Gravity Feed - My Build Begins - 8-6-16

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 7th, 2016, 5:39 pm

I joined this forum a few weeks ago. Been reading everything I can find and blowing YouTube up with the smoker building videos. I started my build yesterday. I am in a bit of a different situation than most. I have a full fab shop at my disposal Waterjets, plasma, brakes, saws, etc. It doesn't really make sense to program the robotic welders for a smoker though.

I ordered my material and began work on Saturday. It's quote hot here this time of year, so only a half a day on Saturday and a few hours this afternoon. I felt like I spent a full day standing in front of the saw, but I can imaging that it was exponentially less time than if I was cutting the tubing by hand. I feel for you guys.

Oh, an I figured if I was going to build a smoker, I might as well build two. I have no idea why I am building one this big, or why two, but that is where I find myself.

I was able to set up all four pieces in the saw and cut them all at once. Made absolutely sure that the pieces were the same length.

Because even welders wear shorts in August….

Ended with two insulated, welded, and ground frames. Going to work on the inner panels next weekend if I can get free. Planning to brake two corners and weld in the other two. I'm also considering welding in a flat bottom and just building a removable drippings pan. It seems like I am going to have to clean out the bottom anyway, and the ability to remove it for cleaning sounds better to me.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » August 7th, 2016, 5:56 pm

Welcome to the crew!
I see you are one of us for sure. We see folks thinking about their second one before finishing the first. But you think of building your second before you begin the first. You will be fun to follow for sure. Do you have any smoking experience? You will soon if not. And yes everyone is jealous of the shop access.

Making memories.

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 7th, 2016, 7:08 pm

I have a Green Egg and have done plenty of smoking in it. I use the guru for long cooks and pretty much have the hang of it. I wanted something with more capacity and this baby has capacity to the max. I have no idea when I will ever use all of the capacity that this one will have to be honest.

Post by **Tom_Heath** » August 7th, 2016, 11:33 pm

Has anyone mentioned the U-Suck award for having access to all the awesome tools. ?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post by **Pete Mazz** » August 8th, 2016, 4:07 am

Yep! Big time jealous!

But welcome to the farm!

Squiggle · Post by **Squiggle** » August 8th, 2016, 4:12 am

I wonder if anyone else noticed the "doesn't make much sense programming the ROBOTIC WELDERS"? Wholly hell dude, how big is your shop???

The build looks awesome & I can't wait to see the other cool gear you have.

Post by **Pete Mazz** » August 8th, 2016, 4:23 am

I saw that too! Even Frank is jealous of that!!!

Post by **Rodcrafter** » August 8th, 2016, 4:27 am

I don't know Pete, I think by now Frank and Tom should feel like robots.

Making memories.

Squiggle · Post by **Squiggle** » August 8th, 2016, 4:30 am

I've seen pics of their welds, they weld like robots!

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 8th, 2016, 7:24 am

Squiggle -

The shop belongs to my brother. They are an oilfield job shop. It's pretty big and very well equipped. I sell the equipment for a living as well, so I know how to operate most of it myself. The comment about the robotics was obviously a joke, but yes, they do weld very nicely.

YouTube · Post by **Frank_Cox** » August 8th, 2016, 7:26 am

Hahaha! Awesome!!!
That is a big ol shop! With a shop like that you could go into production!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 8th, 2016, 7:47 am

The guys up there at the shop are chomping at the bit to go into production on pork, chicken and beef.

I am building these on the weekends down in my little corner of the welding shop. They just stop in and check my progress occasionally wanting to know when I am going to start them up.

I will post some pics of the cutting and bending process next weekend.

Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » August 8th, 2016, 11:26 am

Somehow, I can look past the lack of FR pants but the sneakers gotta go. Consider a safety toe and your feet will thank you....

KarateDoc · Post by **KarateDoc** » August 8th, 2016, 1:06 pm

I wish I had a shop to build out of. Looking good!

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 8th, 2016, 4:43 pm

But those are my welding sneakers!

Squiggle · Post by **Squiggle** » August 9th, 2016, 2:29 am

You can get steel cap sneakers.

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 11th, 2016, 8:44 pm

Hinges, wheels, latches and insulation all came in this week. Going to get an early start on the CC tomorrow evening. Hope to get it all fitted and welded. Maybe even get a firebox and chimney going this weekend if work will cooperate and leave me alone. Man, these latches are beautiful. All shiny and chrome. Heavy buggers too! Everything about these things is heavy though.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » August 12th, 2016, 12:27 pm

But they are awesome

Making memories.

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 14th, 2016, 1:54 am

Got some more work done yesterday. Interior panels cut, fitted and welded in. Firebox and ash box built and mocked up in place so I can take some measurements for the next pieces. I am pretty far from the plans at this point. A few changes to make it easier to build and a few because of boo boo's, but I am getting there. Also got the feet welded up. Just need to grab some bolts. I added lifting lugs to the top corners as well. Should make moving it around a little easier once we are done. Just have to remember to notch my outer skins for them.

Post by **Pete Mazz** » August 14th, 2016, 4:24 am

I'd love to have you for a neighbor! :LG:

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 14th, 2016, 7:59 am

I don't know about you guys, but I get a severe case of insomnia when I am working on a project like this. I wake up and start thinking about what I need to do next and the order in which I need to do them. I go so far as to leave a notepad next to the bed so I can write down these late night thoughts.

Well, what kept me up last night was the second smoker. It is still just a square tubing frame at this point. As I said, I really have no idea why I wanted to build two. The farther along I get on this one, the more convinced I am that I will be building a mini next. For those who have built both, how much modification would I have to do to convert the second frame to a mini? I am almost sure that the firebox side would be the same, only shorter. I could cut off the left hand side of the cc, trim the length down and reweld it, and do the same thing for the height. Maybe the depth too. So pretty much every single piece of tubing would have to be cut down and rewelded…….

This one is going to require more constipation, I mean contemplation.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » August 14th, 2016, 4:49 pm

I think if you go ahead and build the twins. When completed you could sell one and it would pay for both plus some money for the mini.

Making memories.

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 18th, 2016, 4:55 pm

The further along I get with this project, the more errors I find. I am piecing everything together and it will all be fine, but I am dead set on building the second one now so I can make a few changes for the better. I'll post some more pics after this weekend's efforts. I got the firebox and transfer tube completely welded up, just need to mount it in the frame. It was just too hot to mess with after welding all those seams. I should be ready to start on the insulation tomorrow.

My to do list at this point is as follows:

1 - Weld in drip deflectors in the cook chamber
2 - Weld on the pipe for the air intake
2b - Install grating between firebox and cook chamber
3 - Weld in the firebox and its braces and supports
4 - Weld in the pipe for the stack
5 - Weld on backing support for handles and latches
6 - flip the beast and install insulation and bottom panel
7 - Install side, back, and top panels and weld on the last lifting lug
8 - Grind and clean up
9 - Install runners for cooking shelves
10 - Cut flanges for fire and chimney doors
11 - Cut and bend doors - weld in inside panels
12 - Install latches and gaskets
13 - Cut the shelves - I'm planning to just cut 1/4" plate into grating. That way I don't have to fab anything. Just cut out and slide right in.

After making that list, I have more left to do than I thought…..

Post by **Tom_Heath** » August 18th, 2016, 9:24 pm

What kind of errors are you finding?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

latech15 · Post by **latech15** » August 19th, 2016, 5:55 am

1) The horizontal piece of tubing that the transfer tube passes over the top of ......I installed it 2" too high. Is there any reason that the transfer tube couldn't be lower? As long as I have room for the incoming air pipe in the side of the ash box to clear the top of my ash pan, why couldn't it be right above that level? Seems like I might could gain 3-4 more inches of cooking space by lowering the transfer tube a bit.
2) Either I took an incorrect measurement, or it got screwed up in the cad office, but my transfer tube is about 1/2" too short to reach the opposite wall.
3) My cook chamber dimensions are completely different than the plans. I'm 23 3/4" wide X 25 1/2" deep. The plan's dimensions are much smaller than that.
4) I spent a fair amount of time grinding and smoothing the transition between the internal walls and the square tubing before I welded in the front skin. Now I will have to clean up those corners all over again.
5) ETC

SmokerBuilder.com