The detail that stopped me was the firebox rating: 300 pounds. For what the maker describes as a first big stick welding project, building a square-profile firebox from welded steel plate that carries a number like that is a serious commitment. The whole thing is a wood-fired offset barbecue smoker built around a large horizontal cylindrical steel tank.
The sequence reads like a proper fabrication job. The internal bladder comes out of the tank first, then a rolling base frame gets welded up from black square steel tubing and the cylinder is mounted horizontally. Openings are cut for the cooking chamber door, the chimney, and the firebox connection. The rectangular firebox is welded together and attached to the side of the tank, and internal heat baffles plus expanded metal cooking grates go in before the handles, which are bent rod, are fabricated.
The finishing stands out too. Leftover blue paint gets stripped with grinders, then the entire assembly is sprayed with black high-heat paint and ends up matte black. There are green swivel casters on the stand, a round chimney pipe with a flanged base and damper plate, and a bolt-on smokestack. The tool list is no joke either: an arc welder, angle grinders, a cordless bandsaw, magnetic clamps, a sledgehammer, and a propane torch all got used.
The open question for me is whether this build is the start of something commercial. The maker wants to move the BBQ hobby from amateur to professional and is trying to make these smokers to sell. Lighting kindling and logs in the firebox to draft smoke was at least a real shakedown test on a backyard patio.
Project by Father Son DIY Garage. Watch it on their YouTube channel: