MA-MA-MA-MEGA SCORE! and builds - lots of pics

WOW! I have made some huge scores this month! Starting with a jetski trailer i was given for doing some work for another fabricator. I dont have any of the before pics but I have some progress pics. It was burried under scrap, rusted badly, missing an axle, springs, twisted, just in bad shape! My wife actually didnt roll her eyes when I dropped it in the yard. She actually grumbled and yelled a little but now she see's my future vision! I chopped out all the structural "bows" and replaced them with the previous "V" front "C" channel. I squared the body, removed all the old brackets and chopped out most of the bad stuff, heated and hammered the rest back into straight, filled and blended most of the rest (still lots to do.) then got a new weld on hitch, put it on a new 3/16" c channel front I fabricated. I still have gusset plates to fab in the shop. I got all the new mounts welded, new springs, I had to remount the spring pads inverted for more height and 3 inches narrower for the small frame. I still have chopping and restructuring to do to get done but once I fab up a firebox and stuff. That will come later. I got a set of 15" wheels and tires at tractor supply to give some additional height. I want this thing to be a certain way and youll see when it's done why.






Then comes yesterday and it was a great day! #1 - same guy who gave me the trailer saw me eyeing up some old stainless kitchen parts he had laying around and asked me to make an offer. This thing weighs over 100lbs and is all welded stainless. I got it for $10!! Im going to use most of it in my trailer build for work table, back splash, and possibly some sweet stainless fenders! The lightest stainless on this thing is 14 ga and its all 304!!



And just before I closed for the day, a new customer has me building a wild tailgaiter for him. Im using these 2 weber genesis silver model grills inside of a custom surround and having some wild extras thrown in. I dont want to give this all away today but it's truly going to be the craziest build for me yet! The guy got these on craigs for about $60 ea. Thrown in was a brand new rotisserie! He tells me, anything you don't use in the build is all mine to keep which really will be 1/2 of the stuff minus the grill bodies. Check it out! The build rill not require thermo's, frames, and some of the other stuff like the tank scales and such. WHEEE HOOO!! I see potential for some other stuff!





Honestly my head is spinning and im grinning ear to ear! If I wasnt going kayaking for a little break today, I'd be welding and fabing! Im excited!! I LOVE MY LIFE!!!

AWW MAN! All this great stuff and this morning my lawnmower grenades! Threw a piston, oil, parts everywhere! I got hit with something in the leg but cant find it. It's just a welt thank god. well I guess Its off to the yardsales to find a replacement.

Derek said:

Wow, Man you have a good score for sure, Am I correct to say your going to make a trailer smoker?

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Yup a neat little managable smoker trailer with a water heater, sink, and weber 22.5 gold mounted in the front. It will be towed by the truck or be rolled in and out of my cargo trailer when I need to take it all on the road. It's a really cool build! I have a color scheme and lights all sitting here ready when its complete. Its going to be a reverse flow but something different since I dont have pipe or a tank to use as a donor body.

Here are the latest pics including the very simple blueprints I created to build this pit. I have to have this pit ready to be fired by next wednesday so I can test it out, modify if need be so I can get cooking on it July 2. I have a family reunion on the 3rd which was promised to cater. wheee hoo.. Enjoy!

1FUNVET said:

Awesome build. :thumb: What else are you planning on doing?

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The V up front will hold a 22.5 from my performer. I may end up building a grill if the 22.5 turns out to be too small and too light. I need some more weight on the tongue. I also will have 2- 15 gallon tanks for fresh water. it will be pumped up to a coil on the stack for hot water or directly to the sink for cold. sink will drain to a 5 gal bucket. the rest of the trailer will be skinned in a stainless work table with back splash. then I have to get the lights on. i chose clear lens LED lights for a really cool look. It will work well with the silver I am painting the whole thing. The frame is a metallic silver and the pit is a 1200 F gloss Aluminum silver.

I will be using 3 - tel tru thermo's. one in the middle at the grate level of the top grate, and one at either end at the lower grate level. Probably mount them all in the door. The door I am mounting a counter weight to prevent slamming. I also have to get the door on the firepit. I am loading it with 2" firebrick on bottom and 1.25" on the walls. It will help with fuel consumption and save the tires. I will use the top of the firebox for a cook top. I will do some internal ribbing on the top of the firebox and the door. Maybe in an "H". Not sure yet. Was going to get a thermo for the firebox but will have to do that later. Still have to cut and install all the butterfly vents. I'm spring-loading them with some stainless springs I have here to prevent them from free spinning.

I'll post more in a few days.

I noticed that the measurements of the firebox didnt make it in the pics. it's 24" cubed. The wheels and tires make the pit look tiny. They are 15" rims. (my RV only has 14") I did that to get a little higher. also I flipped the axle to under the springs for an additional 4". This will help keep the firebox from bumping anything going in and out of deep driveways and such as well as give me more room to hang the water tanks under.

Thanks everyone so far for the great response! I have been working 8am - 4pm in my shop cutting custom grates, and working 4-9pm on this pit everynight. I am TIRED!!!

The Q next weekend will make it all worth it!