Cover the intakes with magnets it will save you money and works great, you can always change it out later to the JD method. JD is a brethern here and he made a way to seal the intakes with a spring and metal. I foget the post number. I took a bunch of notes when I read this thread.

Here is the jd vent tab

http://uglydrumsmoker.blogspot.com/2...ng-loaded.html

thank you

Here you go, Bro! Patented JD McGeeVent Tabs.........make sure you send him a check for using his idea.........This idea works like a charm, is true to the drum (cheap and easy and REALLY gets the job done.......kinda like this girl I dated in college for a long time--cheap and easy is a good thing!:-D) You can adjust the tab side to side to really fine tune the amount of air going into each one. Buy some decent gauge sheet metal or just scrounge some metal form somewhere. You will need tin snip pliers (these are not cheap), but maybe you can go to a sheet metal shop and ask them if they can cut a few tabs for you. I think a six pack would cover the cost at the right shop right around closing time on a Friday. Don't ask how I know. But it works. They are about 3" by 1".
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...t=JD+vent+tabs
It's best to drill or punch a small hole with a nail into the tab first (only the tab, not the drum). Otherwise the screw will spin that tab around as it goes in and can cut you or scratch up the drum. Drill in till its tight, don't strip it or it won't hold fer chit anymore and then you need to go to a bigger size screw.
All you need is a drill, self tapping metal screws and the socket.
Here's how I did it.....
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/...f22007b8_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/...d961f317_o.jpg
Easy Peasy!
To this day, my tabs are only drilled in tight, no welding, no JB Weld, no nothing and they have never loosened up and I have never had to tighten them.

Great idea, but still a bit of overkill IMO. If you have the bench vise go for it, but then you need the springs, special bolts, etc, That set up will run you about 15-20 bucks once you get all the parts.
JD's---probably less than 5 if you have the sheet metal or any thin metal already on hand. Something you can bend with some needlenose pliers or even off the end of a counter top with a hammer, rubber mallet, or even a block of 2x4.

Ok guys, i have a quick question. I scored a cheap 22.5 inch kettle($5, booya). I am going to use as much of this baby as possible in the building of my UDS(Lid, cooking Grate, the bottom lip for a flange). My question is, can i use the bottom grate from the UDS for the Charcoal Box? Or will that be too small? I can score another grate, but if this would work, why waste it?

What diameter? Thing with using it is if it a cheapgrill then = cheap grate and will rust out quicker. But better than just tossing it.

Weber kettle or a copy cat kettle? The Weber coal grate is perfect for the drum basket. Norco is spot on, if it's from a cheap knock off and not the quality of the Weber grate, then you may want to get something a little beefier so it last longer. 5 bones is a great score though for a donor kettle.

A steel grill is usually made of welded wire or rod stock. Expanded metal mesh is made w/o welding. It starts with rolled plate that is slit. The interupted, alternating, parrallel slits form a diamond shaped holes when the sheet is expanded (stretched wider). It is not necessarily perfectly flat, due to the expansion (one side of the diamond is low, the other high), but this can be pressed back out.

I was thinking now that i am basically have all the parts i need on a list and am going to attempt my first UDS. is there some kind of ratio or rule of thumb between the amount of intake you have compared to the size of exhaust

For example if you have 3 one inch holes for the intake, do you want to make sure you have the 2 inch bung hole open wide AND another 1 inch hole drilled out on top. (i know you can adjust the intakes with magnets but lets forget about that right now) i am just wondering if i should use just the one 2 inch bung hole or should i pop off the second one to help eliminate a hot spot and allow more exhaust out compared to whats comming in.

It's actually really neat how they make it... I spent my formative years in a metal shop... now we just send everything to CHINA!:mad:

I run 3--1" intakes and have the 4 exhaust holes that are on the Weber lid. Never had a problem with raising or lowering temps or keeping it steady. 4 intakes really means one more hole to monitor and fine tune. (kinda sounds wrong). If you are only going to run the large bung as an exhaust, I'd say 3 should do it. You can always open up the smaller one for added exhaust.
3 or 4 will work, just more of a matter of preference I'd say.

has anyone ever tried pit cock valves (I think that's what they're called) like on a radiator , for the intake valves? Do you think they'd work for valves 2 and 3 opposite the ball valve or in place of it? I don't know how large in diameter these come, but if big enough, it seems that they may be able to fine tune air flow.

It's a Weber.

You are set to go my friend. Are you going to use the expanded metal for your coal basket?
5 bucks for a Weber is a steal.........