Reverse Flow Smoker Build

I just started on building a 4ftx24" dia. reverse flow smoker for an Ag Mechanics project for a contest through school. I'm set up with some old school tools-an oxyacetylene torch, late 60's lincoln AC stick welding machine and a grinder. No plasma cutter or that bullshit, I can show kids up at school with a torch compared to there plasma cuts. Anyway... This is basically how reverse flow works-

I'm gonna build it something like this,

I was lucky enough to acquire a 24" diameter x 1/4" wall pipe from a good friend for free. The only downside is its pretty badly pitted on the outside but we got it sand blasted so at least its not gonna take forever to clean up. I'm gonna build the firebox and end caps from 1/4" plate also.
Here it is from being sandblasted-

Inside's good as far as pitting but outside's worse. I found ideas online and came up with hinges with integrated doorstops so theres nothing random sticking off back of door to prop it open. I don't have a good close up pic yet of hinges.


Here we out out the doors with hinges welded on so we didn't have to fit up doors after cutting. We were paranoid that the doors would warp after cut but we left tabs like this and let it cool after cutting and it worked good. I couldn't have marked/cut these doors without this new tool we bought, a wraparound.

Here's a bead I laid with 1/8 inch 6013, I'm starting to like these rods a lot.


I cut out the end cap circles with torch and was happy with how they turned out cause they were my first circles cut with a torch.


I also cut out the firebox squares from this plate but don't have pics yet. I plan on working on it more this weekend so I'll post more pics as it goes along.

 

I made some headway this weekend on the pit. I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted during the process, just what we ended up with last night. My dad had a cool idea come to him randomly that we went with for the cart/rack for the pipe to sit on. We just used 2x2"x1/8" wall sqr. tubing and some harbor freight casters.

I'll put expanded metal on the bottom later for a shelf. We made the sides wide enough so the pipe just sits in it at the right height and there are no legs directly on the pit. I got it fully welded out and started on the firebox/fb opening. And this is as far as I got-



I've got it mocked up there to cut the firebox then Ill tack it on. That box is gonna be HEAVY! Its all 1/4" thick and I used 3/4 of a full 4'X8' sheet which weighed 375 lbs! Still gotta mess with hinges to get them a little smoother and finish up the flat bar around the edges of door. I plan on getting some more metal this week for the stack and grates.

 

Man that looks like a great project!

I have wanted a better smoker for a while, I just have not had the time or the money to get one started. Can't wait to see the end result.

 

Thanks! I was lucky I got the pipe for free, maybe you'll get lucky too haha. Yeah it is taking quite a bit of time even though I havent even gotten to the time consuming part yet! The welding out and grinding, but luckily I don't need a second hand for that like I do actually building it.

 

How much do you think the end product will weigh? Looks great so far!

 

Thanks,I have some more pics I'll post later when I have time. The pipe weighs 63.5lbs per ft and I used probably 90% of 375lb plate so that's already 600lbs plus the cart and smaller stuff.

 

yikes! man that thing will prob survive a nuclear blast!

 

Well I'm almost finished with the fire box door. When we cut it out, I clamped a piece of angle iron as a rest to make a good cut.



We sealed up the edges and reinforced the back side for warpage after a couple times of building a fire. Also got some good looking welds on that x.

With this Vietnam era machine haha(with fresh paint)

All I've gotta do now is make a door latch.

 

Alright its been a while since I've posted updates, by now it almost done! Went to a friends shop with a jig to cut out some cool air vents.


Got the door latch on and got the inside braced from warpage and got it welded out and ground down smooth. Then I got the box on the pipe. It surprisingly went smoother than I expected. I tacked the top on after it was on already.


Also between this time, we scrapped the first idea of hinges and cut the doors off and started over with basic rod/pipe hinges. Also cut the expanded metal to fit as a shelf and cut/welded a 90 degree bend in some 4.5 inch pipe for exhaust and cut it out of end plate. Right after the firebox was on we bought an upgraded welding machine, a Hobart Handler 190 MIG machine. Its so nice and clean compared to stick in a shop setting. Heres some welds with it.



I have since found out that its dirty around the edges cause i need to turn up the gas pressure a little i think, other than that, I super happy with this 650$ machine! We got the reverse flow plate in with a grease drain. There a 3/4 in. pipe on the end of the angle iron thats runs through the bottom of the pit to put a ball valve on later and drain grease.



Thats 2inchx1/8 angle and 3/16 plate. Then we welded some 1 inch x 3/16 angle for grate slides.

Ill take some pics with the grate out tomorow to see the angle iron in there. Grate is 16 guage 3/4 square tube. MIG makes welding that a breeze! Today I got the doors welded up around the flat bar edges.


Ill have more pics soon of the whole thing and some metal art I've been free handing with a torch! Now pretty much all thats left building wise is a damper for the exhaust, permanent handles, a shelf on front and the end plate on left side. Now its welding out/grinding/ cleaning up thats gonna be time consuming.

 

Looking good so far!

 

Heres a crappy picture of the whole thing.
My Texas that I cut out with a torch.


I surprised myself that I didn't need to grind anything on it! Thats a first for me! Anyway wont have pictures up for a while cause of christmas and ill be hunting next week so I wont get much done for it.

 

Well its almost done here! I put some brackets on the doors with wooden handles. They turned out pretty nice I think. I used 1.5 inch wood dowel from lowes. I just need to stain them after I paint. I also tacked and bent the Texas shapes I cut out onto the doors and cut out holes for temp gauges. And put horseshoes as a door stop.

I got the exhaust damper/handle on with some 1/2 in. rod and pipe. I just need to attach the spring handle.


And heres a Texas I cut out for the firebox door.


All that needs to be done is put a shelf out on the front. I have a friend with a sawmill cutting me a nice piece of mesquite lumber. Its gonna look sweet!

 

Ok well here is the last and final update. I painted it with rustoleum in a spray can and it kinda sucked. Also I built a little angle iron frame for the mesquite.


The second coat I sprayed with rust oleum but out of a spray gun and it was much better. I painted the Texas emblems with krylon high temp. The mesquite was finished off with tung oil/butcher block oil.





Then I took it to contest at the county livestock show. There was 130 projects, two of which were bbq trailers with counters, sinks, TV etc. but were built pretty shitty. Everything was fit up terribly and the weld quality wasn't there. I ended up winning Reserve Grand Champion, Grand went to a kid that built a "service trailer", it had a huge air compressor, powered by a 4 cyl. gas engine, diesel tank, tool boxes etc.

I won that tool bag, and socket set and a screwdriver set for winning 1st in bbq pit division and I won all the other stuff for Reserve Grand

Came away pretty good with this build! We fired it up this past Sat. and seasoned it like a cast iron pan by heating it up and spraying some olive oil on the inside and melting some beef fat for good luck i guess haha. Also heating up let the paint give off some fumes for its initial heat up. We also cut all this for it...

Good ole' mesquite!! Hope to get some good use of it and thanks for looking at my build!

 

That thing is awesome!
Im hungry just thinking about all i could smoke on there! Great job!

 

Congrats on the win man!

It came out really great!

 

if you ever get into a tornado hide inside and you'll be safe! what do you think the end weight is?

 

Welcome to the world of reverse flow magic!!!!

 

Try some hydrogen peroxide. You may want to try the higher strength peroxide if the 3% stuff doesnt work...I havent messed with this but just a thought.
http://www.h2o2.com/industrial/applications.aspx?pid=110&

 

They sell the 40% hydrogen peroxide at Sallys beauty supply. I bought some there for bleaching animal skulls. Its cheapest place I found.