Restoring UDS'ish Smoker

[cousinconley]

This summer, I purchased an old rusty custom smoker off Craigslist. So far I have been labeling it as a UDS...however it was never a 55 gallon drum in its past life. From the floor to the top of the chimney, it is roughly 6 foot tall. I believe it was made from a steel pipe of some sort. The cooking chamber is roughly 20 inches in diameter. I thew away the old grate that came with it. It was rusted through.

Here are the before pics:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BJkgxXrPSvU/TnNDUZPDDAI/AAAAAAAAA4w/_COzn6k6cNI/s512/Photo0117.jpg

Here is a close-up of the chimney with damper:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SvrFz1rJbNQ/TnNDUZCD1qI/AAAAAAAAA4o/SIx4HJogWlA/s640/Photo0118.jpg

Here is the door for adding wood/charcoal. It opens below the bottom grate. Whenever I have opened it to add coal, it has never lost heat.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mSi3j9M_RXU/TnNDUe4SuaI/AAAAAAAAA4s/5Z4MdHd0b6A/s640/Photo0119.jpg

Now this is a door I fabricated for the bottom intake. Its made from the lid of a gas grill wood box. Later I discovered it still lets too much air in so I added a solid plate behind it attached with a screw and wingnut. It too is made from the same wood box. I used a pipe strap to hold the door shut at varying levels of tightness based on how far you wedge it in under the latch.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IilZcgLp9ec/TnNDVLKQI8I/AAAAAAAAA40/VYY27IzL8_0/s640/Photo0121.jpg

Here is a pic of the intake door open. I fashioned the end into a hinge to swing on the original hinge that was welded in place.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-un5wuwv0MFM/TnNDVkmuIdI/AAAAAAAAA48/zq6K8O5Lcjs/s640/Photo0122.jpg

At this point I decided it was time to remove the old paint and rust. I bought a cheap angle grinder and went to work.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qgfIfT7iYqI/TnNDViqwLwI/AAAAAAAAA44/24n1JXCupj8/s640/Photo0123.jpg

After 4 hours of grinding away, this was the results:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nOKEH9xfwTM/TnNDV3RFF5I/AAAAAAAAA5A/7Xug-rxGCFY/s512/Photo0124.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-25JkdusZl1E/TnNDWCySlKI/AAAAAAAAA5E/P7eav9qdn-E/s512/Photo0125.jpg

I purchased some high temp rustoleum black enamel paint and a small paint roller...no spraying. I put on 3 coats if I remember correctly.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6mmXo6DoknA/TnNDW138trI/AAAAAAAAA5I/Hfp9eGG6VAI/s512/Photo0128.jpg

Here is a back shot with a chimney cap I purchased and also painted:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kE8JUTZVAXE/TnNDZC6u55I/AAAAAAAAA5Q/Iz0uaso8Xt4/s512/Photo0130.jpg

The wheels were bad. So I purchased some heavy duty wheels that were identical to the originals.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UGr4dv9hXFM/TnNDXt8g_BI/AAAAAAAAA5M/QgWeALAiMH0/s640/Photo0131.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZHblCn1ei0o/TnNDZvGKMUI/AAAAAAAAA5U/_h5qJXro3GU/s640/Photo0132.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-L_AOfgZIJI8/TnNDbXKRYsI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/tAosQWx67Jg/s512/Photo0135.jpg

After the wheels were added, I purchased a thermometer and spent 15 minutes drilling through the 3/8 inch steel. Earlier when I was grinding, I ground out the inside pretty could and swept it out.

Before I seasoned it, I proceeded to burn it out for extra measure. There was rust on the bottom inside that was in sheets. It was that or build up of something. After heating it I was able to get that rust out. Once clean, I seasoned it with Pam and chunks of hickory.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Jfd3EiHMjIw/TnNDqE09A8I/AAAAAAAAA5k/mlfQhG68Mwo/s512/Photo0153.jpg

Later when I was ready to cook on it...I had to purchase rebar to clip on the top rack to lay the grate on. I could never could find a ready made grate to fit. I am currently waiting for some expanded metal to arrive on order. The was already rebar welded in place for the bottom rack/grate.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HEnDaKVfsK8/TnKfE8Z-5BI/AAAAAAAAA38/DR6DbhNeSGg/s512/Photo0142.jpg

Here is a pick with both grates in place:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8VxX5p1uti4/TnKfD75-wsI/AAAAAAAAA30/4u65_X4c7-Y/s512/Photo0141.jpg

[expatpig]

That was a great score and you did a great job on it! Now get it dirty! UDSish? how about Vertical Homebuilt Smoker?

[cousinconley]

That was a great score and you did a great job on it! Now get it dirty! UDSish? how about Vertical Homebuilt Smoker?


VHS...I like it! I will put in my sig 6 Foot VHS (Vertical Home-built Smoker).

[zacman]

Very nice and great job on the restore, looks like it will be a good smoker. VHS indeed :-P

[h20loo]

Looks good! Certainly don't need to worry about hail damage. I would add a BGE intake door right on your current door, seal up your upper door and put a good load of lump in there. With it sealed, you can set it and with the wall thickness you will cruise along for days!!

[cousinconley]

Looks good! Certainly don't need to worry about hail damage. I would add a BGE intake door right on your current door.

Good suggestion. I will have to keep an eye out for the BGE intake door on sale.

[deguerre]

Thanks for posting the refurb! I was curious after your earlier thread.

[jerneedog]

VHS, I like that!

[DirtyDirty00]

I like it!!!! Good sh*t! :-D

[colonel00]

You could also fashion something like this out of aluminum quite easily:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c362/jojisan/P1060078.jpg

[Smokin Ribs]

That is awesome looking... Nice and thick, should hold heat well

[cousinconley]

That is awesome looking... Nice and thick, should hold heat well

Thanks. A good test of its heat efficiency will be this winter.