New Build Coming Soon

[dwfisk]

Did a post a couple weeks back about a new (free) score that will be our next build. Here is the tank w/ my son Kyle for perspective.

It's a water (well) tank, the kind with an air bladder inside, 24 inches in diameter and 50 inches tall, sitting on a 10 inch high ring base. Our initial plan is a vertical smoker with hinged doors, kind of a WSM on steroids, with the bottom 1/3 for the fire box & ash drawer and the top 2/3 for the smoke chamber with 3-4 cooking grates separated by a heat diffuser plate, probably 1/2 inch plate.

Question: With a 24 inch diameter, we are thinking about a round heat diffuser in the 20-22 inch diameter range (easier for us to cut with a torch than cutting a bunch of holes in 1/2 inch plate; do you think a 1-2 inch gap all the way around the perimeter (37 sq in or 72 sq in respectively) is enough for good heat distribution? Does anyone think the "formula" to size a firebox and the size of the connection to the cook chamber for an offset might be applicable?

And, yes we are privileged to live in a Blue Bell ice cream state!

Thanks for the help.

 

[bigabyte]

Good looking tank!

 

[dwfisk]

Good looking tank!

Thanks. It's apparently rare to have the air bladder fail (it's like a pressurized baloon that fills 1/2 the tank volume) in these things but when it does it's junk - no way to repair. One man's trash anothe man's treasure.

 

[Neonnblack]

BGE is making a XXL egg, why not make a XXL WSM.

 

[yakdung]

I like it. Plasma cutter and a Mig and away you go. I would consider making it look like a bomb or a rocket.
Good luck,

 

[dwfisk]

I like it. Plasma cutter and a Mig and away you go. I would consider making it look like a bomb or a rocket.
Good luck,

Wish I had a plasma but my oxy/acetlyene torch will do fine and we have a variety of welders. I like the idea of some kind of weapon theme.