my first u.d.s. build

[trekmstr]

oh boy, i hope this works. iv'e never attached photos before.

I read several threads about people cooking on the uds’s and was intrigued, so I found a link to the ultimate uds thread and started reading. My original goal was to read it all and use the best ideas (to me anyway) to build my own.
Well last week I was 30+ pages into what I found was over 300 pages and couldn’t wait any longer. So I found a food grade drum that contained sunflower oil and went to work.
Pic #1 drum with Webber lid on it to make sure it fits. YES!!
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...h_100_1304.jpg

Pic #2
Cut bottom off of barrel. Laid it on it’s side on stand and used hammer to flatten edge.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...h_100_1306.jpg



Pic#3 lid not fitting????
Note to self. Do not test fit lid on top of drum then cut out bottom of drum. My idea was to use the top as the bottom so that I could make use of the 2” bung fitting for my intake. Silly me, who woulda thought that the top and bottom would be different sizes.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...h_100_1310.jpg

Pic#4 cut out ½ inch wedge.
　
Pic #5 used cargo strap to “shrink” top (bottom) to proper size, then welded.

[trekmstr]

well here is the finished product. lit it about noon and am trying to dial inn temps. it is ranging between 225 & 240. not to bad considering.
i'm hoping to get a better handle on it the morew i use it.

[sdb25]

Another drum is born!

[devious]

nice idea on cutting that wedge

[trekmstr]

thanks, but i have to do it again and make it a little smaller. lid fits on to tight.

[Kevin Garceau]

I dont think the lid can fit too tight....remember you will have coals and food in there to help weigh it down. A tight lid is a good lid :)

Very cool....

[trekmstr]

i'm not sure how coals and food help hold the lid on, but i have to push a little bit to get the lid on and the handle is flexing the weld point on the lid, which is starting to cause the paint to crack off.

[Kevin Garceau]

well OK....that might be too tight....LOL

I was actually referring to pulling the top off. I was envisioning it picking up the kettle some before it released. But if you got it secured to that cart, it wouldnt be an issue there.

[trekmstr]

ok, now your post makes sense. sometimes things seem so confusing because your looking at it wrong and don't even know it. makes me feel silly when the light above my head gets turned on.

[trekmstr]

temps were holding really good yesterday for my first build, i even slipped away for a few hours and the temp did drop but a quick shake of the coals and it was back to temp. so i put a few chicken breasts on and they came out great. also opened her wide open nd got the coals going good and did smores after dinner. wife and daughter are hooked.

re set everything this morning and have a but on now and will be adding some chicken later.

but while resetting this morning i wanted to fix a problem i was having with one of my gages. i have a hole drilled in the side to run a prob though for the meat but i had to use that yesterday to dial in temps. the gage i had bolted on was way to short, with only about 1" inside drum. so was looking around for a solution and found a candy / deep fryer thermometer with a 6" probe. i had to make a retaining spring out of a piece of wire hanger but it seems to be working OK so far.

[BlkJeep]

great work! Nice spring. Might steal that one!

[trekmstr]

go for it. thats why i posted it. necessity is the other of invention.

[bigabyte]

Good looking drum and chix there!

[Skidder]

trek drop a photo in the UDS Gallery if ya haven't already. Looks like a keeper.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=80125

[trekmstr]

good idea thanks. also i don't plan on painting this one. i want to make sure it lives up to it's name.