2nd Build - Tank Offset Trailer Build

[Cole Leffert]

Looks amazing!!

[dacolson]

Thx Cole. We'll see if I can get it working.

[dacolson]

Well after hours bent over on the floor of the garage and burning my fingertips on both hands trying to hold small pieces in place to weld them, I got the wheel door latch on the FB to work! Very pleased with it. A freaking mill would have made this 100x easier. I’m asking Santa.

Here’s the latch mechanism. I had to cut oval holes in the latch bars and guides to give the latch bars enough play to move up and down as they went in and out. Lots of filing (insert mill here). I may weld a washer on each end of the turning rods to keep the latch bars from slipping down to far and binding. So far, it works great and really lets you crank down on the door to seal it right.


FB w the hatch closed.

It’s centered in the door. Just looks off at this angle.

Next up, FB vents and expanded steel for the decking and side walls.


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[andysmoked]

That is nothing short of OUTSTANDING!! Well done, I love it!!


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[tinspark]

That is a cool looking smoker!!
Nice work!

[Big T]

Awesome work!!

[dacolson]

Thx all. Really digging the door. (And patting my own back a little ... lol) Mainly I’m shocked it works!

[SheffSmoker]

I absolutely LOVE that round FB door and mechanism.

[dacolson]

I absolutely LOVE that round FB door and mechanism.

Thank you!

[dacolson]

I did some minor adjusting this morning to eliminate a couple spots where the bar hangs up on the top latch and slipped off the end of the turning rod on the bottom latch. I also posted a video clip of the action on the youtubes:
https://youtu.be/JB0HnDZsz4I

[Cole Leffert]

Awesome door!!

[dacolson]

Awesome door!!

Thx Cole

[ajfoxy]

Very nice.... I do like the door

[dacolson]

Thx AJfoxy

[towtruck]

That mechanism works and looks pretty dang good......Nice Job!

[dacolson]

That mechanism works and looks pretty dang good......Nice Job!

Thanks Towtruck. I need to do a test burn and hope it doesn’t warp. Would suck if it warped closed!!

[tinspark]

are there air intakes for the firebox? I do not see any in your pics.
I might be missing it. If not a couple of short saddle ports with round intakes might look kinda cool.
Submarine port looking.. HAHA!!

Also, that linseed bare metal sealing method might look awesome on your build. Are you kicking it around?

[dacolson]

No intakes yet. Really spending some time mulling it over. All suggestions are getting their due. I’ve got a sweet template calculator for cutting pipe tees so that is on my mind for sure.
On the finish, I bought a bunch of high temp clear manifold paint which I’m tempted to use. I just can’t get over how sweet that linseed looks on alex_74’s build. That thing looks so sweet. I may save the clear for another build.

[tinspark]

On the finish, I bought a bunch of high temp clear manifold paint which I’m tempted to use. I just can’t get over how sweet that linseed looks on alex_74’s build. That thing looks so sweet. I may save the clear for another build.

Re linseed oil:
Now that your metal is ground and shiny, the finish isn't the same as alex_74's build.
If you want that look, you might find a piece of scrap and grind it up to simulate yours, then take a little white vinegar and water (50/50) in a spray bottle and shoot the sample with a light mist. let that sit for a few hours. Let the juice dry naturally, dot rub off. oxides will form (aka rust) and then hit it with your propane burner til it hits 450 deg. Use an infrared thermometer, then rub it with boiled linseed oil. let it cool. the linseed oil likely would darken the rust and dull it to look very close to Alex-74's build. May be worth a shot. I think as shiny as your is, which is also cool, the affect may not be what you are looking for if you are trying to get a similar look.. I have aged a lot of metal with vinegar and water on metal art that I have done.
I also shot that rusty metal with clear coat on metal art and it looks similar as Alex-74's build-out also. but I have never reheated the clearcoat and watched what happens to the base-metal. Maybe try both?

PS:
Harbor freight sells a cheap burner and infrared thermometer, I have used both and they work fine. In fact I have a more expensive thermometer that I used exclusively at work and purchased a second cheapie at HF and they are within a few degrees of each other. Their burners are low end but fool proof, just valves, manifold and jet, so not much that can go wrong with their cheap parts..
IMHO

[dacolson]

On the finish, I bought a bunch of high temp clear manifold paint which I’m tempted to use. I just can’t get over how sweet that linseed looks on alex_74’s build. That thing looks so sweet. I may save the clear for another build.

Re linseed oil:
Now that your metal is ground and shiny, the finish isn't the same as alex_74's build.
If you want that look, you might find a piece of scrap and grind it up to simulate yours, then take a little white vinegar and water (50/50) in a spray bottle and shoot the sample with a light mist. let that sit for a few hours. Let the juice dry naturally, dot rub off. oxides will form (aka rust) and then hit it with your propane burner til it hits 450 deg. Use an infrared thermometer, then rub it with boiled linseed oil. let it cool. the linseed oil likely would darken the rust and dull it to look very close to Alex-74's build. May be worth a shot. I think as shiny as your is, which is also cool, the affect may not be what you are looking for if you are trying to get a similar look.. I have aged a lot of metal with vinegar and water on metal art that I have done.
I also shot that rusty metal with clear coat on metal art and it looks similar as Alex-74's build-out also. but I have never reheated the clearcoat and watched what happens to the base-metal. Maybe try both?

PS:
Harbor freight sells a cheap burner and infrared thermometer, I have used both and they work fine. In fact I have a more expensive thermometer that I used exclusively at work and purchased a second cheapie at HF and they are within a few degrees of each other. Their burners are low end but fool proof, just valves, manifold and jet, so not much that can go wrong with their cheap parts..
IMHO

Great info tinspark. I like the idea of trying some sample treatments of each on scrap metal. Definitely going to do that. The shiny is starting to grow on me a little also. I haven’t ground off all the mill scale which gives it a mottled kind of black chrome look in places. Do you think the mill scale will cause long term issues with the finish?

[tinspark]

On the finish, I bought a bunch of high temp clear manifold paint which I’m tempted to use. I just can’t get over how sweet that linseed looks on alex_74’s build. That thing looks so sweet. I may save the clear for another build.

Great info tinspark. I like the idea of trying some sample treatments of each on scrap metal. Definitely going to do that. The shiny is starting to grow on me a little also. I haven’t ground off all the mill scale which gives it a mottled kind of black chrome look in places. Do you think the mill scale will cause long term issues with the finish?

I have experienced base metal changing under a clear coat after applying chemical induced patina. but not so much after just a grind and clear.
The change is often kind of cool, and initially unexpected, so I would recommend doing a few samples and waiting a few days to see what you get. Also leaving half of the mill scale on and grinding areas to bare steel, then spraying with juice and a clear is also cool. Makes for a leopard look (different rust colors) of sorts, but it is patina. That's one of my favorite methods in metal artwork.. Neve seen it on a smoker, but it may be cool!!

I may play with some Linseed oil and see what I get.. I noticed that my local home depot has it after checking it out on my mobile app..

I attached a few photos of some 12 gauge Hot Roll Steel depicting one of my bull mastiff's snooping over his fence while I was bbq-ing a few tri-tips.
I think he wanted to help.
One picture was directly after I sprayed with a clear coat and the second photo was a day after that. It changed a bunch, but still cool!!

I guess this topic is smoker related cause I was actually bbq-ing when I snapped the photo of Dozer when he was leaning over his fence..

HAHA!

[dacolson]

I have experienced base metal changing under a clear coat after applying chemical induced patina. but not so much after just a grind and clear.
The change is often kind of cool, and initially unexpected, so I would recommend doing a few samples and waiting a few days to see what you get. Also leaving half of the mill scale on and grinding areas to bare steel, then spraying with juice and a clear is also cool. Makes for a leopard look (different rust colors) of sorts, but it is patina. That's one of my favorite methods in metal artwork.. Neve seen it on a smoker, but it may be cool!!

I may play with some Linseed oil and see what I get.. I noticed that my local home depot has it after checking it out on my mobile app..

I attached a few photos of some 12 gauge Hot Roll Steel depicting one of my bull mastiff's snooping over his fence while I was bbq-ing a few tri-tips.
I think he wanted to help.
One picture was directly after I sprayed with a clear coat and the second photo was a day after that. It changed a bunch, but still cool!!

I guess this topic is smoker related cause I was actually bbq-ing when I snapped the photo of Dozer when he was leaning over his fence..

HAHA!

That’s some great work. Thanks for sharing. It’s gonna make the decision process harder. I gotta decide if I’m going to rust it or leave it polished I think. Time to get the expert opinions of the kids.

[dacolson]

Added a pair of 5 inch butterfly vents on the firebox. The pit calc calls for 16 cu in. The openings are about 40% of the total 5” circle opening which should put me on the dot. If it doesn’t draft well I’ll add some round vents above butterfly vents. Or ... I’ll pull that bung plug and cut some vents in it. Might do that anyway now that I think about it.




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[dacolson]

Some progress but each step at this point seems to take all day.
1. Added tuning plates/removable baffle plate

2. Started putting in the floor of the trailer - expanded metal

3. Added a false floor into the firebox to reduce the volume down closer to the pit calc 100%.

4. Built a log rack for the firebox. Started bending 3/8” rod but ran out of acetylene. Takes to long to bend w MAP so I notched and bent most of them.




5. Burned out, polished and cut the door for the auxiliary charcoal grill on the back.

[tinspark]

gunna be nice. and very convenient!!