Worked on the lid some more. I added the rest of the bands and I used ratchet straps and a mapp gas torch on the inside to get it door to seat better. Pretty happy with it. I also am including a picture of my ugly but effective welds. I'm getting better every time I do it. I shaped the bands by bending them between to boards on my deck. Simple yet affective.
Thanks all. Going to start work on the firebox next. Then legs, then the rest of the internals and stack.
How does one cut a proper hole for the stack with the curve of the tank on part of it? Can I come up with some form of template?
I made a template of the tank radius, then cut the stack to that profile. Once I got the stack the same as the tank, I used the stack to mark out the hole in the tank & then when I cut the hole I used my die grinder to make the stack fit nicely. I welded the stack about an inch down into the tank.
Thanks Squiggle I will give that a try.
On a side note. I don't think I'm going to grind down my welds. When I'm done, I'm going to clean it up and call it Number 1. It will always be there to show me where I started and where I end up. My welds are looking better and better every time I do some.
I haven't posted in a while but work on the smoker is moving forward slow but sure. I have the firebox built, put in the square tubing to act as a door seal, added a shelf brackets and made a shelf for the fire. I have also welded the the FB to the CC. My welding is getting better. Next is the baffle, legs and smoke stack.
Last edited by Fishgod on January 5th, 2018, 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Learning generally boils down to "Repetition or the avoidance of pain", some people learn by doing, some by watching and some just have to pee on the electric fence.
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right. Henry Ford
Well, I am back to finishing up the smoker after one hell of a summer/fall. My mother and my mother in law were both diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away this fall.
On a good note. I picked up a Lincoln 180 Dual with cart and guages for a smoking deal. It looks barely used. I got the whole package for $650 dollars. Boy is it easier to weld with it versus the Craftsman 90 amp welder. With the cold weather set in here in Alaska I was able to move my gear and the smoker to my father in laws hangar. Much nicer working indoors. I spent the weekend using a wire wheel and flap disks on the angle grinder getting it cleaned up and ready for work.
First goal is to build the legs and get this thing at a working height. I am planning on making an adjustable front leg so that I can level the smoker where ever I place it. More pictures to follow as I progress.
I'm sorry to hear about your losses, I couldn't imagine how tough that must have been. I was wondering about the status of your build the other day, good to hear that you're getting back on track. That sounds like a good deal on the Lincoln and having a mig machine definitely makes it easier.
Well, I got some work done on the smoker last night. I got the wheels added to the smoker and started prep on the front leg. Tomorrow I will finish up the front leg and try and get the baffel plate in and maybe some work on the rack. It's starting to come to gather.