I started building my first reverse flow offset stick burner this summer. I've never used one before, and living in Alaska these things are not so easy to find. Pricing one from outside, it would cost me almost as much to ship to buy, so I decided to build my own. Right now I cook on a ceramic egg, which is great but I just can't cook the volume of food I want nor is it terribly portable.
Early this spring I got two sets of plans from Smokingplans.net, the FFMS Lone Star Special Hybrid and Big Bull's Smokin' BBQ Machine and after a ton of thinking about what I wanted, took what I liked from both models to make my build. Even though both of those sets of plans have them, Right now I'm not including a warming cabinet in my build. My thinking is because this is my first RF Offset stick burner, I'll start with just the main parts and learn what it takes to get a good cook (keep it simple first) then add the warming chamber and see how things change so I don't have so many variables as I learn.
From the FFMS LSS:
Dual doors
Firebox-to-cookchamber damper design
Grate/rack system.
From Big BUll's:
Cook Chamber length
Baffle plate (after long thought about tuning plates from the FFMS, I just felt like trying to move those or have them bounce around on rough Alaska roads and maybe fall into the bottom of the smoker made me pass on the tuning plate concept).
Stack design
The firebox design was very similar, but I kept the larger of the two.
Build:
After refitting my garage for metal fabrication (getting rid of anything that would burn and coming up with a solution for power for welding, I started buying steel.
So far I have used:
3ea. 4x8 sheets of 1/4" mild steel plate
36 ft of 4" 'medium' channel
21 inches of 6"x6"x1/4" box iron
about 15' of 2"x1/4" flat bar
about 15' of 3"x3"x1/4" box iron
I had a local tank manufacturer roll me a 30" diameter x 72" long round cooking chamber.
My build has not been all that linear or organized--I had flat plate before the trailer parts came in, so I started cutting out plate parts and then switched to trailer, which drifted to cooking chamber just based on what made the most sense to do, which was dependent on if i was working alone or had help and so on.
Next up is counterbalances for the doors and more permanent attachment of the cooking chamber to the trailer frame. (its just tack welded now)
I have an album that shows all of the pics below and more: Sorry for the monster link, but the shortened version appears to have broken. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP ... Y5cFVnVzVR
...and here comes some pics on the build in chronological order--feel free to ask questions or offer suggestions. Well--here goes, be gentle I'm not a welder by trade or anything, it's just a project I felt I had to try.
Source drawings
First plate layout
First firebox plate
Trailer components arrived--started construction
Best chance I'll have to paint the underside, so I took it
Rolls nice! In later pictures you may note the fenders are over-long and warped. That still needs fixing but is not a terribly big priority at this time. Street legal is 2nd to cook-ready by a long shot.
Cooking chamber eased down to the trailer. I don't have any equipment or hoists, so it was about cribbing and jacking to get it in place.
Showing offset of cooking chamber. Other side will have some boxes/baskets for storage
Some test fit of firebox parts. TONS of grinding to do yet on the firebox stuff, but it sure was nice to start seeing shapes out of flat parts.
Door layout. These doors are stretched from the FFMS Lone Star to compensate for the Big Bob's cook chamber length.
Door pre-cuts. I didn't cut the corners or middle sections and then let the whole thing cool and put side straps and stuff on. I did lots of reading about cutting the doors and didn't want them to spring or warp, so I tried everything I could to keep it from happening. They turned out really nice.
Got some handles on, although I'm going to have to move them down or dog-leg the mounts down. Testing showed wrists touch the bottom of the strap when the door is wide open, so I have to redo that part.
I have a ton of things I'm thinking about: Counter weight size/shape/position has changed from drawings since I stretched the door length. Storage shape/size/configuration and so on, as well as already planning what enhancements I want to make next year even though it's not done yet (including insulation and a pop-up awning) but that's another post. That's all for now, I'll post updates as things progress. Cheers and thanks for reading this far,
BitBucket
Anyway, I'm using 25" of 1/4" x 6" tube steel as counterweight, sunk down onto the support arms (increases storage clearance on the back side of the smoker and also helps it clear my garage doors). Here's a test fit, doors closed)
