My Mini Build

[WyomingLawDog]

Well I just got the plans today. I know one thing, I'm gonna need some help along the way, I'l just say with this being my 1st real build, already trying to figure some stuff out. I'm no metal fabricator by any means so my brain is already starting to smoke, so I with that and being a new welder, I'm in for a job. I understand some of the stuff with reading the posts such as Frank saying cut the sheet metal a 1/4 short to create the V to fill in with the weld. So now I am starting to figure out how much 1 1/2 in tubing I need and lengths of them. I'll cut them myself with a chop saw as I figure I'll save money to buy them in a 20 ft length. The metal supplier is close to my work, so I'll by the metal as I build such as the metal tubing to build the frame first and so forth. I would like to see what some others are paying for the metal, seen the quote from CaliforniaSmoke's post. What is everyone using for the insulation and buying from, I would like to use the same insulation to pack in the tubing as the put up between the tubing, Would like 1 1/2 in sheets or blanket style insulation. Would like to buy the insulation so I can have it on it's way while I get my 1st metal purchase ready. I am going to be taking plenty of pictures while trying to explain what I'm doing to help other me's (people that this don't come natural too) such as Puff and others that make this look easy. I appreciate any help you guys can give me.

[Rodcrafter]

Awesome, you are the reason we do this. When you get done with this one, you will be so proud of yourself you will be building another in no time.


Making memories.

[WyomingLawDog]

Thanks RC, I appreciate the up lift. I have ordered my insulation and have it on it's way, got 1 1/2 in X 24in by 25ft 8# good up to 2300 degrees, figured that would cover it good, got that for $110, including shipping. I got my metal quote for the whole build plus a little extra as I'm going to build a few more shelves and put 2 more guides in so if I'm smoking ribs, I can fit more of them in the smoker, 5 shelves of ribs. 80ft 1 1/2 square tubing $72.20, 2 4x8ft sheets of 16 gauge HR $102.15, 48ft 1x1 x1/8 angle iron $31.70, 48ft 3/4X3/4 X1/8 angle iron $28.87, 6ft 1/2 solid round bar stock $7.41, 4X8ft expanded metal $55.61, 12in piece of schedule 40 3in inside diameter pipe $9.20, 12inch piece of 1/2 X 1/2 solid square stock $5.71 and last 9in X 18.5 in 1/2 plate $27.85, tax of $17.03 for a total of $357.73 for all the metal, did not think that was bad, all metal is HR (hot rolled). So I am going to get the metal on Monday.

Puff, I appreciate your help a lot also, would have still been trying to figure some of this out without your help.

Thanks everyone as I'm sure I'm going to need plenty of guidance (help) along the way.

[CaliforniaSmoke]

$357 sounds like a great deal to me, congratulations! All of my quotes (I have 5 now) are $760 to over $1,000. The cheapest quote without any sheetmetal is still over $400. I guess that's the price I pay for living where I do...

[forty_creek]

I guess so Cali! That suxs (cost)
Where abouts in Cali?


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[CaliforniaSmoke]

I'm in northern California, near Santa Cruz. SF Bay Area.

Great weather. Great car scene. Expensive steel, apparently.

[Puff]

Was walking around the Embarkadero and Cannery Row 18 mos ago and loved every minute. But now that we have a grandson, I'm sure I am planted here indefinitely. My wife doesn't want to go anywhere.

Wyoming, a pleasure for sure. I enjoy this stuff and find myself living and breathing it hours at a time. Like RC said, you'll be building another and another and another. You get the idea...to build this unit for $400.00 is a bargain I think. Buying one is 5 times that and you get to do individual things not available in conventional assembly line production no matter how small or insignificant. I write dated messages on the charcoal chute in welding wire. No one ever sees it but one day , someone may and be Shocked as s#|+.

[forty_creek]

Puff- too funny "dated messages"


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[Puff]

can you visualize that however... you buy this old smoker at an estate sale and bring it back home in the rear end of your hovercraft....someone starts taking it apart to salvage some steel or make repairs... it is the year 2123 .... a bright sunny day suddenly , there's a message that stands out as you are peeling back the 16 gauge outer skin... "you have 45 seconds to clear the area....Puff " and its dated August 15, 2015


HAHAHA

[WyomingLawDog]

can you visualize that however... you buy this old smoker at an estate sale and bring it back home in the rear end of your hovercraft....someone starts taking it apart to salvage some steel or make repairs... it is the year 2123 .... a bright sunny day suddenly , there's a message that stands out as you are peeling back the 16 gauge outer skin... "you have 45 seconds to clear the area....Puff " and its dated August 15, 2015


HAHAHA

Now that is funny

[Rodcrafter]

You will never need anyone entertain you Puff, you take your entertainment with you. It is all in your head! lol

[WyomingLawDog]

I could not wait, bought the metal today, got the price down to $304 for all the metal as I found some pieces of metal in their scrap pile that they sell by weight of scrap metal price. Also got some other metal such as a 7ft section of 4in square tubing to make an attachment for my skid steer to attach hay spears to that was included in that price. Hope to start welding frame up Sunday as high will be 81 on Sunday.

[Puff]

Thanks RC.. I'm not a crazy person but I play one in real life....

Not trying to grand stand but this is a true story...
Here's a revelation... August 2005, I saw the infamous "White Light". It was a simple same day hospital thing that went very wrong. My ENTIRE attitude and outlook changed after 9 days in intensive care. Intubation, tubes here there and everywhere. I believe that an event like that would change anyone's outlook on things. It's the proverbial second chance....Each day is a new opportunity to totally screw up things !

Wyoming, how are you planning to skin this cat? I'm looking for a place locally with a brake. Failing that, I am going to look into screwing the outer skins on with some stainless button head torx screws.

[forty_creek]

WOW! Puff!! That's deep!!! I'm glad you found a sunny day outlook!


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[WyomingLawDog]

Puff, I don't know how I am going to mount the exterior metal yet. I know frank said people screw them down, With this being my first build I leaning more into welding it on, want it to look as nice as it cooks as I think I am going to do a custom paint job also as I know a guy who is good air brush artist. If I can find a break I will bend it for 3 sides and weld it up I think unless I find that I can't weld this 16 gage to save my butt, then we will see. I am hoping by time I get to the exterior skin I will have my Miller 211 down pat and producing a good bead, keep my fingers crossed.

[CaliforniaSmoke]

I'm leaning toward welding it -- but definitely bending as much as possible.

[Puff]

WyomingLawDog,

I had this same desire on my first bigger gravity feed. I know I can paint well and I decided to weld the bead on all the sides. My problem is the upright bead was not stellar. The cabinet now was so heavy I could only use jacks and levers to tilt it. In fact I was now locked into welding and grinding until the edges looked PERFECT or using something decorative enough to have a nice visual appeal. I ground down enough welds to create a very nice rounded edge on my fuel chute top. This was a full 1/2 day project to do 44 linear inches.

I tried edging it in 3/4" aluminum angle and it looks " blah" ok. Not really what I wanted. THEN... I made a deal with a friend who traded me .....welding a group of frames he needed and.... HIM painting a 1950's style pinup mural on my front smoker door ... THAT WAS LAST JANUARY. I took the door back for the summer so I could use the smoker and he will do it THIS TIME ,in January.

Since you will have scraps of 1 1/2" tubing and scraps of 16 gauge, practice welding and see if it looks the way you envision it. In fact, put the odds against your success. Clamp the tubing vertically and see what your uphill/downhill beads turn out like.

If you see it's what your head tells you it should be, great! I'm not there yet so I am really set on bending the 90 degree corners and making the top fit like the cover on my furnace in the house... Screwing the assembly together in the most cosmetic format I can

[WyomingLawDog]

Puff, I see what you are saying. With the little welding I have done to practice, I know I am not as good welding vertical. Hoping since the smoker is smaller, I can move it around on my skid steer and lift it to a height that works best for me to make all my welds horizontal. I am always open to advice and if you get the top to slip on, that would be great. My biggest complaint with screw is the head of the screws all over the smoker. I think I could live with rivets more than screws if I can't get it welded nicely. So I plan to start doing some welding to see how it looks.

[mp4]

I struggled with vertical welds because I was told welding up was stronger so that was how i tried to weld. Welding down though has always been strong enough and I get some of my better looking welds...

[WyomingLawDog]

MP4, I agree, with the practice I have had I can weld down much better than up, but I am still best going horizontal. This smoker is not that big, finished guessing will be about 375lbs, that is what Stumps XL baby is which is just a tad bigger. If I can flip it around and lay it across my skid steer forks to weld at a comfortable height, I think that will work best for me, will see. But Puff has me thinking about the top cap, to see if I can bend it that way to save on welding. I know it is a lot of welding like California Smoke said on his post, I just want it to have a clean look, that why I was looking at welding it to have a clean look and then a nice paint job. No one will see the interior welds even though they are the most important to make sure it is air tight.

[CaliforniaSmoke]

I'm thinking of sealing around the outside of the inner sheetmetal with high temp RTV before the insulation goes in. Just in case there are any little holes. Probably not necessary though.

A brushed finish stainless outer skin might look pretty sick, put on with some washer head stainless self tapping screws.

[WyomingLawDog]

Actually after thinking about it, the only thing that has to be totally air tight is the charcoal chute and charcoal door on top of the smoker to keep it from drawing air and burning the charcoal inside the chute, am I wrong? Even though I want the cooking chamber tight, I don't think it is as important as the chute and charcoal load door being air tight.

[CaliforniaSmoke]

I suspect that's true, although leaks from the CC would be annoying, and FB leaks might make it hard to regulate the temperature.

[Puff]

SKID STEER? Geez, forget 85% of what I'd said. I have a Hi-Lift Jack ( fence Jack) from 1974 and a hydraulic 2 ton floor Jack from 1979, an 8 foot pry bar and an arthritic right shoulder. The fact that I was able to stand it upright is a near miracle as I could get.

My biggest dilemma was a great looking outside appearance and you're right about the interior. After a few sessions you can barely see the wall let alone any welding. I did have an interesting surprise. After about 6-7 uses, I figured I would exercise the bottom drain ball valve and the entire 6" pipe was filled with 100 wt oil. Distilled food drippings I know but not having seen it build up I was surprised.

[WyomingLawDog]

Well I am making progress, I had been busy building a 3 sided structure and pen for my bulls. That is done now, plus I'm in a welding class that an outreach from a local college for only $40 for 10 weeks plus supplies that I already have. So working on the smoker in the class, so far have frame parts cut to length and stuffed with insulation. Tuesday will start welding it together. Get the expertise of the instructor if I have problems, that plus use there welders, wire, gas, saws and so forth was worth the $40, been fun so far.



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