My home made baffle

[BayoustateBBQ]

I have a Oklahoma Joe longhorn. Although I know the sweet spot in the pit i decided to just go ahead and try to get even temps. I was getting 50-75 degree difference between the chimney side and firebox side. Sometime next to the fire box I was reading temps of 400+ degrees.
I had some 12"x36"x 18 gauge sheets in my shop so here is what I did.
I have the 20" version I took 2 sheets and overlapped them and tack welded the seams on both sides. Added a 45 degree angle, and painted it with high temp paint. It fits like a glove and the length is about half my smoker. Not sure yet if I will have to shorten it and add tuning plates. My ET 732 (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153247) is arriving today so we will see what difference it makes.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=710&pictureid=6980

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=710&pictureid=6983

[cholloway]

That oughta work. I don't think I would have painted it though.

[Southstar Jeff]

You do NOT want paint inside your pit, so that needs to come off.

I think you will find that you need some holes so you can some smoke and heat on that side .

[BayoustateBBQ]

Well hell I'll try to get the paint off. Thanks for pointing that out. I figured after a few dry runs anything in the paint will be gone.
You really think it needs to come off? My smoker is powder coated but those cheap offsets are painted inside.

[J-Rod]

Painted?!?!

[BayoustateBBQ]

well with the thin metal, high heat, humidity etc will probably rust it or weaken the metal pretty quick. Don't forget high temp paint will extend the life of the surface.

[J-Rod]

well with the thin metal, high heat, humidity etc will probably rust it or weaken the metal pretty quick. Don't forget high temp paint will extend the life of the surface.

I'd rather throw it away after a couple years than eat paint chemicals, but that's just me.

[ButtBurner]

I'd rather throw it away after a couple years than eat paint chemicals, but that's just me.

I agree. That paint isnt going to extend the life of the baffle, it will be in your lungs before the baffle dies

I am making one now for my OK Joe. I am using 1/4 plate and making tuning plates out of it

[BayoustateBBQ]

I'm just going to have to agree to disagree with y'all. I think anything bad will burn off and dissipate after the several dry runs. You talk about bad chems from it, how many of you reheat your resturant to go boxes in your microwave. Heating that is bad, how many of you cook in aluminum pans? You do know what comes from heating that right?

[ButtBurner]

I'm just going to have to agree to disagree with y'all. I think anything bad will burn off and dissipate after the several dry runs. You talk about bad chems from it, how many of you reheat your resturant to go boxes in your microwave. Heating that is bad, how many of you cook in aluminum pans? You do know what comes from heating that right?

I dont do either of those.

[J-Rod]

Fair enough. We're only concerned for your safety and that of anyone who eats food cooked on your smoker.

Perhaps as a survey of sorts, ask some of the competition/professional pitmasters here about painting any internal part on a smoker and see what they say.

[J-Rod]

I'm just going to have to agree to disagree with y'all. I think anything bad will burn off and dissipate after the several dry runs. You talk about bad chems from it, how many of you reheat your resturant to go boxes in your microwave. Heating that is bad, how many of you cook in aluminum pans? You do know what comes from heating that right?

Negative to both of those. That's just common sense.

[ButtBurner]

this is how mine is shaping up so far. I need to get the welder out yet.

[caliking]

Spraying your pantry with insecticide probably won't kill you, but is generally not a good idea. Paint on the inside of your cooker is probably kinda like that. Unless the paint burns off during the seasoning cooks, and then you don't have to worry about it anyways.

The brethren have kept me from doing a number of unwise things since I joined a couple of years ago.

[BayoustateBBQ]

Ok paint came off easy in the sandblaster (note to self). Just not sure how long mine needs to be until i start taking temps. dual probe thermo came in today so we will see. ButtBurner is that 1/4"? Looking good

[qnbiker]

Well hell I'll try to get the paint off. Thanks for pointing that out. I figured after a few dry runs anything in the paint will be gone.
You really think it needs to come off? My smoker is powder coated but those cheap offsets are painted inside. I had a cheap offset (Silver Smoker) and there was no paint inside.

[ButtBurner]

Ok paint came off easy in the sandblaster (note to self). Just not sure how long mine needs to be until i start taking temps. dual probe thermo came in today so we will see. ButtBurner is that 1/4"? Looking good

yes I got real lucky on that. At work we have a scrap metal bin that they sell to a recycle when it fills up. Its full of odds and ends, I work for an auto parts supplier and we have a lot of junk castings that we collect.

I was back by it a few days ago, here is this wire basket full of real nice stock like this.

It was going to the recycler the next morning!

So I snagged it all and put it in my office. We have a tool room at work so today I chopped some to size with our power hack saw. I have lots left. A lot of different sizes, angle iron etc.

I am going to season mine like cast iron, wipe it down with Crisco and let it burn in a few times.

[qnbiker]

BayoustateBBQ, I would cut the bottom flat part of your baffle into 3rds. That way, you can use the extra 2 pieces as tuning plates like ButtBurner's to dial in your temps.

[BayoustateBBQ]

Yes that is what I was thinking about cutting it. Really would have preferred some thicker stock but I used what I had. This 18 guage really conducts the heat, kind like putting a pie plate on a burner. Conduction in this instance may not work in my favor. Might still have more heat towards the firebox. Anyway, gotta start somewhere. Got my dual probe remote thermo yesterday so we will see what has changed today.

[BayoustateBBQ]

Ok guys got every thing set up and starting testing. Right off the bat I noticed the firebox side was still 50 degrees different. So I noticed some gaps along side the baffle and I welded in the plates to block the airflow. Now keep in mind before using the dial thermos I was easily getting a 100 degree difference. For a bench mark can you get the temps perfect all the way across or is there a range that is acceptable?

[Happy Hapgood]

The metal baffle will eventually assume the temp of the heat source.

Where are your thermostats in relation to grill level? I've seen some weird locations for them on some smokers even from the factory. It's good that you have more accurate t'stats now. I would mount a dial type t'stat no more than 3" above the grill surface maybe using 2 or even 3 depending on the size of your smoker.

The rest will be fire control. Add more fuel as needed but not too much etc. That rig should have a sweet spot. Once you find it, it's ON.

Just my .02

[Big Dan]

You need to weld a lip on that so it rests on top of the screws.Here is what mine looks like. I have the same OK Joe. I got this from Horizon smokers.

[BayoustateBBQ]

Well I'm using dual digital remote thermos the 732 something. I have one i'4of the way fromthefirebox in the middle and the other one 1/4 away from the chimney. Leaks were all fixed and I was still getting a good 50 degrees hotter by the fire box. I'm sure it's because the metal is so thin, it has actually turned blue so that sucker is radiating heat like no body's business. I should have used 1/4 steel. What I have done now is custom cut one of those silver thermo fire resistant blankets and placed it on where it was turning blue. It looks like I'm now down to 20 degrees between two sides. I was afraid to shorten the length of the baffle in fear the side next to the fire box would get any hotter. It's looking like I have a 30 degree difference between the two sides now. Fire box being hotter. Is that acceptable? What kind of degree temps are people getting from the plates from horizon?

[Big Dan]

+ or - 5 degrees with my baffle from Horizon, but I don't make huge fires either.

[BayoustateBBQ]

Well I just added the thermo blanket to see what it did. I doubled it making it an r value of 4 to 8. I'm now sitting at 250 12" from the fire box and 214 12" from the chimney. The thermo blanket is coming off, it's not meant for that long. I sure hate to have to order from longhorn and wait freaking 3-4 weeks for a "non stock" item term heat
Keep in mind I used to be 250 by the chimney and 350+ by the fire box.(note to self: nickle holding up as dollar)

[Happy Hapgood]

Well I just added the thermo blanket to see what it did. I doubled it making it an r value of 4 to 8. I'm now sitting at 250 12" from the fire box and 214 12" from the chimney. The thermo blanket is coming off, it's not meant for that long. I sure hate to have to order from longhorn and wait freaking 3-4 weeks for a "non stock" item term heat
Keep in mind I used to be 250 by the chimney and 350+ by the fire box.(note to self: nickle holding up as dollar)

Fire rated calk might work with a sheet metal cover and bottom.

[ButtBurner]

Well I just added the thermo blanket to see what it did. I doubled it making it an r value of 4 to 8. I'm now sitting at 250 12" from the fire box and 214 12" from the chimney. The thermo blanket is coming off, it's not meant for that long. I sure hate to have to order from longhorn and wait freaking 3-4 weeks for a "non stock" item term heat
Keep in mind I used to be 250 by the chimney and 350+ by the fire box.(note to self: nickle holding up as dollar)

im sure you could get some 1/4 stock cut to length at a metal yard for less than the horizon baffle and not have to wait for it

I welded mine up but have not fired it up get. wont be till next week to try it

I am at my cabin now in N Mich snowmobiling. I am getting ready to throw a 9 lb butt on my WSM clone, then hit the trails!!!

[BayoustateBBQ]

Well I finally cut some 18" pieces of angle and laid them like ^^^ on the 45 degree part that has the most heat and I got it down to a 20 degree difference. seems kinda like some of the angle reflects the heat back to the firebox.. I've basically gonefrom150 degree difference down to 20 degree difference so it some improvement.. I made my baffle the same dimmensions as the horizon one but 18g steel was my enemy. I see horizon uses 3/16".. I have some 12"x12" squares from another project. My horizontal band saw stock opening isn't 12" wide enough and I don't think my old vertical is up for cutting 1/4. I'll stop tweaking it and smoke something on sun before I go any further.

[ButtBurner]

Sounds like you are there

I would be happy with a 20 degree difference. most foods wont know the difference anyway

the angle iron is a good idea.

[Big Dan]

I don't think 20 degrees is bad either. You can always move food around too.