275 Gal Oil Tank Build (pron)

I was finally able to get a hold of a 275 gallon fuel oil tank for my next build: $90 delivered to my house from a guy who lives 45 minutes away... sounded like a great deal to me!

For the past week or so I have been thinking/planning how I'm going to build this- at first I was thinking about laying it flat side down, but decided it would just be too big.

Then I thought about how to make doors that would reduce heat loss when I open them. I thought about sliding closet type doors that go in front/behind each other, but that would restrict my ability to have pull out cooking grates.

In the end I decided to go with a pretty traditional approach:





Sorry about the pic size, I couldn't shrink them without losing quality.

I plan to have:
- A 2' drain with shut off in the bottom for cleaning- I used a smaller one in my UDS, but it clogs way too easy.

-Full length work table on the front, which may or may not drop down.

-Full length handle (not pictured) on the end with the swivel casters.

-Large sand/water pan which I may end up fabbing a vented lid for to slow the water loss to steam/evap

-A 55 gallon drum with slide out coal basket for the fire box. I'm thinking about keeping the head of the drum removable for easy cleaning

-At least 3 cooking levels that can pull out for easy access. Build out of angle iron and expanded steel

-Vertically opening doors, which if i do the hinges right, won't need counter weights

That's all i got for right now. I'll update if the design changes. This is going to be a long project for me- first time welding and building anything of this size. It will definitely be a fun project!

Thanks for reading!

JandJbuidasmoker said:

I was told the 55 gallon drum would be to thin for Fire Box??? Might want to check into it. I think it looks awesome though!!

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Yeah, I heard the same thing. Looking into lining it with fire bricks or something.

I'm having some doubts about the actual volume of the tank- I've seen them described as 275 gallon, 250 gallon, 200 gallon... I need to know the actual volume for the calculator I'm using.

The tank measures 44" high, 27" deep and 60" long. Can anyone say with 100% certainty that this IS a 275 gallon tank? If I'm wrong it will seriously skew my calculations.

I looked all over the tank- found a tag with manufaturer's info, but no size listed on it.

Thanks in advance!

smokinrack said:

Hi guys im new here but have been reading the forums for awhile now. We built one of these last summer except laid it flat and went with one big rack and a big rotisserie in it. The barrel will work as a firebox but I found on ours anyway in bad weather rain, high winds an d temps dropping it wasnt insulated enough to hold temp without fighting it the whole time. Personally im planning to cut the barrel off and go with a heavier box thats hopefully less maintenance on long overnight cooks in bad weather.

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Welcome!

At first I considered laying it flat too. I figured I could mount the drum I'm using for the firebox directly underneath, but I'm actually gaining quite a bit of cooking space by going vertical with 3 levels as opposed to one (3744 sq inches versus 2494 sq inches). Also, I thought the doors would be easier to cut/mount.

I'm also considering digging up an 85 gallon drum to house the inner 55 gallon and stuffing the gap with insulation. Haven't quite figured out how it's going to work, just an idea. Also, depends on the price.

dwfisk said:

Neat design, I look forward to seeing it come together. Just a thought: if you think you might want to do a whole hog, 2 doors can be a problem. I built my rig with a single 50" door on a 72 inch tank; no counter weights (yet) and it's not to heavy. I've done +50# whole hogs and think i can fit up to 80# in mine. Just something to consider.

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Good point, however one goal of my design was to minimize heat loss while the door was open. I would think one big door would allow more heat to escape. Plus, I don't see myself ever doing a whole hog. And if I do, it's a good excuse to build another pit! :wink:

It. Has. Begun. ....Finally!

Ok, after much aggrivation and a little home re-wiring, I finally got a set up to where my stick welder doesn't blow the breaker every time I touch it to the tank.

Now, the issue is the welding itself. The stick sparkrs and "melts" away, but there is no weld left behind. I have tried many different power settings, including the highest. Can this be because of cheap sticks i bought at harbor freight? I think i'm going to stop at Home Depot tomorrow after work and pick up some different ones to try.

This is my first time welding, so I don't know for sure if that's the issue or not, but we'll see. Should have some pics tomorrow night.