Advice needed on smoker build

[indianagriller]

Guys looking for a little info, I have a friend who works in a machine / welding shop who is willing to build a Fat 50 style cooker for me, The thing is he wants to use 304 stainless steel for the build, is this a good quality metal for a smoker like this? I guess i am asking what are the pro's/ and cons of doing an all stainless build?

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Pros, it won't rust, it will be super shiny, people will think you have a really cool smoker.

Cons, it will be super shiny, stainless costs a lot of money.

 

[Don Marco]

Stay away from stainless steel.

Not only does it look kinda...well... almost pink :roll:, it also doesnt hold heat very well, is a pain to keep looking clean, changes colour over time and is expensive.

DM

 

[cold_smoked_canadian]

can't use fridge magnets either.

 

[indianagriller]

Thanks for the input, i thought that stainless would hold heat better, Would it really make much of a difference as far as heat loss? Price is not an issue, the place he works charges $.20 a lb for the scrap pieces, he has already built a wood stove and parts for my UDS for me. I kind of like the streaks of color that stainless changes when it is heated. I will see what other types of metal he can get.

 

[Norcoredneck]

.20/lb. I'd be buying him some serious brew! How thick of material are we talking? I'd go stainless in a second. If your worried about heat loss ask him to build an insulated firebox. it's a stickburner so you are gonna have to tend anyway. Wax on Wax off Brother.