Galvanized with a MSG heat sink.

Thanks Shellter. i wil check it out. Hopefully my next build will start next weekend.

Here's a link to my current build. Probably overkill on the lid, but it gave me an excuse to practice welding. I need the practice. I hope to have it done by this weekend. I'm going with a red color, and all I need to do is put the intake vent tabs (JD Design) on, burn off the coating on the red coal grates with the weed burner, clip back the excess on the red grates and bend the ends back, and season. Since it had peanut oil, I figured it's only fitting to season it with peanut oil.
I think the coal basket may outlast the drum........it's a heavy beast of a basket. LOL!

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=77856

Score just picked up two drums from a local drum recyclers. Paid $25 apiece for them. They are unlined. He stated that they came from one of the local bakerys. They have a few dings but are in really good shape, and the lids fit perfectly. should I still burn them out or am I good to go after a good tide and water cleaning.

I love the coalbasket, i'm going to try to find one to use on mine.

Hope you fing one. I thought to myself, 'It can't be that hard to find one of those!" They are really hard to find. It's one of those things when you need one, you can't find em. LOL! The only drawback is the openings on the sides are a bit big, but some expando or grates or wire can make the openings smaller.


Let's talk about this idea I have, just for the sake of conversation. I have the center part of the lid that I cut out still leftover. I know that diffusers and water pans go against the idea of a UDS, but I like experimenting, so please humor me.

On this current drum, I thought about cutting that leftover piece of lid down to about 12 -16 in diameter. Then using the three bolts for the grate support, suspend the lid over the coals with some wire, chain, to each bolt so it acts as a diffuser and suspends right over the coal basket. Grease, fat etc can still drip onto the the diffuser and give that distinctive smell and flavor, but not cause the flare ups. The other idea I had was to take the stock water pan from my WSM an suspend it over the basket in the same fashion and try a cook with a water pan.

What do you all think? Any opinions, insight, etc would be welcome.

Lastly, I thought about welding the lid cut out to the four legs at the bottom of the basket. This would make for a nice ash catcher. Just pull up the basket and the ash comes with it.

I'll be using the metal stand that I have leftover from the Weber Kettle shelf that I had bought a long time ago.
http://store.weber.com/Items/Accesso....aspx?pid=1287
I never liked it as a table for the kettle. I used the wood top as the shelf for my first drum so I still have the metal support leftover. I'm going to attach it to t side of the drum and then use another table that I have left over for the top.

when doing the fat man ball valve mod, is it better to have the valve pointing up out out?

Brilliant! Didn't even think about the old milk crate idea. We have 3 or 4 of them @ the farm that are just hanging around filled with odds and end junk. Whenever the time comes for UDS #2 I'll be dumping one of them out. :-D

I think the reason some have it pointing out instead of up is to avoid rain and such going into the opening.

Mine is pointed up...no troubles yet. It's also only about halfway up drum...I'm short!

Sometimes you can find these laying around behind grocery stores! The egg man sometimes leaves a few scattered about.

thank you very much

:shock:

Has anyone used the harbor freight knockout punches to make their one inch intake holes for the 3/4 pipe nipples or are the majority using the 1 inch hole saw.


Link to Knockout Punch:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91201

Yes, Ive seen it done.

I use a step bit.