My "Turtle Drum"
 

So, here's the latest addition to the Q-cooker family: My "shielded" UDS or as my 12 year-old daughter calls it, my "Turtle Drum"

The assorted parts broken down for viewing purposes - a standard new, unlined 55 gal steel drum, a Weber lid found on the side of the highway, an 85 gal salvage drum with cutouts for the intakes, and a firebasket made out of a Weber charcoal grate and extra wire shelving I had laying around the house:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...mbreakdown.jpg

I cut 3 1" holes in the bottom of the 55 gal drum, threaded in 3 3" black iron pipe nipples to act as "legs" to bring the top of the barrel up to the height I needed it:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...Airintakes.jpg

Then, I put 3 90degree PVC elbows on the bottom of the "legs" and ran 3/4" pvc out to the front of the drum. Then I clamped the the intake pipes down to the lid of the 85 gal drum:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...atalBigRed.jpg

Mounted castes on the underside of the lid:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...oy/Casters.jpg

Burned the paint off the wire shelving and used "L" brackets on the fire basket to make it adustable so that I can use it for a hot & fast direct grill also:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...rebasket-1.jpg

Seasoned the inside of the cooking drum, cut a hole in the bottom - now the the "top" - of the 85 gal drum to fit over the cooking drum like a turtle shell, clamped the shell to the base with the lid ring-clamp, painted and mounted the 12" stem turkey frier thermometer just under the bottom of the two cooking grates:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...westmember.jpg
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...leDrumOpen.jpg

Finally, I introduced it to the rest of the family... Awww... Look... It fits right in!!:becky:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...leyQFamily.jpg

Here's my All-Weather Stainless Steel Smokestack mod (pat pending). I nearly got my fire put out by a frog-strangler, so I decided a little rain cap was needed. Yesterday I tested it out, and yes, it rained again. works like a champ!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...e/IMG_0252.jpg

Anyone catch the BBQ Pitmasters this week. The one guy \ group was using a UDS. Never really showed a close up shot of it but it did show him taking food out of it.

Sugar-T

Yeah, that was BigMista. He had an XL UDS flat-top with a 2" diameter stack that looked about 12" - 18" long.

Did I get that right Big?

Burned out two more drums this weekend to build this week. I figured 40 mph winds would burn them hot and fast, I was right!!! Pics to be added soon.

I could of used that sucker yesterday with all the rain and winds I had to deal with. Nice Stack!

Little Drum.
 

I found a couple of ss drums on cl, 1 55 gallon and 1 small one, I'd guess around 20ish gallons. The dimensions are 22" tall with 15" diameter. Both with lids. Any suggestions for a build using the smaller one?

Yes, ship it to me :)

I found this thread before I started building BUFORD (Butt Ugly Freakin Old Recycled Drum) and it helped a lot in my design and construction.



http://img88.imageshack.us/slideshow...?id=20done.jpg



http://a.imageshack.us/img266/8104/smokin.jpg

What did you use for a lid? I'd love to get/make a lid like that with a stack on it. It rains a lot here in Oregon :)

I bought a couple from here.

http://turnerbiodiesel.com/8_gallon_55_gallon_drum_cone

I had to weld a 1/4" rod around the outside edge of the cone and then welded flat stock to the rod to make it fit since the cone sat on top of the rolled edge of the drum.

I then layed Rutland rope and adhesive around the inside edge of the top on top of the cone edge and rod so it would compress on top of the edge of the drum. Fits snug and leak free.

Here's another option for cones and flat lids:
http://www.westtexasfeedersupply.com/lidsfunnels.htm

Have you bought any of these lids, I'd like to buy one of the cone ones to have more space when I need it.

I like the cone lid but it looks like galvanized metal. Do you know what they are made with?

looks galvanized and not very deep
wonder what the dims are