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Sean "Puffy" Coals
05-23-2010, 02:59 PM
Ok, so at least some of the people on this site are aware that my first UDS build was sort of disappointing.

My second build came out much better and has inspired me to go again.

This is my idea so far; take my first UDS, fix all the problems with it (which actually aren't that many) and get it to run as good as my latest build. THEN, take the extra steel drum that I have and combine the 2 into a mobile combination smoker and charcoal grill!

This plan has several things going for it:
1) I won't have to build a completely new smoker for the combo when I do start the build (hopefully later this year).

2) I won't have to let the first smoker I ever built rust away.

3) A combo would allow me to grill and prepare side dishes while the smoker finishes up. Or I could do ribs and brisket for the adults and hotdogs and burgers for the kids all at the same time.

4) Would save space over having a seperate smoker and charcoal grill.

I'm still debating on the overall design of the rig. I'm considering building the frame out of wood, which would save me a ton of money. I know wood is flammable, but I think I can make it work IF I can insulate it from the hot parts of the drums.

Anyone got any other ideas/comments, or attempted something like this before?

Willie's BBQ
05-23-2010, 04:19 PM
make sure you post some pics if the wood does catch on fire :cool:

Norcoredneck
05-23-2010, 06:29 PM
Forth of July is just around the corner. Could be quite the pyrotechnique display. Refresh us on your first builds shortcummings. A few things about returning to an old build, Get a feeling of accomplishment by seeing something through, Hone your build skills for the next build, dounside working with greasy material.

Bbq Bubba
05-23-2010, 06:37 PM
A dissapointing drum build???

What does that mean? :confused:

Norcoredneck
05-23-2010, 06:42 PM
A dissapointing drum build???

What does that mean? :confused:

It's when you run out of beer before it is done.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
05-23-2010, 08:45 PM
A dissapointing drum build???

What does that mean? :confused:

Well, i was too eager to get started and didn't really do enough research, so the things I thought were going to be really cool ended up sabotaging me; non-existant seal around the "clean-out" door, poor air intake control, using a plain grill grate to hold the coals instead of making a basket... there's a few more, but I think you get the picture.

I'm probably just going to end up riveting a bunch of plate steel over all the gaping holes I cut into it and re-drilling new, smaller ones.

thirdeye
05-23-2010, 09:19 PM
Get us a sketch on a bar napkin.....

Sean "Puffy" Coals
05-24-2010, 08:30 AM
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Combo/Combo1.jpg

Here's a very rough idea of what I've been thinking.

I'm working on ways to insulate the frame from the heat of the drums. One idea I had was to use Form-a-Gasket or silicone and spread it between 2 sheets of wax paper to make a flat sheet, then cut it to fit the areas where the drums will be in contact with the frame.

Next smoke I think i'm going to try to lean a piece of wood up against the outside of the drum to see just how much damage it will do, if any. I've noticed that there are a lot of drums that have wooden side tables (including my own) which are in contact with the upper most part of the drum, and they don't spontaneously combust. I'm sure the wood will scorch, but I want to see if it will actually ignite or start to smoke. That will give me a better idea of just how well I need to insulate the frame.

1FUNVET
05-24-2010, 09:15 AM
It's when you run out of beer before it is done.


ROFLMAO :becky::becky:

EatRBBQ
05-24-2010, 09:30 AM
I could see using a wood frame cart or something with a UDS. Exterior temps on mine don't normally climb high enough to ignite wood.

The problem I see is the vertical drum/Grill. That puppy will be the one to set the cart on fire I'd think.

PaulG78
05-24-2010, 09:49 AM
Here's a table I found which shows the ignition temperatures for various materials. Pine, which is most likely what you'd use is 427 degrees F. I have built a wood base for my UDS and don't expect to have any problems with it, but will only be using the UDS to smoke, no grilling.
http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm

How about mocking your cart up in wood to see if the layout would function like you want and then having a local fab shop build off from your model using steel?

moda253
05-24-2010, 09:56 AM
Wow. I over think things sometimes but I think you are flexing that brain way too hard on this.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
05-24-2010, 12:12 PM
Hmmmm, definitely some things to think about.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
06-01-2010, 12:07 PM
So, used my home remodeling program to mock up a better version of what I'm thinking about building:
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Combo/combo2.jpg

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Combo/Combo1-1.jpg

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Combo/combo3.jpg

Unfortunately, that's about as much detail as I can squeeze out of it, but it's a reasonably depiction. The wood could just as easily be swapped out for steel. Still deciding what I want to do. Might start calling shops and get estimates on how much it would cost me to get the frame fab'd.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
06-11-2010, 05:58 PM
So, this is another design I came up with. I'm seriously thinking about building one to donate to Moving Miracles to raffle off as a fund raiser. They do great work; teaching the developmentally disabled and handicapped dance routines, which they then perform at the end of the season recital.

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Twins/SiameseTwins.jpg
So, basically, it's a cabinet smoker that's made out of drums. I kinda based it on the "big baby" double drum smoker, but with the top drums standing up instead of on their sides. It would have much greater capacity than "big baby" and could smoke the same amount of food as 8 standard UDS's while only taking up the space that 2 would.

Obviously there would have to be some kind of seal around the doors, and wheels on the base to be able to move it.

The bottom drum/fire box would have a pull-out coal basket with a detachable ash pan for easy loading/cleaning.

With the 2 seperate cooking chambers, there's no worry over cross-contamination. Do 1 type of meat in each side or meat/veggies with a water pan to steam them.

A thick steel diffuser plate evens out the temps from top to bottom and spreads the smoke around.

Can't wait to read the comments on this one!

fshnwiz
06-11-2010, 06:30 PM
Just my opinion mind you but I would never disgrace a 55 gal drum by laying it on its side or by cutting holes in it for anything other than air intake. I recently modified my pds (prettty drum smoker) by extending the height by 5 1/2 ". This allowed me to install another rack right at the top of the original drum. Now By adding some hooks to my charcoal basket I can raise It and hang it on my original grate bolts If I happen to need to sear or to grill something. Best of both worlds.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
06-17-2010, 07:34 AM
It's just 1 idea I had. Like I said, based it on the "big baby" design, which seems to be pretty popular. I wouldn't go as far to say that laying a drum on its side was a disgrace, i'm just trying to some up with ways to make a larger capacity unit using drums instead of, say, a gigantic propane tank. Drums are free and easy to get for me- large tanks are expensive and hard to move. I don't know. Still a work in progress.

h20loo
06-17-2010, 07:59 AM
Your first idea is doable, the second looks like a cold smoker. Variations of your ideas were in Mechanics Illustrated in the 50s and 60s and I'm sure many people built them. Your horizontal grill needs to be raised from the wood on bolts and the wood protected from heat by diffuser metal.
I think your UDS and horizontal grill need a third vertical UDS style barrel with an offset wood burning firebox(also a M.I. plan). I'm sure these plans have been posted by a Brethren within the past 3 years.
Your climate is similiar to mine and I need to wrap my UDS in the winter to keep it efficient. You would need alot of fire to melt the snow off two drums.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
06-17-2010, 09:44 AM
Hmmmm, some interesting points to consider.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
07-15-2010, 11:02 AM
Here's a better pic:

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p430/TimAikin1/Twins/SiameseDetail.jpg

Howtobrew
07-15-2010, 12:04 PM
You can use tile backer board from Home Depot for insulating to your wood frame. It's called Hardi-board or something like that. Ceramic composite, non-flammable. quarter inch thick. Easily cut to size.

jimmyinsd
07-15-2010, 12:19 PM
if you couldnt make your little "clean out" door on your UDSv1 seal decent. how do you think you are going to get those monster doors on this to seal up enough to hold temp and smoke?

Wampus
07-15-2010, 12:31 PM
HOLY FARK MAN!!!!!

If you tell me that you just "whipped up" these sketches, I'm gonna scream!! The modeling pics look pretty awesome!

I'm even an AutoCAD guy, but holy CHIT batman!


Nice "rough sketches"!!




All-in-all, I guess I don't see the point of combining the smokers. It'll make it aweful heavy and less portable. I have a UDS and a couple of kettles and I'm glad they are all independent. I've loaded each up in the truck and sometimes a couple at a time to take to friend's/family's places or even camping (yeah, that's how I roll) and if they were tied together with a cabinet, that would've been hard to do. I have used 1, 2 or even 3 cookers at the same time and I just roll them all out to the driveway as I need them.

Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just throwing it out there.

Looking forward to final pics of whatever you do.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
07-15-2010, 12:41 PM
if you couldnt make your little "clean out" door on your UDSv1 seal decent. how do you think you are going to get those monster doors on this to seal up enough to hold temp and smoke?

Ummm, the fact that I'm actually going to put a seal on it? Better design? More reseach? More experience? Probably a combination of all those things.

On the first UDS I built, I made no attempt to even create a seal. I just cut the door out and went on. It wasn't really a surprise that it let a bunch of air into the drum. The surprise (to me) was how difficult it made cooking in it.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
07-15-2010, 12:46 PM
HOLY FARK MAN!!!!!

If you tell me that you just "whipped up" these sketches, I'm gonna scream!! The modeling pics look pretty awesome!

I'm even an AutoCAD guy, but holy CHIT batman!


Nice "rough sketches"!!




All-in-all, I guess I don't see the point of combining the smokers. It'll make it aweful heavy and less portable. I have a UDS and a couple of kettles and I'm glad they are all independent. I've loaded each up in the truck and sometimes a couple at a time to take to friend's/family's places or even camping (yeah, that's how I roll) and if they were tied together with a cabinet, that would've been hard to do. I have used 1, 2 or even 3 cookers at the same time and I just roll them all out to the driveway as I need them.

Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just throwing it out there.

Looking forward to final pics of whatever you do.

Thanks!

Whip them up? Hardly. Each one took at least a couple hrs. The model was probaby 5-6 hrs.

The point? ...just like building stuff. I think it's a viable design. Like I said- the capacity of a big cabinet smoker without the investment.

Just got a new job with much better pay. Might be able to build this thing sooner than I thought.

Southern Home Boy
07-15-2010, 01:02 PM
Thanks!

Whip them up? Hardly. Each one took at least a couple hrs. The model was probaby 5-6 hrs.

The point? ...just like building stuff. I think it's a viable design. Like I said- the capacity of a big cabinet smoker without the investment.

Just got a new job with much better pay. Might be able to build this thing sooner than I thought.

I think your biggest challenge (besides getting a good seal on the doors) is going to be getting enough heat into your verticals. Big Baby uses much larger diameter stove pipes. I know you said it wasn't to scale, so maybe that's what's throwing me off, but I think you'd need much more and more direct an opening from your proposed firebox to your verticals.

Aside from that, I think the concept is sound. Execution will be your bugaboo. Can you weld?

Phrasty
07-15-2010, 01:17 PM
Hey I know it seems obvious and looking at it now its prob a bit tall and top-heavy and one day will prob fall over and crush a small animal but this could be an option.. couldn't it? Just stack one drum on top of the other. You will most likely have a difference in heat temps at the top but then you could prob use the top racks for warming or something... hmm i dunno. Not sure if it will work to be honest but I have already put together the illustration so I might as well show it. A possibility... maybe! maybe not? lol


Cheers

Sean "Puffy" Coals
09-06-2010, 05:25 PM
Might be in the position to buy a welder in a few weeks- provided my expense checks start comin. Question is- what should I buy? Mig, tig, stick, arc? What do the welders recommend recommend for a beginner? Need something cheap and easy to use/learn.

citrus
09-06-2010, 05:32 PM
Man, that thing will hold a lot of meat!

aaabbq
07-29-2012, 07:58 AM
have you started this build yet? im looking at doing one very simalar

Sean "Puffy" Coals
07-30-2012, 06:46 PM
have you started this build yet? im looking at doing one very simalar

Unfortunately, no. A lot has happened since I started this thread. Good luck on your build tho. I'm very interested to see how it turns out!