SmokinDTown Mini GF Build

[SmokinDTown]

I got going on my Mini build today. Cut out a bunch of tubing. Twice. You know, cut it twice and it was still too short? Anyway, I have lots of company here, and looks like a bunch of good ideas!
I went to Airgas last week and asked them if they had "cheaters" for my helmet. Yes, they did. And in 2.0. So I now can see what I'm welding!


These, with a little practice from the bigger GF build has me laying down some acceptable welds at this point:


Tubing cut. I did have to splice a couple of pieces together for the 4th piece. Came out ok:


Put some insulation in the tubes:


Started the outer frame:


So far, so good!

[Pete Mazz]

Nice!

[Rodcrafter]

I'm getting excited about all these Mini rigs.

[Puff]

That has already started looking great. In the picture of the "cheater". I though the back drop was a radio! Duh, glasses on now

What is the material used in the tubing... Looks less crumbly than the rigid panel stuff cut up.
Makin' progress ...too hot and humid here so I decided to put up another 150' of wire fence for the dogs...

[NM_Wanderer]

Looks really good! Are you using ceramic blanket insulation in the tubing?

[SmokinDTown]

Thanks, guys. All these builds are looking good! I'm using the ceramic fiber insulation in the tubing as well for the rest of the insulation.

[Richb]

Looking Good!!!

I think I odered the same insulation. Did it slide into the tubes ok, or was it a pain?

[Tim Schmidt]

Looks good, those are some heavy duty clamps.. Tried to use the 90 degree magnets, had a difficult time keeping everything square. Ended up clamping directly to my welding table.

[Puff]

I use a 1" dowel and load it in like a black powder rifle

[SmokinDTown]

RichB, this stuff, the ceramic insulation, cuts easy, and you can pull it apart. I was using some leftover 2" stuff. I got to work on the Mini a little more today. As far as temps go in FarNorCal, let's just say I'm too far from the beach to get any relief:


I got the CC welded into the frame. I made the back and sides from one piece, and welded the top to that.


Then I put that part of the CC into the frame:


Then, and only then, did I add the two right side uprights to the frame and weld them to the CC.

This is coming out a lot better than the first build. Welds look nicer.

[Richb]

Thanks for the info. I will be using the dowel trick. Well I'm just north of Los Angeles, and work keeps getting in the way of going to the beach. So no relief here either. However it seems hot all over the country right now.

As for your smoker...WOW!!! Your really moving along there. I like the idea of building the inner panels as a unit and then placing the 2 right side uprights..

[Puff]

94 here today. 95 in New York city today...cooler by the beaches,,,hahaha

[SmokinDTown]

I have welded the box to the frame at this point.


Took a break, and smoked some ribs on my UGF smoker:


Might be able to work on it some more this weekend.

[Rodcrafter]

Heck yah! Now that looks good.


Making memories.

[NM_Wanderer]

Ribs Looking Good!! In the pic above it looks like the cook chamber is welded to the horizontal 1.5" but the horizontal is not welded to the vertical. Just wondering what's up with that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Puff]

Is this picture sideways maybe? What do you estimate the weight is at this point? I weighed my big gf each step of the way but once it hit 330, that's as far was I could go... And it was a long way from finished

[NM_Wanderer]

Still my OCD would/is killing me that the two aren't welded. Lol!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SmokinDTown]

The CC as it is has the back and both sides sheared and broke into a channel -the web and legs are one piece. I welded the top to the channel, then welded that to the left side of the frame. I then welded the uprights into the frame on the right side, to match up with the sheetmetal. I then welded in the bottom, and messed it up. Grrrr. Should have welded the "C" cross piece towards the bottom of the right side, then welded in the bottom. It will work just fine, but there is a lot going on here for this old man!

Puff, I'm not sure of the weight. I had my colonoscopy done yesterday, and they weighed me with a kilogram scale. I'm down to 111 kilos! I haven't weighed in this light since junior high! I am now SOLD on the metric system! I can still pick the thing up and move it, so it is still pretty light. I'd guess less than 30. Kg's........