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-   -   • 100 Gal. Air Tank Build (Offset) (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121043)

Phrasty 11-26-2011 12:42 AM

• 100 Gal. Air Tank Build (Offset)
 
Hey guys... So I'v had this tank in my yard for about 6 months now meaning to make some time to get to it... Well it finally looks like this is round 2 for an offset build. It's about a 100 gal. (approx. 20"x50") air compressor tank made out of 3/8ths steel.

I don't have as much time on my hands this time around so the process might take a bit longer. I'm more than likely only gonna get to have time on the weekends for it. I'm also still looking for a couple parts and whatnot. Hopefully it wont drag on too long.

I'm planning on making this an offset smoker with the ability to be used as a grill (chicken cooker). This should be interesting... Hopefully it will go as smooth as my 120 gal. build.

I've already started to play a bit so the process has started and I'm planning on doing some more work on it this weekend.

Well... here's what I have so far:

I have cut the doors, welded on some hinges and started removing & grinding the unneeded parts on the exterior.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/62727212.jpg

Made a single opening with double doors so it could fit a whole hog/lamb/goat... whatever. :thumb:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/a63b0970.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/c14d869a.jpg

And some steel decided to come along for the ride...
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/f6ead9f4.jpg

Thanks for looking... This should be fun. :becky:
Cheers.

SmokinAussie 11-26-2011 01:31 AM

Ooooooh Gooody

I'm looking forward to this one!

Cheers!

Bill

buccaneer 11-26-2011 02:02 AM

Me too.:bow:

gharriger 11-26-2011 07:15 AM

How heavy are the doors on a 3/8" tank that size? Are they manageable without counterweight?

SmokeOCD 11-26-2011 08:02 AM

You mention whole animals...... rotisserie?

smokingj 11-26-2011 08:07 AM

pulls up a seat to watch this one. popcorn anyone?

trekmstr 11-26-2011 08:14 AM

wow. good luck. do you plan on a seam overlap in hte center on one of the doors?

BBQ PD 11-26-2011 08:17 AM

Oh boy, another fun build. Keep the updated pics coming :thumb:.

bluetang 11-26-2011 08:58 AM

Loves me a Phrasty build:-D

Sammy_Shuford 11-26-2011 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluetang (Post 1861559)
Loves me a Phrasty build:-D

Yeah, what bluetang said.

tish 11-26-2011 09:28 AM

This does look like a Phrasty build! Happy to be able to watch this one from the beginning. Pass the popcorn, smokingj! :-D

thirtydaZe 11-26-2011 10:48 AM

Following.

el_matt 11-26-2011 12:00 PM

Just subscribed. Maybe this will finally be the motivation I need to start my build!

Matt

BigBobBQ 11-26-2011 12:22 PM

I am sitting here with my feet propped up waiting for the next installment!

Phrasty 11-27-2011 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gharriger (Post 1861513)
How heavy are the doors on a 3/8" tank that size? Are they manageable without counterweight?

It's borderline... I can manage it but it would be nice. Odds are I'll counterweight it but I'm not gonna hold off lighting her up and cooking if it's not installed yet. :wink:

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokeOCD (Post 1861530)
You mention whole animals...... rotisserie?

If I get the parts at a decent price why not but for now It'll just be on the bottom shelf. Gonna make the bottom shelf reversible for easy rotation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekmstr (Post 1861538)
wow. good luck. do you plan on a seam overlap in hte center on one of the doors?

Thanks a lot. Yeah I installed it today. :thumb: Check!

Cheers

Phrasty 11-27-2011 01:26 AM

So I got a little done today. Was on the road for most of the morning so I didn't get through everything planned. I managed to clean up the edges of the doors and cut and weld on the seals. Started marking and planning out the grate slides.

Here's a couple pics of today's activities:

Cleaning up:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/fb7ca834.jpg

You can see how thick this tank is...
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/ff490cfd.jpg

Cutting the steel (just think this was a cool shot. :thumb:)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/44b2e6c8.jpg

Took a little break with some pepper shrimps and a beer:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/ae103d30.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/db7c1d20.jpg

Back to work grinding:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/71b897c0.jpg

All clamped up for tacking:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/c8aaaa27.jpg

And this is what we ended up with today. Not a bad start...
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/0ac44594.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/17191999.jpg

Hopefully I get a chance to get a little more done tomorrow. :thumb:

Thanks for looking.
Cheers.

RevZiLLa 11-27-2011 02:12 AM

You're moving fast

captndan 11-27-2011 08:56 AM

I made one out of that same tank. Took some tweaking here and there. It's trailer mounted now.

vhram 11-27-2011 12:14 PM

Looks great! Thats one door I wouldnt want to get my finger caught in.

colonel00 11-27-2011 12:22 PM

Looking good. Love your build threads.

Porky Joes 11-27-2011 01:29 PM

With this type of tank, do you still need to do a burn out first?

captndan 11-27-2011 01:38 PM

Can't speak about Phrasty's tank but mine was full of crud. Oil, rust, dirt, you name it. Not a pleasant cleaning job.

tish 11-27-2011 06:24 PM

Lovin' the build photos so far... and the pepper shrimp and beer snack. :thumb:

Shawn1382 11-27-2011 08:12 PM

Looks sweet. Makes me want to brush up on my welding skill and tackle a project like this myself.

martyleach 11-27-2011 10:28 PM

I loved watching the last build! This should be fun. Can't wait for more.

Ole Man Dan 11-27-2011 11:03 PM

I think about a similar build every time I see a Propane tank or Air tank.
My problem is it's just too big just to use on my patio...
I'd have to build mine on a trailer to carry to parties.

inv3ctiv3 11-27-2011 11:34 PM

I'd love to have something like that!

Phrasty 11-27-2011 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vhram (Post 1862662)
Looks great! Thats one door I wouldnt want to get my finger caught in.

No.. it doesn't feel good at all! :doh:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porky Joes (Post 1862721)
With this type of tank, do you still need to do a burn out first?

Yea I'm gonna burn it out... Even if it's just to try burn off some of the paint.

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyleach (Post 1863146)
I loved watching the last build! This should be fun. Can't wait for more.

Thanks Marty... Hopefully it all goes smooth, then it will be fun for sure. :thumb:

Cheers

Phrasty 11-28-2011 12:23 AM

Hey guys... Got through what I wanted to today :boxing:. I managed to cut and install the grate slides and make the racks... The racks were a bit labor intensive... :doh: Wanted to go a little above and beyond the regular expanded metal grates. I made these out of 1/4" bar stock! Came out nice. Really liking where this is going. :thumb: This is what happened today.

First thing I did was to install the slides:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/6d18ff81.jpg

Cleaned up the welds:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/b845def1.jpg

Then cut the 3/4" sq bar for the grates and tested fitted them before the next step:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/3e5cf006.jpg

Here's where all the work really came in. First I marked out the long rails to start drilling the holes for the 1/4 bars and center punched them:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/a468173b.jpg

Then started drilling:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/f2059c57.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/370f98a9.jpg

Then came the time to cut the 84 1/4 bars for the grate and welded the frame together and installed the bars. Still have to tack them in, I'm guessing I can do that sometime in the week:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/c4be698a.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/cfa46749.jpg

A close up of the grates:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/dfde3084.jpg

And here's where we are now...
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/a1f8a79b.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/ee3cc912.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84...y/9c3d380e.jpg

So far so good guys! :thumb: Thanks for looking! Hopefully some more updates soon!

Cheers

Lazybones 11-28-2011 12:28 AM

Very impressed with the grates. This build is coming along fast!

42BBQ 11-28-2011 02:14 AM

thread subscribed. That is all.

steve6402 11-28-2011 03:40 AM

skills

SmokinAussie 11-28-2011 05:27 AM

Very farkin' impressive.:hail::hail::hail:

tamadrummer 11-28-2011 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 42BBQ (Post 1863234)
thread subscribed. That is all.


me too :clap2:

Midnight Smoke 11-28-2011 08:33 AM

You do very nice work, wish I had 1/2 your skill. That is going to an awesome cooker. Will be watching from the sidelines. :eusa_clap

colonel00 11-28-2011 09:36 AM

Nice progress! I do wonder if the gaps in the grates are a bit large. For large cuts of meat I am sure they will be fine but do you think it might be an issue with smaller stuff?

Phrasty 11-28-2011 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colonel00 (Post 1863368)
Nice progress! I do wonder if the gaps in the grates are a bit large. For large cuts of meat I am sure they will be fine but do you think it might be an issue with smaller stuff?

The spacing is 3/4". I have another grill I've made with the same spacing and I had the same feeling at first but it works out quite fine actually. Haven't had a problem so far. It's only when I'm doing things like shrimp where it becomes an issue but I usually use a separate tray for those kinda foods anyway. Thanks for the heads up though brother! :thumb:

Cheers

colonel00 11-28-2011 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phrasty (Post 1863407)
The spacing is 3/4". I have another grill I've made with the same spacing and I had the same feeling at first but it works out quite fine actually. Haven't had a problem so far. It's only when I'm doing things like shrimp where it becomes an issue but I usually use a separate tray for those kinda foods anyway. Thanks for the heads up though brother! :thumb:

Cheers

Ain't no thang, brutha :becky: I just want you to get your method down pat before you build one for me :thumb: Granted, shipping might be an issue :crazy:

tish 11-28-2011 11:01 AM

I'm having the best time watching this build. Phrasty, you sure do put on one heck of a show! :-D Now where's smokingj with that popcorn? :pop2:

Kack 11-28-2011 12:27 PM

Just a question because your work looks great.

Why not split those into 4 racks with a support in the middle so you don't have to slide those big racks out every time while also letting all the heat out of the pit?

Phrasty 11-28-2011 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kack (Post 1863507)
Just a question because your work looks great.

Why not split those into 4 racks with a support in the middle so you don't have to slide those big racks out every time while also letting all the heat out of the pit?

Thought about that... but I needed a pig cooker and with the supports in the middle of the smoker like that it won't allow a hog to be laid across the entire cooking surface because the 2nd shelf support and slides get in the way. I ran into that problem with my last build... well not the build but the design of it... So this build is to make up for those short comings.

As for the heat issue, I figure that the 3/8ths steel of the tank itself will do a pretty good job as a heat buffer to minimize the time the pit takes to get back to temp... Also figure that it's not a pit that I'll be opening too regularly.

Appreciate the concerns, and yes I know it will be a bit more cumbersome at times but you gotta give and take for what you want I guess... Good looking out Brother :thumb:.
Cheers

RevZiLLa 11-28-2011 07:27 PM

Very nice work. I'm subscribing too

Phrasty 11-28-2011 11:08 PM

Didn't do much tonight... Have a bunch of other work to do so I just spent about an hour when I came home tacking up the food grates... They are a little "singy" I think I might run a cross brace along the center of the length of the grates. Should dull it down a bit. They are just a little "loud" when they knock around. Thats it for today... I think progress is gonna be a bit slow until sunday. :cry:

Cheers

Sammy_Shuford 11-28-2011 11:14 PM

Nice cook grates!

che22879 11-28-2011 11:18 PM

:thumb:

Sly-one 11-29-2011 08:49 AM

Hey Tish, did the popcorn stop at your place?
Phrasty, this build looks great! How are you doing a stop for the grates to prevent them from accidentally sliding all the way out?

tish 11-29-2011 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sly-one (Post 1864376)
Hey Tish, did the popcorn stop at your place?
Phrasty, this build looks great! How are you doing a stop for the grates to prevent them from accidentally sliding all the way out?

Nah! Smokingj disappeared, but somebody else hooked me up. Want some? :wink: Hey, Phrasty! How's the build coming today??? :-D

Bluehawg 11-29-2011 11:06 AM

Phrasty, got a question. Trying to get accurate measurements on my tank and when I use the math, it comes up to about an inch and a half SHORTER than the measurement I get when I pull a string around the circumference. I'm using the 2*Pi*radius formula where the diameter is 24.5 so the radius is 12.25 when I multiply 2 times pi times radius I'm getting 76.999 (77) HOWEVER my "string" measurement is more like 78.5~78.75....

What do I need to do? I'm trying to cut my door out as 1/4 the circumference so it should go from 1/2 across to the top... the firebox needs to be 1/3 the circumference from the top of the door. Help a brotha out if you can... PLEASE...

Phrasty 11-29-2011 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluehawg (Post 1864501)
Phrasty, got a question. Trying to get accurate measurements on my tank and when I use the math, it comes up to about an inch and a half SHORTER than the measurement I get when I pull a string around the circumference. I'm using the 2*Pi*radius formula where the diameter is 24.5 so the radius is 12.25 when I multiply 2 times pi times radius I'm getting 76.999 (77) HOWEVER my "string" measurement is more like 78.5~78.75....

What do I need to do? I'm trying to cut my door out as 1/4 the circumference so it should go from 1/2 across to the top... the firebox needs to be 1/3 the circumference from the top of the door. Help a brotha out if you can... PLEASE...

PM sent Brother!
Cheers

captndan 11-30-2011 08:22 AM

Math will not a good smoker make. Look at it this way, do you want 1 or2 racks? If it's 1 then picture what you will be putting on it. Same thing for 2 racks. That will be the size of the door. If you're doing bacon and brisket then a 20" door does not make sense. If you're doing whole pigs then the 20" does make sense. You can also make a second special purpose one. :-P


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