FNG ... Smoker build - 4-2-12 Update- Paint/Stainless top.

[mrcustomsteel]

Nice job pyronoel. Before you start adding stuff I would play with the level. Reverse flows can be adjusted by leveling them L to R and front to back. You might search Langs and leveling to get some tips.
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D. Tillery
Texan transplanted in Billings, MT
www.mrcustomsteel.com

[joshsheff1]

Killer looking eats pyronoel! Nice looking bark on the butt
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Big Green Egg
Reverse flow smoker

[k.a.m.]

Noel, as mrcustomsteel suggested before adding or making changes I would try some other options. I am not sure
if you are going solely on what your door therms are telling you. If you are I would get four oven grate thermometers
and place one on each grate in the dead center of them after your cooker has warmed up. Then let them run for 30 min.
and check the grate temps. I do not trust door therms for accurate grate temps rather I use them to give me a mental
adjustment to go by. it takes a minimum of 3hr.s for the R/F I just built to fully warm up and settle in, during that time the temps
are crazy. Your temps in general are about the way I would expect yours to run as far as which area is the warmest except
for the span in the bottom temps. I am not sure that is accurate readings. The gap is pretty large. I look forward to seeing
what you come up with.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[pyronoel]

My nephew called the other day.... "If I help, can it be functional by 9-11?"
His truck club is doing a fund raiser, and having trouble finding a pit.

The weather was good, and we hit it hard on sunday.

We worked on the big white tank- the propane grill.

Handle extended off of the counterweight, that has support through the entire rear of the door. This way it doesn't torque the lid.



Propane burners in the bottom, the top of the burner is about 3/4" above the hole, hopefully no other wind shield will be needed.- easy to add a strap of 3" steel around the bottom if it's needed.

5" above this, will be a 1/4" plate as a heat diffuser/drip vaporizer.



Bottom Grate. It's tight and strong, hope to get away without adding additional support, but I think it will need some.




And the pride of the weekend:
AUTO LATCHING LID!
It's a BIG lid, I don't want a strong wind to knock it down and kill someone.
So a big latch grabs a 1/2" rod. A spring (currently a bungee) pulls it into place.
On the handle, will be a brake cable from a bicycle to release the latch when you want to drop the lid.



Video of the latch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbXyMtS5sz0
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FNG Smoker

[pyronoel]

Can't stay enough for Victor Pipe (formally Lincoln Steel)
If you're around St. Louis, they are cheaper and friendlier, and in a RURAL area.. unlike the places down in the city where you fear to drive to them.
79 Highway N, Winfield - (636) 668-6315

I need 2 squares of 1/4" plate to spread out heat from the burners...

25x27.25" - cut to size, $35 ea.

Then plan is to have this thing cranked up on Sunday for a trial run.
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FNG Smoker

[Jon D. Q.]

Your. griil is comming right along I hope it all works well for you.

[ChuckieD]

pyronoel,
Very nice work! and your Q looks great too! I really like the auto latching lid!
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SEE YA!
Chuckie D.

Big Green Egg XL
UDS build
The Old Brick Barbecue Project!

[pyronoel]

Serious progress today.

Counterweight is done.
Auto-Latch release is done pending a return spring, and clamps for the cable.
Burners Burning

With the burners wide open, we pegged the thermo at 475 in less than 5 minutes. Turned them waaay down and still had a grill temp of 350. Winner!

1/4" steel plate, with thick braces sitting 5" over the burners.

-Still need to wire in the electronic ignitor, and cut a view hole so I can see what's going on with the burners. Right now, it's blind operation listening for the burner.

-NEED OPINIONS:::::
How to handle drippings.... I put the big X of cross metal to beef up the plates. I put the flat side down so I would get even heating. - But this is going to make it a bear to clean the plates.

What would you do? Plate to grill is about 18"




Steel plates getting welded up:


Test firing the burners:





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FNG Smoker

[Oregon smoker]

Nice looking build.
I would think just firing the burners on high a few minutes would vaporize everything. Then pull em out the plates for a hose down. Hose down with some PAM and they are ready for the next session.

[pyronoel]

I'm going to flip the plates over and see how the heat distribution is. Would make quick clean up with a taping knife, like I use on my RF plate on the smoker.
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[pyronoel]

Whoooo! That was close! Barely had enough room to cook my family dinner tonight.

Had to do a test cook before the fund raiser this weekend. This is going to be a burger cooking machine!

Gets hot enough to sear and caramelize sauce. Fat drippings hit that plate and vaporize into yummy flavoring. really even grate temps. I'm happy with it


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FNG Smoker

[Joel]

Love the Killians Pub Handle... Are ya planning to open her up with it or is it just on for dressing????? If so Did you have to beef it up to take the weight?

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[pyronoel]

Killians handle is long gone...



Today the pit went out to cook at a fund raiser. It was out cooking the big charcoal pit 2x1 on pork steaks. Great heat control, drippings all vaporized, not so much as a drop on the ground. They raised a few grand after expenses. Good day!

[pyronoel]

Didn't get a lot done, had a lot of people coming over last night.
-note nice blue smoke out of the smoker in the background

But My almost 6yo daughter was interested in seeing what welding actually was.


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FNG Smoker

[pyronoel]

Got a solid day of work in on the trailer saturday.

Cabinet/counter:
Lot of welding. The entire front panel, with doors will be built in the shed, and then slid into place, and then the rest of the structure can be built.
Once the trailer is blasted and painted, I'll get a stainless top for this



More floor




I plan to have the tanks on one side, and a piece of Unistrut running vertically, so that 20 or 40lb cylinders can be locked down, and then a little extra space for random storage.


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FNG Smoker

[Hell Fire Grill]

You cant have too much work space or storage on a trailered rig, in my opinion. Storage on my rig will likely be the next mod I make to it, unless I find something to build a canopy out of before that.

Your doing a good job fabing and building everything on it. I especialy like your grill. I been keeping my eyes open for a tank similar to yours to make into a charcoal fired grill. Possibly for a rental as there seems to be a seasonal market for one around here.

Are you going to name the rig?

[pyronoel]

Gotta name it,...... but what?

"For Rent" will be it's first name, too much $ tied up.

[pyronoel]

I spent the last 2 nights working on the front of the cabinet.

2 Doors made out of square tube and 14gauge sheet
My chop saw is incapable of doing a 45*, so I did them on 90's and cut little square plugs for the ends, and welded them in.

K.A.M., Feel free to come drink my beer while I use your new cold cut saw!

Doors on


Back: Still needs reinforcement where the hinges are on the other side.

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FNG Smoker

[pyronoel]

Dropped it off at the sandblaster this morning

$300 -- Traded for BBQ for 15 people sometime in November






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[pyronoel]

They sandblasted it this morning, so I could go strait home and paint with no dew hitting it.



Everything has at least 1 good coat on it, and is weatherproof for dew in the morning, and then finish it tomorrow.


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FNG Smoker