Build questions? Design ideas? Pictures?

P

Pigdude

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
103
Reaction score
42
Points
0
Location
Western...
Hey guys. I am building a monolithic Stainless steel pig roaster. we are close but the lid is REAL heavy (500 lbs heavy). RFH...

The top has a domed lid, double walled/insulated. The grill is 4x6.

Lifting the lid manually is unsafe (already snapped custom hinges, now really reinforced). Lid does stop on full open but just want to be extra safe. Also closing is a little dicey as I feel we need more control while closing. Goal is to open and close with same number of fingers. :grin:

Has anyone rigged a Warn winch type motor, bolted/welded to the trailer with a cable attached to the lid for controll up or down? Thats the best solution we can come up with.

What's your idea(s)??? You guys USUALLY have a lot of great answers!
 
yes, I will post sequential build pics after we are done. It's a site to behold. Wanted to build to retain heat in these Wisconsin winters.
 
Not cheap, but there are electric hydraulic pumps that could handle that lid and be run off of a car battery. Another idea is to have custom hydraulic struts made that catch the lid and let it soft close for the last few inches. Strutwise is one manufacturer, I'm sure there are others.
 
Pigdude said:
yes, I will post sequential build pics after we are done. It's a site to behold. Wanted to build to retain heat in these Wisconsin winters.
Click to expand...

Im suggesting pics so we can help you. I am sure its purty

I was thinking maybe some kind of counterbalance on the lid

but without seeeing it, hard to say if that would work or not
 
I have built a couple for people that have had really heavy lids. I don't have any pics of them, but look at some Santa Maria grill builds. I used the internals off of a Harbor Freight come-along and attached the cable to a wheel that had a larger reduction gear. About 2 turns of the wheel and the lid was full raised. You can use the come-along lock to lock it in place. I had the cable routed through a pulley that I mounted on the back of the cooker to hide most of the mechanics of it.
This worked out REALLY well. You can get creative to make the aesthetics very pleasing also.

I will search around and see if I can locate some pics somewhere.....
 
Here is a pic of a very similar locking mechanism that uses parts off of a come-along. This is almost exactly what I did except I mounted it toward the back of the cooker and routed the cable from the wheel through a pulley and connected it to a mount on the middle of the lid.

DSC_3261.JPG
 
I think ButtBurner's request is in the context of seeing some pic's of the cooker/lid so we can offer suggestions, at least it would be easier for me to conceptualize a solution if I could see the problem. Cheapest would probanly be a very secure vertical post on the hinge side of the pit, a pulley & winch (I think that might be where you were going). Search the internet on "12VDC Linear Actuator". I've used these from Northern Tool to build dump bed farm carts, I think mine are 500 pould capacity. You might need one on each end of the pit to avoid binding and you would,of course, need to figure our some kind of heat protection.

ButtBurner said:
gotta see some pics of this
Click to expand...
 
Also look for "nitrogen filled gas shock" or struts. That what most of the big grill manufactures use to assist in lid opening. Look at some pics of Stumps platinum cookers, or Myron Mixon smokers and check out their hydraulic assist on the doors/lids.
 
This roaster is double walled with 2" wool insullation...so heat is a non-issue for solutions...
 
Checked that. BUT, I found a Warn winch on sale for $200 capable of 1500 lbs. Those 12VDC Linear Actuators are spendy...good idea though. One advantage of running cable over the top to the winch at trailer level is that there are no obstructions for removable of pig on a 'stretcher' type grill assembly. Any other ideas welcomed.
 
Shielded(for protection)counterweight attached to a cable.Any winch,actuator or hydraulics is way too complicated,slow,expensive and prone to failure.
 
500 pound lid sheesh.. a hell of a counterweight comes to mind.. you throwing us some pics would help us try to determine the best solution..
 
Well my thought is Mount 2 linear actuators away from the hot bits of the pit. put a cross member that is attached to the lid and fastened through the actuators.

30" actuators with a 400# load rating exceeds your need by 60% which would lead to a longer life on the actuators. I would also personally add safety catches because to drop the lid your losing an arm or two. They are 12 volt so the can be run off a car battery. I would wire them in paralell to get them moving at close to the same speed. 30" should be enough to lift the lid up high enough to get a pig in. $260 for a pair if you are just lifting the front then one should be plenty and mount it away from the main unit on a pivot so it can open the lid. http://www.robotshop.com/30-stroke-...ource=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=jos

If $ is an issue, a winch with safety catchs would work. This can be had a whole lot cheaper. Mount to a point above lid and use to lift. I like chainfalls more then winches.
 
A couple of pics would be great. I posted a picture of my roaster now. - Pigdude
 
It seems that there would be a way of rigging up a frame on the back side of the cooker with some pullys and counter weights attached to the lid with cables?
 
Oldbill--A winch could be welded to the outside of the deck of the trailer. We plan to shorten the legs by about 3-4 inches on the roaster. Yes, the best we can come up with is to bolt a Warn winch to the outside of the trailer deck facing upwards, then weld a couple SS pulleys up the back and over the top. Then make a area to clip the cable line to slightly forward of center on the top of dome. The pulleys would be more of a rolling guide. Then run the up/down electric switch to the battery and then the front/side of the roaster box for easy access.
Easy up/easy down. Any other ideas or comments? Winch is $200, pulleys about $8 each ($32). Welding/scrap kinda free...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Reverse Flow Cabinet Build Questions
Replies
9
Views
582
onemanlan
O
dealm9
UDS Build Question about Fiberglass Stove Gasket
Replies
6
Views
577
SmokerKing
S
W
Masterbuilt 1050 Review
2
Replies
20
Views
9K
jzadski
J
B
Mak vs kettle throwdown(ish) and my incoherent ramblings!
Replies
8
Views
837
BKING!
B
C
Needing some input ideas and suggestions
Replies
0
Views
103
Customsmoker
C
Back
Top