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-   -   My Custom Vertical Offset is Getting Close...Big Daddy Bandera!!! (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171324)

peeps 09-18-2013 08:47 AM

My Custom Vertical Offset is Getting Close...Big Daddy Bandera!!!
 
I have posted this in some other threads, but since it is getting close to finished I thought I would make a dedicated thread.

A few years ago, after having a couple gas grills, I was introduced to the chimney starter at a friends BBQ. The ease and quickness of starting coals with a chimney eliminated the only real roadblock I had with charcoal cooking as I had never had good luck getting the coals going consistently and in a timely enough manner in my previous attempts while camping or picnicking.

About 2.5 years ago, my wife bought me my first Kettle (22.5 OTG) and from that day for the next year or so, it sat beside my Wal-mart special SS gas grill as it rotted away, never to be used again. The gasser would eventually be sold in a garage sale at a bargain basement price just to get it out of the way of my Kettle.

I had moderate success turning out steaks and pork chops while grilling on the Kettle but it wasn't until I figure out how to configure it for smoking that I really began to love that little guy. The food, the process, the smell, the satisfaction!

I had never done cooking on it for more than a handful of people though with large cuts like butts and briskets. Once I tried ribs on it I started to realize I was going to need something bigger if I ever wanted to make ribs for a decent sized party.

Thus began the search for a smoker with enough grate space but a small enough footprint to not monopolize my new grill space we had made when we did a patio cover and patio extension. (see link to patio discussion)

I knew I wanted to learn an offset, so I began looking for a vertical offset. As I looked for local fabricators to minimize shipping costs, I stumbled across Lone Star Grillz and really dug their designs for the vertical smokers. I didn't love the price tag or the potential shipping prices from Houston! :O I was just getting into this game and never dreamed the prices of some of these rigs. To the back burner this went and I started looking at WSM's and UDS's but never liked the idea of rack-trapped food. I had borrowed an ECB for a while and just learned that, IME, it was a pain in the ass.

A few months ago, another new Brethren member, bvbull200, who I know from a new era GTO forum we are members of, found a NB Bandera for a steal and in need of some TLC. He posted about it on the GTO forum and it caught my eye. It was the style I was looking for and at a low price of entry. We both searched CL for a while and found some decent candidates but all required a bit more TLC than I was equipped to handle since I have no welding equipment. I also found a nice custom smoker in a similar style but with a bit smaller firebox but without the grill top on the firebox side and a shallower smokebox. It was nice, just didn't have everything I wanted.

That same day I looked at the custom one above, I stumbled across a CL ad for a local fabricator (AJ's Custom Cookers). I checked out the pics of stuff he had done and like what I saw, so I shot him an email describing what I wanted and what my budget was. He emailed back and said we could work within or around my budget and get me exactly what I want, so we met up, and worked up this design based on the features I liked from the rigs I had been looking at for about half to 2/3rds of the cost. I did decide to go with 3/16" plate instead of 1/4" and that was a nice chunk of the savings. I'm in Texas...that's all the thermal mass I need, right!!!! :)

The build is 3.5 weeks in from the sketch and down payment and looking at another 1.5 to go.

The pics below show the sketch we worked up together and then the progress pics he posted up last night.

I am super excited as you can guess and have been spending WAY too much time on this site trying to learn as much as I can about cooking on an offset since I have NEVER experienced it. I am thankful for the experience that everyone has shared on this forum and I think it has given me a good foundation to start from once this bad boy gets picked up next weekend!!!

He told me no more pics until it is finished...the tease!

http://www.philpeeps.com/new_smoker_design.jpg

The small shelf on the outside of the smokebox and the holes for temp probes will be on the non-firebox side, it was just shown on that side so he didn't have to draw the other side elevation.

http://www.philpeeps.com/smoker/smoker1.jpg

http://www.philpeeps.com/smoker/smoker2.jpg

http://www.philpeeps.com/smoker/smoker3.jpg

http://www.philpeeps.com/smoker/smoker4.jpg

http://www.philpeeps.com/smoker/smoker5.jpg

SmokeMyMeat77 09-18-2013 08:52 AM

Very nice! Impressive looking welds. Can't wait to see the finished product!

sliding_billy 09-18-2013 08:55 AM

You are making it hard for me to focus on work Peeps! :icon_smile_tongue:

nucornhusker 09-18-2013 08:58 AM

So what if Big Daddy and MOAB get together and make baby Banderas?

:heh:

Cool looking rig.

bvbull200 09-18-2013 09:02 AM

That thing is gonna be suh-weet.

SmittyJonz 09-18-2013 09:30 AM

Im Sure it's just the pic but the smoke chamber looks CaddyWhomped....... That guy did have a refurbished Bandera for sale a few weeks back but he wanted too much for it.
I bet that thing will be a good smoker and last a long time (long as it ain't CaddyWhomped LOL). :thumb:

peeps 09-18-2013 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nucornhusker (Post 2629465)
So what if Big Daddy and MOAB get together and make baby Banderas?

:pound:

pitbossJB 09-18-2013 09:33 AM

Very nice indeed! Having flogged and modded a Bandera for years I would suggest a partition between the firebox and the grill so that you could have a separate bed of coals for your grilling. They lose way too much heat out of the top of the grill to smoke efficiently. I have thought of making a super Bandera myself. Very well made!

peeps 09-18-2013 09:39 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by SmittyJonz (Post 2629501)
Im Sure it's just the pic but the smoke chamber looks CaddyWhomped....... That guy did have a refurbished Bandera for sale a few weeks back but he wanted too much for it.
I bet that thing will be a good smoker and last a long time (long as it ain't CaddyWhomped LOL). :thumb:

I think it is just the pic...the pic I have of the 2 chambers sitting on the table prior to joining them, they look squared up.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...60670121_o.jpg

You talking about AJ having a refurbished bandera for sale? He has cloned one from 1/4" plate and sold it for $950. Perhaps that is the one you are referring to? I have attached the pic he sent me of that one...

SmittyJonz 09-18-2013 09:43 AM

Ya that's the one.... I made an offer but he didn't like my offer. - are you having a deflector or baffle put in where the smoke box and firebox meet (in smoke box)?

peeps 09-18-2013 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitbossJB (Post 2629507)
Very nice indeed! Having flogged and modded a Bandera for years I would suggest a partition between the firebox and the grill so that you could have a separate bed of coals for your grilling. They lose way too much heat out of the top of the grill to smoke efficiently. I have thought of making a super Bandera myself. Very well made!

The griddle guy! :)

The lid on mine will be much heavier than the Bandera and should make a much better seal. I will run it for a while and see how it goes.

I don't plan on grilling AND smoking at the same time other than maybe reverse searing. If I need to grill AND smoke, I will use my 22.5" Kettle for the grilling so I don't lose the heat.

I do plan on having AJ make a removable SS griddle top inspired by yours, just it wasn't in the budget for now...

peeps 09-18-2013 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmittyJonz (Post 2629518)
Ya that's the one.... I made an offer but he didn't like my offer. - are you having a deflector or baffle put in where the smoke box and firebox meet (in smoke box)?

Tuning plates. You can see the rails for them in the head on shot.

JONESY 09-18-2013 09:46 AM

That is freaking awesome. Time to get into production mode, I think there is a demand for this style cooker.

Bob in St. Louis 09-18-2013 10:15 AM

That's awesome!
My only thought, is that those wheels are going to rust and stain your patio, even if they're painted, the paint will scratch off as it's rolled around.
Maybe some of that rubber coating used for tools might help?

peeps 09-18-2013 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob in St. Louis (Post 2629565)
That's awesome!
My only thought, is that those wheels are going to rust and stain your patio, even if they're painted, the paint will scratch off as it's rolled around.
Maybe some of that rubber coating used for tools might help?

Noted...

Are you referring to Plastidip?

I doubt I will move it around much once it is set. It is going to be HEAVY! I will see what happens when we get it moved into place and see what measures I need to take.


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