UDS build dilema, looking for opinions!

[BigBobBQ]

Ok here is my dilema, I found a closed top drum after 2 months of looking, and cut the top out, it had a liner so after 2 burnouts and hours of sanding I got the liner out of alot of it, I needed a lid and CL has nothing even remotely close to my house, also no Biglots witin 80 miles for their cheap grill. I have been posting wanted adds for weber lids for 3 weeks now and checked all over town but no luck so far. I had a lid from an open top drum but have burned it and wire wheeled it for the better part of 2 days and have barely made a dent on the liner on it (got some serious liner it). I have found someone that has another closed lid drum and he said it does not have a liner he said he would give to me for $12.00 but he only has one. my question is I want to get the drum and use that one for the body but he has no lid. I have my old drum and I have seen where you can cut the drum 1/3 of the way down on the rib and flip it over for a lid but I already have the 4 1" holes drilled in the bottom for the intake, will they work for the exhaust even if I have to add 1 or 2 more holes or do I have to scrap that idea and find something else to start over for some type of lid. Money is an issue (out of work for over a year due to medical problems and trying to get my disability started but can take up to another year for that) thats why I haven't ordered a lid on-line and had it shipped to me. I am open to any ideas for something I can use as a useable lid as well.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I would search Craigslist in your area for Webber as well as Webber. Try to find a cheap.kettle.

Tallahassee may be too far, but I found this which looks like a good deal for you.

http://tallahassee.craigslist.org/spo/2509458688.html

[BigBobBQ]

Yeah I am about 85 miles from Tallahassee, Gainesville, Jacksonville or Valdosta Georgia, they have plenty in the big areas, too far for me to try to get a ride to, I keep checking as to if someone I know might be going to one of the big areas that maybe they can pick one for me or I can hitch a ride with them when they do go if I see something available. I keep looking because I am bound to find something one of these days..

[Murray in N.Z.]

Big Bob.
Go for it, I dont have a UDS but I do have a redneck Kiwi creation smoker... The size of the holes dont really matter, just so long as they are big enough so that the smoke will pass over the stuff being smoked and remove the moist steam yet small enough to keep the heat round the meat for a while. More the merrier, just shut down a few if there is too many!
On this site there is a bloke called phubar from Holland or thereabouts and he has a successfull smoker joined at the 1/3 ring lip bit. Some folk have lots of 1 inch holes with screw caps over them and open them as needed to let out heat. Apparently they can also be sealed with those cute little fridge magnet/business card things.
I used to shove rags into the slots around the top of my smoker when I wanted to keep the heat in but now I dont even worry about that, I just git r dun by cranking open the dor and building a hotter fire. I believe that if you dont have enough flow through ventilation thats when the moisture/steam from the fire and meat condenses on the lid and drips down in little creosote tasting blobs.
So long story short... go for it.. try it out and do a few more modifications if it aint right. The basics of smoking meats aint an exact science, If I can do it on my rumpty cheap homemade setup any one can! First one I did turned out terrible but next one after a few mods was pretty darned eatable... and they just keep gittin better. I still got paint on the inside of my smoker but dont tell anyone. Its just sealed behind 10 or more years of creosote and meat juice splatter.

now go GIT R DUN !!!!

Muzza the Kiwi redneck

[bigdaddydanbbq]

Ya need to have top vents anyway so it sound like it will be fine,you can always use magnets or something to slow down the exhaust.

[Carbon]

Nice thing about the drum is you can plug up any hole and start over.
I've only been using my drum for a couple of weeks but in the course of that time I've made several changes to it and plugged up about a dozen holes from 1/4" to 3/4" in size. Paint over them and no one would know....lol...

[Teleking]

Originally Posted by HeSmellsLikeSmoke

I would search Craigslist in your area for Webber as well as Webber. Try to find a cheap.kettle.

Tallahassee may be too far, but I found this which looks like a good deal for you.

http://tallahassee.craigslist.org/spo/2509458688.html

You might also want to try the correct spelling for Weber grills when searching CL.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by Teleking

You might also want to try the correct spelling for Weber grills when searching CL.

LOL. That was just the point I was trying to make. Check for Webber as well as Weber. Ya just never know when someone who can't spell for chit, much like myself, will post an ad.

[caliking]

also look for variations of charcoal... found one listed as "charchole grill" a while back.

[Carbon]

I found my lid using the keyword "kettle"

[BigBobBQ]

Thanks for the tips guys I am going to use the old drum with the exhaust holes for the lid right now while I keep searching CL for a Weber or another 22.5 kettle.

[Boshizzle]

I used the lid from a kettle I bought from Big Lots. It cost me $25.00 or so for the entire grill.

[martyleach]

I used the 22-1/2" Kettle for my lid. Welded up the holes...works great.

[Ole Man Dan]

When I decided to build my UDS I Goggled 'closest source of 55 gal. drums to my town'. I located new ones 40 miles away. I had one that afternoon.

[BigBobBQ]

Yeah the closest drums to me are 85 miles away, I live in the middle of nowhere so it is a long drive to go to a metropolitan area where they have a Big Lots or where CL shows where there are lids and kettle grills. I keep looking and maybe I will get lucky and find a 22.5 lid in the future here locally..