You could run a steel rod down the center hole of several cyclinders - like stringing pearls - but space them out about the same gap between as they are long. Bend both ends of the rod and weld it to the door to form a very interesting handle. Any leftover sylinders could become handles for FB door too etc….. just a thought.
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)
Another question on this build... Being made entirely out of 1/4" steel, will the weight of this thing require a trailer axle and tires, or might I be able to get by with some smaller no-flat tires? I had planned on it being just a backyard smoker, but being towable wold be nice.
My brother in law welded up a frame thday (without finalizing what I wanted to do) and it's kind of a strange hybrid with the big wheels in the back and fixed legs up front. Your opinions on this part of the build would also be much appreciated.
An idea for a cylinder:
Weld a tube on it to look like a barrel and mount it to the CC with a hole thru the cooker for a digital thermometer probe. If the hole is the right size, you might wind up with something looking like a smoking gun.
If it's tourist season, how come I can't shoot 'em?
I was thinking the same thing, Rodcrafter. But I learned tonight that the axle has a bent shaft and if it's towed it eats wheel bearings, that's why it was free. So it will roll around the yard easily enough, but towing is a bad idea.
I finished my patio smoker two months ago with the thought it would be mostly stationary and it has been to a comp and a 1/4 mile down the street for a block party already. Really wish I would have started with a trailer build.
Making progress on the build, slowly, as I get time.
Getting the CC welded up.
The FB will actually be on the wheel side of the frame, we set it up like this to make it easier to weld the FB on.
The pieces, nearly ready to be joined.
Got the CC lid mocked up, gonna weld that puppy together soon.
The chain links for the hinges was not my idea, I saw it elsewhere and loved it! I could hardly believe it when my brother-in-law found a section of chain that would work.
This is really a lot of fun; I'm learning how to stick weld, learning better how smokers work, and getting creative with how to integrate the firearm parts into the theme. I'll post additional updates as we move forward.
Nice job I thought about using chain like that when I did mine. Had access to it but changed my mind at the last minute. Like the way yours is turning out.
I posted this up and I am hoping someone can help me out. I designed the FB door with a sliding plate vent for intake air, but I didn't account for a place to put a hinge in that area. Here's the door:
(note, the bottom is not bowed, it's camera distortion sue to my angle and focal length.)
And here is the FB door opening:
I have a rifle bolt and receiver that I want to use as the door latch, and that has to go on the right side. So I need to figure out a way to hinge this door on the left side without interfering with the vent plate. I'm thinking an internal hinge is just about the only way to do it, but I'd like to hear any ideas or suggestions you all may have.