First build here we go!!

Smokeone · Post by **Smokeone** » October 10th, 2012, 5:59 am

Looking good!
I would go swivel if it was me.

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Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 10th, 2012, 6:07 am

Definitely swivel - much easier to control.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » October 10th, 2012, 6:36 am

I like the door idea too. I would think of maybe 2 the size your talking about or you may find your having to leave the door ajar to keep temp high enough. It would probably be fine with charcoal but wood may require more air flow to do all you want it to. Or maybe also and a stoker or something to add air when you need it.

Keep going your doing great!

SOILhunter · Post by **SOILhunter** » October 10th, 2012, 7:08 am

With 5.5" intake the pit calc says I will need .91 intakes...you don't think that's oversize enough? Or does it just give a minimum size? If I go up to 6 it gives me .76. Thanks for the comments and all the help guys I would definitely be lost without all of you!!

TuscaloosaQ · Post by **TuscaloosaQ** » October 10th, 2012, 7:20 am

Soilhunter 5.5" seems small to me I made mine bigger than required my thinking is I will defiently have enough flow and can always pinch down as needed....

this is what i do and it is soooooo easy to control!!!!!

Buck · Post by **Buck** » October 10th, 2012, 10:10 am

If I understand the pit calc correctly (and someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong), you need 1-5.5" totally open hole to give you .91 intakes. If you do a swivel type, the intake will be partially blocked. Look at the picture above. At full open, there's less than 1/4 of the total circle area open to the firebox. I'd think you need to shoot for .50 or better on the calc since part of the intake will be blocked. That type of intake will give you, at best, a little less than 1/2 the total circle area of the intake at full open (if you want to be able to close it all the way).

YouTube · Post by **Frank_Cox** » October 10th, 2012, 3:35 pm

I say swivel. I really like the ones I have done with the screw out but I think with the heat at that position in the FB you may have some tolerance issues on the the screw threads. you could go with some Lead Screw though

SOILhunter · Post by **SOILhunter** » October 11th, 2012, 9:13 pm

Test fit and marking the edge so I can get the FB to CC opening laid out and cut open. Cut off those old legs as well. You might also notice the lighting change...the buddy finally got some lights worth a darn in the shop!

YouTube · Post by **Frank_Cox** » October 11th, 2012, 9:23 pm

Smokeone · Post by **Smokeone** » October 12th, 2012, 1:15 pm

SOILhunter · Post by **SOILhunter** » October 15th, 2012, 7:30 am

Stand is built, the marriage will be soon so I need to get that ready!

TuscaloosaQ · Post by **TuscaloosaQ** » October 15th, 2012, 7:56 am

Buck wrote:If I understand the pit calc correctly (and someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong), you need 1-5.5" totally open hole to give you .91 intakes. If you do a swivel type, the intake will be partially blocked. Look at the picture above. At full open, there's less than 1/4 of the total circle area open to the firebox. I'd think you need to shoot for .50 or better on the calc since part of the intake will be blocked. That type of intake will give you, at best, a little less than 1/2 the total circle area of the intake at full open (if you want to be able to close it all the way).

Do you even know what size cooker you are looking at in the pic i posted???????

Way to much overthinking for me>>>>> the temps on my cookers are running excellent and my customers are very very happy!!!!! when the calculator is given numbers nowhere does it say to run the intake wide open so this tells me it has to be throttled to suit your needs. That is exactly what I do. To each his own!!!!! I certainly would not recommend what I did because you might
have a cooker that runs to damn good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the Above cooker do you even know what diameter the circle is??????? by the way 1/4th is incorrect
It does not take plumb bobs, slide rules, transists, and all that to build a quality cooker, just some fabrication skills and pride, by the way you are doing an excellent job soilhunter!!!!!!!!!

YouTube · Post by **Frank_Cox** » October 15th, 2012, 8:32 am

TuscaloosaQ wrote:It does not take plumb bobs, slide rules, transists, and all that to build a quality cooker, just some fabrication skills and pride, by the way you are doing an excellent job soilhunter!!!!!!!!!

haha, you kill me bro!

But it sure makes an impression when you do... come to think of it you don't need a wall full of bandsaws and grinders either....

TuscaloosaQ · Post by **TuscaloosaQ** » October 15th, 2012, 8:57 am

Frank_Cox wrote:
TuscaloosaQ wrote:It does not take plumb bobs, slide rules, transists, and all that to build a quality cooker, just some fabrication skills and pride, by the way you are doing an excellent job soilhunter!!!!!!!!!
haha, you kill me bro!
But it sure makes an impression when you do... come to think of it you don't need a wall full of bandsaws and grinders either....

Heck Frank the bandsaws are there so I can cut apart the freaking messes I make

YouTube · Post by **Frank_Cox** » October 15th, 2012, 8:59 am

hahaha

Post by **Rodcrafter** » October 15th, 2012, 9:24 am

You guys have alot of fun messing with each other. I know that cooker is going to start looking really good on that frame. It is fine however the person wants to do it but I've found that when I'm cutting my doors out. I want to make the opening as wide as I can, because I want the trays to pull out on tracks. But if I'm not carefull in doing this I could loose alot of cooking potential by making the opening smaller than I could have.

fwiw

:LG:

Buck · Post by **Buck** » October 15th, 2012, 9:35 am

TuscaloosaQ ... I wasn't commenting on how your rig is set up at all ... the picture was just there so I was using your intake as a visual. Didn't think I was attacking your design but if you think I was, I apologize. Yes. I have no idea how big anything is on your cooker so would never comment on your particular setup. Was just saying that with that style of intake it's always partially closed so take that into account. It sounded like he was cutting it close in the calc and I just wanted him to make sure it was big enough. So, in a nutshell, we both told him to oversize it

... I'm sorry, I'm a mathematician and can't help but think in these terms. I agree that a cooker doesn't need to be made with a protractor and slide rule but if you don't have some set of guidelines to follow, you can very easily end up with something that isn't a "quality cooker" ... especially if, like most of us, we don't do this for a living.

But I will have to differ about the 1/4 open thing. Take the 2 pieces of "pie" that let air in at full open, put them together and see how much of a full circle you have ... and that doesn't even include the middle part that never opens. Maybe 1/4" is enough ... but if we're using a calc and we're talking about the area of the intake, the design of the intake has way more to do with the area open to the firebox than the size of the circle it's cut into does.

TuscaloosaQ · Post by **TuscaloosaQ** » October 15th, 2012, 1:42 pm

Buck it is all good brother, I just get kinda emotional about my cookers

that would be next to someone fooling around in my wifes panty drawer.( I just would not like it) i tend to overreact also, I just felt like you was discrediting what I had to say and I apoligize. It is all good my friend. You certainly are better at math than me, Remember i am from Alabama and tend to use redkneck math

Again it is all good and all OK. No harm No foul

Buck · Post by **Buck** » October 15th, 2012, 2:30 pm

It's all good man. Maybe if I'd spend less time thinking about designs and air flow properties and more time with a torch in hand, I'd have a sweet setup like yours

. And don't sell yourself short ... out in the real world (where it counts), I've seen common sense "redneck math" coming from an experienced field worker out-perform an engineer and his calculator time and time and time again.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 15th, 2012, 8:47 pm

Very true ... but a good LASER looks so cool on my pegboard!

SOILhunter · Post by **SOILhunter** » October 16th, 2012, 8:52 pm

Ok so I don't want you all to shun me yet..but I went with a 6" screw out intake. Cut the FB opening tonight and made the final fit for the FB and tank also. Plans for Thursday are to attach the two after cutting the stack opening and hopefully getting the stand on that night as well.

SmokinFF · Post by **SmokinFF** » October 16th, 2012, 9:02 pm

Lookin good

Smokeone · Post by **Smokeone** » October 17th, 2012, 7:07 am

No shun here. Everybody has their ideas and ways. That is why this place is great!
Nice work!

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The Czar · Post by **The Czar** » October 17th, 2012, 7:14 am

Okay we won't shun you.....unless of course it doesn't work....then we will make fun of you.....but no shunning allowed....

It looks cooler than heck though.....

SOILhunter · Post by **SOILhunter** » October 17th, 2012, 7:48 am

I will expect it if it doesn't get enough air or I have troubled with the threads locking up..I made a tentative appt with the sandblasted for Monday so I gotta get on the ball the next couple workdays !

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