My First Santa Maria

[hogaboomer]

Baby Santa Maria. It ain't exactly elegant, but it works! Still waiting on some parts, but I'm itching to fire it up. Just designing as I go, see what works, and what could be better.

[hogaboomer]

So, this seems to be my modus operandi - improvise the first one together with leftover scraps, then figure out what needs to be done differently, and do that on the next one. By the third or fourth one, it should be just about right. Got some ideas for changes already.
These should be easier to sell than the smokers, hopefully. 3 or 4 days to build, instead of 3 or 4 weeks.
Gonna be nice to have something to grill on with a wood fire. I'm ready for some steak, tomorrow.

[Dirtytires]

You are going to have a ton of inventory built up pretty soon....

[hogaboomer]

Some of the best chicken I've ever cooked. These grills rock!

[Pete Mazz]

[dacolson]

Very cool Boomer. Did you build some sort of track for the grate to slide up on? To keep it from swinging?

[hogaboomer]

So, this thing is a work in progress, I'm learning as I go. I had a piece of angle tacked to the grill, riding inside the uprights, but that was binding up. So, I cut one side off a rectangular tube and made it a channel iron to ride on the outside of the upright. That keeps the grill from rocking. Then, I tacked a piece of round bar on the grill, right next to the front of the upright, that keeps it from swinging side to side, without binding up as you raise and lower. It's working real smooth, now.
Then I learned that there are different levels of flex in wire rope. I bought the medium, without even knowing there was more flexible available. So, my cable is too stiff, and doesn't lay down and coil up so nice on the round bar roller. I have some 7/19 wire rope coming, that should fix that problem.
I cut the rectangle tubes off the uprights and just ran the roller through the angle. Gives it a cleaner look. I just need to make a nicer looking grill and spray a little paint, and I'll be happy with it.

[dacolson]

Ive never seen a round santa maria before. It's definitely a cool look. It looks like you've got your crank geared up somehow. Is it set up to make the lift easier?

[hogaboomer]

That's a ratchet and pawl system, but in that pic the pawl isn't on yet. I had to move the ratchet over to the other side of the angle because my hand was hitting it, and I cut the round bar off too short to move the wheel out more. That just holds the grill in place once you get it at the height you want.

[dacolson]

got it. coming along man.

[hogaboomer]

This earlier pic shows it
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[hogaboomer]

It's a really cool type of grill, I like it a lot. Way more fun to build than smokers, too.

[hogaboomer]

The plan for the next one is to split the pipe down the middle and extend it out some with plate. Get some more grill area.

[Big T]

Awesome project!

[hogaboomer]

[hogaboomer]

Here she is, all finished up:

[Pete Mazz]

[Zroadn]

Man, I like that. Was at a restaurant a while back that had a large Santa Maria going with steaks and a bucket of garlic herb butter on the side and it was right behind the bar. Was a sweet gig. Got my designer brain tripping, ha

[hogaboomer]

I'm going pick up a load of steel today to start building some more. I plan on keeping this one for me to use, it's pretty nice to cook over a wood fire. I threw some mesquite chunks on the fire the other day, that chicken sure was tasty.

[hogaboomer]

Round Two, chicken and boudin. That boudin really comes out nice on the open fire.

[dacolson]

Is there a pic? Love grill Boomer. Nicely thought out.

[hogaboomer]

You can't see the video?

[dacolson]

Nope. Maybe just me?

[dacolson]

On my iPhone, I see nothing. In Tapatalk, I see a link. Weird.

[towtruck]

I learned to cook chicken on something very similar. The bbq/smoker I have on my trailer works just like a Santa Maria only my fire is adjustable and the grate stays put. I have 13" of travel. Having that coal bed low really cooks chicken right....any flame up can't reach the meat. Nice job and if you were nearby I'd take that off your hands foe the wife to use.