Centre feed reverse flow build (for Metric meat only)

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 22nd, 2013, 10:32 am

Hi Everyone,

Im building a Centre feed RF, based kind of half loosely on Gizmos Edgar smoker. Its 1.25M wide, which is the width of a standard steel sheet here, so it makes it fairly easy and cheap to source and cut the steel. Im going to make it in parts, the cooking chamber first, then once thats done, il put it on one side and make the firebox.

The two parts seperate easily to transport, and ive designed it so the cooking chamber slides off, and into the back of the truck. The trolley its on is the same height as the back of my pickup so you just wheel it up behind the truck and push it across.

Ive ordered the steel for the cooking chamber, getting it on Thursday. In the meantime, heres a loverly diagram for anyone that might want to make their own one.

All dimensions in millimetres!

Pete.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » October 22nd, 2013, 1:37 pm

It could just be me not used to looking at nice drawings, but Pete what am I looking at here?

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 22nd, 2013, 2:51 pm

It's a scale model, print out, cut out and fold along lines!

Or take the bit of paper to a steel shop and get them to cut it out, then weld together. It's all to help others make their own smokers of the same design.

Clover Ridge Smokers · Post by **Clover Ridge Smokers** » October 22nd, 2013, 3:16 pm

I too must be missing something. Based on what I see no 2 surfaces are the same. Maybe I need a different drawing to understand your design.

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 22nd, 2013, 4:04 pm

Like this....

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 22nd, 2013, 5:37 pm

Great CUT TICKET Pete! (at least that's what we used to call them) The solidworks image really brings it to life too.

A thought: you might think about bringing the top panel out even with the top of the 45 degree opening - only because edging/sealing the door for a good fit is a lot easier - then again you may have thought about that already so I'll shut up now ….

Also, is the extension I see below the CC the FB that stays behind when you slide the top over to the pick-up bed?

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 22nd, 2013, 5:42 pm

Hi Gizmo,

The door starts at the top, down the sloped surface and down the front, so the edge/seal will be on the flat surfaces. My logic is, if I managed to make the cheap offset seal so well with fibreglass strip and cam latches, surely this will seal too!

The cooking chamber is going to sit on a trolley, similar to yours. Im not going to do warming cupboards, im going to have empty space either side, so it will be kind of T shaped. The idea is you roll it up to the back of the truck and push the cooking chamber off into the truck, then the trolley/firebox section will be light enough for two people to lift in. I have designed the shape of it so it fits in the back of the truck perfectly. My truck is quite small compared to your monsters (but will carry over a ton of weight in the back and will two 3.5 tons and only has a 2.5ltr engine, sooooooo)

Also I should mention im gonna build this entire thing with TIG welding only. In my day to day life I build little delecate things so TIG is all I know.

Pete.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 22nd, 2013, 5:46 pm

Got it!
So is there a frame out from the FB to give the whole assembled rig a stable base?

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 22nd, 2013, 5:56 pm

Pretty much a firebox on wheels, but yes it does extend outwards to give me somewhere to put stuff. Im not sure yet but I thnk im going to put some rails on the firebox to help slide the firebox onto, so the trolley might be I shaped (imagine a traditional capital I)

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 22nd, 2013, 7:35 pm

That should work.

Clover Ridge Smokers · Post by **Clover Ridge Smokers** » October 23rd, 2013, 6:32 am

Thanks for the new pic. Now I understand your plan.

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 23rd, 2013, 10:50 am

Picked up steel. This thing is gonna weigh a ton. (Metric ton obviously)

Rev.Mike · Post by **Rev.Mike** » October 23rd, 2013, 11:38 am

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 30th, 2013, 11:44 am

Just started welding together, off to a flying start by welding two if the wrong pieces together. Now having to cut along the weld so I can do it again. Very frustrating.

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 30th, 2013, 2:11 pm

Better. Dark now and the halogen work lights are confusing my welding mask, so more tomorrow.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » October 30th, 2013, 3:00 pm

That ought to hold her together, oh and don't get frustrated yet, there are a few more mistakes to make before your done if you are like me.

Clover Ridge Smokers · Post by **Clover Ridge Smokers** » October 30th, 2013, 3:27 pm

It's coming together nicely. RC is correct, there are more mistakes to be made. It happens to all of us.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » October 30th, 2013, 5:18 pm

When you're feeling really stupid just put a pair of pliers in your back pocket and walk around the shop for an hour looking for them - at least that's how I do it…

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » October 31st, 2013, 1:56 pm

Been doing more today. Cut the corners off and fitted the slope. There's a fairly serious metal mismatch, which the grinder will fix. Welding is hard caus I use tig and this thing is huge, I'm having fun though.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » October 31st, 2013, 1:59 pm

Rev.Mike · Post by **Rev.Mike** » October 31st, 2013, 2:53 pm

SmokinFF · Post by **SmokinFF** » October 31st, 2013, 4:23 pm

The last part of your sentence is the most important!! Keep having fun and keep up the good work.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Smokeone · Post by **Smokeone** » October 31st, 2013, 4:46 pm

bluecatfish · Post by **bluecatfish** » October 31st, 2013, 7:13 pm

Keep having that fun!

PetesMeat · Post by **PetesMeat** » November 1st, 2013, 10:30 am

Been cleaning up welds today with a flap disk. Looks nice. Some areas I won't be able to do this too though caus it's a flat butt seam, so if I grind off the weld, there will barely be anything holding the join together. With this weld though there was a deep groove that I filled up nicely and as you can see, the heat penetrated properly.

Looking good, now I have another 30M or so of welding. Looking forward to it.

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