Originally Posted by Claude (Post 1621581)

Based on that picture, I'm wondering if you could grind the outer edge of the top of the barrel and use the top as a lid. Thoughts?

Yes, this is my first post. I've only made it 90 pages into this thread while monitoring the end of the thread as well.

Originally Posted by sjm845 (Post 1617014)

Brothers...quick story about the power of the UDS.

My buddy borrowed my drum to cater a party he was attending. It seems his XL BGE couldn't handle all of the food so he needed my hillbilly smoker to cook 40lbs of chix...which it did flawlessly!

He picks up my barrel in the morning and stuffs everything into his truck. I get a frantic call about half hour later...he was doing 90 on the highway because he was late and the barrel lifted 100 feet into the air and crashed in traffic. He said cars dove out of the way like the BIG ONE at Talladega!! Charcoal, grates, lid, firebox, clamps...all over the road and not a single wreck! He tried to recover as much as he could frogger style but the grates were toast.

As he's on the phone telling me this story I hear a smash and a litany of four letter words. Yep...he smashed a deer while he was telling me about the destruction of my drum! Classic. Keep in mind he still had to get to this party and cook all this food (9 racks, pizzas, chix) and do it on a truck with the front basically ripped off!

I ran to the depot and bought 2 grates and headed to help him out. Got busy with a hammer and pounded the UDS back into round. Slammed the lid down and used a foil gasket to seal it up. Aside from some serious scrapes of the custom paint and a fat dent near the valve...it worked perfect!!!

This ordeal motivated me to finally break out my harbor freight flux welder and teach myself how to weld. Took a flat lid from another barrel and welded the weber dome to it and then cut out the inside. Tighter seal than when I used the lock ring and clamp!! Got a shoulder and a chuck roast in as we speak for a BBQ tonight! Pics included...remember, not one lesson on the god awful welds! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE UDS!
Attachment 52004

Attachment 52005

Attachment 52006

Originally Posted by woodbutcher1 (Post 1621696)

Claude, you may be on to something here. Instead of de-heading a closed drum and searching for a lid, your idea may work with some very careful grinding.
What you have on a closed drum,are 4 layers of metal tightly squeezed together,unlike the picture.

Originally Posted by woodbutcher1 (Post 1621734)

Claude,if you can,do most of your grinding on the bottom side of the rolled edge. This will give you some material that can be pried open for a potentially good fitting lid. Good luck. Remember only grind through 1 layer of metal.:thumb:

Originally Posted by PhilipW (Post 1621993)

We found when grinding through it's pretty easy to see the separation as you get through so this may really work. On "Daleks" drum it had been full of olive oil and it actually seeped out as he ground through.

Even on the thin one you still have to be deliberate to get through it. Just keep the flat of the wheel on the surface, staying away from the edge of the wheel, which can dig in pretty quickly.

Originally Posted by Big_Alvin (Post 1622791)

skidder - nice looking rig. hey i see your here in massachusetts too. spend many a weekend partying out at Westfield State back in the early 80's. i'm over in marlboro. you wouldn't happen to have our uds build plans in a tidy document for sharing would you? i just got home after picking up 4 55 gallon steel drums to give this UDS build a shot. Stilll muddling through this huge string to get my plans together. Again, nice job with the redncek bone burner.