New Hobby Experience... BBQ Smoker *PICTURE HEAVY*

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
I figure this is as good a place as any to post my build progress. Several months ago, after attending a local festival in our small town, and after talking to a community friend, we decided to take on the challenge of building a smoker. This guy said that at the local 1-day events, he could usually sell around $1,500 of brisket sandwiches, and after expenses, come out with around $1,000 profit.

Well, me and some friends work for a local youth organization so we thought about building a smoker, selling sandwiches, and donating a percentage of the profits to our youth organization.

And the rest is history... And now, we shall move on to some pictures...
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
First, we started working on a design for what we wanted



This design is actually a walk-on "kitchen". After calculating the estimated weights of everything we wanted plus leaving enough room for 2 people to be working at once, we decided against that design. The new design we came up with is more similar to a traditional offset trailer smoker with some changes: primarily, the trailer will be longer and hold some more stuff.
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
It turns out, this project has become more of a CraigsList project. Nearly everything I have gotten for it has been from CraigsList. First and foremost, I found this little guy, talked the owner down in price, and brought it home







It had been sitting for about 15 years in his back yard. The tires were dry-rotted and shredded and the wood was crumbling. However, the welds looks good and the metal was still solid.
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Then, I was looking around CL and came across this guy




Lucky for me, it had already had the fittings removed and it had been purged for a couple of years. That saved me a lot of time and trouble.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Now, back to the other trailer. The guy we bought the large tank from offered to help us out a little with the big cutting and welding jobs so we dropped the little trailer off and he went to work on it





Then, we got all new leaf springs, mounts and u-bolts for the existing axle. We got the mounts on and decided to start grinding, sanding, sand-blasting, priming and painting before the axle was in the way.








 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Then we got started grinding, sanding, sand-blasting, priming, and painting the rest of the trailer







We also got a nice new sat of wheels and tires for it










 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
We then went out and got all the metal we needed to complete the project; different sizes of angle iron, flat steel strips, the firebox pipe, and the exhaust stacks.

Then, we went out and dropped the tank back off with the guy that was helping us put it together. We wouldn't see it again until the doors were cut and the firebox was mounted.

In the meantime, we got the rain-caps in that will be used to protect the inside of the smoker from rain and other moisture. They will be on a chain that will be adjustable for how far open we want them when smoking

 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Finally, we got to pick up the smoker with the doors cut and the firebox tacked on!






Unfortunately, from this point on, our welder has had to back out due to work and family circumstances so we are at a stand-still until we can find somebody that won't charge us an arm and a leg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Very cool.

I want to build a trailer mounted one soon. Will be tuned in for your thoughts on the experience.
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
HARDTRAILZ said:
Very cool.

I want to build a trailer mounted one soon. Will be tuned in for your thoughts on the experience.

So far, my biggest thoughts are:

1. Dang, I wish we had a bigger shop to work in, and

2. I wish I had a welder, torch, and plasma cutter...
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Well, on New Year's Eve, we finally got somebody with a welder to come do some work. We got the braces welded in place for the tank to sit on.




Tonight, I dropped off the end caps for the firebox to be cut and prepped for welding. I will pick those up tomorrow morning and we should be able to get quite a bit done before the end of the day!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
Nothing as big or elaborate, but I'm picking up a 55 gallon drum to make my UDS next week...I'm excited! :wootwoot:
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Well, we made some more progress today... However, we are going to have to backtrack...

First, we added a jack to the back of the trailer to help the weight when parked...



Then, we got ready to lift this bad boy onto the trailer! We also added a drain pipe and a ball valve to the bottom of the tank.




And after some situating, it got welded in place!




Unfortunately, our calculations on weight distribution were off and now we have to move the tank forward on the trailer. More work than we should have to do, but we are learning as we go along...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blckshdw

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Aarkon said:
Are you gonna powdercoat the tank?

I haven't decided yet. I would like to but IIRC, powder-coating is pretty pricey. I think at first, we are going to use spray-on high heat paint until we can afford to get it professionally done.
 

MrDJ

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
180
Waxahachie, TX
Well, yesterday we shifted the tank forward 2 feet and now it sits perfectly on the trailer. We also for the firebox door on and the air intake installed. Now, we just have to put on a latch and a handle.

We started the first fire in the firebox as well, only with some paper to check for leaks in the weld, and we couldn't see any!

We plan to install the smoke stacks tomorrow as well as seal the rest of the tank so we can start the first big fire to begin burning out the tank. Then, on Friday, we are installing the shelves and burning it out again. Depending on how well that goes, we might burn it out again on Saturday and we plan to cook on it for the first time on Sunday!
 

Porkins

Member
Dec 5, 2011
6,960
MrDJ said:
I haven't decided yet. I would like to but IIRC, powder-coating is pretty pricey. I think at first, we are going to use spray-on high heat paint until we can afford to get it professionally done.

They have DIY coating kits, but you would have to find a even to use. If you coat it yourself and find someone who will allow you to use a coating oven it might cut down on the costs.
 

BHAMER

Member
Aug 22, 2014
268
Nice set up...I have been wanting a new smoker my self. Very impressive. So how does it cook?
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
My buddy just built another one on a permanent foundation with a woodstove attached. Need to get some pics.
 

BHAMER

Member
Aug 22, 2014
268
NICE. My wife and I went to a bbq smoking class in Chicago over a year or so ago, and since then that is all I like to do. I have a small horizontal offset that I stick burn out of. LOVE IT. I just get a lot into it...lol. I have had about 30lbs of shoulder in it and that is about all she can hold. I have the wife convinced tat I need a new smoker now...lol
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I did near 60 lbs in my chargriller trio. We have a Texas smoker that could hold more but it's a heavy sob
 

BHAMER

Member
Aug 22, 2014
268
So true...the good ones are heavy. Mine is good, but can only get about 4 full racks of spare ribs in it. But it does make some nice Q man!! the wife's father started showing me how to smoke meats about 5 yrs ago, and I just loved it.. My ribs are the only ones he like to eat now(except for the Rendevous in TN).
 

Forum Statistics

Threads
23,273
Posts
637,488
Members
18,472
Latest member
MissCrutcher