The Texas Ranger

[hogaboomer]

Can't sell a Santa Maria around here. Smokers take a long time to sell, but they do eventually sell. I split this one to try and avoid all the problems I had with the last one I built out of this pipe. I'm thinking a standard offset, no tuning plates or reverse flow. Try to cut the material to the bone. Jambo type deflector into the cook chamber.
This is all the further I got today. Sprung out 3-1/2 inches when I cut it.

[Big T]

That should make a nice size cooker. Did the door spring any?

[dacolson]

Love it. I’m a believer in splitting the pipe. World of difference on my build. 3 1/2” is a huge spring. Mine was barely 2”. Image what your door would have done.


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[hogaboomer]

That should make a nice size cooker. Did the door spring any?

I didn't get around to checking it. I had to pull it in a little, cause I only had 3 inch flat bar. I'm thinking it should be good. I had all kinds of trouble with the last one.

[hogaboomer]

Love it. I’m a believer in splitting the pipe. World of difference on my build. 3 1/2” is a huge spring. Mine was barely 2”. Image what your door would have done.


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I know what the last one did. The door opening had a bigass bow in it. This is cut from the same piece of pipe as the last one.

This is the first time I tried this method, it didn't take all that long to weld it back up. Be worth it, if I don't have to mess with the door this time. That was a huge headache.

[hogaboomer]

I tacked up a cooking grate frame today, built the long side 28 inches, instead of 2 foot 8.

[dacolson]

Laughing with you. Measured my smoke collector on the last pit to be 24x6” rectangle in 3/8” steel. The cc is 24” diameter … had to hang it up for day.

[hogaboomer]

I'm not buying any more tape measures that show feet and inches. Not the first time I made that stupid mistake.

[Big T]

I'm not buying any more tape measures that show feet and inches. Not the first time I made that stupid mistake.

I used a tape like that on a small plumbing job a week or so ago. I pre-cut several pieces of pvc only to realize that it was all wrong due to my lack of attention to details. I threw that one in the dumpster and got a standard tape.

[hogaboomer]

Been so long since I built anything I got rusty. I went on Amazon a few minutes ago and ordered up a tape that only shows inches.

[dacolson]

My favorite tape is an old school flat tape that hand winds and is only in ft and in. I’m hyper conscious of missing the measurements I must remeasure 4 times on every cut. Just don’t have the heart to put it away.

[SheffSmoker]

Come to the metric side.

I'm OK with feet and inches but small measurements do my head in. Give me mm any day for that.

In my young teenage years I was making a chassis for an RC car I had and asked for a small sheet of ally - a foot square by 2mm thick.

[hogaboomer]

Come to the metric side.

I'm already confused enough!!!

[hogaboomer]

Gotta be something crooked on every one. Hope this is the only one, it won't be too obvious once I get the firebox on.

[hogaboomer]

I'm holding you responsible if this don't work, Colson.

[dacolson]

Just put more welds on it. That’s my motto


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[towtruck]

Gotta be something crooked on every one. Hope this is the only one, it won't be too obvious once I get the firebox on.

That is not crooked....it is a designed feature to get the smoke to roll towards the rear of the cook chamber and create a swirl effect across the meat surface.

[hogaboomer]

[hogaboomer]

Idiot proofed my tape, made me a baby jack stand, and worked on the firebox fit up. I welded on the smoke collector on the other end, but forgot to get a pic.

[dacolson]

Love that work frame you built. Those wheels have to be handy for rotating the tank. Great idea on the jack hack.

[hogaboomer]

I got spoiled working in that pipe fabrication shop for so long, turned me into a topside welder. I gotta have my wheels.

[hogaboomer]

Here we go again. Pulled the side of the door openings up when I welded the end plates on. I should have had that chain on pulling it down before I welded. It took a little while, but I got them both back in pretty close.

[dacolson]

Force of will

[hogaboomer]

Turned out OK, I can get the rest of that with the grinder.

[SheffSmoker]

Thin gasket will sort that no bother.