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**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 6, 2023, 09:24 PM

Lotta work today. Spent 12 hours in the shop, first 90-plus degree day here, I think.

I didnt end up getting my tank cut just right to fit the firebox on. Ended up have to fill a gap about 5/8" from things not being able to fit up closely without my firebox being high in the ass end... my buddy whose shop I use said she looked like she was twerking. <facepalm> He told me, "She's saying, go ahead, daddy, put that wood in my firebox." <double facepalm>

Definitely had to remedy that situation, so that took some strips of 3/16 tacked in to fill the gap in the bottom of the throat and along the side. And I'm running on fumes for gas, so all I could do was put about 100 tacks inside and outside, I'll weld it all up and grind it down to make it look purty on Monday when I can swap my bottle.

For now, this is where I ended up for the night.

But the firebox is essentially level with the tank, so that's the important thing, and it'll hold for now, 'till I can solidify it and pretty it up. That rear axle will get moved back to the rear of the firebox - it's a little ass-heavy and the front wants to pop a wheelie when you're pulling it right now. That'll be remedied when I put the vertical 60 gallon tank on the front. And she's not twerking anymore...

I'm exhausted.

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 15, 2023, 04:14 PM

Guess I haven't updated in a while... but then, haven't done much, either.

I took this entire weekend off - I felt like I've been around a little too much in my friend's shop, his wife was... apparently a little irritable with him, per his report, I thought this would be a good weekend to make myself scarce.

But here's where things stand at the moment:

A look at my firebox opening, I realized I didn't show that anytime, really. There will be a double-layer insulated door that closes and seals this off by nesting inside like a cork. The door will be the air inlet, I'll leave it open or closed however much is necessary for airflow.

I welded a 1" collar around my 7" vertical 'port' out of the firebox. This will be the port that vents into my small vertical 30-gallon 'hot' and warming chamber.

Additionally, I moved the rear axle back to the rear of the firebox. While this did make it less likely to pop a wheelie when dragging it due to the heavy-arse firebox, it seems like it made it much harder to pull around. I can't fathom how, it changed the turning radius, yes, but just pushing or pulling I can't see how it could seem so much heavier. I dunno... maybe I was just worn out and being a wimp.

Here's what she looks like now:

She certainly seems to have stretched out a whole lot just by moving those wheels back. In retrospect, I kind of wish I hadn't pushed them QUITE so far to the back, maybe at the halfway point of the firebox would have been a little better.

That tank on top of the firebox is the one that will sit there, but it is just perched up there in that pic, not fixed. It will be cut to nest over that pipe and be mounted flush with the top of the firebox, not sitting up there like a chicken drumstick lollipop or something. lol

This thing is turning into a bit of a Frankenstein's monster. It's not coming out nearly as purty and symmetrically/aesthetically attractive as I had hoped, and I don't even have the verticals mounted yet. <sigh> I really think it may end up one hell of a monstrosity when it's done. Hopefully when I get it all like I want it, painting it all black will bring it back into a somewhat pleasant form. I'm kind of too far invested at this point to make major design changes, so... it'll end up being what it ends up being.

This is my learning project, so if it ends up an ugly, poorly-cooking monstrosity, at least it can sit in my backyard and few, if any, people ever have to see it.

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 28, 2023, 05:26 AM

Got a smallish update on yesterday's work.

Earlier in the week, I used my new Eastwood handheld 4.5" cold cut saw to cut the doors on the 30-gallon tank that will go on top of the firebox. This is like a little handheld circular saw with a TCT (tungsten carbide tipped) blade. It actually worked pretty well - for $99, I think it's going to come in pretty handy in the future, for sure. This tank is like, 1/8" thick, though, so to be fair, I don't know how it'll hold up cutting the doors on a propane tank or something that's 1/4" or more. And making a 'plunge' cut with it is a little more difficult, too, that's where I've read you're more likely to damage your blade, etc. So after the first 'plunge' cut (again, in 1/8" material), the other cuts I started with a grinder cutoff disc first. Overall, I think it worked ok, and I'm pretty happy I have it - just another tool in the tool chest to use for various situations.

Note: I left the corners in place so the door wouldn't pop out until I got my door bands tacked on....

Now to yesterday.

First off, used my new flat stock roller to make some curved door bands. This thing is slick. I got it from Mike Waters at Mystic Smokers - super nice guy, super helpful and a very knowledgeable resource, very willing to help out and lend his advice..

The handle is mine, a piece of leftover junk 3/8", so don't blame Mike for the handle - the rest is all his, laser cut 1/4" stock, super super slick machine here.

The result:

Bending the door trim beforehand makes it so easy to attach and removes all risk of your trim pulling your door out of shape. This happened with the door on the main cook chamber for this build. Even though the door trim was only 1/8" flat bar, the tank itself is like 0.155", and it did sort of pull the curvature out of the door a little bit, trying to bend it along the curve and clamping it down before welding. Between the pull of the flat bar and the heat, I guess? I dunno, anyways, it's minor, but it's there. This new tool will allow me to use 1/4" flat stock for future larger tanks for the door trim and have zero worries.

Moving on...

Spent the afternoon leisurely attaching the door trim, measuring, remeasuring, second-guessing, remeasuring... and finally got my hinges and door handles mounted, ended up with this pseudo-R2D2/Pixar Minions-looking contraption of a vertical tank:

Some shots of the welds, just for fun. lol

They're not the worst welds I've done, but I still have a long ways to go. I think I am moving too fast on my weave, not allowing time for the toes of the weld to 'wet in'. But, they'll do the trick, for now.

Here's that tank now set in its final resting place on top of the firebox:

(Ignore the chikkin who felt like she needed to show her ass in the shot!)

And the internal pipe/heat inlet:

This will be an interesting 360º weld around that pipe. It needs to be a complete weld, not just heavy tacks or stitch welds, otherwise grease or whatever will run down the tank and out onto my firebox - don't want that mess. I was worried it was going to be waaaaay tight in there trying to weld around that pipe, so I made the door 20" wide. Of course, there are plenty of other benefits to having a wide door. I actually thought I might even have to cut a window out of the rear of the tank, weld from the other side, then weld the window back in to close the tank again. But after getting it all put in place, I think I have enough room and light to probably make a decent go of it. I'm debating using a mirror, like we did practicing suturing back in school. lol

Only 10 pics allowed per post, I think, so I better make another - still got a few to go.

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 28, 2023, 05:39 AM

Final shots of yesterday's work.

Today will be welding up that tank into place over the heat inlet, then working on grates for inside the tank. Got a couple of ideas, the simplest of which is using my flat bar bender to make half-circles and joining them together and putting expanded metal on top or inside the hoops. I may experiment to see if I can bend angle iron with that roller. If it works halfway decently, I'll use that instead, so the grates will match the ones in the main tank. I'll mount 3 tabs around the circumference at 2 levels inside that upright tank to rest the grates on.

There'll be a flapper inside the inlet pipe, controlled by a rod extending outside the tank to adjust heat inflow. I'll also likely make an insulated plug or stopper to sit inside there as well, for really blocking heat out when I want to keep it unused or minimally warm, say for a 150ºF or so holding chamber.

Above that heat inlet will be a diffuser plate to catch drippings and... well... diffuse the heat. lol

I am not sure what to do about grease management yet. Obviously I can't have a drain in the bottom like most vertical chambers, because that would drip right into the firebox. So I'm toying with the idea of a channel around the inner circumference, leading to a drain out the back, toward the bottom. Not sure how to implement such a catchment system, with some kind of U- or V-shaped channel welded along the inside. I don't know, it's going to take some thought.

So that's where I am.

**Skip** · May 28, 2023, 05:43 AM

Very nice DogFaced PonySoldier!

**klflowers** · May 28, 2023, 07:04 AM

That is some great work. Can't wait to see it in action.

**fzxdoc** · May 28, 2023, 07:22 AM

Are you keeping a running list of all of the tools and materials that you have purchased to build this impressive smoker, along with the man hours involved in making it DogFaced PonySoldier ? It would be interesting to see how much this labor of love cost in man hours and expenses.

If you do share that info when it's all completed, we won't tell your wife.

Kathryn

**Draznnl** · May 28, 2023, 08:00 AM

That is one heck of a machine. Congratulations on an excellent job.

**RonB** · May 28, 2023, 02:42 PM

I'm still enjoying your adventures.

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 28, 2023, 07:21 PM

Nothing today, sorry. Church this morning, laziness this afternoon, bratwurst with the family this evening.

Maybe tomorrow, lol.

**texastweeter** · May 28, 2023, 11:14 PM

Just be careful coals don't scorch those tires in the back.

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 29, 2023, 06:12 AM

Originally posted by texastweeter View Post

Just be careful coals don't scorch those tires in the back.

Not a chance. Those tires are several inches out from the square sides of the firebox, and that is the farthest point BACK from where the fire will be (up near the cook chamber) AND it's down at the corners, there is probably 2.5-3" of 2400ºF ceramic fiber insulation in that box at that position... those wheels will be cool as a cucumber. Even if I put larger wheels on later, which I am contemplating.

**rlozinak** · May 29, 2023, 12:01 PM

Your doing a fine job, congrats. Can't wait to see it in action

**DogFaced PonySoldier** · May 30, 2023, 06:58 AM

Got a little more work done yesterday.

First, rolled some bands to make hoops.

Two of those^^^ are for grates for my upright chamber, the 3rd is for my insulated door - it is sitting in this pic on top of the inner plate for the door.

Began welding that hoop onto the larger (outer) door plate. I had a lot of fun doing a lot of welding yesterday, some of them came out ok:

The ring all welded up on the inside:

The ceramic fiber insulation serving as the "creme filling":

And finally, my completed big' ol' Oreo cookie!

Next will be mounting the hinges on the door, added expanded steel mesh to the grates and then putting in a collector and exhaust pipe - and this puppy will be DONE! Oh yeah, drains... gotta come up with a grease management system for the vertical tank. Not sure about that... and the flapper for the heat inlet. And the baffle in the main tank...

Ok, hell, I got a lot left to do.

Never mind, carry on. lol

**Bad Hat BBQ** · May 30, 2023, 08:30 AM

Very impressive.
Excited to see your 1st Rack o' Ribs

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