

Any input, suggestions?
Thanks