HVLP sweet! You should be able to blast out some of that ceramic header paint. :cool:
Have a look around or contact them for colors.

http://nomorerust.com/highheat/diy.html

Dupli Color’s High Heat with Ceramic is good up to 1200 degrees but I do not know if it comes in quarts. You could get it powder coated.

Sandblasting a drum
 

Just call a pit maker that advertised sandblasting as one of their services. I thought, "great", I can finally take my 85 gallon overpack drum and get it sandblasted. I'm not sure what was in the drum before I purchased it for $40, but figured what ever "was" in it, could be sandblasted out. (I don't want to try to burn out whatever was in there off). The fellow says he can't do it because the metal is to thin (16 gauge) and because it only has one opened end, which would cause "blowback". Is this guy yanking my chain because he doesn't want to do it...or is he being straight up with me? The reason I ask, is because, "somewhere", on one of these 500+ pages I thought I read where someone had their drum sandblasted.
Thanx for any feedback.....
Demosthenes

I use a mix of whatever lump I have on hand at the time and Kingsford Competition briquettes.

I finally found some Royal Oak lump so I'll be using it in tomorrows cook but I'll still mix it with the Briqs.

I had my drum sandblasted and it turned out great. Paid $40 to have it done but it saved me a lot of headache.

I use a mixture of regular Kingsford charcoal and hickory, cherry, apple, or whatever else I can get my grubby little mitts on!

Just had 2 'burned and blasted' $50 each.

The guy seemed straight up, but did say "you made a wise choice in having us burn before blasting, because of the inside fresh paint". For whatever thats worth.

The blast alone was $35 each, the burn in his big oven cost $15 each.

He didn't say anything about blowback.

To use the UDS as a grill is really a piece of cake. I've done it and it worked. Though my Weber 18" still way out performs for grilling.

Most people put 2 sets of bolts in the UDS for like a bottom rack and upper rack for smoking. Just use the bottom rack as a charcoal rack and food on the upper.

What kind of a place had the capability to burn it in an oven? Sounds interesting.

First USD Build
 

I occasionally fill my basket with lump - but generally add some pecan branches to it. As the basket burns down (over a lot of burns), I keep adding more and more branches. Last week I did 9hrs over a handful of branches I collected from the yard - there was pretty much no lump left when I started.

That said, I cheat with a BBQ Guru. It makes stick burning easy.

Inghams's Powder Coating - Stevens, PA

www.inghamspowdercoating.com

Thanx Fornia......:thumb:

I may seek out a auto collision center to see if they can do it.

This guy was gunna charge me $100 right off the bat.....sight unseen.

I had my barrell burned and blasted at heat treating/sand blasting shop. Worked out great.

Hi, Texan!

I think you're on the right track here, except for the exhaust holes. I'd make the exhaust holes on the lid at least 1/2" or maybe even 5/8" diameter. 1/4" won't give you the airflow you need to get rid of stale smoke. Put the holes in the bottom of the barrel about 2 1/2" to 3" above the bottom. Your basket, as planned, will be great.

How are you planning to control the airflow into the bottom holes?

The paint you indicate will be fine.

Other than that, looks good!

Two more go to Paint
 

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/IMG_1109.jpg

Jeff S.