smokers Finally, a Smoker I Can Call My Own

A half size hotel pan will fit if you cut the ends off, they're 10 3/8" x 12 3/4" x 2 1/4" deep.
Amazon Prime for $10.92
 
 
 
Winco-SPH2-Half-Size-Steam-Pan-2-1-2-quot--Deep-24241_medium.jpg

 
They also have a 4" deep pan.
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Rajun Gardener said:
A half size hotel pan will fit if you cut the ends off, they're 10 3/8" x 12 3/4" x 2 1/4" deep.
Amazon Prime for $10.92
 
 
 
Winco-SPH2-Half-Size-Steam-Pan-2-1-2-quot--Deep-24241_medium.jpg

 
They also have a 4" deep pan.
31reKxv3UVL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I appreciate it, Rob!
 
I'll wait to see what Reggie finds out, but in the meantime, a question: I would need to drill a pan like the above full of holes, yes? At least the bottom...
 
I've found an awful lot of grill & smoker-specific coal trays at various grill sites too, already drilled (and yeah, priced accordingly!). Then there's the LavaLock baskets, which offer a much better airflow profile.
 
Right now, wire grates, additional shelf slots and an exhaust overhaul are my immediate priorities (and maybe a good smoke chamber thermometer...any recommendations?).
 
I'm wondering if your metal worker painted or powder coated the inside in which case you should do a burn out/wire brush to remove all the chemicals and then season. Factories use a porcelain coating or other coating but it's not your standard.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
I'm wondering if your metal worker painted or powder coated the inside in which case you should do a burn out/wire brush to remove all the chemicals and then season. Factories use a porcelain coating or other coating but it's not your standard.
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I'll make a point to ask him, boss. I'm kind of curious too, at least with the firebox. It WAS after the initial burn/seasoning process that I noticed, but the inside of the firebox has a glaze to it that the cook chamber does not; a shiny ceramic-looking coat. I can't imagine charcoal heat doing that to sheet steel, at least not stainless...Even then, stainless would turn a matte bluish color under high temps...
 
The cook chamber looks to be raw 1/8" sheet steel...
 
Awesome! If he left the cook chamber raw that is correct and a seasoning will turn it black. I'd also be curious about the glaze in the firebox but if it's something you need to remove at least it is a small area, but hopefully it is kosher. :D
 
stettoman said:
 
I'll make a point to ask him, boss. I'm kind of curious too, at least with the firebox. It WAS after the initial burn/seasoning process that I noticed, but the inside of the firebox has a glaze to it that the cook chamber does not; a shiny ceramic-looking coat. I can't imagine charcoal heat doing that to sheet steel, at least not stainless...Even then, stainless would turn a matte bluish color under high temps...
 
The cook chamber looks to be raw 1/8" sheet steel...
Click to expand...
 
Personally I wouldn't use a pan with deep walls. The FB is small already and you need all the room you can get. I would use a cookie sheet on the bottom to catch the ashes and make a charcoal basket with expanded metal(large size holes) and make the legs about 2" to allow air to flow and ashes to fall. Something like a 10" x 10" x 6" tall should work.
 
Rajun Gardener said:
 
Personally I wouldn't use a pan with deep walls. The FB is small already and you need all the room you can get. I would use a cookie sheet on the bottom to catch the ashes and make a charcoal basket with expanded metal(large size holes) and make the legs about 2" to allow air to flow and ashes to fall. Something like a 10" x 10" x 6" tall should work.
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Can't disagree Rob. The pan I use is just for lava rock and electric element so the airflow issue is not relevant for mine. Your suggestion is more plausible for charcoal. Makes perfect sense.
 
stettoman,
 
I would go the aforementioned route, if I can get an aluminum one (easy to drill) I still will and you can have a go at it if you wish... 
 
Rajun Gardener said:
 
Personally I wouldn't use a pan with deep walls. The FB is small already and you need all the room you can get. I would use a cookie sheet on the bottom to catch the ashes and make a charcoal basket with expanded metal(large size holes) and make the legs about 2" to allow air to flow and ashes to fall. Something like a 10" x 10" x 6" tall should work.
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Just to be clear make sure any expanded metal you get isn't galvanized if you are using it in the firebox. I wouldn't use it at all personally but about 390f is where it off gasses toxic crap. There is expanded carbon steel and stainless out there too.
 
I just grabbed a couple pieces of old rusty expanded metal out of my buddy's scrap pile. Gonna make some pieces to put on my charcoal grates so I can burn lump charcoal without the small pieces falling through.

A guy on the weber site buys this stainless sheet with a bunch of little holes in it to make charcoal baskets, they are really nice

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He also has different ones for cooking indirect, and for the snake method, and a couple other set ups.
I think its kind of pricey, but you could probably bolt one together yourself no problem.
 
eGAD, the options!!
 
I'm keen to try different approaches, from drilling holes in aluminum to buying some expanded steel (no galvy ;) ) and fabricating my own. The prefab baskets are stupid pricey for what they are. The LavaLock units look great though.
 
For feet I think I'll just pick up some 2" angle iron and cut to fit. We've got a local retail outlet for shop/industrial steel and materials in town called Mac's. They got all that shi'...
 
We got 3" of hard rain last night, had to bring the smoker into the garage. Even with a couple coats of Rustoleum High Heat this thing rusts awful easy....
 
And no, Boss. No glaze but for factory mill glaze on any of this steel.... :party:
 
stettoman said:
And no, Boss. No glaze but for factory mill glaze on any of this steel.... :party:
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Woop! Always good to check. I saw on that Rick's Restorations show one time, they restored and old grill with paint, and they actually took the cooking grates to a powder coater! The actual grates! Dude was cooking directly on powder coating, hopefully the consumer was warned. :shocked:
 
Weird. Hopefully it was nylon powder or one of the ceramics.

Most regular powder cures at ~400f you can get some isocyanate off gas at that temp . Under that it actually fairly stable. One of the powder supply companies that the place I used to work for a million years ago did an extend low heat bake test on a part the had done with their epoxy coating. Somewhere in the mid 200 f range for like a month after initial cure. When they took the part out and hit it , the powder just fell off . The extended low heat cycle just broke it down.
 
Even with a cure chemicals are released. 
 
OK, an arbitrary question: I supplied all the pertinent measurements and materials used. I do not know how much time was put into it. What do you guys figure this smoker should be valued at, as is right now? There's a reason I ask, will explain after I get some feedback.
 
You want to sell it already??? :rofl:
 
Do you mean, what is it worth to sell? Or is it worth what you paid for, since it was custom?
 
It's two answers. You pay to restore a 57 Chevy and spend 100 grand, you may be only able to sell it for 50, but it's your dream car and worth it to you.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
You want to sell it already??? :rofl:
 
Do you mean, what is it worth to sell? Or is it worth what you paid for, since it was custom?
 
It's two answers. You pay to restore a 57 Chevy and spend 100 grand, you may be only able to sell it for 50, but it's your dream car and worth it to you.
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No, it isn't going up for sale. Who would want a smoker named Urny?
 
Like I said, the question is arbitrary. What would YOU pay for what sits before me? Sort of a "make an offer" request. Or, what might you expect the price to be if it sat, as is, on a store shelf.
 
This has nothing to do with what this smoker is actually worth.
 
It looks to be worth around $550-700, but resale would be around $400, $250-300 lightly used, $250 used (a couple years), but if I commissioned somebody who was not a friend, I'd expect to pay $800-1100.
 
Since you gave measurements and materials if you paid $250-500 that seems reasonable to get exactly what you want! You may have paid more since the person is billed as an artist and not a laborer. That's all I got!
 
Would you take 50? Thats what I would ask if it was on Craigslist lol.

You would probably say "no" so I would say "55?" Just to be a butthead. If your looking for insurance value, I would just slap the 800-1000 on there that boss said!
If your looking to make more and sell them...I have no idea.
 
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