The best thing to do is enter your pit information into the pit calculator. It will tell you exactly what your throat opening needs to be along with stack length. Most people shoot for a 3-5" gap between the grate and the baffle plate. Not sure I understand your last question. Too many typo's for me to understand.
Welcome to the crew, I make my door as long as I can between the welds on a tank. And the bottom cut of the door 1" below center and the top cut 1" past TDC. This allows the bottom grate to be at the center and on the top it helps to keep rain out
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
Due to the longitudal effect of the mass air flow coefficient, I would have to say..... Half moon or square makes no difference at all. So long you have the square inches required.
OK so many moons ago. This guy named Frank from another board calls me up and says hey man... I'm starting a message board... Wanna join. That was the beginning.
We slowly grew.... Someone would ask a relatively simply question and Frank Wood answer with a 3 page reply. Most of those questions were guys asking about gas assist in the fire box. Hence BTU'S...... And well ..... It stuck. So now when anyone is a little too much detail we joke and say they went all BTU on the moment. Once you meet Frank and Forrester in person it makes more sense.
And that is a hint about the next Gathering, when we all converge on HQ and do some serious smoking and eating and of course some will have an adult beverage or two.
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
No we don't have a date yet. But yes we would likely do it at Franks. Not sure about the keys this year. With trying to move and the daughters custody case. Not sure how fart funds will go.