First time builder. 20"x40" ish.

[12ring]

I'm new to this site and to the Tapatalk app so I'm going to try a few pictures of what I started with and if it looks ok I'll post other pictures of my progress so far.








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[12ring]

Looks like the pictures worked so I'll post a few more but first I'll give a quick run down. I haven't welded since high school 20 years ago. I'm using a stick welder and me and my buddy are sharing the welding duties. I V beveled most of it so I can grind the welds that aren't pretty.

I made a makeshift plenum and stack to see if I liked it. I did like it.



Welded the end plates on both the CC and FB.




Fit the two together and welded them in place.



Cut all the pieces to the plenum, welded it together and then got it lined up where I think I'm going to put it. I get conflicting opinions on where the stack should be. Some like it high as you can get it and others like it grate level. I would like to hear your opinions as well.





Cut the fire box door and that's how it sits now. Next up I want to get the frame built so I can get it upright. At that point I'll fab the hinges and get the door on.

[Pete Mazz]

Looks great! I'd recommend a grease dam in an offset.

[Big T]

I mount the stack as high as possible.

[ajfoxy]

Looking good. Nice bit of CAD (cardboard aided design) on the plenum.

[Squiggle]

Nice work dude, looks great!

[Rodcrafter]

[12ring]

I'm about to fab up my fire grate and I'm wondering it these numbers look ok? If my grate is 14" wide, it leaves me 3" from the center of the cc to the bottom of the grate and 10" from the grate to the bottom of the FB to cc opening. Here is the pics. Let me know if this will be ok.






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[12ring]

Plenum welded on. Fire grate fabricated. Dying to get it on a frame. The he stack is 30" but feldons calculator called for a 20.5" stack. Another guy told me I need it to be 26" so I may split the difference and go 24".








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[ajfoxy]

Looking good.

[Squiggle]

Looks awesome dude.

Check your stack length on the pic calculator at the top of this page & make sure you measure your stack from the top of the CC.

[12ring]

Plenum welded on. Fire grate fabricated. Dying to get it on a frame. The stack in the picture is 30". Feldons calculator called for a 20.5" stack. Another guy told me I need it to be 34". I'm not real sure what to do about the length because 30" even looks overkill to me.








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[mp4]

I'm about to fab up my fire grate and I'm wondering it these numbers look ok? If my grate is 14" wide, it leaves me 3" from the center of the cc to the bottom of the grate and 10" from the grate to the bottom of the FB to cc opening. Here is the pics. Let me know if this will be ok.






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You may want to raise it up at least a couple more inches. I didn't leave enough space below mine and the ash would pile up to the grate on long cooks. I modified mine afterwards and then had room to pre-heat the splits too.

[Rodcrafter]

You're doing a great job! I would like to point out that more than 3/4" gap on FB grate may cause most all of the coals to fall through. You can always throw a piece of cooking grate on top of it if it presents a problem.


Making memories!

[12ring]

You're doing a great job! I would like to point out that more than 3/4" gap on FB grate may cause most all of the coals to fall through. You can always throw a piece of cooking grate on top of it if it presents a problem.


Making memories!

Thanks. The fire grate spaces are 1/2" wide. I still may lay some expanded metal over it if I need to.


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[12ring]

Got the frame welded up. Going to weld on some casters and then wrangle up a few buddies to help me lift it on. Hopefully my measurements are right.




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[Big T]

You must have some really good friends

[ajfoxy]

Or a large beer fridge...

[Rodcrafter]

That grate spacing will work great.

[temurf]

You must have some really good friends

Or a large beer fridge...

Or maybe they just want to get in on the action when it comes time to eat the Q.
I know I would pitch in for that.

[Squiggle]

Looks awesome dude, well done!

[behind bars bbq]

Looking good!

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[12ring]

So the fire box intake is driving me nuts. I can't figure out a good design. The square design doesn't allow me to center the squares on the door which will make me nuts every time I look at them.

The triangles are a little above the fire grate. I have heard that you want the intake right at, or below grate level. Others have told me it's not that big of deal though.

Right now I think I'm leaning toward the triangles.

Like a dummy I had the door upside down when I did the CAD (cardboard aided design) drawing.

I stole the CAD term from another post. It cracked me up when I read it.


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[ajfoxy]

You could always make them round.

[Sparx1138]

One thing I'm thinking about doing when I finally start my build is to center a rectangular air inlet on the end of the firebox and make my damper door slide vertically, kind of like a guillotine. I still haven't worked out in my head what kind of actuator I'm going to use for it though. I was thinking a lever with some type of index so I can lock the door in place when open.