LSGz 24x40 Offset - Custom w/Mods

[txsmkmstr]

How well does the counterweight work?

Very well.... especially when making a direct comparison to the same size door without the c/w. Now, it still requires some giddy-up to open at first but shortly after you can feel the c/w take over. Well worth the extra money even for a young man as this pit should last well into the tendonitis years and you'll be wanting it then for sure. This option wasn't on my initial list of goodies but I paid LSGz a visit and tried it out - SOLD!! :thumb:

Oh - and another nice thing about the c/w is the door doesn't go back as far so it's easier to close if any cook team members (wife, g/f, etc.) are vertically challenged.

 

[Baby Back Maniac]

Very well.... especially when making a direct comparison to the same size door without the c/w. Now, it still requires some giddy-up to open at first but shortly after you can feel the c/w take over. Well worth the extra money even for a young man as this pit should last well into the tendonitis years and you'll be wanting it then for sure. This option wasn't on my initial list of goodies but I paid LSGz a visit and tried it out - SOLD!! :thumb:

Oh - and another nice thing about the c/w is the door doesn't go back as far so it's easier to close if any cook team members (wife, g/f, etc.) are vertically challenged.

Great info. Thanks man! I'm in Dallas so I'll probably head down there like you did if I order one. I've actually been there before but they've made a ton of changes since then.

 

[BBQ Freak]

the more I look at your smoker the more in love I am with it and almost pulled the trigger on a 24 X 40 when I bought my Assassin a few months ago . never had a Lone Star Grillz in my arsenal but maybe it is time ya never know . :mrgreen:

 

[Ocastro86]

Man that's a great looking smoker can't wait to get mine hopefully these weeks go by fast

 

[Springram]

Man that's a great looking smoker can't wait to get mine hopefully these weeks go by fast

Tick, tick, tick....... you are in the slowest time period of your life. But when that phone rings........

 

[Big Swole]

Very nice!!

 

[txsmkmstr]

As I recall, you were having some problems determining whether or not the Tel-Tru thermometer that came with the pit was properly calibrated. Were you ever able to get that issue resolved?

UPDATE: New thermometer arrived today directly from Tel-Tru. Boil test verified the new one is spot on and the original one still reads low. I'll install the new one and be done with it.

Funny thing..... the set screw on the new one doesn't fit the specified 5/64" allen wrench either so there's no way of recalibrating or making any custom adjustments. I may contact Tel-Tru and see what they say but presently it's a useless feature. :twitch:

 

[txsmkmstr]

OY... I Goofed

So.... I've been looking at the calibration instructions for a 2" dial and not a 3" dial. :frusty::frusty::frusty:

Funny thing, when you use the correct (1/16" vs. 5/64") wrench it adjusts just fine.

Got the original one reset correctly - replacement will be sent back.

 

[BBQ Freak]

So.... I've been looking at the calibration instructions for a 2" dial and not a 3" dial. :frusty::frusty::frusty:

Funny thing, when you use the correct (1/16" vs. 5/64") wrench it adjusts just fine.

Got the original one reset correctly - replacement will be sent back.

glad you got it figured out and I do stuff like that all the time . I got the money to buy a smoker like yours and feel it is the perfect size but myself thinks do I really need another smoker , lol . do you have anymore cook pics to convince me ?

 

[txsmkmstr]

As Requested....

... do you have anymore cook pics to convince me ?

Most recent.... a Throwdown winner I entered on another forum. Hope it helps you decide. :mrgreen:

 

[BBQ Freak]

very nice color on them bonzes :eusa_clap

 

[Inthewoods]

Well that should be just the nudge the Freak needed. lol

-D

 

[txsmkmstr]

Welcome back all... It's been a while but I wanted to share my recent magic trick...

Voila.......

A levitating sheet pan - full size no less.

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So, a magician never reveals his secret - BUT - I'm no magician. I'm just a cooker that would be heartbroken if a full packer brisket were to fall off the shelf on to the ground. I've owned serveral pits and the shelf was a constant weak spot, even when upgrading to a larger/wider option. The pit door handle is always hitting on something when you open it so you lose about 50% of your usable space right there. The door lip eats up nearly 20% across the rest of the width. It was always a balancing act or you needed some assistance to avoid disaster.

I present the secret to the floating baking sheet.

Solution?

http://www.cuttingboardcompany.com/18-x-24-black-cutting-board/

Well, that and some black oxide fasteners.

While it can be removed the cutting board folds down along with the shelf keeping the clean look of the LSGz workmanship.

A close-up of the fasteners... countersunk panheads.

I don't use it as a cutting board but you could. These are available in lots of different color too. So, no more worries about shelf space and clean-up's a breeze. Thanks as always for looking. Keep Smokin'

 

[Notorious Q.U.E.]

Pure sharpness those LSG rigs. Love them all. Nice touch with Texas flag

 

[HogGrog]

Great post, ingenious mods. I love your LSG. How effective has your smoke deflector been? Any discoloration on the patio ceiling?

 

[txsmkmstr]

...... How effective has your smoke deflector been? Any discoloration on the patio ceiling?

Pretty good although not perfect. I've had to clean the ceiling once. Usually the result of me forgetting to turn on the ceiling fan in reverse, which helps on no-wind days.

 

[txsmkmstr]

Another Year... Another Modification

Just when you think it can't get any better one realizes that perfection is a continuing process - either that or I got bored again. :becky:

Getting a counter-weight added to my pit was a priority to me even though there wasn't a HUGE difference with or without. I figured the older I got the more I'd appreciate having one. I started tinkering with adding weight to make it even more effective and came up with a target of 12 additional pounds. This was done by taping/tying scuba weights to the counter-weight bar.

Next up was how to add this weight without sacrificing the aesthetics of the pit itself. Using some basic math I figured I could get enough of something into the hollow bar itself and lead shot seemed to be the answer. By drilling and tapping a hole in the center of the bar and carefully (and tediously) adding shot I managed to get the 12 pounds added. It still wasn't quite where I wanted the balance point to be and ended up putting an additional 3 pounds in.

Once satisfied, I threaded a bolt into the hole to seal things up and now have a true counter-weight that makes the HUGE difference I was looking for. The two pictures below show the balance point before and after. While an 8" difference doesn't seem like a lot those extra 8" are above my shoulder line where things get more difficult. So, without further adieu I present the Before & After.

Before.............

After...............

It would be nice if LSG added some sort of pre-drilled option for this purpose but it's doable if you're patient. Thanks for looking and Keep On Smokin' !!!

 

[HogGrog]

Another very clever and aesthetic mod! Thanks

 

[robertm]

Thank you for putting all of this together. Your thread has given my a lot of insight into what I want on my smoker!

One question. On the propane holder, did you build solely for storage when not in use or do you keep tank there the entire cook? Seems like it might get to hot next to the fire box. Also, any issues loading/moving the smoker the first time with the tank holder sitting lower than the bottom shelf?

I am going to shamelessly steal your probe controller mount idea btw. It's fantastic!

 

[txsmkmstr]

Thanks for the kind words and feel free to copy/modify anything you find helpful.

The propane tank sits there all the time. The insulated firebox helps quite a bit plus heat rises and the tank itself likely stays cool [enough] - I really didn't ever check that.

I picked this up at LSG and transported on a small utility trailer. We parked in the street and unloaded over a curb to avoid the clearance issue. What we didn't anticipate was the soft ground but several sheets of plywood later it got moved to its resting place.