Thinking outside the circular cylinder ... If you enjoy welding, you could weld flat plates to form a hexagonal or octagonal body. Of course, distortion might be an issue when running 8-foot welds on 1/4" plate. Alternatively, if you have a nearby shop with a large brake, you could have the two halves of a hexagon or octagon bent. It might be easier to find flat plate locally than to find large pipe. And it would have the cachet of being different from the ubiquitous round smokers. Don't know if the shape would have any impact on heat distribution when cooking...
or their Dallas location at:
841 Heinz Way Grand Prarie Tx 75051-2602 Tel: 972-602-2615 email: snipped-for-privacy@mcjunkin.com
With that out of the way, I made a BBQ trailer using a fuel oil tank (used) that measured approximately 40 inches in diameter and 68 inches long. I mounted it across the back of a cut shortened piece of rusted boat trailer, where the back ½ was rusted out and the axle moved forward.
How I made the cooker part, first I washed out the tank pretty good with water and TSP. Next I took a 2 HP 7¼-inch circle saw and mounted two 7-inch X 1/8-inch thick cut-off wheels side by side where the blade goes. I drew a line with welders chalk down one long side. Using the Circle saw and cut-off blades I cut down the line. Next I welded two pieces of 1"X"1"X1/8" angle into the cut to make a lip for what would be the top and bottom half's of the cooker. Once the angle was welded into place I welded three large strap hinges across them. Then I did each end (one at a time) and last I did the other long side (which would be the front of the completed cooker). By doing one side at a time, and welding in the angle before cutting the next side the cooker top and bottom remained in alignment when completed.
Once I had the top and bottom where they would open up I finished up using two springs from an old Chevy pickup hood, and some expanded meta and angle to make a grill. A 1 inch piece or 60 inch long black iron pipe with saw cuts every ½" made the burner. When everything was done I cleaned everything with Hydrochloric Acid (sold in swimming pool supply stores as Maturic Acid). This acid take steel down to the bare metal removing all rust, oil, and chemicals. I immediately sprayed down the insides and the grill with PAM cooking spray and seasoned it by heating it HOT! HOT! HOT! with a 500,000 propane torch. I heated everything until the metal turned blue then sprayed on more PAM.
We had the first cook out this past 4th of July. (The cooker was completed at 10PM the 3d of July). We cooked a 125 pound pig, and 24 chicken quarters. I cooked the pig about 3½ hours at 250ºF, then added the chicken quarters, cooking 1½ more hours, at 250ºF. Then the temperature was raised to 325ºF for one final hour.
The only pictures I have are at
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and
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this is after the chicken quarters were removed and the pig is self serve straight from the grill.
Everything on the grill had been completed except the painting of the outside with high temperature paint, which was done after the cookout and cleanup.
This is the first gas cooker I have made this way. I have made several wood cookers the same way with the firebox door in the end of the cooker.
Modifications and future plans:
I took a piece of 4"X4"X1/8" angle like used for windows in brick houses, and made a tent with the open side down and short legs to go over the burner. This way hot grease hits it and there are almost no flare ups. I took two more pieces, with them running beside the burner and the open side facing up, filled them with lava rock. This adds mass and makes heat adjustment less sensitive to the wind outside the cooker.
On one end I put a small door just above the burner with a tray. I can open the door and place a cast iron wood chip holder inside for making smoke.
I plan on adding another small burner to one end. This way local heat can be raised for grilling stakes quickly at that end while a lower temperature is at the other end for cooking corn, beans etc.
I will be making the smoke stack (not seen in the pictures) bigger. With the long almost 60" burner pipe you have to have a good amount of gas going in. sometime things get a little to hot with the top down. By having a bigger smokestack and being able to adjust it to let more hot air out it is easier to keep the temperature down where I want it. (I had to crack the lid open slightly the first cooker to keep it from cooking too hot.)
I bought some used 24" diameter x 10 ft long 1/4" thick pipe for a retaining wall project- about 200 bucks, IIRC- this was from a company that sells steel for retaining walls and shoring. They use the pipe to prevent the walls of a hole from caving in as you drill.
I'm trying to remember. It's been about 5 years since I last built a rotary airlock. If somebody said the name I'd know it right off but I can't seem to jog it out my head at the moment. I know they did a lot of fab work for Huber and the other carbon black plants. They also had some machining capabilities as well.
Not sure if you are still around, but I was reading old posts and thought you might appreciate this referral if you still need large pipe.
I routinely purchase metal from Liberty metals in Dallas. They sell "seconds". I'm not exactly sure how they get them, but as I understand it they purchase unused materials that are leftovers from other jobs. So, it's not a junkyard but their prices are usually 1/2 the price for new metal.
Here is the contact info:
Commercial Metals Company Liberty Division Vic Dostillio
3806 Singleton Blvd Dallas, TX 75212
214-638-0555
I've seen some very large pipe laying around, but their stock changes so give Vic a call.
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