Hi,

I am thinking about tackling a do-it-yourself project and construct my own
grill and my own smoker. I have rough plans sketched out. I do some
occassional welding (total amature and mess up a lot) but this will give me
a chance to work on my skills. However, I am looking for some advice as to
what guage steel people out there would suggest and any other things I
should think about.

Alan

"Alan" > wrote in message
.. .
> Hi,
>
> I am thinking about tackling a do-it-yourself project and construct my own
> grill and my own smoker. I have rough plans sketched out. I do some
> occassional welding (total amature and mess up a lot) but this will give
me
> a chance to work on my skills. However, I am looking for some advice as
to
> what guage steel people out there would suggest and any other things I
> should think about.
>
> Alan
>

Some kind people over the years have built websites about their plans and
people have posted a lot of them here.

Here's a quick search of this newsgroup:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...pla ns&qt_g=1

A regular websearch also comes up with some stuff:
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&...&q=bbq +plans

You didn't mention what style you're planning to make, which would help
people help you. Brick with steel insert? Freestanding offset?

Anyway, check out those searches and mebbe look at the specs of
professionally built units like from Tejas and Klose.

Sounds like fun, good luck to ya, I expect people who've done this will
chime in if you tell them what sort of grill you plan to make.



--

Thanks for the links.

Both units will be freestanding. I don't see us in this house forever and
with the amount of work this will be I will want to take it with me.

The smoker will have an offset smoke box.

Alan


"Duwop" > wrote in message
news
> "Alan" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am thinking about tackling a do-it-yourself project and construct my
>> own
>> grill and my own smoker. I have rough plans sketched out. I do some
>> occassional welding (total amature and mess up a lot) but this will give
> me
>> a chance to work on my skills. However, I am looking for some advice as
> to
>> what guage steel people out there would suggest and any other things I
>> should think about.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>
> Some kind people over the years have built websites about their plans and
> people have posted a lot of them here.
>
> Here's a quick search of this newsgroup:
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...pla ns&qt_g=1
>
> A regular websearch also comes up with some stuff:
> http://www.google.com/search?num=50&...&q=bbq +plans
>
> You didn't mention what style you're planning to make, which would help
> people help you. Brick with steel insert? Freestanding offset?
>
> Anyway, check out those searches and mebbe look at the specs of
> professionally built units like from Tejas and Klose.
>
> Sounds like fun, good luck to ya, I expect people who've done this will
> chime in if you tell them what sort of grill you plan to make.
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>

"Alan" > wrote in message
.. .
> Hi,
>
> I am thinking about tackling a do-it-yourself project and construct my own
> grill and my own smoker. I have rough plans sketched out. I do some
> occassional welding (total amature and mess up a lot) but this will give
me
> a chance to work on my skills. However, I am looking for some advice as
to
> what guage steel people out there would suggest and any other things I
> should think about.
>
> Alan
>

Alan:

I'm relatively new to the whole BBQ thing, although I've been a "griller"
for many years with a couple weber kettles and various gas grills. I bought
a WSM last summer, it's been great. If I had the know how and tools to weld
up my own like you're doing, i'd probably build it pretty much like the WSM
for traditional BBQ. It's really easy to use once you get the basics down.
The one area I think it falls short ( which it was not really designed for
in the first place ) is cold smoking. You can do it, but it takes a LOT of
tinkering and a watchful eye to keep the temp below 150 deg F for long
periods of time. I'd much prefer an offset firebox/vertical combo for that.

Listen to what other folks have to say here, there are a lot of people who
really know their stuff when it comes to BBQ

Hi Alan,

I think it's great that you're making a cooker! As far as thickness of
walls. The thicker it is, the least chance of rust through, the longer
your going to have it. Plus, the thicker walls help distribute the heat
around once it comes up to temperature.

Also, once the cooker walls reach temp on a thicker wall, it could help
stabilize the temp. fluctuations for a time. But then weight could
become an issue if you want to move it often. I'd say I'd do it with
say, perhaps, 1/4 inch steel.

If your making a wood burner/offset, make sure the firebox is at least
1/4 inch thick (which is where you will probably have the highest risk
of rust through) and make sure it is large enough to hold logs, say the
size of standard fireplace wood. I'd also cut a separate plate to go on
the bottom of the firebox. This will add extra mass and be an extra
buffer against rust through as long as you don't let moisture under it.

On the horizontal offset that I used to have, there was a drain for the
grease. I located a silicon stopper at the hardware store to plug the
hole. Then before cooking, I took a garden hose and added about 2 inch
of water. What it did was act as a heat sink, (better if you can add
hot water rather than cold) and after cooking, I pulled the plug and
all the grease that was floating on top came right out leaving a clean
cooker with a nice thin coating of oil rather a thick layer of grease
that needed scraping out!

Regards,
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)

In alt.food.barbecue, Piedmont > wrote:

> Also, once the cooker walls reach temp on a thicker wall, it could help
> stabilize the temp. fluctuations for a time. But then weight could
> become an issue if you want to move it often. I'd say I'd do it with
> say, perhaps, 1/4 inch steel.

The place to use especially thick steel is the firebox. It will help to
keep the wood burning cleanly.

--
In the councils of government, we must guard against the
acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought,
by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the
disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
-- Dwight David Eisenhower

> wrote in message
...
> In alt.food.barbecue, Piedmont > wrote:
>
> > Also, once the cooker walls reach temp on a thicker wall, it could help
> > stabilize the temp. fluctuations for a time. But then weight could
> > become an issue if you want to move it often. I'd say I'd do it with
> > say, perhaps, 1/4 inch steel.
>
> The place to use especially thick steel is the firebox. It will help to
> keep the wood burning cleanly.
>

Esk knows his stuff, Klose and Tejas pits are typically 1/4" everywhere, but
offer an upgrade to 1/2" for the firebox for this exact reason.

My "dream pit" would be something along the lines of the Tejas 2042 with the
vertical chamber and horizontal main and I would add an adjustable firegrate
for grilling into the main chamber. I'd copy Klose's firebox ideas including
the "extender" (or buy one from Klose and build the firebox to fit). Main
chamber would be at least 20" (21-22 would be ideal) deep and 5 large
untrimmed pork ribs wide. Too large and it become too much of a fuel hog for
smaller cooks, too small isnt good either. For grilling in the main chamber
you might want to add a smokestack to the main chamber lid.

Here's a collection of links for pit and grill manufacturers for ideas of
what others already do.
http://www.bbqjudge.com/webpages/bbqjc_pitbuilders.htm

Damn, wish I had the skills for this, sounds like fun dont it?

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions!!!!


"Duwop" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> In alt.food.barbecue, Piedmont > wrote:
>>
>> > Also, once the cooker walls reach temp on a thicker wall, it could help
>> > stabilize the temp. fluctuations for a time. But then weight could
>> > become an issue if you want to move it often. I'd say I'd do it with
>> > say, perhaps, 1/4 inch steel.
>>
>> The place to use especially thick steel is the firebox. It will help to
>> keep the wood burning cleanly.
>>
>
> Esk knows his stuff, Klose and Tejas pits are typically 1/4" everywhere,
> but
> offer an upgrade to 1/2" for the firebox for this exact reason.
>
> My "dream pit" would be something along the lines of the Tejas 2042 with
> the
> vertical chamber and horizontal main and I would add an adjustable
> firegrate
> for grilling into the main chamber. I'd copy Klose's firebox ideas
> including
> the "extender" (or buy one from Klose and build the firebox to fit). Main
> chamber would be at least 20" (21-22 would be ideal) deep and 5 large
> untrimmed pork ribs wide. Too large and it become too much of a fuel hog
> for
> smaller cooks, too small isnt good either. For grilling in the main
> chamber
> you might want to add a smokestack to the main chamber lid.
>
> Here's a collection of links for pit and grill manufacturers for ideas of
> what others already do.
> http://www.bbqjudge.com/webpages/bbqjc_pitbuilders.htm
>
> Damn, wish I had the skills for this, sounds like fun dont it?
>
>