100 gallon with insulated FB and warmer

[Hh76]

Time to start my build thread.

I started a few months ago, but it's been a slow start. Not a lot of time in the fall or winter to get in the shop. I also spent way too much time searching out discount steel plate, but didn't have a lot of luck.

Found a 100gallon tank that used to be part of a media blasting set up. I don't know that it's the best tank for the job, but I thought the giant flange on the end looked so cool.

removing flange and internals

lifting tank on to table

I worked my brain pretty hard trying to figure out how I could incorporate the flange into the finished smoker, but in the end, it had to go. It just weighed too much, and this thing is already calculating out to 1,200lbs plus.

tank end removed

Off with the end. Took a lot of cutting wheels, and really made a mess. Even with a dust mask on, I had black snot for a couple of days.

For the next couple months, I didn't get much done, other than removing some of the pipe flanges and inlets/outlets on the tank.

[Dirtytires]

Great start.

If you put a plate on the bottom of that flange and a short stand of some sort it would make a super cool fire pit for the back yard.

[ajfoxy]

Welcome, and great start to your project.
Never throw anything away, there's always a use for it down the road. And as DT said, the flange would make an awesome firepit.

[Big T]

That tank will make a nice smoker

[Hh76]

I'm not getting rid of the flanged end of the tank yet. I keep thinking that inspiration will strike at anytime, and it
will make an interesting _________.

For now, I've been using it to bend some steel strapping.

Not quite the perfect bend, but close enough to work with.

After giving up on finding all the steel plate needed on the cheap, I decided to just order new. So much easier than driving all over the state trying to save a few bucks.

After getting it unloaded into my small shop, I realized that it took up too much needed space, so I started cutting.

Over the previous months I had put together detailed drawings, so it was nice to be able to just knock out a majority of the cutting in a couple hours. The metal cutting circular saw makes pretty quick work of the 1/4" steel. I bought it for a previous project thinking I would just sell it when done. After a just a few cuts, I knew that I would never sell it. It moves through the plate steel at a pretty quick rate, and with a straight edge, makes a cleaner cut that any other option.

[Big T]

It's nice working with new metal, you don't have to spend half of your time cleaning it.

[Dirtytires]

Agree with big t 100%....till you spend the time to search, clean and make due with what you can find, new steel is (almost) always a better score.

[Hh76]

After getting most of the panels of the FB and WC cut up, it was time to start cutting in vents. One of the things I realized was how much work is needed to sleeve out every opening for the insulated space.

In the first pic, I'm cutting the FB inlet. I used my drill to get the radiused corners to match up with the tube I would be sleeving with. I cut the straight lines with the angle grinder.

Here is my test fit with the rear of the FB/WC. You can see from this pic that it takes a lot of design cues from "Mack".

[Big T]

There's definitely a lot of work that goes into building one these things but they'll last for ever so you might as well do it right.

[Rodcrafter]

I don’t see your forklift in the pictures. Just kidding I know you would love to be using one by now. You’re doing some great work though.


Making memories!

[Hh76]

They all laughed and said "why would you need to build a bridge crane?"

Two years ago my BIL had a couple of 16" I beams laying around, so I decided they would make an awesome crane. Never really had a need for it. Thanks to the smoker, I was totally justified in building it.

Finally getting to some assembly.

[Big T]

That always makes you feel good when you can say well look at this, I was right

[Hh76]

Getting the outer box put together

Adding the "sleeve" around the throat

Starting to look like something

[Rodcrafter]

[Big T]

[Hh76]

Adding some insulation to the fire box

I welded the three sides of the firebox, then put them into the outer shell

Top of the FB test fitting. It will work, but I'm realizing that I should have left a little wiggle room in my calculated cuts. The FB top was cut to the exact size that I intended the FB to be, but that made it a tight fit. Making sure everything is squared would have been a lot simpler if I had planned for a small gap (1/16") all around these interlocking parts.

[Rodcrafter]

[Big T]

What is the square hole in the bottom of the fire box for?


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[Hh76]

What is the square hole in the bottom of the fire box for?


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I had an idea that I may want to add a pellet hopper assembly in the future, and use it to heat the WC. The plan would be to build an enclosure along the bottom and beneath the FB that the hopper assembly would slide into/ bolt on to.

Another one of those "what ifs" that keep popping up and adding complexity to the project. I blame slow build progress and the beer.

Who knows if it will ever happen, so for the time being, it will just be closed off.