Oklahoma Joe upgrade idea?

I am going to look at getting a older Oklahoma Joe from a guy for $50. He says it's only been cooked on a couple times and looks new.

He sent me some Picts of the inside and it looked like the hole going from the fire box to the smoker is around a 5 inch square. To get use out of the entire smoker(instead of having a hot spot for the first foot by the firebox) could I take some tim and bend it into a half circle and carry it from the hole in the fire box all the way across the bottom of the smoker toward the exit pipe and drill 3/8 holes every 3 or 4 inches to release the heat throughout the entire smoker? Has anyone ever experimented with something like this?

Also anybody have any experience with the older Oklahoma Joe smokers? Are they quality or garbage? He said the name tag is riveted on. The new ones are glued on I think? Don't know if that might help with guessing the age?

Deep South said:

I have one . It's a pretty good smoker with a lot of people making mods on them to even out cooking.


Heres a build thread: http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31210&highlight=oklahoma

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That looks like the same one I'm goin to look at. I don't understand how he has his ( tunning plates)?

How doe's yours cook? Bad hot spot or temp spikes?

nucornhusker said:

You can get a convection plate from Horzion.

http://www.horizonbbqsmokersstore.com/servlet/the-335/Convection-Plate--dsh--For/Detail

I'm getting one of these and a better firebox grate. I also put a right angle vent elbow on the inside of the cooking chamber to lower the exhaust to grate level.

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I wonder if you could make one of those trays out of a baking tray? You could puck up a couple from goodwill for around $2. Drill some holes bolt them together and that might work?

What's the point of moving the smoke stack lower?

Have u done any kind testing with the cooking sheet? Bread test or temp test?