There is a link on the main page of this site to smokerplans.net and they have a few different types of gaskets. I like to use the fire rope fiberglass gasket ( 1/2'') it seems to seal up a little better than the flat gasket.
In my experience the steel parts of any cooker move a little as they get hot and expand so the flat gaskets have a harder time "modeling" the size/shape of the gap you are trying to fill with the gasket. Fire rope at around 1/2 inch diameter seems to do a better job adapting to this fluctuation and keeping things well sealed.
Sorry for the long answer but I've got this CDO problem and ….. excuse me I have to go sort my sock drawer ….
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
Awesome response guys. Thanks. Material has been ordered. Now getting ready to pick up hinges. 4" mild steel hinges or piano hinges? Your preference and why? Cook chamber door and firebox door use.
Definitely don't used a piano hinge on the firebox door if it's a vertical hinge line. The piano hinges have far more end-play when installed vertically than I thought and the door wanted to sag badly. On a horizontal hinge line like the CC almost anything will work but the "batwings" CRS is referring to are cool and very affordable unless you decide to get "plasma fancy" with them.
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
I used weld on bullet style with brass pins and washer. they install easily and work great no matter what heat range they were at. well worth the money!
Thanks for the input on hinges. Took your input and picked up some 4" mild steel hinges, no fancy Plasma work, sorry.
Now time to pick up thermometers. Suggestions on decent thermometers?
If you're talking about a "T"-gauge to install in the CC door then look at the one on smokerplans.net. It's a tel-tru brand and about the finest quality one out there in my opinion.
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
Should have taken a pic today, but forgot. Firebox coming along well. Floor and 4 sides welded, door cut, vents cut/slide dampers welded on. 24" by 67" .250 steel pipe arriving tomorrow. Hope to have this done in a few more weeks.
Question: After your builds do you all use a burn out fire in both the firebox and cook chamber? (as in wood in cook chamber to burn off junk, oil etc prior to the first real cook).
If you're building a RFS , I would burn out my pipe before I started building. Once you install your BP you don't have access to the bottom of the pipe anymore. Some of the guys have them soda blasted before they start.
Last edited by Big T on January 8th, 2014, 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If it is just rust I just wire brush with my grinder and burn my break in fire once complete. If it has oil in it I would try to get it as clean as I could, then burn a really hot fire before I added the BP.
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
Here's the numbers for our RF Smoker. My original post was inaccurate as I stated the CC was 24 by 60, reality is 24 by 67. Question for you Pros. Any benefit is increasing diameter of stack and reducing the length, or is narrower and longer offer other benefits. No wise cracks. If we go with 8" we shorten the stack significantly according to the calculator. What's your thoughts.
Not sure what happened with the calculator but the numbers didn't transfer with the link.
FB Square .250: 22 by 22 by 24
Air opening: Two 10" by 2" sliders
CC Round .250: 24 by 67
Chimney: 6" = 22" or 8" = 11"
BP is .250 thick.
IMO, I'd go with the longer stack. It will help keep the smoke up over your head and not in your face. I'm sure Gizmo will be along soon to give you some sort of scientific reasoning for his preferance... btw, you don't have a fork lift do you?
The Monster: 60 Gal Compressor tank RF Offset Smoker. It's big, it's ugly and it has golf cart tires...