smokerplans.net

[2big2fast]

was hoping if someone can tell me what is included with the smoker plans purchased from the site.
Are they a page of measurements or are they that and more...
meaning , are their material lists , suggested metal thicknesses , steps etc.

thanks !

[CaliforniaSmoke]

I bought a set of plans for the "mini gravity feed" smoker. There is enough information in them to build the smoker. They are 27 pages long, and show the measurements and materials for all of the parts for the smoker. It's not a step-by-step deal, but the first page lists an sequence of steps to build the main components in.

I have a build thread on mine here: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=4708

[BitBucket]

CaliforniaSmoke's experience is similar to mine. I would consider the plans a blank slate with nearly infinite amount of customization to suit your personal taste, skill set and budget--but that makes takeoff sheets impossible to pre-make. When I had questions, Frank got back to me fairly quickly and even offered to talk on the phone if I needed to. To me investment in plans was worth not having to backyard engineer things from scratch with no experience, which can be expensive and demoralizing to boot.

I actually got two sets of plans with features I liked and mashed them together. They were each 15 pages, so simpler than the gravity feed CaliforniaSmoke got. I used my plans to do a scale mock-up of the smoker I wanted to build before I started so I could really see what it would be like. As a first build, I learned a ton and made mistakes, but many fewer than if I had just tried to figure things out on my own. I will say very plainly that when you make changes it may be weeks down the line in your build when you discover what you changed has repercussions, especially when messing with firebox vs. cook chamber vs. stack dimensions. The plans I bought did specify material thickness.

My build is almost finished (build thread here although I may have gotten it in the wrong place when picking a category viewtopic.php?f=45&t=4716 )

Sometimes I had to look for measurements I wanted to see on one page of a set of plans that ended up being found on another. They were all there though.

As far as take-off lists, they really depend on budget, equipment and skills and decisions along the way. The same set of plans would probably work for stainless as for standard mild steel for instance not that i'm suggesting it. How a person is equipped to handle, transport, and store big heavy things matters a great deal. In real terms, on my firebox I had enough square inches in one 4x8x1/4" sheet to make 5 of 6 plates (top, bottom, two sides and the back) but in reality if you look at the picture below I could only actually lay out 3 faces. Had I been able to handle 60" width instead of 48, I'm pretty sure I would have been able to do the whole firebox on one sheet. There was just no way to step up to that size for me though, so I had to buy more 4x8s to get the job done. Then there are decision points such as what kind of hinges to use, what kind of positive closure you want and so on that were not part of the plans I got, which was fine with me, that's like deciding what paint to put on it: a matter of personal preference.

I hope that helps. Bb



*note I don't speak as a representative of smokerplans.net, just a consumer. My opinions are my own.

[Frank_Cox]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys!!! I have been busier latley so it has been more difficult to answer the phone when it rings. Texting and email seems to be quicker for me these days. Because I have more than one business I need to keep the SmokerBuilder phone in the truck some days since I can not bring it with me. I do answer messages tho!
I love seeing all the builds come together! Thanks so much for posting your progress on here! I hope things will slow down enough for me to be able to spend more time on the site soon!

[Yona2015]

I bought the plans for the Stump's stretch gravity feed clone and they are detailed enough for someone like me with zero fabrication experience to easily understand. You can't go wrong with whatever plans you choose.