This thing puts the ugly in UDS

Yeah! Nice Ugly find you have there...good work.

You might think about using the bottom as the top if it's rounder. You may be able to work the rim to a usable state of roundness with a hammer after you cut top out.

Mine is just as ugly!

Since its got 15/40 written on the side, I'm assuming it had/had motor oil in it at one point. There are many discussions around here on weather or not you want to use a barrel that contained motor oil or not for a UDS. I don't think I would but lots of people do, its your decision.

On weather its too beat up to use, the seam around the top looks kind of dented and that might make it difficult to seal, on the other hand might not be too hard to beat back into shape.

I'd look for another barrel that didn't have motor oil in it and that wasn't as beat up.
Just my preference to start with a clean/straight barrel.

I use nothing but lubricant drums, they are unlined, and clean up and burn out just fine. As long as you can get a lid to fit tight, use it.

expatpig said:

I use nothing but lubricant drums, they are unlined, and clean up and burn out just fine. As long as you can get a lid to fit tight, use it.

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To backup Expatpig, I've used motor oil and automatic transmission fluid drums for years. (ATF is essentially highly refined mineral oil, the same stuff your mother may have given you as a kid years ago to treat various intestinal disturbances. It's colored red so mechanics don't put the wrong fluid in the wrong hole.) I have a fairly unlimited supply of freshly emptied, quite new drums. A good scrub up and burn out and you are good to go.

Do a google search for the MSDS sheet on your brand of motor oil (it looks like Chevron), and you'll find that it will have very low toxicity, and with aforementioned scrubbing and burning, you are on the way to your new UDS.

By the way, the original users of 55 gallon drums for cooking were the Navy Seabees and Army aircraft mechanics stationed on remote Pacific islands during WWII. During the early days of the war, fuel and lubricants were delivered by fast destroyers whose crewmen just shoved the barrels overboard from close in to shore. Since gas and oil are lighter than water, the drums floated and the land-based servicemen just corralled them onto shore, used the contents for the official purposes (or not) and then had thousands of empty barrels just sitting around. Grills and smokers followed soon after.

I'd say use your oil barrel.

Sterling

Black Dog BBQ said:

Mine is just as ugly!

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NO..... mine is uglier:



OH WAIT.......never mind.......................

Paul B
SS UDS

Yeah, it's shiny, and we've all seen it ad nauseum. It may even be considered attractive by some, but the seemingly endless need to thrust it down everyones throat isn't.

OP, if you mark out a radius for a 55 gal drum onto a block of hardwood, cut that out and use it as a dolly you may be able to tempt the rim of that drum gently back into a more or less round shape. Try not to stretch the metal too much or you'll have probs.

Well, then...

justjack said:

Yeah, it's shiny, and we've all seen it ad nauseum. It may even be considered attractive by some, but the seemingly endless need to thrust it down everyones throat isn't.

OP, if you mark out a radius for a 55 gal drum onto a block of hardwood, cut that out and use it as a dolly you may be able to tempt the rim of that drum gently back into a more or less round shape. Try not to stretch the metal too much or you'll have probs.

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WOW.....sorry to offend....:shocked:. Any others feel the same way?? I'll stop posting my pics.

Paul B

Paul, you keep posting those pics... I consider you to be a proud father showing off his kid. Nice job making that with your own two hands keeping it all nice and purty!

Paul I think the best think to do is ship that drum to me.......Then I`ll post pics of it :heh: I would be proud of it if I were you paul.

I may have you beat...:twisted:

Keep posting that pic, love to see that shiny drum!

Paul B said:

WOW.....sorry to offend....:shocked:. Any others feel the same way?? I'll stop posting my pics.

Paul B

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STOP posting pictures of the DAMN thing. (That is, until you tell us where we can find the fancy stainless lid. I can get a SS drum, but the lid has me stumped. I think the source you refer to in the UDS thread is kaput.)

I love it. Keep it up.

Sterling

A little hijacked here....

Dan- That looks like a nice heavy barrel but the big thing with a UDS is getting everything nice and tight so you don't have air leaks. I would be tempted to keep looking for an open barrel with a lid but if they are hard to find then I would put the time into that one. Get it nice and round and find your lid before you cut the barrel. Sometimes it is good to leave a little bit of a lip on the drum for the lid to fit on. Burn your barrel out well. Oil isn't any worse than burning paint and doesn't leach into the metal any farther than fire will.
Hope to see some Q coming off that "ugly old thing!"