This is only based on my own experiences so it is only opinion... Could you benefit from using 1" square tubing to build the doors and keep the 1 1/4" angle for the door frames. Doing so would provide you a broader gasket mating surface for the door seals particularly if you used the flat Nomex self adhesive gasket against your inside angle iron. I have had great success doing this and adding a bit of compression to the doors while welding on the hinges. The seal I have on all of the smokers Ive built this way in the last two yrs has been superior. I should add that my door handle latches all use a touch of compression as the door gets tighter and tighter
Only sticking in my 2 cents.
Make no mistake, there ain't no powder in this Puff ! And... I'm not really a crazy person but I play one in real life
That sounds fare. The steel and axle should be fine. I always go extra on everything so it is hard for me to recommend a 2000 lb axle. But it sounds like it should be ok.
jm2cw
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
I wouldn't recommend using torsion axles. We replace a lot of them on boat trailers that are only a few years old. They tend to cause the tires to ride on the inside edge and wear out prematurely. I have seen them bust the hub due to all the camber putting the load on the outer bearing. It's hard to beat a straight axle and leaf spring set up as long as it's not over loaded. jm2cw
Been working hard at this. Maybe later today I'll take some pictures and load them in.
My smoker went from 60gal to 80gal due to my neighbor talking me into making the top extended part square all the way back. Had I decided to do this from the start, I would have just sold my 60 gal tank and made a mack style square box cooker. Oh well, the tank was free.
I'm finding that either A) I'm horrible at welding or B) My welder is very inconsistent and not very easy to use. I have an old lincoln tombstone/buzzbox. Are these usually pretty solid?
By this I mean, I'll weld a stick with a beautiful bead, then I'll go to burn the next stick and it'll be wormholed or too hot or too cold or something. Maybe I need to just dry my electrodes out? They have been sitting for over a year.
You're doing great! As far as the welder goes, some of the small ones that look like that are just a/c output and not very good welders. I had one that was bigger that looked like that but it was a/c and d/c it even had an polarity reversing switch. It was a 250amp machine. It did a great job. But as for the rods being damp, that sure does make things harder also.
Keep up the nice work.
Making memories.
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
More pics i snapped this morning before work. Unfortunately i can't work on it this weekend because we're heading up to the lake. Oh well.
I just have to weld the inside seams. Or do you guys only weld outside seams?
I do have a small Hobart handler 125 (or 135?), but the wire feed speed doesn't seem to work. It just feeds fast and very inconsistent. i read maybe it needs a new control board? Or maybe a new gun liner.
Nice welds! I only weld outside seams. With a good weld around the outside I personally don't think it necessary to weld inside, and a lot of the time space is limited inside. jm2cw.