Stainless steel Mod

[chazrull]

Got my 'dera outta layaway this Thurs and put it together Sat and Sunday. Wife gave me a wierd look when I said it wuz gonna take me 5 or 6 hours (I think she thought I wuz just gonna sit out in the garage and look at porno mags).
Anyway - did the baffle, firegrate dance.
Used a 1/2" - 13 die to cut threads on the axle and mounted the large wheels with flat washers and 1/2 flanged nuts. Those suckers ain't goin' anywhere.
I also lined the firebox with some 18 guage stainless steel we had lying around the shop. I took it to a metal supplier and he cut it to size for me as well as cutting 2 new pieces for the sidewalls ( I didn't have enough). Cutting and new pieces cost me $33.00 total.
I lined all four sides with the stainless, and mounted a piece on the inside flat part of the cover, with some flat washers in between to act as a heat sink.
Hosed the whole thing down w/oil and tossed couple small logs in.
The thing zoomed up to temp and paint jumped off the firebox - except where I had mounted the steel. Even the top keep its paint (at least for now).
Anyway - no real point here, except I can't wait to cook a brisket and see if the steel mod makes a significant difference in heat retention/fuel use.
Happy Q'n

[willkat98]

Sounds great Chaz.

I'm thinking of doing a firebox upgrade myself.

[tommykendall]

me three on the firebox upgrade. Also thinking about my 9th wheel mod. Chaz - I'm not exactly clear how you mounted the sheet metal to the walls of the firebox. Please explain or post phots.

[chazrull]

I'll post pics in the next few days but basically I did this - on the front and back of the firebox there are holes for the bolts that attach the brackets for the grate, I put the stainless in the box, holding it against the sides with the holes and marked the holes with a marker. Then I drilled the marked areas. I put the stainless in, and used the furnished bolts to hold both the stainless and the brackets in place.
For the fire box door and the side that goes against the smoke chamber, I drilled the stainless sheet first, then used that to mark hole position on the firebox and drilled. Same thing on the lid, only I put flat washers between the lid and the stainless sheet to act as a heat sink.
Hope this helps.

[Mark]

Sounds similar to what I did except more secure. I bet you cheated and did it sober. I designed mine to be removable and the bends were made by stomping on it.

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=1034&highlight=stainless+steel

[chazrull]

BEER MOD! CRAP! I knew I forgot something.