Great stuff Henrik. I don't know how I forgot about this post, but I just caught up - awesome work.
-
-
Henrik I just read this thread from start to finish. How the hell have I missed this??? This is amazing. Henrik you're a stud. I can't wait to see the next installment! Unbelievably great job!!Comment
-
-
Wow, the support and encouragement here is amazing! Thank you all!
Now I thought I'd share my first big blooper. Sometimes my brain takes a short vacation, without telling me....
If you look at how I mounted the flange/adapter for the smoke stack in the previous pictures it made me wonder why I welded it on backwards. The drilled holes in the flange don't make much sense when mounted that way.
Good job, Henrik....
So, just had to bite the bullet, get the grinder out and spend an hour cutting it off and welding it back on the right way.
You live and you learn...
The adapter, removed and re-welded properly (with the flange pointing out):
And here's the stainless steel elbow pipe in place. Now you see what I mean:
Comment
-
Ganske flink, Henrik! (I hope that translates correctly into Svenska) ...Comment
-
Mycket bra jobb Henrik..
This is starting to look really good..Comment
-
I love DIY projects! This is one that would be out of my league. So now I am living vicariously through you!Comment
-
So, the build is well on it's way. I feel I'm making steady progress, which is nice.
It is time to assemble the large food chamber. Since it is made of thin sheet metal it needs a skeleton (sort of) to stay in shape. So I mounted eight angle irons running the length of the food chamber.
To make sure the legs won’t bend or flex the outer cylinder I made vertical sections of angle iron also. But in order to bend them properly I cut slots every half inch. This way I can bend them with my bare hands, shaped to fit perfectly. Hey, if you don't have a fully equipped machine shop you have to get inventive :-)
I kept the wooden board I made the frame out of, which means I had the perfect template to shape it.
Here you can see how I plan to mount it:
And here they are, all 6 of them, welded in place:
Now it was time to place the leg/frame on top, just to see if it fits properly. It did, it lines up perfectly with my reinforcement angle irons.
Now it goes off again, until I have welded the outer cylinder in place.
So, the main chamber is getting close to done, time to break the mold:
I felt like doing a smaller job today, so I fabricated the two doors. I made them out of 2 mm steel, surrounded by angle iron "frames". Will weld the handle and hinges on later.
Can't wait to finish this build and fire it up. Still some ways to go though.
Comment
-
Henrik, Very Nice Craftsman Ship So Far! Don't take any Short Cuts Now! If You want to become an Itinerant Int'l Welder I can perhaps give You a few Leads! It would be Hard to Put Your New Smoker in Your Grip?
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND USA, DanComment
-
Henrik I have really enjoyed reading through this thread. Love your work! One question: the whole deal kicked off with finding the big white missile in the woods...now that it doesn't form part of the cooker, what is your next project to make use of it?Comment
-
So, thought I'd share the latest build updates. Still making good progress, really enjoying this build. But it is a lot of fabrication. The next one will be a lot quicker, since I plan on simplifying a few things (...and making it 1/4 the size...).
In order for the newly built doors to fit the main chamber I fabricated adapter frames. I test mounted these below, to make sure the fit is just right. As you can see the doors are flat, and the main chamber is round. Hence the adapters.
Now before the last parts of the wooden frame is removed I welded cross support braces in place in the middle of the food chamber. I also welded the grill grate ‘bars’, or rails, in place. This was way easier to do now than later when the chamber is welded shut. In the picture below you see the cross support braces, and one of the four grill grate rails (to the right). It feels really good when I get to details such as grill grates :-)
Now I can finally remove the last parts of the wooden frame:
And this also means I get to weld the end pieces in place. I did one end today, will do the grease drain tomorrow before I weld the other end piece (with the smoke stack). Planning what to do, and in which order, is key
In order to align the end piece perfectly (well, almost) I erected the main chamber. It was quite easy since it doesn't weigh much. I could then nudge it back and forth until it was aligned.
Now that one end is welded I can tell you that the cylinder is becoming quite rigid and sturdy (as planned). So far the construction is delivering. Light-weight and strong.
All in all a good day, just celebrated it by making myself a strong Gin & Tonic. Because I'm worth it
Tomorow is exciting, as I will:
1. Weld the other end piece in place
2. Wrap and weld the outer cylinder layer
3. Weld the grease drain in place.
When that is done I will (with a little help from a friend) lift it up onto the leg frame and weld it in place. Good times! The first smoke is not far off.
Comment
-
That's really coming together nicely, Henrik! Thanks for sharing (again) ...Comment
-
I am so impressed with your well thought out plan and attention to detail. Please keep us posted.Comment
Comment