You want 3/4" x #9 if you want to do what Norco suggests. I did. :biggrin:

Im new here so i am not sure who norco is. I also dont remember seeing his suggestion. but thank you for the information.

Expanded In Phoenix
 

I found Metals Supermarket here in Dallas, Tx and will be getting my 9 gage 3/4" Expanded metal from them.

Did a quick look on their storefinder and they have a store in Phoenix and lots of other places also.

Here's their web address:

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/MSC-Home.aspx

They have been nice folks to work with. (This is not an endoresement, I don't work for them, just trying to help folks find what they need.)

I'm getting about a half sheet because I'm building multiple drums, my cost will be about $13 for each 8 x 48 piece.

I found a shop that would do it for me but I would have to buy the whole sheet whether or not I took it all. It was going to cost about $100 but I would have had 12 8x48 pieces, not bad at $8.33 each but at most I needed 5 right now. So Metal Supermarket looks like my best bet.

Hope this helps you and others, expanded for a reasonable price can be hard to find.

Most shops, especially if they don't use the stuff much, are going to charge you for a full sheet. Metal supermarkets are a little higher but since you only need a little bit it's not too bad a price.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em (ribs that is!) :-D

brotherbd

Whatchacallit?
 

By the way if you're not sure what you looking for to make your charcoal basket out of here's what you tell them you want or if you're on the net this is what it is.

Hot Rolled Steel, Expanded Sheet, .75 (or 3/4) x 9 gage, Flattened

Flattened is what I prefer you may want raised that's definately your choice.

This stuff is typically available in 4' x 8' sheets

If they just chop it off the end your diamonds will be vertical. You will probably want to try to have them orient the slit length with the length of your piece. If you want it horizontal make sure you ask for it that way, thay may also charge a little more because it requires them cutting the sheet in half and then rotating the piece.

Hope this helps,

brotherbd

Here is Norco's great thread which is well worth the read.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...1&postcount=86

thanks
 

Brotherbd and HeSmellsLikeSmoke.....AWESOME! thank you both so much for your advice. this helps a ton! now i need to make a few phone calls and begin the build.
I just got my Drum back from the sandblaster (i cant burn it, i called the fire department and they said no, and my hoa said no) Anyways, it looks pretty good, not sure if i should clean it out with a rag and some cleaner or not but ill decided that tomorrow.

thanks again

This is what I plan on using for my build:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#9302t89

Its trade size is 3/4"-9. It's .120" thick and the mesh "strands" are .164" wide. The diamond-shaped openings are .563" x 1.688". This seemed like a nice, beefy mesh that wouldn't burn up too quickly, with openings that aren't so large that the smaller pieces of lump charcoal filter through to the ash pan.

Not having built my UDS yet, I leave it to those with REAL experience to tell me if I'm wrong. ;-)

EDIT: Looks like I was a little slow with my reply, but at least I was on the right track!

The sun came out and I took advantage of it. Completely finished now. Man I had not welded since high school. My welding was borderline barbaric.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...DSC00001-1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...F/DSC00003.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...F/DSC00004.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...F/DSC00006.jpg

Now I will Do a season Burn on my next day Off. :biggrin:

Like your shake stick dude!! good Idea!

Pricing and shipping
 

Rodney,

It looks like the same product at Metal Supermarket might be about five dollars cheaper for the same 24"x24" size, you'd have to look at shipping rates also. Sometimes the shipping charges can get out of hand and can make a big difference too.

Not arguing, just saying,

brotherbd

Thanks NASCARican. Just my attempt at not having to kick or open the UDS to dislodge some of the ash.

Are there issues with 1/2" expande metal..?!? Haven't built my basket yet, but that's all I could find. Thanks again...

Jester

nice
 

if its not to much trouble, can you take a picture up close of the shaker stick from the outside of the barrel AND one closer showing attached to the basket, you have a great idea it looks like

I will snap the requested pics in the morning.

Re: Ugly Drum Smoker
 

Brotherbd: Yeah, it's cheaper at the other place, and I considered going that route, but I get next day ground shipping for cheap from McMaster and I'll be buying some other hardware from there anyway. I'm sure that for many other people the place you shared with us would be the better choice. Thanks for that link, by the way... I'll probably use them at some point for one of my clients. It's nice to see that you can buy specially cut pieces of stock material online!

-r

UVaJester, I used smaller and thinner stuff on my first build and it did ok, only reasoning I can see is helping prevent ash buildup. Try what you got, might have to give it a shake half way through the smoke.:biggrin: Just take the food out first!:icon_smil

Only the greatest smoker in the world. :cool:

I'll second that!!:wink:

UV you don't have to close everything up just close the intake and exhaust so there's no draft to carry the ash.

Here are the picture you requested NoviceBBQmovinUp.

Shaker Rod
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13.../DSC000012.jpg

Basket eyelet
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13.../DSC000011.jpg

Connected in Drum
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...DSC0000112.jpg

Close up outside shot of handle . BBQ Guru WSM eyelet Assembly used for bushing
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...DSC0000113.jpg

step one: find a barrel. DONE!!

http://www.thepickledpig.com/forums/...ure309-uds.jpg

So i am having some trouble bending my expanded metal into a cirlce to match my webber grate, i have it bent about 3/4 of the way but i cant get it to round out towards the ends. My tools are very very limited due to my location for the next month.
I am in need of some suggestions on how to round out the expanded metal to match the webber grate. Any suggestion is great thanks.

Look at the last series of pics in this post for an idea.

are you welding it to the grate?

You don't have to get it real round- you can work that more once you get it welded or bolted. I bend the ends under my foot. Gloves are recommended!

You can put a square basket in a round drum!

That's just SQUARE Dude!!

well i dont have a welder so i am going to have to bolt or use some wire to keep it attached to the grate. ...man i wish i had a welder and welding skills...lol

I hear you on that... I wish I had a welder too...!!! hahaha

I used 4 pieces of rebar wire to attach mine to the grate,and also to the ash pan. I saw someone use copper wire also. If you didn't get your basket formed yet just lay it flat on the floor (use gloves)and bring the ends up so you can put a bolt thru to hold it together. Then put your other bolts tru(I used 3)then form it (push on it)if it's not as round as you want it.

Here's an idea I just drew up for bending expando:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/pi...pictureid=2030

Redneck expando bender concept: Stand with one foot on each end of the piece of pipe and use your body weight to bend the expando. Base is made of 2x4's nailed or screwed together, spread about 3.5" apart and cut as long as you need them to be (2' in this example). Pipe is ~1.5" OD. You can just work it around the piece of expando until it looks right. :icon_cool

Thoughts?

-Rodney

Hey Gang if you have not already seen this go and check it out, a new twist on the UDS

http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...rrelSmoker.jpg

Looks interesting and it would probably work but i dont have a metal rod or pole of anysort, nor do i have extra wood laying around, i am staying where the tools are very limited and my work area is blah for the next few months

Another option to put your firebox together is to check around for some stainless steel zip ties. I used 3-4 to tie the expanded metal ends together and another 4 to connect the bottom to the grate and another four for the pizza pan. Don't forget to snip the ends (picture taken before I did that lol)http://lh5.ggpht.com/__Qir0nBXcIg/S4...Firecircle.jpg
Clean and easy but a bit more expensive then rebar wire...
If you have a Harbor Freight in the area they have em.

http://www.nelcoproducts.com/shoppin...+%28150+lb.%29

why bother to snip the ends? gotta keep it ugly!

Is this just a drawing or has someone built it?

Man this a long thread! For all the cookers having problems cleaning drippings, I use pure clay kitty litter in the bottom of the barrel. Soake up the grease and makes it easier to clean. Im sure thats in here somewhere already LOL

Do these look the same to you?
 

I was at Academy store today and saw the Old Smokey 3" thermometers @ 19.99 there, looked an awful lot like the Spicewine Ironworks 3" thermometer for $20. What do yall think? Here's the pics.
Academy on the left, Spicewine on the right.

Might save shipping costs if you have an Academy close by.

Seen this one some place before. I do believe that it is a picture from an issue of Popular Mechanics or Popular Science in the way back 1960's! We are way behind the times in the 21st century.

Is there any place locally to get decent thermomoeters...?? Everyone looks down on the hardware store thermometers... My BGE thermometer didn't work out to well when it came to mounting to the UDS. So now I'm in search of something a little better and I hope I can salvage the hole I've already drilled. Oops..!!! hahaha

I saw the post above, but I don't have Academys around here in Virginia Beach...

Any candy or turkey fryer thermometer long probe mount just under the grate. My daughter got me a couple from Canadian Tire and one from Wal-mart all at 12.99 CDN

This is the exact one I used on my UDS

It came from a 1957 article in Popular Mechanics. It was on this site back in 2007. Go here for the full article:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=34395

Started a new thread for this question.

I would get it to 425.
When I did my season I took it to 250 and held it for 1 hr just to see how it would do. then let it go to 425 for a couple hrs.

Thanks blackdog043. I am running it wide open now. It is a cool 48 degree night don't know if I can get it over 380 where it has been holding for a while.

What do most people coat the inside of the drum with before seasoning..?!?

I have seen pam spray mentioned quite a bit.

Pam will work but lard is best.

Hey Guys ..... I'm picking up a drum today and I have a few questions about building my UDS. How hot does the bottom get? Will installing casters raise it high enough that it won't be a problem? I noticed that Bigmista uses some kind of planter under his fire box. I guess that keeps some of the heat off the bottom. I'm new here so please bear with me.