UDS Insulation Mod--Ceramic Fiber Paint

[sjm845]

My buddy is a steamfitter and told me he is going to "borrow" some ceramic fiber paint they use on pipes for my new and first UDS. He says they insulate pipes over 700 degrees and you can put your hand on them no problem. Anyone ever try anything like this? I'm smoking right now in NY--11 degrees with the windchill. I'm sitting at 260 after playing with the intakes for an hour or so. I've got 2.5 one inch intakes open right now and sitting pretty. Think the paint will work?
sjm_smoker.jpg

[Mo-Dave]

Well my take on it is the fiberglass paint will most likely work, just not sure I want my food anywhere near fiberglass. And I just don't see a need to insulate a uds they preform in just about any kind of weather, cold rain and wind may effect it some but if thats the case you are probably not cooking that day anyway.
Dave

[bingo1912]

I seem to have trouble keeping mine cool enough,
Just sayin,,,,,,,,,,

[motley que]

Get a water heater blanket. Don't try to get to fancy where you maycause harm to others

[Bbq Bubba]

A lil overkill as a drum doesn't need any insulation but give it a shot, may be neat o.
I take it your keeping it on the outside? Not sure how that would harm any food?

[BBQ Grail]

I love that the paint is rust colored...

[millsy]

Cool,if it doesn't work you could build another one.

[Rich Parker]

Drums love the cold so you will have to play with it to see if it has value but the color is nice.

[MushCreek]

I remember Bob Vila demonstrating a ceramic paint on a low-income house made from shipping containers. Supposedly, the thickness of a credit card was like R-13 or something. He held one end of a piece of sheet metal that was heated to glowing above the coating. I don't think normal smoking temperatures would affect that stuff. Expen$ive as heck, though.

[sjm845]

Yes...I plan on using it on the outside of the drum so contamination with food is a moot point. I looked around on the net and found a place that makes ceramic additive for all types of paint that claims to have a ridiculous R-Value. It's about $13 per gallon which isn't too pricey. The cost on this paint my friend is getting is the right price---FREE! I'm not sold on doing it yet as I've grown pretty attached to the rust on there right now. I just wondered if anyone had ever tried it.

[hondad]

i vote for - Do it, and report back ! while the drums perform well in the cold, they do need more air, which means more charcoal, and i for one would be interested to see if this possible solution helps.

[snoqualmiesmoker]

Originally Posted by Mo-Dave

And I just don't see a need to insulate a uds they preform in just about any kind of weather, cold rain and wind may effect it some but if thats the case you are probably not cooking that day anyway.
Dave

If I thought like that I would never cook! We get rain October - May then June - September!

But I agree with what you are saying. Things chug right along. Just use a little more fuel, need a little bigger basket!

[Papa Payne]

I'd say go for it! The price is right and it should reduce your drum's fuel consumption...

How thick will the paint be? Would you do the bottom as well? Do you plan to paint the lid too?

Be sure to let us know what you decide.

Papa

[jaronimo]

I made some home-made insulating paint for the floorboards of my 57 Chevy. Works great for heat and noise insulation.

I was looking at Lizardskin, but thats $80 a gallon and then you have to buy their sprayer. Then I found "glass microballoons" at an aircraft supply house and mixed them with a gallon of "oops" paint (the ones at Lowes where they mix the wrong color) I used outdoor latex, mixed in the micro balloons and painted it on. Its an ugly texture, but I covered it in carpet, so it did not matter.

I did one side of the floorboards and left the other side alone. then put two of the same wattage bulbs underneath the floorboards and after a while the untreated side was much hotter than the treated side. Not that it matters for a UDS, but the untreated side sounded kinda "tinny" when I knocked on it but the treated side had a "thud" sound. Heat and sound protection, and it was pretty cheap.

I bought 2 gallons of the glass micro balloons, mixed up two gallons of paint, and I still have more than a gallon of the microspheres left. They go a long way. There are pretty cool too, because they are obviously a solid, but they flow like water.

ps: you have to be careful mixing them. If you use a power mixer you crack the spheres and that ruins their insulating properties.

[HB-BBQ]

I think its a great idea that may be considered overkill for a drum but you will never know until you try. The best part about the experiment is the price is right