Mark's stainless steel 55-gallon drum smoker

[Mark]

Too bad I could only get the 1. I wanted to spread my score around to other interested bretheren and I told the guy I could easily sell the rest for him so not to sell them but he didn't wait.

Anyway, no pics yet but I built it last weekend. I'll get pic's when I can but I wanted to share my air vent design (see diagram below).

First step it to get a square piece of steel and drill a hole in the exact center.

Second step is to drill another hole in the exact center of the barrel bottom.

Third step is to align the holes of the square plate and the hole in the bottom.

Fourth step is to mark the outline of the square.

Fifth step is to make plunge cuts with a metal cut-off saw blade on all inside lines.

Sixth step is to cut out triangles by cutting the outside of the square between every other triangle shape. I used a grinder with 7.5" cut-off wheel.
You can get something similar that will fit circular saws.

Seventh step is to grind (or file) the sharp edges off the openings.

Eighth step is to attach the plate over the opening. with a nut, bolt and 2 large washers.

Assuming you cut out the top of the barrel, the ninth step is to grind air flow notches around the circumference of the top and place in the bottom of the barrel, elevated a little bit by some means. The bolts attaching the 5 metal casters aroung the outside perimeter of the barrel bottom accomplished this purpose for me.

Finally, rig a handle of some sort to the plate and the outside of the barrel so you can adjust air flow.

I did a test firing yesterday full open and all wood. It was rock steady at 400 deg. F. for nearly 2 hours. (PS: using the same plunge cut technique, I made a fuel door in the middle of the side. This also came in handy for attaching the casters).

[Mark]

Oh yeah, when you make the cuts on the square, cut to the INSIDE of the line, so when you shut off the air flow, you completely shut it off.

[sksmoker]

Can't wait to see pictures. Seems interesting.

[Mark]

If it's still hard to visualize with the diagram. just imagine cutting out every other triangle. Then the steel square rotates to increase/decrease air flow.

This was easy to do. So was the door. And I saved a $hitload on 3/4" ball valves.

[CrimsonSmoke]

Let's see some pics

[Mark]

Originally Posted by CrimsonSmoke

Let's see some pics

I'm pictorially challenged at the moment.

[sksmoker]

Any update on this?

[Norcoredneck]

Here from another thread.

Originally Posted by Mark

I dont use ball valves. I made a square version of the round vent on top of a Weber kettle. This post describes it:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=31723

Also did my first cook on it; chicken and deer meat fatties. I Used all-wood. Gonna grind up the fatties for nachos with home made salsa. Then yesterday I smoke-dried about a grocery bag of hot peppers. The temp was kept low by closing the bottom vent.

[Mark]

I need to get hold of a digital camera and am working on it. I think I'll do a powerpoint presentation like Norcoredneck did.