My daughter helped out some tonight. I didn't think to burn out the paint at the beginning of the project so she tried to burn it off with a weed burner. It worked, but it was slow...so we started a fire instead.
I left the smoker at the fab shop last weekend while we were visiting friends in Wyoming and Colorado. I came back and they had all my grating sheared and bent for the wood box and cooking grates, some alluminum diamond plate cut for the deck and steal diamond plate for the wheel wells/fenders. I have a LOT of work to do before I use it on the 15th for a contest.
Sand blasted last night and it cleaned up nice. I won't have to worry about paint flavored ribs this weekend. I did notice the the door flattened out after blasting it. It fit perfect on my way down but didn't afterwards. No huge deal because I have to take it off to reset the hinge to make room for the gasket, but I was surprised. I chained it for the trial run.
Last edited by mp4 on August 11th, 2015, 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I only had a couple hours for the first trial run. Here's my notes...temps are listed from the gauge on the left on the door, then the center of the lower grate taken from the iGrill sensor and then the gauge on the right side of the door. It warmed up nice but I think I started with too much fuel and then waited too long to add. I checked 45 minutes into the burn and it seemed that I had more than enough of a coal base.
7:45. 3 scoops of charcoal
8:00. Close doors - added one split of maple
8:15. 220-224-260 Closed draft 1/2
8:35. 255-283-320 Closed draft to 1/4
8:45. 295-304-280 Closed draft to 1"
9:05. 280-294-265. Add 1/2 basket.
9:25. 274-284-260. Closed draft on latch side.
9:45. 255-268-240
10:15. 230-240-212. Opened draft long latch side 1"
10:35. 210-220-197