Anybody like ribs?

[joshcarlegis55]

Yes there is a reason they are on top.... because I'm impatient and dont think before I do things. I am going to have to cut all those out and patch the holes and also put a drain in the bottom of the tank. When I started the tank I just kind of rolled it to where the little legs underneath supported the tank steady and started cutting..... Didnt realize what I had done until a couple weeks ago... All that stuff on top is going to be removed though. The flange is going to be welded to the door, except the top seal which will be put inside the tank since it wont clear with the hinges I used.. I think it looks better that way and hides blemishes in the cuts. I shouldnt be losing much smoke with the door fitting so well but if I do I will put some on the inside also.

[tom37]

This is just a thought. At your local Hardware store in the wood
stove pipe area. They should have the soft gray rope for wood
stove doors. They also have rope cement high temp. Dont use
that!!!! I can testify to that one. They should have high temp
silicon, I think its 1100 degree. I ran a large bead everywhere I
wanted the rope gasket, then pressed the rope to the silicon,
then covered it all with 2" blue paint tape just in-case some silicon
made it to the door. Afterwords the tape pulls right off. I have
used this method all all my smokers and it works great.
Zero smoke loss.

[joshcarlegis55]

I have actually been thinking about doing that but didnt know if it would be worth it. Thinking about it though... that would be easier than running a flange on the inside of the tank. Thanks for the idea!

[tom37]

Just for the record, The doors in the above pic are 1/8" plate, NOT the 14 or 16 gauge that the box itself is made from. That is an old diesel tank like you would see on a flat bed. It was so think I didn't want to spend the time to make it strong enough for a door. So I found a scrap yard find for my doors.

Tom

[joshcarlegis55]

With the wife at work I made some more progress today. It was a good bit of welding work, my little Hobart was having a heck of a time keeping up.

This is the cooking door pretty much done.



Here is my catch to keep the door from over extending.

[tom37]

Great looking job Josh. I really like the handle you have made. I cant tell in the pic, is the door far enough past its balance point when it is resting upright, that it does not fall in your head in a high wind?

Its probably plenty far but its hard to tell in the pic.

Nice work.

Tom

[joshcarlegis55]

Thanks for the compliment!I was a little sketchy on that but after playing with it for a while I think that it is far enough over. Ill just cook with a helmet the first few times Also I am in a serious debate with a buddy about the handle.... I think that it wont get very hot since it is so long and is connected to the door through fairly small welds and plenty of areas to lose heat. He thinks I need some wood or a spring on it. What do you guys think? Im going to try it before I do anything to it but if someone has run in to this problem before let me know.

Josh

P.S. I had the most horrible dream last night that I left a fire burning outside next to the pit and it set the grass on fire and MELTED my smoker into a big pile of warped metal. I woke up very distressed this morning, ha ha.

[tom37]

Josh, the handle will be fine. So long as you are not cooking with the temp above 3 or 4 hundred degrees. Here is a link to a pic of the front of my cooker. Both handles on the cook chamber are 5/8" round bar. Now they do get a little warm, but not hot enough to have to wear a glove.

The fire box was a different story, it needed one with a spring(an old chipping hammer).

[SavageSunJeep]

I think you handle WILL get hot. Since this is a BBQ/smoker then cooking times can go to 24 hrs and beyond. Slow heat will settle in on a solid handle like that over time...how much time and will it be too hot to handle (no pun intended)...dunno, you can test.

Thickness of the tank?

Estimated weight of tank?

Really LOVE the spurs for handle supports. Real or did you just fab them up???

[joshcarlegis55]

They were on a beer bucket stand that I am *******izing in my back yard. I believe the guy I got the stand from got them at the flea market in Canton. They are cast iron. I agree with you though on the handle. It could get hot depending on the cooking times. I dont cook too much that goes over 12 hours though.