so how far?

[RedneckRocket]

I am building a Lone Star Clone out of a 60 gallon air tank. It will have tuning plates in it. My question is how do I figure the correct distance from the bottom of the tank to the bottom of the tuning plates?

Thanks in advance, I appreciate it!

R.R.

[Phinnay]

I've seen several people mention that it don't matter how much space is between the plates and the floor of the cooking chamber (think bout it, just more room for smoke!) but to leave at least 6 inches between the plates and the cookin grates.

[BabyHuey]

I am not sure what everyone else does, but I try to create at least 1 1/4 - 1-1/2 times my exhaust volume. I don't want this area to be a bottle neck for the flow. I agree with Phinnay on the 6" also.
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God Bless the "Q" and the People who eat it.... Amen!

Link to my pit build slideshow:

http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m398/LilBabyHuey/?action=view¤t=4675c7d7.pbw

[RedneckRocket]

Excellent! Thank you for the advice. I would like to bounce a few numbers off of you guys and double check me. I used the spreadsheet calculator to figure my pit fire box and chimney.

The cooking chamber is roughly 46" long X 21" in diameter. So here is what I came up with.

Fire box = 17.5 X 17.5 X 17.5
Chimney = 4" X 21.34"
Air intake = 16 square inches so I figured 4 2 inch by 2 inch openings that I would control off of an external slide.
Fire box to cook chamber = 42.88 square inches. I figured that I would also run one large. Opening for this, and control it with a damoner also, as well as one on the chimney top.

Does this sound correct? Again, thanks in advance, I appreciate it.

R.R.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, everything sounds solid. I also like to maintain at least 6'' between my grates and tuning plates. given enough room between your plates will allow for the smoke/ heat to leave the cooking chamber. I noticed that you are going to put a damper on your exhaust, try to refrain from controlling your temps with it or you might end up with some heavy smoke.
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

Yeah, on the stack damoner I was under the impression that you used it to control the cooking chamber heat. So I will skip that and use the air intake on the fire box to control the temperature. Do you need a vent between the fire box and the cooking chamber as well, or can I omit that as well?

Thanks for the replies and assistance. This already has saved me money in scrap!

R.R.

[RedneckRocket]

Once I get a little further along in the build, I will post up some pictures. I have some steel to order up, and talking SWIMBO into that will somyimes be more difficult than building the pit lol.

R.R.

[RedneckRocket]

Here is the 60 gallon air tank I picked up for 20 bucks.



My son and I are building this pit together. Here we have the door all layed out and ready to cut out.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, its ok to have one on the exhaust, I put one on every build. I just use it to keep rain and critters out of the chamber when its not being used. I have never found a reason to put a damper between the firebox and cooking chamber, some builders use them, I have just never needed one.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

I will leave the damper out from between the dire box and the coping chamber. Maybe I will use a coffee can on the stack for rain lol. Here is another picture. Junior is cutting the door out. He's slowly learning some fab skills.



I decied that we would make some hinges from scratch. I really like my Hobart welder.



Well, the hinges work and the door opens and closes so that's a bonus. Next we are going to build a handle and a latch or two. Really don't need the latch, but I want to make them anyhow. The inside has quite a bit of surface rust, so it will have to go to the blaster sooner or later.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, great find on the tank I like your hinges and those are some nice welds your laying down there my friend. Do you have the Handler 187?
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

Thanks for the compliments on the welds! I just have the 140. They claim it will weld a quarter inch with the gas setup. I have used it on some brackets here and there on the drag car. It welds good, so far I really like it. Now, if I only had that plasma cutter.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, yeh I wish I had a plasma cutter as well I could save a little money on the O/A. When I buy a wire feed the 140 will be my machine, I am an old stick welder and I bleed blue but I have heard great things about the 140.
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

I agree that a miller would have been my first choice. Our local Linweld rep had told me that miller owns hobart and they are built in the same building. Don't know if it is true or not, but he did sell me a really great welder for less than a miller. I like that new miller that you can just change the plug on the end to go from the 120 to 240. If they would have had that when I bought mine, I would have went with that one.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, they are one in the same, you made a great choice. The Passport is a fine machine. I am partial to stick, I just like to be able to change rod seletion on the fly. But removing flux does get old some times. Its all I have ever welded with.
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

To me stick welding is an art. That's what my daf taught me to weld on was an old Lincoln stick welder and good ole 6013 rod. Kinds of funny now that I think about it how much of an influence those days in the garage with my pops has had on my professional life. Amazing.....

R.R.

[k.a.m.]

RedneckRocket, the other day at the blast yard on my grill I did for my daughter and son-in-law one of the hands out there asked what kind of wire feed I had, I told him I dont I weld stick. He looked at the welds and looked at me and said I cant hardley see where you started or stopped I know sticks arent that long. I got a good chuckle out of that, and said your not really suposed to see it.
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

Stick is an art. I need to get in touch with pops and are if he still has that old welder. It would be fun to play around with.

[k.a.m.]

Something to teach your son my son is 26 now and I have been teaching him when time allows, he used to help me in the summer at my fab shop and i can remember him coming to work in jam shorts and a muscle shirt I would put a 9'' grinder in his hand and tell him tomorrow dress accordingly
_________________
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[RedneckRocket]

Oh that's good stuff right there. Junior just turned 16 and is very eager to learn. That or he is using this as a way to get out of doing the dishes hehe hehe.

R.R.