New Custom Santa Maria BBQ Chuck Wagon Build

r2d3henry · 04-25-2012, 08:01 PM

Hi all,
I want to first tell you that this couldn't be possible without Marty Leach's detailed post about his Santa Maria Grill. Thank you so much Marty, even though we have never met, I can't thank you enough for doing a real quality Post.

So...Here is the background info. The company I work for is EBS Sports & Entertainment and we do large scale events such as the Red Bull Air Races, Hard Events, and many concerts throughout Calfornia. So...my boss, who gives me alot of freedom wanted to buy a BBQ and have me modify it to put it on wheels. Well after calling around on some used units and a few new ones I decided I would like to tackle building it. That said I designed it to use the least metal and materials and labor without degrading it performance and reliability. So I went to my local metal supplier in San Diego and using 2 8' X 4' sheets of 12 gauge steel, had the supplier cut and bend the metal so I could begin the welding process. Here is a pic of it bent up and after I got it back from my buddies shop where he had a welder that could handle long distance welds.

So now I have attached 3/4" standoffs for the wood trim(spot welded to keep heat transfer at a minimum. Also welding the 2" channel steel which will hold up the grill surface. As you can see I now have it back at the warehouse and am using my welder which can handle the few inch welds that I do at a time.

So below is a pic of the grilling surface. I decided to go with the angle iron approach and a rail setup. This was very difficult to do because of the 45 angles. It was like doing crown molding but much more difficult. The grilling surface is standard expanded metal and is tack welded all along the side so a grill changeout can be done in less than an hour.

So below is the grill with support strut and a burnout preventer (sacrificial expanded metal 2 inches above the bottom. Even with our first burn which created crazy tempatures the bbq paint did not peel.

Below is the prep for paint. Since the grill will not be painted but instead seasoned with vegetable spray it was attached last. To prep the BBQ I grinded all the edges smooth, sanded, naval jellied, degreased, vinigered(is that a word, used for etching), and then finally I went to Harbor Freight and got a 2 cup sprayer for 15 bucks and sprayed the whole thing. Also I installed the wheel(15 bucks at junk yard and installed sprocket and brake)

Painting the underside (just because I don't want it to rust, but not neccessary)

Wood trim installed

ALL DONE!!! Well not really, I am waiting for the wagon wheels to come from the Amish. I've been waiting a month already so hopefully soon I can repost the final product.

First Burn was at the San Diego Crew Classic. Not me but some of our employees loving the new BBQ. And missing wheels, still waiting!!!

Anyways, Thanks for letting me share.

buffalotom · 04-25-2012, 08:03 PM

Nice Lookin Grill!!!

BBQ PD · 04-25-2012, 08:05 PM

Very cool. Can't wait to see the finished product.

martyleach · 04-25-2012, 08:07 PM

Cool looking pit! Have fun with that thing. Glad I could help!

r2d3henry · 04-25-2012, 08:13 PM

Forgot to post the cooking dimensions, 48" X 69" off cooking area. Total build cost without wheels was $500. Wheels are another $400. Total hours spent was roughly 55 hours in total.

pwa · 04-25-2012, 08:20 PM

Nice looking grill!!

pwa

landarc · 04-25-2012, 08:25 PM

Great looking pit.

Hook_Line_and_Sinker · 04-25-2012, 08:38 PM

Very nice build , turned out great
Perhaps I'll see it in action at one of the events

I hope this is not the last pron we see from this fine grill

BBQ_MAFIA · 04-25-2012, 08:40 PM

Very nice.

bluetang · 04-25-2012, 08:42 PM

Fine arse grill!

jestridge · 04-25-2012, 08:43 PM

good craftmanship

Corky · 04-25-2012, 08:44 PM

That is very very nice. Very very very. I would like one of those!

Twelvegaugepump · 04-25-2012, 08:45 PM

Nice work. Send over some food pron!

big brother smoke · 04-25-2012, 08:56 PM

Very nice build, Sir!

Will work for bbq · 04-25-2012, 08:57 PM

Nice build.

04-25-2012, 08:01 PM	#1
r2d3henry Found some matches. Join Date: 04-20-12 Location: San Diego, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	New Custom Santa Maria BBQ Chuck Wagon Build Hi all, I want to first tell you that this couldn't be possible without Marty Leach's detailed post about his Santa Maria Grill. Thank you so much Marty, even though we have never met, I can't thank you enough for doing a real quality Post. So...Here is the background info. The company I work for is EBS Sports & Entertainment and we do large scale events such as the Red Bull Air Races, Hard Events, and many concerts throughout Calfornia. So...my boss, who gives me alot of freedom wanted to buy a BBQ and have me modify it to put it on wheels. Well after calling around on some used units and a few new ones I decided I would like to tackle building it. That said I designed it to use the least metal and materials and labor without degrading it performance and reliability. So I went to my local metal supplier in San Diego and using 2 8' X 4' sheets of 12 gauge steel, had the supplier cut and bend the metal so I could begin the welding process. Here is a pic of it bent up and after I got it back from my buddies shop where he had a welder that could handle long distance welds. So now I have attached 3/4" standoffs for the wood trim(spot welded to keep heat transfer at a minimum. Also welding the 2" channel steel which will hold up the grill surface. As you can see I now have it back at the warehouse and am using my welder which can handle the few inch welds that I do at a time. So below is a pic of the grilling surface. I decided to go with the angle iron approach and a rail setup. This was very difficult to do because of the 45 angles. It was like doing crown molding but much more difficult. The grilling surface is standard expanded metal and is tack welded all along the side so a grill changeout can be done in less than an hour. So below is the grill with support strut and a burnout preventer (sacrificial expanded metal 2 inches above the bottom. Even with our first burn which created crazy tempatures the bbq paint did not peel. Below is the prep for paint. Since the grill will not be painted but instead seasoned with vegetable spray it was attached last. To prep the BBQ I grinded all the edges smooth, sanded, naval jellied, degreased, vinigered(is that a word, used for etching), and then finally I went to Harbor Freight and got a 2 cup sprayer for 15 bucks and sprayed the whole thing. Also I installed the wheel(15 bucks at junk yard and installed sprocket and brake) Painting the underside (just because I don't want it to rust, but not neccessary) Wood trim installed ALL DONE!!! Well not really, I am waiting for the wagon wheels to come from the Amish. I've been waiting a month already so hopefully soon I can repost the final product. First Burn was at the San Diego Crew Classic. Not me but some of our employees loving the new BBQ. And missing wheels, still waiting!!! Anyways, Thanks for letting me share.

04-25-2012, 08:05 PM	#3
BBQ PD is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 10-17-10 Location: Livermore, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Very cool. Can't wait to see the finished product. __________________ Dave CBJ, 15' custom BBQ trailer with a Backwoods Competitor, Pitts & Spitts off-set, & Santa Maria grill. Ole Hickory CTO, 1 BGE, 2 Weber kettles and 1 Smokey Joe, BWS Chubby, Sonoma gasser, and a BBQ store full of everything BBQ.

04-25-2012, 08:07 PM	#4
martyleach Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-17-10 Location: Pleasanton, Ca Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Cool looking pit! Have fun with that thing. Glad I could help! __________________ Large Big Green Egg, Cold smokehouse, UDS with hinged lid, Santa Maria pit 26.75" Weber OTG, Weber Performer, WGA MAK One Star General Pellet Pooper Hasty Bake Gourmet Custom wooden handles for BBQ's made by Marty Leach (oh, that's me) www.amlwoodart.com

04-25-2012, 08:25 PM	#7
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: San Leandro, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Great looking pit. __________________ "perhaps...but then again...maybe not..." careful there son, those ribs are boiling hot... \_\|_/ (='.'=) Here there be bunnies... (")_(")ooo Pacific Rim BBQ Bob's Brew and Que

04-25-2012, 08:38 PM	#8
Hook_Line_and_Sinker is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 03-28-08 Location: Downey, California Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Very nice build , turned out great Perhaps I'll see it in action at one of the events I hope this is not the last pron we see from this fine grill __________________ Hook Line and Sinker Viking 30 inch Gravity Fed Charcoal Smoker Brinkmann 5 burner gas grill with sear & rotisserie UDS's 3 and growing Char Griller w/SFB w/mods Orion Cooker Charbroil 7000 Gas Grill

04-25-2012, 08:03 PM	#2
buffalotom Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-14-11 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice Lookin Grill!!!

04-25-2012, 08:13 PM	#5
r2d3henry Found some matches. Join Date: 04-20-12 Location: San Diego, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Forgot to post the cooking dimensions, 48" X 69" off cooking area. Total build cost without wheels was $500. Wheels are another $400. Total hours spent was roughly 55 hours in total.

04-25-2012, 08:20 PM	#6
pwa is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 10-11-11 Location: North Pole, Alaska Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice looking grill!! pwa

04-25-2012, 08:40 PM	#9
BBQ_MAFIA Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-10-05 Location: NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Very nice. __________________ Guido Lang 60 Lang 84 Deluxe Warmer with Chargrill Large Spicewine Large BGE XL - BGE Med. BGE ( Bought it for my son Vincenzo) Brinkman Snp Brinkman ECB GOSM Weber Kettle Kenmore Elite Gasser Camp Chef Outdoor Stove 1-Banjo

04-25-2012, 08:42 PM	#10
bluetang Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-06-10 Location: Stuart, Fl Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Fine arse grill! __________________ Homegrown 120 Gallon Reverse Flow, Homey, the Homegrown Kettle, 3 UDS's, 3 Stack Pro Q Excel 20, 18.5" Elderly(but not retired) WSM, 150lb Capacity Homegrown Electric and a CA gasserrrr Bicycle Fast Polder Thermo, Indisputably Fastest Purple Thermapen, SAI Satay Grill Thanks landarc for the avatar!

04-25-2012, 08:43 PM	#11
jestridge somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 12-28-07 Location: annville ky Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	good craftmanship

04-25-2012, 08:44 PM	#12
Corky is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-21-11 Location: Liberty Lake, WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That is very very nice. Very very very. I would like one of those! __________________ 18.5 WSM Smokey Joe Platinum Weber Genesis Silver B Blue Weber Performer Blue Thermapen (Fastest in the West!)

04-25-2012, 08:45 PM	#13
Twelvegaugepump is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 08-21-11 Location: Menasha, WI Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Nice work. Send over some food pron! __________________ KCBS Certified Judge Weber Gasser Weber 18" circa 1965 2 22" Weber Silvers and 1 22" Weber Gold King Pig UDS Tejas Charcoal 2452 Grill, 28" discada Char Griller King Kamado 1 Smokey Joe and 1 Mini WSM Currently building a 22' Portable Kitchen www.bullybbq.com

04-25-2012, 08:56 PM	#14
big brother smoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-03-06 Location: Ventura, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Very nice build, Sir! __________________ Peace and Smoke, BBS https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/stor...nufacturer=314 My Weapons: Custom rig - Kandi, UDS; Bubba Keg; 22.5 WSM x 2; 18.5 WSM; BWS extended party; BWS Gator and an Onyx Oven; 29' ft Coachmen Leprechaun (Lola); Avatar by Grillman. Dan Chambers get well soon, so we can tell you to "Shut up Chambers"

04-25-2012, 08:57 PM	#15
Will work for bbq is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 06-23-10 Location: Bay Area, CA. Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	Nice build. __________________ Paul 00 Slowskys Racing CharGriller Acorn Komado AKA Milton (RIP), WGA, WSM 18.5", WSM 22.5" BBQ Guru Digi Q, Weber Kettles, Genisis Gold Gasser, Orange and Red ThermaPens and a Partridge in a Avocado tree. Agent 000 (Double O Zero) Certified MOINK Baller CLICK HERE to visit the BBQ Brethren Throwdowns When all else fails just ask yourself, WWGALD??? *Super sexy Farkernaut Avatar by N8man*