New smoker build. 250 gallon on a yard cart.

[realdocBBQ]

Well, I've been doing some other things, got a lot going on at work, some good, some not so good, etc. Whatever.

Decided I'm gonna tackle a big(ish) project, trying make a 250 gallon 'backyard' smoker on a yard cart, with some large wheels I picked up from an ATV. These are 25" tires on 12" wheels. I thought I had a picture somewhere, but I can't find it, so I'll have to post that up some other time.

Decided to do a square firebox on this 30" diameter 250 gallon tank. Lots of times I have my friend with the plasma table cut out my parts and such, but this time I decided to just cut the plate sections myself, had him do the small parts, hinges, door handles and such. I had some 3/16" plate and some 1/4" plate - since this is going to be self-pull yard cart, I wanted to try to cut down a little bit on the weight, so I choose to use my 3/16" plate. Cut it out with my cheapie Chinese plasma cutter on some cheapie Ebay pipe stands. I found that it did fine as long as the material was clean. It was sitting out in the weather for quite I while, I don't know, 6 or 8 months, maybe longer. I used my cheapie Harbor Freight surface conditioning tool (like a drum sander) to clean it off - took about 20-30 minutes total, and then it really cut very cleanly, as long as I took my time to measure right, used a guide for dragging and was very methodical. It went well.



Anyways, fitup was kinda new for me, I haven't done a big square box like this straight from scratch. I did build a box around the inner pipe firebox on my personal backyard smoker, but my cutting wasn't all that clean and I wasn't as methodical, so the edges weren't as nice. This time I used what I learned last time, and actually, fitup came out much nicer.

Decided to do a double layer on the bottom for durability, and drilled 3/8" holes, then plug welded them together.


Putting sides up, trying to get things level and plumb and tacked together.



Then did angled sides to give a bit of a slope for managing the fire and keeping a coal bed in the center.




Welding everything up.


Had my buddy with the plasma table cut out my door, my air inlet and firebox throat opening.




So here's what I had when I got it all tacked together. 3/16" plate, 26"W x 24"H x 30"D.



Then my cheap Chinese welder (seeing a pattern here?) died, and I've spent some time acquiring a new better Chinese welder (lol) and building a welding cart for it - took some modifications to the original plan, but it ended up coming out ok. Functional, but not fancy.



Next post with more pics - coming up...

[barelfly]

I absolutely love these projects you do! Love it! Thanks for always sharing these! I live vicariously through you on these projects!

[Bob K]

Great post, thanks for sharing all the pics. Awesome idea with the valley at bottom. It's like the best of both options (cylindrical vs. square firebox). Although now you won't be able to upsell a $100 "fire management basket" to go with ...

[realdocBBQ]

Today I went out to finish welding up the firebox.

Suspension - super duper safe, I promise. Really.



Building the vertical baffle for in front of the throat opening.




Wasn't actually exactly as I envisioned, but it came out ok, I'm sure it'll function fine.

For those wondering... this baffle design directs all heat coming out of the firebox directly upward to the top of the tank and ostensibly allows cooler recirculating air from the bottom of the pit to draft upward and 're-mix' with that superheated air out of the firebox.

I have experimented with a removable vertical baffle in my previous smaller pit (which I just rehomed) and the difference with this type of baffle was absolutely staggering. Here is what the last one looked like, modular:




(I did cut that baffle down an inch and a half eventually so it was only 1.5" above grate level at the top)


Normally, the area immediately in front of the firebox throat opening is a 'microwave' zone that is super hot and almost unusable - and in this little 60 gallon smoker, it was REALLY bad - it would hit 550ºF within 30 seconds of throwing a preheated log in the firebox. After playing with this plate - it lowered that temp over 300ºF to a useable temp, and I had nearly perfectly even temps from end to end. It was amazing. I'm a believer.

So this throat opening for this 250 gallon pit I decided to use the cutout and permanently attach it in front of the firebox. It's a little sloped, from 2" out at the bottom open end to 4" out at the top. I believe this will work well. We shall see, eventually... I stole this idea unabashedly from my friend SmokerBuilder Frank Cox.

Here's how the completed firebox looks all finished today.




So that's where I stand, at the moment. Next step is the rotating front axle, then I can mount the firebox to the tank and get this thing on wheels. Then collector and stack, cut doors and build racks.

Got a long way to go - but the firebox came out 'ok' I think. Not perfect, not exactly 100% as I'd hoped or envisioned, but I think it'll work.

[realdocBBQ]

I might add some flat bar trim on the inside of the door at some point, I don't know. The octagonal door makes it a little more complicated, and I'd have to crawl in on my back to weld that in - but the door is 20" or 22" wide, and since I'm 'less wide' that I used to be, I can probably manage it. We'll see. Maybe when she's all mounted to the tank and on wheels and solid.

[RonB]

Let me get my popcorn 'cause this is gonna be fun.

[realdocBBQ]

Well, it's been a couple of weeks, I guess I'd better post up some updates of what I've done, eh?

Built my axles.... lotta freaking drilling holes here. Screwed up one, so had to redo it. The holes were 5/8" done with a hole saw bit on the drill press to do plug welds for the spindles on the idler hubs.


The big hole there ^^^^ is 1¼" done the same way for the spindle of a vertical idler hub, which will be the pivot point for steering.

Here it is fitted up.


I also built some stands for holding tanks - adjustable at the cradle (supported with 3/4" allthread) and at the feet - added in 5/8" allthread, not pictured here. 2x3" ¼" feet, nuts on top and bottom, you adjust all that by tightening or loosening the nuts to move the allthread. Whole WHOLE lotta drillin' holes in THESE things! UGH! But they work!


The cradles can be removed and swapped out for different diameter tanks. These were for a 30" diameter tank - there are narrower holes for 24" diameter tanks. 500 gallon tanks are often 37/38" or 41" diameter. 1000 gallon (yeah, like THAT'S happ'nin') are usually 41" also.

I may do the cradles differently, with rec tubing and a steel plate of 3/16" or 1/4" cradle... this would make it easier to get the allthread fitted up perpendicular. We'll see how that ends up later.... it was a trial of concept, and it works, though could use some improvement. I like the modular concept of top half 'jigs' for various purposes.

Let's see... what else...?

Welded the axle on the firebox and mounted the tires.




Today did layout for the firebox...



And the collector...



Then broke out the plasma cutter and took care of those cutouts.



The Wife says, "Now it looks HAPPY, like it's smiling!" lol

Also mounted the front axle support and test-fitted the axle.



Also welded on a square front standoff for the front axle to attach a pullbar - nothing special, 1¼" square tubing in a rectangular shape... ummm... 15" wide, around 8" deep. 45º cuts at the corners, all fully welded - I really don't like the open ends of square tube showing. Some guys do that, it's no big deal, but it's just a little extra time and attention to detail, makes it look nicer and more custom and feels more... I dunno, 'polished'? Since this one will probably be going up for sale, I wanted to put some nicer touches on it with the things I've learned over the last year and a half or so of messing with this stuff. So that is just a box off the front of the axle to add additional turning power to the pull handle I'll add on later.

I think this week I'll probably try to get the firebox welded on, then I can set the front axle height and weld that spindle in place (I reinforced that 11g rec tubing with front and back plates of 3/16" welded in at the pivot point). I should have about 2" of vertical adjustment I can utilize for leveling before I weld the axle full in place. Unless I decide just to go with a collar so it can be removable - but... I don't really see a need or reason to ever drop the front axle off. It can be unbolted from that support box with the spindle in place.

Hope you guys like it. I threw my logo for my IG handle in there, thinking about branding and social media 'presence'... my buddy Frank Cox aka SmokerBuilder has been trying to convince me to get into the game. We'll see.

[Uncle Bob]

real doc bbq.................has a nice ring to it.............

[Troutman]

May as well jump into the game. Even if you don't get anywhere with it it satisfies your passion and hard work to do so. Why real doc bbq?

[Sweaty Paul]

So awesome. Love following along. That is gonna be a monster!

[captainlee]

Incredible job thanks for posting.

[RonB]

Thanks for the update and please keep 'em coming. I know you will.

[realdocBBQ]

I took a weekend off to go up to Smokerbuilder headquarters a few weeks back and ended up playing Vanna White to Aaron Voigt's Pat Sajak in one of the videos about their ongoing (now finished!) 1000-gallon build tutorial.

[Uncle Bob]

Aaron has a nice style and explains many of the "look ahead" items. The one pointer I'm surprised he didn't make was how he ensured the work piece was square to the brake tool so that the side wall didn't end up with a twist.

[realdocBBQ]

We did film that, but it got cut out.

[Henrik]

Very nice thread, I always enjoy seeing what other pit members build!

[rlozinak]

Great thread! nice build...

[Troutman]

Awesome thread for sure. I was a welder and structural fabricator in another life and enjoyed creating things out of steel and aluminum that were utilitarian in naturel. Had I been a smoker back then I may have entered the game myself. I know how satisfying it is, good luck with it and keep us informed. Keep laying down those "dimes". I love the step-by-step action !!

[realdocBBQ]

Firebox fitup.

[Stuey1515]

Great job on the neat fit, much better than my effort, I had about three attempts before I had it close enough. It's trickier than it looks, well my head struggled with it. That looks like a fair bit of overhead welding ahead of you, mine is small enough that I could turn it over with an engine crane. Clearly your metal working skills are better than mine 😄

[realdocBBQ]

Got some work done today...

Got the firebox fitup done outside, as the video above shows... moved it inside to weld into place.




Got the top and sides welded, not the bottom yet - overhead welds are my nemesis... lol

Then painted the front axle and support and got that mounted on.

Now she's on four wheels, and has a pull handle!



Next is finishing the welding on the firebox, then cutting doors, attaching the collector. Then building racks.

I like the way it looks. Low rider! Grates will be right about 36" off the ground, probably will do dual racks on this one again. I don't THINK I'm going to do a side shelf, but who knows. We'll see. Dual 30" doors planned.

[Stuey1515]

Very cool, I bet that takes some pulling or does it hook onto the car?

[Sweaty Paul]

So very cool!