Still haven't made up my mind

First post, great site and have a dilemma. I have used a small electric smoker for the past few years. I quit working and I got the bug to make a "real smoker". I acquired the the following and at first decided to make a vertical smoker with the following specs:
24" diameter x 66" long 1/4" wall pipe. The one end was cut pretty crooked. I cleaned it up. 2 doors. One for access to the fire grate and one for the smoke trays. The fire grate will be 22" below the first tray. There will be rack from 1/2" rebar 18" above that to hold a water pan that will also act as a heat diffuser. The tray holders will be spaced at 4" increments to the top. Weber 22 1/2" grill grates will be used for the food. The the fire grate will be made from 1/2" rebar. The only thing I haven't decided on yet is where to place the exhaust pipe. I was thinking 12" down from the top. That way the heat and smoke won't go straight up and out the top. This son of a gun will be heavy, but it will be put on casters.
This idea was posted on another forum ( found this one a little later) and was warned that this was not a good idea, to make an offset instead due to inherent temperature gradient problem with a vertical this size.. So now I am more than likely going with an offset.
I have read a lot here the last 2 weekends and have not found a lot of info on verticals. I was going vertical to save on space.
I thought I would get a second opinion here and hope to hear from someone who may have done what I was originally planing.

So any advice on why I should totally scrap the vertical plan for a horizontal would be greatly appreciated.

Also I hope to be able to participate on here later after I get more experience on the art of smoking. There are some awesome looking food posted here!

Thanks
Dino

SmittyJonz said:

I'd go vertical but cut it down to 42" to 48" and put a 3" pipe dead center in top for exhaust - probally 10" tall. 2 Doors with 3-4 removable cooking racks plus a difusser rack. Have a fire grate or basket about 4-6" off the bottom and difusser/water pan 12-18" above that. Like a Tall, thick walled UDS with doors :grin: And I would definatley post pics of the Build and first Cook!

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SmittyJonz,
Thanks for the input and links to pictures. I very much appreciate your input. The other place had me second guessing everything. I will post pictures along the way.

dwfisk said:

Here is a vertical build my son & I did not long ago.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162551
Your pipe is much heavier so I don't expect you will have the issues we had. IMO the heavy baffle plate is essential. It cooks great on charcoal or small splits and the footprint is only 26"d.

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You have me all fired up to get going on this build.

I will cut the length to 48" per SmittyJonz's input to this project and try to get the doors cut out today, don't know for sure because my cheap plasma took a dump on me cleaning up the one end. So for now a 4 1/2" grinder with a cutting wheel installed will be my tool of choice. Although not a good one for 1/4" wall.

Thanks all for the advice!

Dino

Got some things done today. Cut to a length of 48". Laid out the upper and lower doors and got the long ends cut through on both sides of both doors.

Just need to weld on the hinges. I am guessing you just line up the pin with the middle of the cut, correct??
Used up seven 4 1/2" cutting wheels.

Forgot to give out some intel. I was at target last Thursday and scored on these. The funny thing is I was going to buy 2 this payday and 2 more the next pay day at lowes for 18.99 each. At Target, 5.98 so I bought all five. 22 1/2" racks. Some times you smell like the rose and some times you smell like........ For once I was the rose!!

Need a little help in figuring out draft holes in the bottom. Since I am build a vertical I haven't quite figured out what dimensions to put in the field in Feldon's BBQ Pit Builder to get a good answer. using the following dimensions:
Fire crate will be 5" above the bottom
cylinder cook chamber 24" dia x 24 long
fire box dim round 24" X 18" long
fire box intake round 2" holes
it states 7.78 holes which would be 4 holes per side.
With the proper spacing the holes seem like they will be, basically all the way around the bottom of the smoker.

I was looking at putting in 3 x 2" holes on opposite sides at grate level with a sliding dampener. Will that be sufficient enough??

Thanks Dino

SmittyJonz said:

3ea - 2" holes? 1 hole per damper? I think it would be enough. If not - adding holes ain't that hard. Make the damper longer- rectangle so if u need to add holes the same slide damper can damper 2 holes. :thumb:
DWFisk has 1- 4" intake on his.

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SmittyJonz,
Will do. Thanks for the help.

mikeleonard81 said:

If target would of had 50 of those grates I would have bought them all! Nice score!!

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Yea, for once I stumbled into a really good deal.

Thanks
Dino

Got some more done today. I didn't get to put in any damper work because this took more time than I thought. Got the smoker door lip welded in as well as the meat door lip. Weled on the smoker door hinges. I have a slight gap in the closed position. I hope the latches will seal it up. If not I will have to get some type of gasket. Waiting on removeable hinges to arrive for the meat door. Welded up a grate out of 3/8 rebar. Need expanded metal for the basket. Still need to make the ash tray, weld in stand offs for the racks make the dampers, and cap the ends. I am going to make some type of dome for the top. I don't like the idea of a flat top accumulating build up and dripping down on the food.
I need to get this thing done before the weather turn too cold.