Ugly Drum Smoker

[MT4Runner]

plasma cutter

If you don't know what's been in the barrel, and you're using plas or a gas axe, fill the barrel with exhaust fumes from your car or purge it with your MIG welder shield gas--CO2 or C25.

(ASSuming if you have a plasma, you probably have or have access to a MIG!)

[Norcoredneck]

Originally Posted by MT4Runner

If you don't know what's been in the barrel, and you're using plas or a gas axe, fill the barrel with exhaust fumes from your car or purge it with your MIG welder shield gas--CO2 or C25.

(ASSuming if you have a plasma, you probably have or have access to a MIG!)

What fun is that?

[tntitan]

hey roger this is the thread i told you about enjoy if you need any info call me

[SmokeWatcher]

Alrighty....after reading the entire thread, I'm stoked and ready to find a barrel and whatever parts I need to get my own UDS project going. WOOHOO!!

[Single Fin Smoker]

I'm gonna try to give mine a paint job and beer bottle opener today. Hopefully posting pics tonite.

[motley que]

Originally Posted by Single Fin Smoker

I'm gonna try to give mine a paint job and beer bottle opener today. Hopefully posting pics tonite.

motley que mod..

[tntitan]

i am making my second one right now

[Single Fin Smoker]

Im off to HD!

[MT4Runner]

My first UDS:


I scored a Weber kettle off Craigslist in Clarkston, WA on Thursday, and a barrel from work on Wednesday. Started this yesterday.

The Barrel:
Here's a great idea to cut the top off. Flip the barrel over so what you want for your top sits on a smooth floor--preferably concrete. Hold your mini angle grinder so the guard sits on the floor. This will hold a cutting disc about 1/4" off the floor....or 1/4" down on the ring. Grind through the outer layer of lid all the way around the drum. Flip it back over, and you have a smooth, level cut, without having to buy a drum deheader or building a jig. Tap upward on the lid with an old screwdriver and a mallet and drive it off the barrel.

Torched the bottom holes with the plasma.

Burned the barrel last night. Not enough air gets in the bottom holes to get a really hot fire. I noticed that by tipping the barrel over at a ~30º angle, the fresh air comes in the low side, and the flame/heat runs up the high side, and lets the paint on the inside blister in 5-10 minutes. Roll the barrel around after it blisters where it's at, and in 1/2 hour, you can get heat to all sides.

Hit the barrel with a knotted wire wheel in my 4.5" angle grinder (4.5" angle grinders are on sale at Harbor Freight right now for $16.99. Get the orange ones; I've been beating on mine for a year, and it's still going strong. It's noisier than my DeWalt, but 20% the price.)

Some paint wasn't all the way off, so I hit that with my oxy-acetylene torch, and the remaining paint came right off.

Cut 1.25" x 1.25" x 0.125 (1 1/4 x 1 1 /4" x 1/8") angle into 2" pieces. Welded them inside the drum.


The Grill:
Used the one from my Weber donor. Duh! :D


Still need a second grill. Here's the first in the lower spot.


The Charcoal Basket:
Used the charcoal grate from my Weber grill; welded 3" tall 1/2" pipe legs to the grill. Set the legs so they'd fit through the ash pan from the Weber grill. Still needs sides.





Needs barrel handles and a thermometer.
Will oil the inside tomorrow.

Still trying to decide whether to oil or paint the outside. Kettle lid is a nice charcoal black.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by MT4Runner

Hit the barrel with a knotted wire wheel in my 4.5" angle grinder (4.5" angle grinders are on sale at Harbor Freight right now for $16.99. Get the orange ones; I've been beating on mine for a year, and it's still going strong. It's noisier than my DeWalt, but 20% the price.).

The 7.5" orange grinder with the built-in hand guard is the one I got. Well worth a little more $ for a lot more value.

Has anyone else just oiled the outside?

[Mark]

PS: Here's a link for a $10 grinder but I'd still buy the 7.5'/$30 one

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=95578

[pepper76usa]

Ok, you'll never guess what I did this last weekend. I took my "Geto Style" UDS to a KCBS comp in Canton GA . This was our first comp and let me tell you it was great! We placed 25 out of 38 teams overall. I came in 17 with my pulled pork cooked on the UDS! This is a great smoker. We also got 12 on the brisket, not bad for our first comp. Just thought I would let Ya'll know. Here is some pic's of the turn in boxes. We Also had the #6 Sauce out of 62. What a great weekend. Now I have to go sleep for a week. Thanks for you guys help with everything.
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[MT4Runner]

Pepper, all four smoked on the UDS, or did you use your "ghetto offset" for some?
Any other UDS'es at the comp?

Nice work on the presentation!!

[swamprb]

Originally Posted by pepper76usa

Ok, you'll never guess what I did this last weekend. I took my "Geto Style" UDS to a KCBS comp in Canton GA . This was our first comp and let me tell you it was great! We placed 25 out of 38 teams overall. I came in 17 with my pulled pork cooked on the UDS! This is a great smoker. We also got 12 on the brisket, not bad for our first comp. Just thought I would let Ya'll know. Here is some pic's of the turn in boxes. We Also had the #6 Sauce out of 62. What a great weekend. Now I have to go sleep for a week. Thanks for you guys help with everything.
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Way to go pepper! Did my first comp with the UDS's too! Didn't do as well as you did but they cruised none the less! Keep up the good work!

[Rookie'48]

Man, that's one long farkin' thread, 38 pages (plus the extra links)! I took a bunch of notes (hope that I can make some sense out of them in the morning [beer mod]). I've got to figure out if I want the 3 or 4 openings 1/2" to 3/4" or to go for the single 2" to 3" exhaust pipe. With my back, I think that the single, larger, taller intake may be the answer. Anyway, here's hoping that tomorrow is the "burn out the barrel" day so that I can get this project on the road.
I got the drum from Brother Jeff (Smoookin') at the bash last weekend, and I know that he wants to make sure that the gift wasn't wasted, so I had better get with the program, right? Wish me luck, I'll need it.