It all started with cruisin thru FB and came across some posts for smokers at Walmart being clearance priced. I checked their app and sure enough an OKJ Bandera was marked down from $386 to $89.
My offset is not real good for hanging sausage and I thought this would be a temporary fix for MCS and a fun project. My plan is to make this a convertible and be able to run it on multi fuels. I like playing with pellets and to be able to add splits along with it like I do in my Longhorn offset, and I am very happy with the results.
The smoker weighs about 200 lbs so its not to bad and there is a lot of info on needed mods over at the BBQ Bretheren in the Bandera 101 Document. Just a little trivia the forum started out as the Bandera Bretheren and was later changed to the BBQ Bretheren.
The first thing they say is when seasoning the paint on the firebox will peel or blister. Not may peel, but will peel. Also some of the issues with early models like fire grate being too low and a baffle needed on firebox opening were addressed on newer models.
So to start I figured since the paint is cheap on the fire box and the seams are just tack welded with some gaps that would need to be calked with high temp silicone and that seems kind of temporary, I decided to weld all the seams on the fire box and tack weld a baffle plate in the cover to keep the fire from burning the top paint hopefully.
Since I am going to add a pellet hopper, I made a new door to accommodate mounting it that way I can switch it out when needed if I decide to use a charcoal basket.
Here are a few pics of the start.
Pics of the seams around the firebox that are just tack welded with gaps and are typically siliconed with high temp sealant.
The new door to accommodate the pellet hopper assembly.
All the seams welded.
Pellet hopper mocked up.
My offset is not real good for hanging sausage and I thought this would be a temporary fix for MCS and a fun project. My plan is to make this a convertible and be able to run it on multi fuels. I like playing with pellets and to be able to add splits along with it like I do in my Longhorn offset, and I am very happy with the results.
The smoker weighs about 200 lbs so its not to bad and there is a lot of info on needed mods over at the BBQ Bretheren in the Bandera 101 Document. Just a little trivia the forum started out as the Bandera Bretheren and was later changed to the BBQ Bretheren.
The first thing they say is when seasoning the paint on the firebox will peel or blister. Not may peel, but will peel. Also some of the issues with early models like fire grate being too low and a baffle needed on firebox opening were addressed on newer models.
So to start I figured since the paint is cheap on the fire box and the seams are just tack welded with some gaps that would need to be calked with high temp silicone and that seems kind of temporary, I decided to weld all the seams on the fire box and tack weld a baffle plate in the cover to keep the fire from burning the top paint hopefully.
Since I am going to add a pellet hopper, I made a new door to accommodate mounting it that way I can switch it out when needed if I decide to use a charcoal basket.
Here are a few pics of the start.
Pics of the seams around the firebox that are just tack welded with gaps and are typically siliconed with high temp sealant.
The new door to accommodate the pellet hopper assembly.
All the seams welded.
Pellet hopper mocked up.
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